warm weather, what to do?

[Slappy]

I was just wondering what all of you do with your hot tub once the summer months come on. Here in the Ohio valley, it gets pretty muggy during the day and tends not to subside once the evening comes. If it's 87 degrees and humid, how many people want to sit in a HOT tub after sweating all day? I'm considering lowering the temp in the tub to be more like a cool pool than a hot tub. Any suggestions on that topic?

- Slappy

[Vinny]

I lower the tub to 99 or 100. If it's too hot and muggy I don't go in. My sons have jumped into the pool and then the tub. I really don't enjoy the tub if the water's temp is too cool (if below 99 is considered cool).

[Slappy]

vinny,

 If you don't have a pool, couldn't a tub be used for the same purpose, to cool off after a hard, hot day?
being at a lower temp should make the chems easier to deal with too, wouldn't it?

[Vinny]

I would tend to think that if you turned the heater off that the tub will probably be around 80's as long as it's not in the sun all day. My tub has reached 105 after being set at 101 and it's in the shade from trees most of the day. You can also prop the cover open with some tennis balls to get ventillation on the water's surface. People here have done that.

The only things to be worried about would be if you tub shuts of the pumps if it's too "hot" past the set point - no filtering and possibly a strong gust of wind blowing open the cover. I once had my cover opened by the wind on the wrong side, luckily no damage.

For me, I hate cold water. I go into the pool only about 5 times all summer, 2 or three of those times are for taking care of the pool. By the time I get home the pool is in the shade and I seem to get a breeze blowing through the back yard ... after being in 85º or cooler water and the temps around the 85 to 90, it just gets too cold for me. But I do have to admit the times when it's in the 90's and the sun's beating down - there's nothing like it!

[Tman122]

I have used mine as a cool off pool, but you learn very quickly what a good temp is and below 95 is not it for me. Whit body temp being 98 just a tab below that gets cool. But it works well for cool off.

[kervis]

We lower the temp, the kids put goggles on, and it turns into an excellent cool-down oasis!

[wmccall]

vinny,

 If you don't have a pool, couldn't a tub be used for the same purpose, to cool off after a hard, hot day?
being at a lower temp should make the chems easier to deal with too, wouldn't it?

Ours never goes below 100-101  Even on a hot tday this is barely above body temperature and when you get out, you feel cooler because evaporation is a cooling process.   Even on muggy nights a 101 degree tub relaxes muscles and we are in the air conditioned house before and after the soak.

[wmccall]

[glow]the kids put goggles [/glow]

Nobody puts their head under water in our hot tub.  (Safety and oil reasons)

[jeff925]

so why should you not put your head under water in a hot tub?

[drewstar]

so why should you not put your head under water in a hot tub?

Saftey: it's a small confined space that most tubs have powerfull sunction intakes. Even with multiple suction ports,  hair can become entangled and trapped in the screens. Not a good idea to submerged your head near intakes.

Cleaniliess: Scalps are notriously oily and full of shampoo, conditioners, hair spray gels and cooties.

[Vinny]

Both my sons got ear infections at the same time after putting their heads under water with 0 PPM chlorine.

No heads under water in the tub after that!

[rick_in_cleveland]

I usually turn down the temp to 100-101 in the summer.  Any lower than that its a bath tub and not a spa.  The muscles just don't relax at a cooler temp.   Of course we use it a lot less in the summer not only because of the temperature but it gets dark so much later that my personal moon can be seen too easy even at 9:30

[Tom]

I was just wondering what all of you do with your hot tub once the summer months come on. Here in the Ohio valley, it gets pretty muggy during the day and tends not to subside once the evening comes. If it's 87 degrees and humid, how many people want to sit in a HOT tub after sweating all day? I'm considering lowering the temp in the tub to be more like a cool pool than a hot tub. Any suggestions on that topic?

- Slappy

Here in Alberta,  cool evening temperatures made our hot tub pleasant year round.  We drained sometimes in the summer just because we were busy or away a lot, but mostly we left it filled.  Sometimes we turned the temperature down a bit.

Some companies may offer a chilling device to cool the water -- I know Arctic does but I'm sure we're not the only one - and many people have suggested using the air blower to cool the water.

[ORANGEPEEL]

We're in Northern WI, so we don't get long periods of really hot temps. But, last summer we did get one extented period of really hot and humid days.
Kept the tub temp. set at 100F, found that the tub did actually gain temp. by 2-3 degrees. To cool the water back down, opened the cover and let the jets run with the water falls feature full open, that worked very well to bring the temp. back down. Found evening soaks with water at 100F to be quite enjoyable. Try it, maybe you'll like it also. 8-)

[East_TX_Spa]

so why should you not put your head under water in a hot tub?

Jeff, this is not something you or any other HotSpring Spa owner has to worry about.  There are ZERO dangerous suction fittings like the ones drewstar is talking about in your spa.  Dunk your babies in there all you want!

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