Hot Tub Forum
Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: hotubhotub on October 18, 2011, 08:50:34 am
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I am totally new to the world of hot tubs. We just purchased a Hot Springs Aria and if all goes well, it should be installed and running by the first week of November. We having a 12 x 12 deck addition built off of our existing deck and that’s where we are putting it. It will be off the back of our house and about 10 ft off of the ground. I live in MA and the winters can be just about anything that you can imagine. Given the way that it’s gone the last few years, I anticipate at least a few heavy snowstorms.
I’m curious to know any tips & advice as to the best way to handle the elements from other owners who live in the northeast or similar climate. I obviously want to stay on top of getting the snow cleared from the tub and tub area. Are there special snow removal tools used specifically for hot tubs so that you don’t damage the cover? Are there special tarps or something similar that I should consider as well? Removing powdery snow is one thing, but when it comes to heavy wet snow and combinations with ice storms, I get visions of a major headache along with a backache.
Long term I’m thinking of some sort of retractable awning but that’s not in the budget any time soon. The initial cost of the tub and deck is enough to digest for now.
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Hot tubs 10 feet off of the ground, make me nervous. I like to put extra support in the area under the tub and it can be an eyesore on a deck that is elevated that high. I hope that the load of the tub, with additional snow load, was calculated into the design og the deck.
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Thanks for the concern. It's designed specifically for carrying the extra weight. It will have the ledger, 3 carrying beams and 9-6x6 posts with "bigfoot" footings. I don't have the calculated deck load in lbs/psf handy but I will tomorrow night when I go over the final details with the builder.
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Thanks for the concern. It's designed specifically for carrying the extra weight. It will have the ledger, 3 carrying beams and 9-6x6 posts with "bigfoot" footings. I don't have the calculated deck load in lbs/psf handy but I will tomorrow night when I go over the final details with the builder.
Would love to see photos when that is finished.
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Thanks for the concern. It's designed specifically for carrying the extra weight. It will have the ledger, 3 carrying beams and 9-6x6 posts with "bigfoot" footings. I don't have the calculated deck load in lbs/psf handy but I will tomorrow night when I go over the final details with the builder.
Sounds good !! That would put the posts on roughly 5 foot centers. Those 6"X6" are necessary due to the height. Your tub is at a height equivalent to being on the second story. A lot of people try to skimp on the posts, to make the space under the deck more usable. As is, it would still make a good covered storage area, if you constructed a secondary roof under the deck surface. I'm not an engineer, but some cross bracing may be necessary between the 6"X6"s, to prevent sway.
Sorry if I took this off topic. :)
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I'll be sure to post some pics when we're finished. Now back to getting some feedback on my original post.
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I just use a broom to push the snow off the cover and then shovel the snow away from the tub, but if you dont stay on it the snow will partially melt and get heavy then it is tougher to shovel it away as it further compacts as you push it off the cover but if you dont get rid of it you will have gigantic piles of snow built up next to the tub, at least thats my expierence in Michigan.
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I am totally new to the world of hot tubs. We just purchased a Hot Springs Aria and if all goes well, it should be installed and running by the first week of November. We having a 12 x 12 deck addition built off of our existing deck and that’s where we are putting it. It will be off the back of our house and about 10 ft off of the ground. I live in MA and the winters can be just about anything that you can imagine. Given the way that it’s gone the last few years, I anticipate at least a few heavy snowstorms.
I’m curious to know any tips & advice as to the best way to handle the elements from other owners who live in the northeast or similar climate. I obviously want to stay on top of getting the snow cleared from the tub and tub area. Are there special snow removal tools used specifically for hot tubs so that you don’t damage the cover? Are there special tarps or something similar that I should consider as well? Removing powdery snow is one thing, but when it comes to heavy wet snow and combinations with ice storms, I get visions of a major headache along with a backache.
Long term I’m thinking of some sort of retractable awning but that’s not in the budget any time soon. The initial cost of the tub and deck is enough to digest for now.
Just about any quality brand will be fine for your moderate winters in the New England area.
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I live in MA and the winters can be just about anything that you can imagine. Given the way that it’s gone the last few years, I anticipate at least a few heavy snowstorms.
Just about any quality brand will be fine for your moderate winters in the New England area.
"Moderate" New England winters?
LOL, a guy from the southern province of Minnesota can say that I guess.
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Comments like those last two make me wonder what the motives of the poster are. The first answers a question that wasent even asked and the second poo-poos the winter in Duluth Minnosota where they expierence one of the widest tempature changes in the world and recieve some 80 inches of snow every year.
maybe its because I was surrounded by the salesman culture for so long
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Comments like those last two make me wonder what the motives of the poster are. The first answers a question that wasent even asked and the second poo-poos the winter in Duluth Minnosota where they expierence one of the widest tempature changes in the world and recieve some 80 inches of snow every year.
maybe its because I was surrounded by the salesman culture for so long
Seriously? Um I think we were joking if you didn't catch that. This forum is about helping each other but some of us have been on here for years and actually have some fun from time to time in our posts. There is nothing wrong with a balance between answering questions in a technical manner and conversing in a lighter manner from time to time so please don't all of a sudden join up and try to immediately begin to moderate those of us who've been around awhile.
