Spa Project

[RTR]

Thanks Rip!   Is tommorrow okay?

LOL...srry.

I have no french bubbles, I manufacture my own.

Seems I am moving to Vancouver Island in the next year though, so.... In the event that I never get a chance to get farther south again, my door is always open.  Bring a fishing rod, the Mrs and the Boys, the trout are spectacular.

RTR

[rpm]

I've had a spa for several years and here's what you want to have nearby.

1)Ice chest

2)Remote control stereo

Not sure what kind of view the neighbors will have, but you might want to think privacy screen.

[LePaul]

Dont you have to wait a 1/2 hour to jump into the water after eating?  

A spa?  See now the Euro-boys from up North will wanna visit you!

Sounds like a nice setup.  What's the power usage on one of those suckers?  Or have you already begun construction of the Ripsnortian Nuclear Reactor?  

[AWMac]

a "Texas-style" pit.

Pfffft a stolen car abandoned along the Interstate and torched at 2:00am?

How Original.



Mac

[rpm]

Originally posted by LePaul
What's the power usage on one of those suckers?  Or have you already begun construction of the Ripsnortian Nuclear Reactor?  

You have no idea how much it costs to keep one heated. Mine costs about $100-$150 a month to keep it at 90F on standby.

A gas heated spa is more economical and heats much faster.

[Swoop]

Now mate, do try and remember that the rocks dont have to be alligned to engineering tollerances.....unlike that wooden deck you laid .

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by rpm
I've had a spa for several years and here's what you want to have nearby.

1)Ice chest

2)Remote control stereo

Not sure what kind of view the neighbors will have, but you might want to think privacy screen.

Dude, we think alike!  I'm going to have  them pre-wire (bury it) the area for speakers, and I will add outdoor speakers. (I have a stero system in the RV garage, where the power and gas sources come from)

Privacy is not an issue. We have 8 ft pickle shrubs that are established (grown together) and you can basically walk behind the house nekkid and no one would see ya.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by LePaul
Dont you have to wait a 1/2 hour to jump into the water after eating?  

A spa?  See now the Euro-boys from up North will wanna visit you!

Sounds like a nice setup.  What's the power usage on one of those suckers?  Or have you already begun construction of the Ripsnortian Nuclear Reactor?  

I'm using natural gas. I've talked to no less than 3 other owners of this size spa (2 in our neighbor) and they said expect an increase of $30-$50 a month, depending on the temp setting.  The cover is 4" thick foam with an aluminum shell, and it locks in place making a great seal.

Euro boys are welcome too, as long as their women-folk first shave their armpits before getting in.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Swoop
Now mate, do try and remember that the rocks dont have to be alligned to engineering tollerances.....unlike that wooden deck you laid .

I won't be touching it this time..no tight tolerances!

[eagl]

I had an above ground self-contained tub with a 6-8 person capacity, and it added maybe $30 to my electric bill each month.

Insulation counts.

[LePaul]

I admit not knowing a lot about these newer ones....my former boss had a whirlpool hot tub of sorts in his home.  His wife was in a severe car accident in the 80s and she really needed it to get her muscles to relax.

I thought the pumps of the jets would be the big power user.  But maybe Im confusing hot tub and spa ?

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by LePaul
I admit not knowing a lot about these newer ones....my former boss had a whirlpool hot tub of sorts in his home.  His wife was in a severe car accident in the 80s and she really needed it to get her muscles to relax.

I thought the pumps of the jets would be the big power user.  But maybe Im confusing hot tub and spa ?

The pool/spa contractor said that the jets of a spa are not as powerful as a hot tub, their main function is rapid water circulation. That said...I found this little tidbit on the interweb:

The term "Hot Tub" originally referred to the wooden, barrel-shaped tubs, which became popular in the late 1960s. Early hot tubs were fairly simple devices, which basically held hot water and had enough room for one or two bathers at a time. When the industry began building tubs of molded fiberglass or with thermoplastic shells, they were given the tag "spa" to differentiate them from their wooden cousins.

The wooden hot tub has evolved over time to include such amenities as seating, jets, filters, and most of the features associated with a spa. In fact, the phrase "hot tubbing" can be taken to mean soaking in either type of vessel.

[rpm]

Eagl, what brand of spa do you have? That sounds like the type I have. This is actually my second spa from Keys Backyard in Garland. I bought the first one in 2003 but the shell cracked and I made them replace it in '05. It seats 7. The newer one is better on power usage than the first, but it still chews thru killowatts if I keep it at 90 on standby. Of course, lowering the standby lowers cost, but it takes a couple hours to get it up to 102.

Rip, another suggestion. Make sure you design a recline seat with back and foot massage in the spa. That's the one I use 99% of the time.

[Jackal1]

Originally posted by AWMac
a "Texas-style" pit.

Pfffft a stolen car abandoned along the Interstate and torched at 2:00am?

How Original.



Mac

Grrrrrrrrrr! Dammit I have already explained this to the cops.
We were just out for a weekend trip, got hungry, grabbed some yard bird and.......................... ............................. ..............

[Joker]

I've also had a hot tub for several years....

^^^what rpm says...he speaks the truth...you will appreciate back and foot massaging jets if available, and you will need cold beverages....

Looks nice Rip....enjoy!

Joker