Anybody do the ole in-and-out...

[SpaNE]

...doors.  Apologies in advance to anybody expecting a sex discussion.

I am in the process of shopping for a spa.  I originally planned on a larger model to be placed on my outdoor patio.  Now I am giving some thought to a smaller spa that I would use inside my seasonal enclosed sunroom during the cold New England winters, and then move it outide on the patio during the warmer months.

I would welcome some opinions from someone who actually does this - or from someone who gave it some serious thought and then decided against it.

I realize it can be beautiful to be outside in a hot spa on a cold crisp winder night.  However, my fear is that I just won't take the time to go outside in the winter with the thought of a wet and cold trip from the spa back into the house. :-/

[bosco0633]

I use the tub 10 times more in the winter, way better!!! I think that you mixed it up

[Spiderman]

I'm not sure what would be a bigger PITA for you, going in and out of the tub in cold weather, OR moving your tub 2X/year.......   I would guess moving the entire tub 2X/year would be a bigger pain.  That's just me though.  I know of one dealer who does lifetime tub moving for his customers, but I'm thinking he's in the minority with this one.

We have our tub outside and I think something like 90% of all tubs are used outdoors, don't hold me that figure though.  The only complaint I have about the tub outside is when it's cold out AND it is windy.  Other than that, being outside is great!  

[drewstar]

Huh, The ol' in and out through the back door? What the hell is going on here?


Anyhow, I agree Winter is the best time to soak OUTSIDE -  warmer month soaking,  eh. not as good.  The colder the better for me.


But, anyhow, I can't imagine moving a tub back and forth. They way several hundred pounds empty, aseveral thousand with water.

 maybe you want one of these? :

clicky clicky:

http://www.rollacover.com/docs/productsleanstraighteve.html

[tanstaafl2]

I suppose if one wanted to make the investment you could install a tub on a floor of some sort that would be able to slide, perhaps on rollers like a sled. If you had double sliding doors on your sunroom next to the tub you could open the doors, slide it out close the door (allowing extra cord for the power supply of course) and have it outside when you wanted and inside when it was cold. The floor sled could even be powered if you wanted to spend the money.

Of course for that much money you could probably buy an indoor and outdoor tub...

Or just get something like this!

http://www.rollamatic.com/

There was a place that sold hot tub enclosures that was discussed here a few months ago that kind of telescoped back into itself to create an indoor outdoor arrangement but can't find the post now. Must have been last March or so.

[tanstaafl2]

Huh, The ol' in and out through the back door? What the hell is going on here?


Anyhow, I agree Winter is the best time to soak OUTSIDE -  warmer month soaking,  eh. not as good.  The colder the better for me.


But, anyhow, I can't imagine moving a tub back and forth. They way several hundred pounds empty, aseveral thousand with water.

 maybe you want one of these? :

clicky clicky:

http://www.rollacover.com/docs/productsleanstraighteve.html

I see drewstar found a better option! But there was a similar thing that I think was freestanding that could go over a spa as well.

[patty]

As new owners (Oct) who live in NY and already had snowy/sub-freezing nights... I can tell you going outside in the winter is not bad.  Rubber bottom slippers and super thick, long robes are 2 must haves.   And baseball caps (sometimes).  Don't skimp on the robes.. buy as heavy as you can find.  I actually found ours on ebay.  I happened to be searching for spa accessories, and someone was selling 4 of them.   The box they were shipped in was about 3 feet square.  That's how big they are!   If you are buying new, take a look at the spa accessory catalog..... many I saw had spa robes available.  When you're closing the deal..ask the dealer to throw them 'em in.

Going outside can be the hard part, but quite honestly you totally  forget once you're soaking in hot steamy water.    And getting out of the tub is easy.  Your skin is so hot you don't even feel the cold.  The key is having your robe/slippers right nearby.  ANd, IMO, having the tub close to the house.  Ours is 5 steps away from the back door in the garage.  

I could not imagine moving the spa & elecrical connections etc.. twice a year.    Go w/ the bigger tub, outdoors.  You won't regret it.

[ramdom]

Enjoy the cold. It's not hard to embrace when you're in 103 degree water! Best deal ever.

[Tman122]

Enjoy the cold. It's not hard to embrace when you're in 103 degree water! Best deal ever.

At 3 above last night it was right on the edge of being to cold. But I grabbed the towel off the rack, and my sweatpants and sweatshirt, and wrapped the towel around me, dumped in my dichlor and bolted inside when I was done. Once safely inside my warm house I dressed and returned to the tub to close up the cover.....no sweat!!!

[shortspark]

...doors.  Apologies in advance to anybody expecting a sex discussion.

I am in the process of shopping for a spa.  I originally planned on a larger model to be placed on my outdoor patio.  Now I am giving some thought to a smaller spa that I would use inside my seasonal enclosed sunroom during the cold New England winters, and then move it outide on the patio during the warmer months.

I would welcome some opinions from someone who actually does this - or from someone who gave it some serious thought and then decided against it.

