That Last ½" of Water

[MarKee]

NE Phil:  The reason the drain is positioned 1/2" above the bottom of the footwell is because Marquis doesn't believe in putting plumbing underneath the footwell.  From a design stand point it is a very bad idea because you would have the weight of the spa and all the water on top of plumbing.  The small inconvenience of getting that last 1/2" out is well worth it compared to having a leak beneath the footwell that would be very difficult to fix.

[mxw128]

A lot of shop vacs have a drain near the bottom of the canister where you can also attach a garden hose.  I use mine (craftsman 16 gal wet/dry vac)  with the garden hose attached to get the remaining water out.  No water collects in the vac itself, it just drains through the hose into the yard.  

[LtDan]

I went the cheap route and use a gallon milk jug with the bottom cut off, having square sides makes it pick up more off the bottom with each sweep.

[Chas]

NE Phil:  The reason the drain is positioned 1/2" above the bottom of the footwell is because Marquis doesn't believe in putting plumbing underneath the footwell.  From a design stand point it is a very bad idea because you would have the weight of the spa and all the water on top of plumbing.  The small inconvenience of getting that last 1/2" out is well worth it compared to having a leak beneath the footwell that would be very difficult to fix.

Interesting opinion. Thanks for sharing.
HotSpring has had the bottom drain for decades. The water weight is not supported by it.

[Chas]

To put a drain in the bottom of the tub it would probably raise the height 3 to 4 inches and then that does not mean the plumbing or the pumps would drain 100%.

HS has had the bottom drain for many years now, and it doesn't raise the bottom of the tub as you suggest. Also, HS has incorporated a self-draining design for the plumbing - I think that has been in place as long as the bottom drain.

These are some of those features that don't show up on the brochure which set a high-end tub apart.

[MarKee]

If you have plumbing beneath the footwell and you have two spas side by side with the same exterior dimensions, the spa with no plumbing beneath the footwell is most likely going to have more interior depth.

Another thing to consider is you're never going to get all of the water out of a spa.  With 500+ feet of plumbing, it is impossible to get it completely free of water, so why worry about the last 1/2" or so of water?

[NE-Phil]

Another thing to consider is you're never going to get all of the water out of a spa.  With 500+ feet of plumbing, it is impossible to get it completely free of water, so why worry about the last 1/2" or so of water?

...because I can see it! I cannot see the water in the plumbing!
- I already said it didn't make sense and, yes, I was being anal about it.

Phil  

[Chas]

...because I can see it! I cannot see the water in the plumbing!
 - I already said it didn't make sense and, yes, I was being anal about it.

Phil  

It's going to be alright Phil  

You're not alone, are you?  

A spa vac might be a good choice for you then, because you can also turn most of them around and blow - which is a fine way to get the seats to empty down to the footwell, and also to get water out of those pesky jets and other items which don't respond well to suction.

Hmm. Might regret having said that last bit.

[Chas]

If you have plumbing beneath the footwell and you have two spas side by side with the same exterior dimensions, the spa with no plumbing beneath the footwell is most likely going to have more interior depth.

Not HotSpring, at least. If you set a Pre-bottom drain HS next to a current HS you will find that they have always had the bottom up off the ground the same amount. They insulate them, and have structural (pressure treated lumber) members down there and so on. The drain fitting goes between the structure, and still has a bit of insulation beneath it. It only uses 3/4" tubing, not 1 1/2" stuff, and is designed to be a low-profile fitting.

Your assumption is common though, I often hear it used to try to sell against what is a very simple feature that a HotSpring customer takes for granted.

[/sales pitch]