Precision Pool and Spa

8 Reasons Local Hot Tub Dealers Are Better Than Big Box Retailers

jPollard — Sat, 18 Apr 2020 15:02:51 +0000

You may be considering buying a new spa this season so we wanted to put together a quick little guide to help you in your search.

Here are some things to think about when shopping for your new hot tub…

1.Spa Insulation

This first one we feel is the most important aspect of a good hot tub especially here in the north east. Full foam insulation is always our number one recommendation to customers looking for a new spa. Full foam gives you the best value for keeping the heat in your tub and saving you serious money when it comes to running your spa year round.

The other argument to be made for full foam insulation is support and structural integrity. There is a lot of flexible plumbing inside of a hot tub and full foam gives that plumbing support and keeps the plumbing from vibrating within the tub. Spa pumps can get up to 5hp when running on high speed and if the flexible pvc plumbing within the spa is not supported it can vibrate and over time possibly loosen up glue joints throughout the spa.

2.Wood or Composite frame

Over the last few years more and more spa manufactures are switching to composite frames for their spas. Most spas have always been made with pressure treated 2x4s. Although the pressure treated has held up well, the choice between wood and composite materials should be obvious. If your spa is made completely with composite man made materials you can be sure the spas frame will hold up over time, and when you are spending that kind of money on something you want it to last. Although some manufactures like Coleman spas utilize a sealed cabinet with a strong bottom armor tray and a solid cross braced 2×4 pressured treated frame to achieve excellent results.

3.Warranty Service

Beyond finding out the details of the spas warranty, like how many years, and what it covers, you should know who is going to be performing the warranty service. Is the dealer you are purchasing the spa from sending out their technicians or will you have to wait for a manufacturers technician to come from who knows where? I highly recommend buying from a dealer who performs their own service, this way you know who is coming to the house, you know they are local, and you know it will be done in a timely fashion. Precision Pool has a dedicated service manager that takes care of all hot tub service needs on-site.

4. Salt Water System Included

Until now, water care has been complicated, confusing and hard to manage. The FreshWater Salt System has revolutionized the hot tub industry by making water care simple and intuitive, so you can relax and experience the full wellness benefits that come from daily immersion in hot water from Caldera Spas, which we carry at our store.

Caldera Spas’ unique and patented salt system automatically generates chlorine, keeping water clean and fresh. With the FreshWater Salt System, you’ll enjoy: simple & intuitive water care, longer lasting, natural feeling water, and an easier way to hot tub with less maintenance.

The FreshWater Salt System sanitizes water by using a maintenance-free cartridge to generate chlorine from salt. The cartridge is designed to last four months, and can be replaced in seconds from the bartop, without draining the spa or calling your dealer.

You don’t have to worry about measuring chemicals! Simply set the chlorine level with the touch of a button. The system will generate the proper amounts of chlorine automatically.

Easy-to-follow, on-screen instructions indicate when the system needs attention. No guess work, just consistent, trouble-free operation.

The FreshWater Salt System uses fewer chemicals than traditional water care, reducing harsh odors for softer-feeling water that is gentler on eyes and skin.

5.Type of jets – More Jets Does Not Always Mean Better

Notice how this says type of jets and not number of jets. Most people when shopping for a spa get set on buying a spa with the most jets and they overlook a lot of other important aspects of the spa they are buying. The best hot tubs in the industry don’t have the most jets, they have the best jets. The top of the line tubs have their jets placed in specific spots to ensure the highest possible hydrotherapy effects.

You want most if not all of your jets to be adjustable, meaning you can control the flow of the individual jets from inside the tub. A lot of lower end tubs fill the spa with small non adjustable jets just so they can claim they have 100 jets in their tub. Good jets are full size, adjustable, and upgradeable, meaning you can pull the jet out and pop a new, different style jet in its place with ease.