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Put yourself in the position of someone reading your posts for the first time, people that find this place by surfing the web are not going to be in on your personal relationships and dont have the time to surf all your old posts to try and figure it out, you need to be tecnical and save the fun little jabs at eachother for a forum more suited to that kind of bnanter. I am pretty sure based on the other posts I have read that this post is likely to piss a few people off but if your goal is to help people make informed decisions about purchasing a hot tub or helping people service their tub then you should be doing in a more professional manner.
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Put yourself in the position of someone reading your posts for the first time,
I easily can put myself in that position and know for a fact I would have never made your original post and certainly wouldn't have followed it up with another to scold/judge us further.
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We're not allowed to have fun around here any more? I want a raise!
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AND, I think we need to charge people more to ask a question.
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AND, I think we need to charge people more to ask a question.
I would think most anyone over the age of 12 who sees "Minnesota" in a comment about winter understands that they win when it comes to weather. No inside joke there. (though I imagine someone from Buffalo is going to pop up at any moment to dispute this theory of mine).
I came here clueless, and have hung around long enough to at least answer some of the reallllly easy questions so that Dr. Spa and the like don't need to be bothered. I consider it "paying it forward".
Maybe some people should hang out more than 2 days though, before telling the moderators what they "should" be doing. Just sayin.
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first off, great purchase, I'm not much of a "lounger" guy but I absolutely love the lounge in the Aria...as too your question most of "winter care" is common sense stuff and some has already been mentioned: use a soft bristle broom to keep snow off the cover as much as possible, make sure when you open the cover your not folding it onto a big chunk of ice, if your cover lifter has moving parts and/or shocks try to go easy on it as much as possible because of course things tend to break much easier during the winter...some other tips would be to always have a clean set of filters "ready to go" because nobody is excited to do maintenance on tub when it is 10 degrees outside, so its always nice to pop in a fresh set and have the ability to clean the others in the warmth of your basement/garage/etc. at your leisure...also try to keep chems someplace relatively warm, its hard to add a couple tbsp. of pH decreaser when it is one 3lb. brick ;D good luck and enjoy the spa for years to come
oh and yes I am in Minnesota...the winters suck, but not nearly as bad as North Dakota, its bad enough to have -20 degrees but when you that temp and you add on the constant 20mph wind in North Dakota its realllly bad...during a heavy snow day you can literally leave the house and come back to 3'-4' snow drifts in your driveway in a matter of hours, its ridiculous
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Thanks Twin
That's exactly the kind of info. that I was looking for. There are some obvious common sense things, but hearing from people who have dealt with the elements and have some helpful hints to share, well that's what I was digging for.
I won't pretend that our winters are like yours or the Dakotas, (I am here by default but I couldn't handle it out there since I have a serious affinity with the sun and beach), however our winters are just a huge mixed bag. You just never know what you're going to get. We get anything from blinding 2 day storms with arctic wind chills, to Noreasters with heart attack snow that's like shoveling cement, to ice storms and you just name it.
While the tub will certainly offset the winter blues to a degree, I can see it being a potential added chore on storm days.
Finally I am pretty excited about the make and model we bought. We don't always go high end with our toys, but this is a sweet hot tub with a good track record. After the wet test, I was sold.
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Thanks Twin
That's exactly the kind of info. that I was looking for. There are some obvious common sense things, but hearing from people who have dealt with the elements and have some helpful hints to share, well that's what I was digging for.
I won't pretend that our winters are like yours or the Dakotas, (I am here by default but I couldn't handle it out there since I have a serious affinity with the sun and beach), however our winters are just a huge mixed bag. You just never know what you're going to get. We get anything from blinding 2 day storms with arctic wind chills, to Noreasters with heart attack snow that's like shoveling cement, to ice storms and you just name it.
While the tub will certainly offset the winter blues to a degree, I can see it being a potential added chore on storm days.
Finally I am pretty excited about the make and model we bought. We don't always go high end with our toys, but this is a sweet hot tub with a good track record. After the wet test, I was sold.
I would add a rug to the bottom of your access stairs. You can easiely bring it in to thaw. May save a fall on the ice that accumulates there.
Oh and that other poster. They supplied a lot of usefull information....NOT!
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The snow beat out my hot tub installation! I guess I can get some practice in now. ughhhhhhhhhhhh >:(
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Wow, seems like some guy woke up on the wrong side of the bed :) I'm sorry the snow beat you out! Hope you're enjoying it! I sure am glad I don't have to deal with all of that winter weather stuff, seeing as that I am from Huntington Beach! :) Come join me on the beach if you get frozen! :)
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Put yourself in the position of someone reading your posts for the first time, people that find this place by surfing the web are not going to be in on your personal relationships and dont have the time to surf all your old posts to try and figure it out, you need to be tecnical and save the fun little jabs at eachother for a forum more suited to that kind of bnanter.
Technically, we use an H in that word and keep our sentences to under 75 words. ;)
I'm totally kidding, we don't normally make fun of spelling or grammar, but missing the H in technical is kind of funny, and we do try to keep a sense of humor here as long as its not personal and I have to think anyone who reads "southern province of Minnesota" would know that is a joke.
