Newbie questions

[cindyleigh]

Hi, I am new to this forum and I have so many questions!

I am shopping for a hot tub for a home in Truckee, CA (Lake Tahoe area).  We have harsh snowy winters and hot dry summers.  The hot tub will be an above ground with a deck surround, sitting on a concrete pad.  Right now I am in the design/decision phase ...working out the deck design and hot tub size.

The spot I've chosen for the hot tub will be quite exposed as it is on the sunny side of the house.  Are there brands that do better under these weather conditions (cold winters, hot baking heat in the summer)?

The spot is roomy enough for a small 2-3 person hot tub or a larger 4-6 person hot tub.  I am undecided as to what size we should chose but I think the 6-8 person tubs are too big for the spot. DH and I will be the primary users and occasionally friends and family when they visit. We may rent the home out during the peak ski season and the renters may prefer a larger tub.

Besides the initial expense, is a larger hot tub more expensive or difficult to maintain?   Significantly more expensive to heat or takes longer to heat up?  While we may only need the additional space of a larger hot tub occasionally, if the overall maintenance and monthly costs aren't significantly more than would we be better off with a larger tub? 

Do you often wish your tub was smaller or larger?

Thanks,

[cindyleigh]

I will add - I looked into local dealers & repair/service companies and I think my choices are narrowed to Hot Spring and Marquis.  Both have authorized dealers in the area.  Neither have great reviews for service .....do you all mostly use a service provider or DIY?

[MarKee]

Marquis would be a good option, there is a dealer or two in the Tahoe area.  Very energy efficient and the synthetic DuraWood material on the upper end Signature Series Marquis models is the best cabinet material on the market if you're trying to prevent sunlight fading/weather damage (in my opinion).

A larger energy efficient hot tub will be around $20 per month for a national average, but it really depends on your local energy cost and the average temperature throughout the year.