The other thing we need to mention about spas with 50+ jets in them is pump size. The more plumbing you have in your spa the more back pressure and resistance you have which can slow down your jet flow. Tubs loaded with too many jets need huge pumps, 5-7hp to supply enough flow to all of those 90 jets, these pumps will end up costing you a lot more in electricity month to month. This is another thing you need to keep in mind if you are buying a tub based on the number of jets.

6.Does the spa fit your body?

This comes down to try before you buy, make sure you get in the spa and make sure the seats actually work for you. This is especially true for spas with neck and shoulder jets, a lot of taller people can not fit under most neck jet setups in hot tubs. Also the lay down lounge seats might not fit you so get in the tub, full or not and make sure it is comfortable and is something you are going to want to relax in for years to come. Even if you can’t wet test the tub make sure you at least get into a dry tub, sit in the seats and make sure the fit your body. See where the water level will be when you are in different seats, depending on your height.

7.Does the dealer have a local brick and mortar store

This is big question to ask if you are buying a tub at a fair, a home show or online. A lot of hot tubs these days are being sold at offsite events or online for inexpensive and it is important that you have a place you can visit after the purchase for chemicals, water test, and technical support. Having a local spa professional nearby to help you with your hot tub when you have questions will make your spa ownership more enjoyable. Yes you can buy chemicals online but who are you going to call when the water turns green or your jets stop working?

We hope this helps those of you out there looking for a new spa this year.

If you have any question about a purchase and are looking for some help contact our Sales Manager Jim at Jim@precisionpool.net. Also if you are in the Merrimac Valley, North Shore MA, or Seacoast NH area and are looking for a new tub, get in touch with us and we can tell you all about our Caldera, Marquis & Freeflow Spas line just follow this link to our hot tubs.

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The Benefits Of Pool Automation Systems

jPollard — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 14:33:19 +0000

You may be considering buying a new spa this season so we wanted to put together a quick little guide to help you in your search.

Here are some things to think about when shopping for your new hot tub…

1.Spa Insulation

2.Wood or Composite frame

3.Warranty Service

4. Salt Water System Included

You don’t have to worry about measuring chemicals! Simply set the chlorine level with the touch of a button. The system will generate the proper amounts of chlorine automatically.

Easy-to-follow, on-screen instructions indicate when the system needs attention. No guess work, just consistent, trouble-free operation.

The FreshWater Salt System uses fewer chemicals than traditional water care, reducing harsh odors for softer-feeling water that is gentler on eyes and skin.

5.Type of jets – More Jets Does Not Always Mean Better

6.Does the spa fit your body?

7.Does the dealer have a local brick and mortar store

We hope this helps those of you out there looking for a new spa this year.

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7 Important Features to Consider When Buying a New Hot Tub

mLindstrom — Sat, 27 Jul 2019 12:28:54 +0000

You may be considering buying a new spa this season so we wanted to put together a quick little guide to help you in your search.

Here are some things to think about when shopping for your new hot tub…

1.Spa Insulation

2.Wood or Composite frame

3.Warranty Service

4. Salt Water System Included

You don’t have to worry about measuring chemicals! Simply set the chlorine level with the touch of a button. The system will generate the proper amounts of chlorine automatically.

Easy-to-follow, on-screen instructions indicate when the system needs attention. No guess work, just consistent, trouble-free operation.

The FreshWater Salt System uses fewer chemicals than traditional water care, reducing harsh odors for softer-feeling water that is gentler on eyes and skin.

5.Type of jets – More Jets Does Not Always Mean Better

6.Does the spa fit your body?

7.Does the dealer have a local brick and mortar store

We hope this helps those of you out there looking for a new spa this year.

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How to Release an Air Lock in Your Spa

greg — Fri, 17 May 2019 10:35:17 +0000

Today’s post is a follow up to last weeks spa start up article where I briefly mentioned the possibility of a spa air lock. Today we will look at 2 ways you can release an air lock in your spa.

