First Timer Comparing Used Hot Spring versus new Free Flow

[brillskill]

just going by what my situation is with my calspa..my tub is covered for 2 years by my closest cal dealer..when i called wayfair about the nordic warranty they stated it would be my local dealer..anyway do what you feel comfortable with ..you know what they say  about opinions...

[brillskill]

heres the tub anyway...u can get a coupon code and get an additional 10% off plus 10% in store cash....http://www.wayfair.com/Nordic-Hot-Tubs-Rendezvous-Hot-Tub-NHTT1003-NHTT1003.html

[jazzykeen]

Ok, I just encountered a possible game changer. We had an electrician come out and look at our situation this afternoon and apparently we would have to upgrade our entire electrical panel if we wanted to wire for a 240V tub. Also, they'd have to dig a 45 foot trench for the wiring since it's not right up against the house. This would cost upwards of $3k according to him.

Now I am wondering about "plug and play" solutions. I have heard there is no such thing as truly plug and play. Is there any kind of tub that I'd be able to run an extension cord from my house, plug in and be done with it? I really don't want to spend close to the cost of the tub itself to get it up and running...

[brillskill]

extension cords are never a good idea....take a look at costcos aquaterra..they are 110 plug and play and are currently on sale..if you can spend a little more take a look at the geo spa i bought...again its a calspa and everyone but me hates them but i love it...its plugged into 110 and works as it should,,,btw the aquaterra are made by the same company that makes hot spring

[brillskill]

or this..http://www.wayfair.com/Nordic-Hot-Tubs-Escape-Recliner-Hot-Tub-NHTT1001-NHTT1001.html

[jazzykeen]

Thanks for the suggestion! So, in my case, the tub would be located about 50 feet from the house. I'm guessing I would still need to get a trench dug and a new outlet installed if I couldn't use an extension cord. But hopefully would not have to get the entire electrical panel upgraded!

[brillskill]

the right way is to have at least a 15 amp dedicated gfci outlet near where you are going to put the tub...than you literally just plug it in>>

[brillskill]

look in your box do see if there are any empty spaces to put a breaker?..do you already have a stand alone outlet outside ?..you might be able to tap off an outlet you already have

[jazzykeen]

There are are several empty spaces on my panel. It is 150v total, which the electrician said is not much. Currently we do not have a plug located outside so we would need to get one installed. I'm guessing either way it's going to cost quite a bit to get one put near the tub since it is not near the house 

[brillskill]

shouldnt be a problem to add another circuit..and shouldnt be that expensive to run one..

[Hottubguy]

or this..http://www.wayfair.com/Nordic-Hot-Tubs-Escape-Recliner-Hot-Tub-NHTT1001-NHTT1001.html

Need a 20 amp dedicated line for this not 15.  I wouldn't really recommend this tub as the jet action is really weak.  The best 110 model that Nordic makes would be the Retreat which also runs on a 20 amp. They do make a few round ones like the impulse DP which run on 15amps.  Free flow's you should be fine with only 15 amps

[Hottubguy]

just going by what my situation is with my calspa..my tub is covered for 2 years by my closest cal dealer..when i called wayfair about the nordic warranty they stated it would be my local dealer..anyway do what you feel comfortable with ..you know what they say  about opinions...

That's not what Nordic told their dealers because I specifically asked that.  If one shows up in my area and they need warrentee work done they can either call wayfair or pay me my regular rates up front and get reimbursed by Nordic.  Maybe that's why wayfair has so many complaints with the BBB because they give consumers mis-information.  Out of curiosity if your cal spa has warranty problems do you have a nearby dealer?  And if so did you ask them if they will cover you?

[jazzykeen]

I do have some reservations about the plug and play losing heat during the winter. What is the story with this type of tub? We live in Washington, DC and typically have pretty mild winters (usually barely gets below the 30s). Is a plug and play going to significantly run up our energy bill compared to a 240v and will it retain sufficient heat if we want to use it on a winter night?

It sounds like I could have an electrician add the circuit to our current breaker box rather than upgrading the entire thing, but I'll still have to have a trench dug out to where the hot tub will be located so they can add the new plug. I don't even want to know how much that will cost! Maybe I better break out my own shovel 

[brillskill]

mine will maintain the heat. im in ny,but when you run them on `11o the pump has to be on low speed..so when you take the cover off and its cold they loose heat relatively fast,,i only stay in for 30 mins at most so its not an issue for me...and yes digging the trench for the conduit is the hardest most labor part of the job..but still it shouldnt break the bank

[Hot Spring Ace]

I do have some reservations about the plug and play losing heat during the winter. What is the story with this type of tub? We live in Washington, DC and typically have pretty mild winters (usually barely gets below the 30s). Is a plug and play going to significantly run up our energy bill compared to a 240v and will it retain sufficient heat if we want to use it on a winter night?

It sounds like I could have an electrician add the circuit to our current breaker box rather than upgrading the entire thing, but I'll still have to have a trench dug out to where the hot tub will be located so they can add the new plug. I don't even want to know how much that will cost! Maybe I better break out my own shovel 

The cost to run a 110v spa vs a 220v spa is basically the same. The difference is how rapidly it can heat  up but not the amount of energy to get there or maintain temp. For example the 220v spa will heat it up about 4x as fast because its using about 4x as much energy so upon new fill it may get there in 5 hrs at 220V while the 110V spa will put in 1/4 the energy/hour and therefore require 20 hours to get to the final temp but the total KW used in the end is the same. The real difference is when you are in a 110V spa the heater can't run while the jet pump is on high (too many amps used at once) so if you're in it and you have the jets on high the heater automatically kicks off and it can lose temp fairly quickly depending on outside weather and since it heats up slower to regain that heat loss you may be limited on how long you can be in during cold times whereas a 220V spa can keep up temp even with the jet pumps on and in very cold conditions . That’s why there are some limitations if you live in Wisconsin, Maine, etc. We make and sell a lot of Freeflow spas in all staets and the plug and play ones go everywhere as well but its best to know how it works. In Washington DC its obviously not a big issue since your winters are mild relatively speaking.