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Well we had one of the worst October storms in history, and as far as damage goes, one of the worst period. That delayed my installation by almost a full month. But after some delays and aches & pains with getting the tub up and running, I am very happy to say that we are fully enjoying our Hot Springs Aria. The spa is totally amazing. Nothing beats stargazing on a cold crisp night with perfectly clear skies.
;D
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Well we had one of the worst October storms in history, and as far as damage goes, one of the worst period. That delayed my installation by almost a full month. But after some delays and aches & pains with getting the tub up and running, I am very happy to say that we are fully enjoying our Hot Springs Aria. The spa is totally amazing. Nothing beats stargazing on a cold crisp night with perfectly clear skies.
;D
There ya go.
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Well we had one of the worst October storms in history, and as far as damage goes, one of the worst period. That delayed my installation by almost a full month. But after some delays and aches & pains with getting the tub up and running, I am very happy to say that we are fully enjoying our Hot Springs Aria. The spa is totally amazing. Nothing beats stargazing on a cold crisp night with perfectly clear skies.
;D
very nice ;D
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3 deg on my thermometer this am. Yep farenheit
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Welcome to Spatopia!
As I am shivering in a 65 degree cold snap, waiting for the furnace to do it's job and getting a cup of coffee just to have something warm to hold on to, I like to sit here are read about having to shovel snow and thawing out rugs. You guys have my respect for living with cold, I just couldn't do it.
Of course, having a hot tub (and a sense of humor) might make it bearable.
Enjoy your Aria - I keep changing my mind, but I think that may end up being our next spa. They shoved all the power and jets of the Vista into a more compact package, and I like it a lot. I'm sure you'll continue to enjoy it, even in the cold.
8)
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Welcome to Spatopia!
As I am shivering in a 65 degree cold snap, waiting for the furnace to do it's job and getting a cup of coffee just to have something warm to hold on to, I like to sit here are read about having to shovel snow and thawing out rugs. You guys have my respect for living with cold, I just couldn't do it.
Of course, having a hot tub (and a sense of humor) might make it bearable.
Enjoy your Aria - I keep changing my mind, but I think that may end up being our next spa. They shoved all the power and jets of the Vista into a more compact package, and I like it a lot. I'm sure you'll continue to enjoy it, even in the cold.
8)
Had -4 this morning and a high of 16 for the day. This kind of weather is a concern when a tub goes down.There was another thread regarding how long before a freeze up and what to do. It would only take a few days before it would be a problem in this weather. Got a call from a guy today who did a drain and refill last week. He noticed this am that his display was flashing FL and the circ pump on his 2007 Tiger River had quit. It has been suspect for a while as it was starting to make noise. He called me after he put a small heater inside his equipment bay and asked how to replace it without draining. Smart guy.
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My guy went out last night to check on things, as the weather report said it was going to be the first night of below freezing temps of the season. He found his freeze protection wasn't working. Figured he'd deal with it in the morning. Temps dropped to 0 over night.
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My guy went out last night to check on things, as the weather report said it was going to be the first night of below freezing temps of the season. He found his freeze protection wasn't working. Figured he'd deal with it in the morning. Temps dropped to 0 over night.
So my buddys tub ended up freezing the circ lines last night anyway. No problem though he was quick enough, got it drained and blown out and has both pumps and the heater in the house. I will help him put it back together when the part shows. 29 for a high today.
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going to get down to 2 degrees here tonight....lame 8)
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Well - it finally happened. I turned the heater on in my truck. I got up at 3am yesterday to drive down to Watkins MFG and pick up a load.
It was 48 degrees as I pulled away from the house, and I almost went back into the house! The temp dipped to 34 as I traveled south. Wow! I don't remember it ever being that cold here on the coast, especially in the valleys! I'm not talking about high up in the mountains or anything, I shudder to think what the temps were up there!
It was clear, so it warmed up later in the day, but for us 'softies' in CA this is really cold!
And since there was no precipitation, we didn't get the dusting of snow up on the mountains which makes the place look so nice: it was JUST COLD!
Here's a shot of the outside temperature as the temp was headed down - it's not all the way to 34 in this pic, but it soon was!
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/381045_2784891108161_1434776229_32965841_515744126_n.jpg)
8)
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34º, I think Southern Cal should apply for disaster relief funds from FEMA.
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Well - it finally happened. I turned the heater on in my truck. I got up at 3am yesterday to drive down to Watkins MFG and pick up a load.
It was 48 degrees as I pulled away from the house, and I almost went back into the house! The temp dipped to 34 as I traveled south. Wow! I don't remember it ever being that cold here on the coast, especially in the valleys! I'm not talking about high up in the mountains or anything, I shudder to think what the temps were up there!
It was clear, so it warmed up later in the day, but for us 'softies' in CA this is really cold!
And since there was no precipitation, we didn't get the dusting of snow up on the mountains which makes the place look so nice: it was JUST COLD!
Here's a shot of the outside temperature as the temp was headed down - it's not all the way to 34 in this pic, but it soon was!
Damn global warming??????