One of the more frustrating problems you can face when trying to start up your hot tub after a fresh fill is an air lock. You’ve spent all that time cleaning out the tub and waiting for it to fill up and when you finally go turn turn the jets on you get nothing. You can hear the jet motors coming on but there’s no flow coming through the system.

Video: How To Avoid an Air Lock in Your Spa

Spa air locks come in varying severities and there are a couple of ways to remedy this issue. One preventative method I talked about in my last post on spa start-up involved putting the hose into the filter well as you re-fill the tub allowing water to fill the spa plumbing easier. This way we can take to try an avoid the hassle of an air locked hot tub in the first place.

Yet even when we try to prevent the dreaded air lock it still happens. Here are a couple ways to release the air lock and get on with enjoying the hot bubbly goodness!

Burp the spa like a baby:

open all jets by turning the faceplates counter-clockwise
Turn down heat so heater does not try and fire
Press jet to turn on jets, twice for high speed, let run for 10-15 seconds
Repeat step 3 a total of 3 times increasing run time by 10-15 seconds each time
Once you see air bubble starting to be released from the jets leave jets running until all air is released

If the air lock is not severe you can sometimes release it by simply “burping” the system. Before you do this you want to make sure all of the individual jets are completely open by turning the jet faceplate clockwise as far as they will go. This will make sure there is no added resistance on the system and the air and water can escape from the jets uninterrupted.

One more thing before we start turning the jets on is to make sure the heat is off, either by turning the heat off at the control panel or turning the temperature down as far as it will go, this way the heater wont try to kick on when there is no water flow as that can damage the heater.

To burp the system all you are going to do is quickly turn the jets on high for 10 seconds and then turn them off, if you have two jet buttons make sure you do this with each jet zone. Do this 3 times and you should see the amount of air bubbles coming out increase each time you turn them on. Keep burping the jets increasing the length of time you hold the jets on by 10 seconds each time. Eventually the whole system will burp and a huge blast of air bubbles will rush out of the jets. If this happens, congratulations you have released the air lock the easy way!

Now if during your initial attempts you see no increase in the amount of air bubbles coming out of the jets or worse no air bubbles at all coming out of the jets you have a severe air lock and you should STOP the “burping” process. The reason you need to stop burping the system if this happens is because if you continue to run the pumps dry you could damage them. This is when we move on to the next method for releasing an air locked hot tub.

Releasing an Air Lock From The Pump Area

Remove front panel of spa (usually Phillips head screwdriver is needed)
Locate large union nut connecting spa plumbing to motor
Loosen nut on pump by hand or using a large set of channel lock pipe grips
Once water starts leaking out all air has been released, you can now re-tighten the union nut
Turn on jets and see if problem has been resolved

If the burping procedure above is not working we need to release the air lock at its source, for that we need to remove the front panel of the spa. Behind the front panel is where all of your spa equipment is located as seen above in this Bullfrog Spa, most spa cabinets just use 4 Philips head screws.

Air locks happen when we fill the hot tub from inside the tub and water falls into the plumbing from the jets, this pushes all the air that is in those lines back to the spa equipment. This air is then trapped between the suction and pressure sides of the system on either side of the jet motor. Therefore the easiest way to release this air pocket is to crack open the union nuts on the spa motor itself.

Where the plumbing connects to the spa pump will be a big white union nut threaded onto the wet end of the motor. You will probably need a good size pair of pipe grips to loosen the union nut, but sometimes you can loosen them by hand. When you loosen the union nut enough you should hear the air escaping.

Once all the air has escaped out of that union water should leak out and you should be able to start the jets right up without any further problems.

If you have any questions regarding these spa air lock solutions please feel free to leave a question in the comments below or email me directly at: jim@precisionpool.net. Thanks for reading and don’t forget to subscribe to the blog on the top right of this page.

How Much Does a Hot Tub Really Cost?

greg — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 20:38:54 +0000

A Spa Could Cost Less..Or More Than You Think

We see a lot of people online asking this question and to be perfectly honest it is the wrong question to be asking.

