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First Time Buyer: Struggling with decisions (Bullfrog, Hot Spring, Wellis, etc)

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BullFrogSpasMN:

--- Quote from: Red MC on August 02, 2020, 01:51:08 pm ---
--- Quote from: castletonia on July 28, 2020, 03:55:14 pm ---If a wooden frame hot tub actually rots away during its expected lifetime then I would question if the manufacturer was using pressure treated wood and what environment the hot tub was subject to.
--- End quote ---

According to the manufacturer, the frame is made from pressure treated lumber.  It is painted with some kind of black paint/sealer that's supposed to protect it as well.  But I live in New Hampshire and the hot tub gets exposed to varying amounts of snow and ice contact in the winter.  Also, one side of the hot tub stays pretty well shaded through about 6 months of the year.  During the spring, the patio surface around that side of the hot tub rarely dries completely and usually develops a coating of mildew.  There's no problem with drainage, it just doesn't see any sun or wind.

The cabinet is plastic, but the side panels don't extend all the way to the ground.  There bottom 2 inches below the panels have painted, pressure-treated skirting boards all around the tub.  We started seeing them deteriorate after about 10 years.  Once they could no longer keep the moisture out, the bottom frame members started to get wet too.  With nothing to dry them, they stay wet.  At this point, after 16.5 years, half of the bottom frame members are soft and need replacement.  Some of the vertical supports/studs look questionable on the bottom as well.

According to some of the dealers I talked to around the area, they see a lot of this in older hot tubs.  That's why, for my money anyway, I want a pan, not just a piece of plastic stapled to the bottom.  The latter is fine for keeping the critters out, but I don't want to expose wood to anything that will keep it wet e.g. snow and ice.

--- End quote ---

Get something with an ABS pan, it's worth it, I live in Minnesota and we deal with the same here, the crappy cheap wood and fake 'water sealer' paint any manufacture claims to use is simply BS...we service spas that sold for 10k+ that are already completely rotting after 8 years outside in bad elements

gwmac:

--- Quote ---Get something with an ABS pan, it's worth it, I live in Minnesota and we deal with the same here, the crappy cheap wood and fake 'water sealer' paint any manufacture claims to use is simply BS...we service spas that sold for 10k+ that are already completely rotting after 8 years outside in bad elements
--- End quote ---

I am also looking at a new hot tub and hadn't considered an ABS pan. But if my patio is covered by a roof to protect from rain should I be concerned?  Some moisture can happen from wind blowing rain from the side but not much.

Red MC:
In your case, I wouldn't worry at all.

I haven't seen as much as the dealers here have, but based on my experience and that of some neighbors and friends, I'd only be concerned about snow/ice accumulation around the base, or if the hot tub is sitting on a surface that can remain wet for long periods.

spladao:

--- Quote from: BullFrogSpasMN on July 31, 2020, 05:07:54 pm ---gimme a couple weeks and I'll give you a full report on Wellis, we have a couple containers coming from them

--- End quote ---

VERY curious to hear!

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