Advice for first-time hot tub buyer?

[Painfree]

Thanks very much for creating this community! What a great resource. I would greatly appreciate any advice you have on my particular situation.

I have chronic lower back pain, and have recently discovered hydrotherapy as remarkably helpful in managing my condition (as well as just being a wonderful way to relieve stress!). My wife and I are looking to buy our first home, and we are trying to make sure that our new home would be able to accommodate an outdoor hot tub. We're considering making an offer on a house that has a relatively small backyard area. The actual space for the hot tub is only about 10 feet by 15 feet, and the ground is level and gravelly. Any idea whether it's possible to house a tub here? The main use of the tub would be for therapy and relaxation, and so we'd be content with a tub on the smaller size (even a 2-seater would probably be fine for our needs). Whaddya think? What kind of clearance around a tub do you usually want? Are there any guidelines for how far from a house a tub should be to avoid any kind of moisture/mold/other water issues (is this a silly question)?

Also, any advice you have on preparing a site would be greatly appreciated! As I said, I have a bad back, and so I'm tempted to just have a contractor do any required leveling, etc. Is this a reasonable approach? Is using one of those pre-made pads that you snap together ok, or is this a sin?

Thanks for your help!

[Isaac-1]

I too bought a hot tub for similar reasons last winter (I broke my back, L2 compression fracture,  in 2010), I ended up finding a deal on a good conidtion used Hot Spring Jetsetter that I am happy with overall.  Even though it is advertised as a 3 person 210 gallon I can tell you that it is somewhat snug for even just 2 people, and the only way I could imagine 3 would be if 2 were small adults and the 3rd a child.  As to the location for the tub, the general advice given here seems to be put down a level concrete pad, anything else and you are taking chances due to settling over time.  Also Hot tubs that are installed in locations that are somewhat sheltered from the elements tend to last a lot longer, even just a covered awning or patio area can add years to the life of a quality tub.

[wmccall]

Welcome to the forum.  I bought my first tub 11 years ago for the same reasons.  Now 9 months after back surgery I still use it 330 nights a year for the same reason.  The area sounds big enough. Did you see how many amps of electrical service this house has?  To me the closer to the house the more you will use it. When you get out someone has to close it up and if its 50ft from the back door in winter you may decide to skip it some nights.