The truth is there are way too many types of hot tubs from the inflatable spas-in-a-box, to all copper luxury spas to really answer that question properly.

Asking how much a hot tub actually costs is too broad, so we need to define the different segments and categories of spas on the market.

That is what we intend to do in the article.

What this article will NOT be is a condemnation or endorsement for any specific tub. Even though we sell a certain line of spas here at Precision we will not get into comparisons….just facts.

You can bet that the prices paid for all of those spas above varied wildly based on the type of spas that were bought.

In order to figure out how much a new spa is going to cost you you are going to have to define your wants, needs and expectations for you hot tub experience.

Below we are going to break through the different levels of “hot bubbly water containers” and review prices of products in each category.

Category 1 – Temporary and Portable Spas

Our first category on the hot tub price expedition brings us to the entry level no frills portable spas which include soft tubs and even cheaper inflatable hot tubs.

The inflatable tubs have a lot going for them, they are super portable, don’t require any wiring and they can be had for super cheap.

You won’t get many hydrotherapy benefits and there are no real seats in this spa you basically sit on the floor with your friends in a literal hot tub of water.

They generally consists of 2 parts, like a pool set up they have the main vessel that holds the water (and you!), then there usually is a separate equipment pack that gets attached to the spa. Therefore you have to not only account for the space the hot tub takes up but also the large equipment pack that runs it.

The inflatable hot tubs will set you back anywhere from $450-$1,500.00

Category 2 – Plastic Hot Tubs

One innovation in the spa industry the last few years was the introduction of rotationally molded plastic hot tubs. This new process of molding large objects from forms by way of a 360 degree tumbler made its way into the hot tub space by way of Dream Maker spas, and now a lot of the large manufactures have added rotomolded spas to their line up. In fact, Watkins Manufacturing, makers of Hot Springs Spas and Caldera, own 2 different rotomolded lines. One of which, Freeflow Spas, we sell here at Precision Pool in Amesbury.

The great thing about these plastic spas is the structure will last forever. However some of the entry level rotomolded spas do not use real heaters, they use the ambient heat created by the jet pumps. This means they heat up very slowly and because most of them are not insulated they cost upwards of $50 a month to run.

One of the reasons we went with Freeflow Spas is due to the fact they use full flow through heaters and real 120gpm pumps.

Recently companies like Watkins, have created higher end plastic tubs (Freeflow Spas) which have real spa equipment, and full foam insulation. Most all rotomolded spas are 110v plug and play so no need for expensive electrical hook up and you have a very nice entry level product.

Most spa dealers carry some sort of rotomolded spa as well, so unlike blow up spas you will have experienced industry pros to back you up on this purchase.

Rotomolded spas can range anywhere from $1,999 – $5,500

Category 3 – Acrylic Spas

When we talk about hot tubs and spas in the traditional sense over the past 30 years they are defined by an acrylic shell with a wooden cabinet or frame.

This is the point of our spa price search journey where the gaps really open up. There are so many acrylic spa manufactures offering so many options that a breakdown of quality in this category is an article in itself.

Right now in our showroom we have traditional acrylic hot tubs ranging from $4,000 to $15,000!

So what we are going to do here is break this down into 3. easy to understand, spa price points.

Entry Level Acrylic Spas:

At this level we usually see spas with nice aesthetically pleasing shells and cabinets but in limited color choices.

Most likely have little to no insulation
Basic non contoured seating
Single speed pumps
1 filter
Very simple controls
More for family fun than hydrotherapy – sellers will usually try and sell these spas based on the fancy lights and waterfalls
1 maybe 2 year warranty

Price points: $2995 – $5995

Mid-Level Acrylic Spas:

Caldera spas Van to 7 person hot tub in Beverly.

At this point we usually see an increase in the manufacturer’s warranty, more color choices, and more standard features.

