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Easiest to repair hot tubs

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littleboss:
Hi

We are looking for a 4 person hot tub. I am looking for tubs that have easy access to the plumbing. I don't want to have to be chipping off foam to get to a leak. Any suggestions?

Sam:
There are a lot of "perimeter insulation" spas but I wouldn't let that be the defining reason to purchase a hot tub.  A well made spa is better off being fully insulated in a cold climate than having less insulation but being easier to repair.  Where do you live?

littleboss:
southern Colorado

Tman122:
The logic is flawed here. Easy to fix 10 years down the road but 10-20 bucks a month more to heat. Did you do the math. The repair guy will charge by the hour, he has to add an hour or so to clear the foam. So a 500 dollar repair becomes a 600 dollar repair. You saved a hundred bucks, but it cost you 200 more per year to heat. Foam holds pipes from jerking around and becoming loose and leaking, it makes the tub quieter. Perimeter insulation puts excess heat on the pumps which shortens their life span.

I think Arctic does perimeter insulation the best. But it's not better than FF tubs like Hot Springs.

I certainly wouldn't let this be a deciding factor unless you don't buy a quality tub.

bud16415:
I live in a very cold climate and we bought a Caldera tub that is packed full of FiberCor insulation. This insulation tests as well if not better than full foam with the advantage if you get a leak the water will travel straight down from the leak and not follow the plumbing until it reaches a point to get out. It makes finding the leak easier and then you just pull it out by hand and put it in a bag. After the repair you pack it back in.

Additionally the Caldera tub runs a dual GFCI breaker instead of a single controlling the whole tub. It has a 20A for the heater and a 30A for the rest of the tub. If the heater goes the tub alarms you and goes into survival mode. The hot water in the tub will stay above freezing for a very long time. The problem is the equipment areas are not highly insulated and will freeze long before the water in the tub would. In survival mode the tub slowly circulates the hot tub water keeping the equipment from freezing. In our cold region the difference in one day and several days to get it serviced is important especially if you are not out checking on the tub in that super cold weather. People that have conventional setups can open the area and put a small heater in there with an extension cord if they know they have a problem.

I think it is wise to think about all these things and in our case we liked the pricing and the features (seating, jets, etc.)of the Caldera tub best and these other features are icing on the cake.     

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