convice him!

[TCat]

Help!  I've been looking and researching for weeks, but my husband still has no time to go look at or wet test anything.   I was hoping to get one in by Christmas, and I'm afraid my time is running out.  From my initial looking, I'm most interested in HS Vanguard or Grandee, or Marquis Destiny or 418.  He wants to put in a concrete pad for the tub to sit on.  I know we'll need electrical.  How much work and time will all this take?  Can you all please give some info AND encouragement--I'm going to make him read this!!  I want my hot tub!

[drewstar]

Where are you? Running electrical and pouring cement this time of year in Caribou Maine is different than Miami FL.  

Are you going to pour the pad and run electrical, orplanning to hire someone? If you hire someone, thier lead time is going to be a long pole in the schedule.

A pad can be poured in a day. It takes a week to cure.  
Electrical can be run in a day.

Also,  IF the tub is not in stock, you could be out another 4-6 weeks for delivery. A tub in stock, or off the floor can be delivered within a week.


A hot tub would be a great Christmas Present.  And we are quickly comming into the best time of the year for outdoor tubbing!  I say go for it!

[TCat]

I'm in Chesapeake VA, so the weather isn't that big an issue.  He'll want to do everything himself (except maybe electrical).  I'm just getting so frustrated because he doesn't have the time--I'l like to go pick one out myself and just tell him about it.  Maybe that's not such a bad idea after all....

[drewstar]

I'm in Chesapeake VA, so the weather isn't that big an issue.  He'll want to do everything himself (except maybe electrical).  I'm just getting so frustrated because he doesn't have the time--I'l like to go pick one out myself and just tell him about it.  Maybe that's not such a bad idea after all....

Sometimes it's easier to get forgivness that it is to get permission.  

Grab some of your mad money togethor and tell him that you're paying someone to do the work.

As your christmas gift to him, put down the (non-refundable) deposit on the tub. "Merry Christmas honey!"  It's  gift,  It would rude of him not to accept it.

/do not listen to me.

[TCat]

Permission?  Permission???  Hah!!  I don't need his permission, but I get your point.  My problem is, I just want to get him interested in the whole pursuit...thrill of the hunt, etc.  I'm hoping folks here could give him some compelling reasons to get interested and go for it!

[drewstar]

Get him into a tub, preferably one that is outside, at night, under the stars on a chilly night.  Pure heaven.

And, when you think about how you will be able to enjoy being outside, all year, it's a great thing. Comming home after work and taking a soak with a cigar and nice tall glass of something cold. The rest of the neighbors are huddled by the radiator watching re-runs you and him are outside enjoying the snowfall and really having a great night.

You'll sleep like a baby.

Your back will feel great.  

You'll find yourself being quite popular on those cold snowy nights.

All for just pennies a day and a short weekend of gruntwork. A vacation in your backyard, all year long....

Or, just print out some of terminator's pics. Tammy. Vol II.

[svspa]

Hello TCat

I was in the opposite position, I was engaged in the hunt and my wife was not so interested.

I did all of the groundwork, narrowed our choices down to a couple of brands/tubs and the took my wife for the final selection. In a couple of hours we were able to wet/dry test the candidates and make a final choice.

She actually suggested we go with a slightly larger tub than I had been seriously considering.

Well after 3 weeks of having our tub installed I have a hard time getting her out of the tub. Pretty much every night we spend some time together in it and often at her urging. It's basically become a routine for us.

As far as the purchase/install process. We ordered our tub on 9/5, it was delivered on 10/6. Between order and delivery I did the work on our yard to clear a space and pour a concrete pad.

We went with an electrician recommended by the dealer and he went out of his way to be onsite to hook up the electrical the same day the tub was delivered.

Not sure if we can help get your husband involved in the selection/prep but I can guarantee that both of you will thoroughly enjoy the tub once you have it.

Steve

[Wisoki]

If hubby's cool with it, go pick the tub you want, he'll enjoy it regardless of what you purchase. If I were a consumer and knowing what I know about this industry and the pains a customer must go through to buy a spa, I on your husbands side. Go buy it, I'll hook it up, because aparently there isn't much thrill in this hunt.

Permission?  Permission???  Hah!!  I don't need his permission, but I get your point.  My problem is, I just want to get him interested in the whole pursuit...thrill of the hunt, etc.  I'm hoping folks here could give him some compelling reasons to get interested and go for it!

[East_TX_Spa]

When Mom decided she wanted a spa, Dad was dead-set against it.

Dad: "We won't ever use it.  It'll just be something else that's in the way."

Mom:  "We're getting it."

Game Over

Six years later, guess who gets in it 3 times a day?  Mom uses it at night, Dad first thing in the morning, in the afternoon after playing golf, and right before he goes to bed.  Every single day.  When he has the flu, he will get in the spa 10-12 times per day as it is the only relief he gets.  They have a HotSpring Jetsetter.