Light foam or thermal layer insulation
Might have Ozone sanitation might be optional
Will always have at least 1 dual speed pump
Bigger spas will have 2 filters instead of 1
Very basic seating layouts, basic body contours to the seating
Will offer a higher level of hydrotherapy and jetting options than entry level, like adjustable jets, better flow diverters, etc.
usually a 2-3 year warranty

Price Points: $4,995- $7,995

High-End Acrylic Spas:

When you are searching for a top of the line spas of the likes of Marquis, Hot Spring, Sundance, Caldera and Jacuzzi you are going to get a lot of standard features and much longer warranties.

You know you are looking at a high end hot tub just by looking at the seating. It is elegantly contoured to hug the body and position you in front of their high output massage jets. The fit and finish of the jets, lighting, and spa controls feels like a luxury automobile.

Looking for an energy efficient and hi-tech hydrotherapy spa experience? Read our article about new spa technology here: Marquis Spas: Pushing New Technology

One thing to point out, most high end manufactures who craft the best hydrotherapy hot tubs in the industry also carry spas in the entry level and mid level price range. Most spa dealers will display a mix of spas cover all price points.

Features of High End Luxury Spas

Full foam closed cell insulation
Ozone or UV sanitation system standard
100% adjustable jets with exclusive therapy systems
Highly detailed and unique shell molds’
Well designed contoured seating with sophisticated layouts
Classy and ultra durable spa cabinets
Easy to operate large LCD screen spa controls with optional wifi control
All pumps will be dual speed
Sealed bottom base so there is no exposed foam or structure
2 filters
Many color options
5 year warranty

Price points: $6,500- $15,000

Find What Spa Best Suits Your Needs

As you can see it is tough to ask a broad question like how much do hot tubs cost, without knowing how wide a range of options you have. In this article we started our search with $500 blow up spas and ended with $12,000 full featured acrylic hot tubs.

When starting your search really take time to think about why you are buying a hot tub. Just looking for a nice novelty entertainment piece for parties?

Or are you one of the millions of people looking to hot tub hydrotherapy for its many health benefits?

We urge you to take a look at your needs in a spa purchase and place value on those needs and then start looking at prices, that is when you will make the right hot tub purchase for you.

5 Tips For Winter Hot Tub Operation

greg — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 12:48:10 +0000

5 Tips For Winter Hot Tub Operation

Hope you had a happy New Year!

Just wanted to shoot out a quick post regarding winter storm hot tub care. We are getting a HUGE New Year’s blizzard here in Massachusetts and New Hampshire as I write this blog, so it felt like good timing.

First off, your spa is built for this and is designed to operate in extreme cold and hold onto its heat.

However there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

1. Please keep an eye on the snow build up on your cover

Your cover is meant to insulate and hold in heat, not carry a snow load. I would say 4″ max, especially if we get any heavy wet snow.

Make sure you use a brush or a broom, NOT A SHOVEL to clear the snow off your cover. If you pierce a hole in the cover it will suck up moisture and get extremely heavy and lose its insulation value.

Most of the spas we sell use a 2lb density foam core cover, which is the best insulation value you can get in a foam cover. However some entry level or mid level spas use a 1lb or 1.5lb density foam cover.

These covers need to be watched even more closely for snow load.

That is is why whenever I sell a replacement spa cover I always quote the 2lb density foam. Even to customers who may have purchased a spa from me that came with a 1.5lb density cover. It is just the right choice for our New England climate.

One side note – If you don’t want to EVER have to worry about snow on your hot tub cover I urge you to check out the Leisure Concepts SmartTop Covers.

These things are built tough and can handle a ton of weight, you could probably have 10 people STANDING on your hot tub cover and it would not flinch.

These systems come with different types of built in cover lifters as well to make opening and closing very easy.

They are not cheap but knowing you have to replace a regular spa cover every 3 to 5 years, and the SmartTop will last 10 to 15, it basically pays for itself.

2. If you lose power, DON’T PANIC . