In-ground spa question....

[Zep]

My brother is about to build a new house here in Dallas.

He wants an in-ground spa at his new house.

Cost is really not an issue.

He like Sundance because he has a Sundance in-ground
in Colorado......and because Sundance produces what they
call "in-ground" models.
http://www.sundancespas.com/800Series/InGround.html

Are there other spa makers that make specific in-ground models
besides Sundance?

Also he has some guy that does in-ground installs say that he should
have his new in-ground hot tub run off of pool equipment instead of
the typical hot tub.

Most of the in-ground acrylic shell hot tub installs this guy does
run off pool equipment and are not connected in any way with a pool.

Yes you have to wait 1/2 hour for the water to warm before you use it....
not an issue with my brother....but he says the pool equipment is above
ground, better quality/heavier duty, and cheaper to use.

Any thoughts?....

[drewstar]

If there's a choice, why not have the hot tub run idependlty  of the pool and keep it heated.

Sounds like your brother doesn't care about costs, so the statement "it's cheaper" eh, who cares? I'd rather have the tub heated when I wanted, not have 1/2 lead time, no?

[Zep]

"If there's a choice, why not have the hot tub run idependlty of the
pool and keep it heated"

I'm sorry.....I didn't explain.....it would run independently of the pool.

It would be a complete different system.

Almost all in-grounds he does this way....they are not connected
to a pool but run on pool equipment.

I think one of the reasons he goes with the pool equipment rather than
the traditional hot tub equipment is because the pool equipment is not
placed inside the tub shell because there is no traditional tub shell
because the tub is in the ground inside some type of concrete or deck
"vault".

In other words if something goes wrong it is much easier to work on
something above ground and the pool equipement makes this possible.
There is a noise increase but it can be hidden a pretty good distance
away from the tub just like with a pool.

[tanstaafl2]

Surprised it takes half an hour to heat. Have a friend with an in ground spa that is connected to the pool but has a separate heating system and can be changed from shared circulation with the pool (basically a waterfall from the tub into the pool) to circulation strictly within the tub when the heater is dialed up. The heater is apparently massive as it turns the tub into a boiling lobster pot in practically no time! And it is not a small tub. Couldn't have been much more than 10 minutes from pool temp to spa ready, if that. Since cost is no object it would seem to make more sense to do it that way.

[Chad]

Are there other spa makers that make specific in-ground models
besides Sundance?

http://www.sunbeltspas.com/inground-spas.aspx
http://www.allspas.com.au/inground_spas.cfm

[Zep]

re: Surprised it takes half an hour to heat.

You are kind of comparing apples & oranges........

You are saying a tub connected to a large heated pool heats up fast...
well sure it does....the equipment heating that tub would be much
much larger capacity because it is made to heat an entire swimming pool.

BTW....Is that tub connected to the pool a concrete spa?
(IMO concrete spas connected to pools really suck)

I am speaking of an in-ground acrylic hot tub with no pool even on the same
property that runs on pool equipment takes anywhere from 20-30 minutes to
heat up the water because you do not constantly run the pool equipment heater
24/7.

When I say "money is no object" I was speaking relatively....I mean he doesn't
want to put a Bellagio Hotel Pool Heater on his small in-ground tub so it heats
up in ten minutes instead of 20-30 minutes.

[Zep]

Thanks WhyNot...

Looking good.....