Terminator

[wmccall]

If you get serious about a particular tub, ask the dealer if they can recommend a concrete guy.  On a lot of big jobs, they have enough left over for some body's hot tub pad.   I cleared out a 10x10 pad and paid about $600 for the concrete and framing.

[johnvb]

I'm in Chesapeake VA, so the weather isn't that big an issue.  He'll want to do everything himself (except maybe electrical).  I'm just getting so frustrated because he doesn't have the time--I'l like to go pick one out myself and just tell him about it.  Maybe that's not such a bad idea after all....

Hey TCat,

I live in VB, not too far from you. Make sure you visit Kim at Contemporary Spas, right there in Chesapeake. We bought a Sundance Optima from her, great hot tub with no problems.

We also wet tested Hot Springs and Caldera from Great Atlantic, Jacuzzi from East Coast Leisure, along with looking at a few others. The first tub we wet tested was a Vanguard at the Witchduck Great Atlantic...they have it in a small private room, so was a great way to get accustomed to "tubbing in public".

All the places we went to allowed us to do the wet test early in the morning, before the store would open to the public.

There is a big difference in the way tubs feel; wet testing is a must! We were at first thinking (by dry testing) that we wanted a lounger seat, but not after wet testing.

As for pouring the concrete slab, you should try to get it done before the first of next year; January is when the nighttime temps start to hit the 20s. Obviously it can be done later, but more labor and cost may be involved.

BTW, everything you may need to do the electrical can be bought from Home depot or Lowes. They both sell what are called "spa pack" electrical boxes. If you want the heavier PVC conduit (Schedule 80,) ECK Electrical Supply at the airport industrial park sells to the public.

[waggie]

I would say go ahead and complete your research and then wet test some tubs yourself to narrow it down to ones that work for you.  Once you've got all that done, your husband really needs to do the wet tests, too, on the runners up you've selected.  And it wouldn't hurt for you to do this together since during a second wet test you learn even more about the tub plus the two of you can discuss what you like/don't like while you're in it together.   If the tub is not a good fit for your husband, he's not going to enjoy it and not going to use it.  It's really worth the time to do all of this.  Just my two cents.  

Speaking of both husband and wife wet testing...I accidentally caused a conflict between a husband and wife who were at a small gathering at our home about a month ago.  I mentioned we'd selected our hot tub and how glad I was we had taken the time to wet test - that there is no way I would consider a tub unless I could wet test it   This one couple who was at our house has had a hot tub for several years.  But what I didn't know is that the husband must have gone out and bought it on as an "impulse purchase" and just came home one day and said, "We've bought a hot tub."   The wife isn't really into the tub and when I said how important I thought the wet test was she said, "Well, I might like our tub if I'd had the opportunity to do that."  

Oops!  

[Wisoki]

The post by Mrs. Tcat says nothing about Mr. Tcat not wanting a hot tub. It does say that Mr. Tcat is too busy to go shopping. I am assuming this means Mr. T (lol) trusts Mrs. T (lol again) and will be pleased with what ever the Mrs. brings home.

I would say go ahead and complete your research and then wet test some tubs yourself to narrow it down to ones that work for you.  Once you've got all that done, your husband really needs to do the wet tests, too, on the runners up you've selected.  And it wouldn't hurt for you to do this together since during a second wet test you learn even more about the tub plus the two of you can discuss what you like/don't like while you're in it together.   If the tub is not a good fit for your husband, he's not going to enjoy it and not going to use it.  It's really worth the time to do all of this.  Just my two cents.  

Speaking of both husband and wife wet testing...I accidentally caused a conflict between a husband and wife who were at a small gathering at our home about a month ago.  I mentioned we'd selected our hot tub and how glad I was we had taken the time to wet test - that there is no way I would consider a tub unless I could wet test it   This one couple who was at our house has had a hot tub for several years.  But what I didn't know is that the husband must have gone out and bought it on as an "impulse purchase" and just came home one day and said, "We've bought a hot tub."   The wife isn't really into the tub and when I said how important I thought the wet test was she said, "Well, I might like our tub if I'd had the opportunity to do that."  

Oops!  

[r100rs]

My problem is, I just want to get him interested in the whole pursuit...thrill of the hunt, etc.  I'm hoping folks here could give him some compelling reasons to get interested and go for it!

You could always show him certain "Pics of the Day".  Your choice on which ones.....LOL

I know that would put me  - interested in the whole pursuit..thrill of the hunt.        

My wife might object - of course I was single once too - oops did I type that.    

r100rs

[TCat]

Great work everyone!  I showed him this thread when he got home last night, then told him we're going to wet test a HS tonight...and maybe some Marquis on Sunday.  Maybe he was concerned he might actually end up with something he didn't actually pick out himself, but we're testing tonight.  I can't wait!