I realize it can be beautiful to be outside in a hot spa on a cold crisp winder night.  However, my fear is that I just won't take the time to go outside in the winter with the thought of a wet and cold trip from the spa back into the house. :-/

I live in Texas and it really does not get that cold often enough to even think about your dilema.  Having said that, this morning it is 18 degrees here so it does indeed get cold now and then.  I was born and raised in upstate NY and I know about long periods of cold weather like you have and unless your hot tub is within a few feet of a door you better have those heavy robes nearby that others have mentioned.  There is nothing to compare to going out on a cold, clear night and soaking with the stars overhead - that's what it is all about but you don't want to catch a cold doing it.   I just would not even consider a hot tub indoors and moving a tub in and out for the seasons is not good - either for your back or the tub itself.  Even the small ones are just to heavy to fool with.

When I moved to my new home in Texas I had to decide where to put my hot tub but I knew it had to be close to a door.  Not because I was concerned about the cold so much but because I use it nude.   I had to find a way to get in and out rather quickly as a matter of privacy.  I'm a firm believer that you use a suit for pools but a hot tub is best enjoyed in the buff.  I live on a golf course and there are two fairways between me and the houses accross the way.  Nonetheless, people have binoculars!  

I solved the problem by positioning the tub on my deck next to the bedroom.  I knocked out part of my bedroom wall and built a door.  Now, all I have to do is take two steps out of the bedroom and I'm in the tub; this is my version of the Texas "2 Step"!  In short, the closer you can position your tub to an access to the house the better off you are, both for privacy and to combat the cold and the more you will use and enjoy your tub.

[drewstar]

Huh, The ol' in and out through the back door? What the hell is going on here?


Anyhow, I agree Winter is the best time to soak OUTSIDE -  warmer month soaking,  eh. not as good.  The colder the better for me.


But, anyhow, I can't imagine moving a tub back and forth. They way several hundred pounds empty, aseveral thousand with water.

 maybe you want one of these? :

clicky clicky:

http://www.rollacover.com/docs/productsleanstraighteve.html

I see drewstar found a better option! But there was a similar thing that I think was freestanding that could go over a spa as well.

In the foyer of my local BJ's Wholesale club, there is an add for sunrooms that shows a free standing glass enclosure over a pool, like an atrium or sunroom. The walls  are set into tracks, and from the ad, it looks like a person can roll back the sides and roof.  It looks really neat.  The name of the company is Better Living Sunrooms. However, when I tried to find info on the web about them. I could only find the more conventional sunrooms. If some one was serious about installing one of these structures, perhaps if they contacted the company directly.

And that's my .02.  

[SpaNE]

Thanks for your thoughts and opinions - now I feel like such a wimp for even considering an indoor sunroom scenario for my spa.

I'd still love to hear from someone who has an indoor spa - if you're secure enough in your manhood or womanhood to admit to it.    Any regrets?  Silly idea?

[drewstar]

SpaNE,

I don't know if it's a wimpy thing.  But sitting outside when it's snowing is just so nice.  Maybe give it a season? If you find you don't prefer being outside (cold, distance, privacy) then sure, put up a sun room. I'd hate to see you drop the money on a sunroom and deny yourself one of the greatest hot tubbing epxerinces.

Try it for yourslef, them make up your mind.

My friends dad has an indoor hot tub and he loves it. It is right off the kitchen and livining room. He prefers to be inside and has a tv mounted up on the wall. It's a nice set up.  He and his wife are retired and just don't want to go outside for a soak.  They want it private and convient.

It's a  perrsonal choice.  

[SpaNE]

SpaNE,

I don't know if it's a wimpy thing.  But sitting outside when it's snowing is just so nice.  Maybe give it a season? If you find you don't prefer being outside (cold, distance, privacy) then sure, put up a sun room. I'd hate to see you drop the money on a sunroom and deny yourself one of the greatest hot tubbing epxerinces.

Try it for yourslef, them make up your mind.

  

The sunroom is already built and so is the paver patio.  Already dropped $30K.    I need to make the decison on indoor/outdoor before making a purchase decision.  If it will always be outdoors I will get a larger spa (Vista/Gradnee types) - it combo indoor/outdoor it will be a smallerspa (Prodigy/Jetsetter types).

[dkersten]

I have soaked in 3 degree weather with 15 mph winds, and although I put on a pair of crocs before going out, I dont bother with a robe.. I hang my towel inside my sunroom, and then just walk out.. its a bit nipply sometimes, but it makes getting in that much better.  My tub is about 20 feet from the door.  If there is more than an inch of snow, I make my son shovel it before I go out.  Getting out is easy.. even with wind blowing by the time I get into the sunroom (which is not heated yet) I am still warm from the soak.  A towel around my waist and a t-shirt and I can go back out and put in the dichlor and close it up.

Only problem so far is my hand sticks to the doorknob sometimes when its really cold.  Havent figured a solution for that yet.

When I decided to buy a hot tub years ago, I was always going to put it in the sunroom.  This summer when I started tearing into the remodel for the sunroom, I decided to put the tub outside.  So far I am glad it is out there and not inside, although having it inside and having a TV to watch would be nice too.. But I never wanted to deal with the problems all that moisture would cause.. And if I went inside I would have had to get a really big door.. dont foget that.. most tubs will not fit through even standard french doors.  You really have to go to a small tub to get it to fit, and you dont want to build it in, just in case you ever want to take it out to replace or service it..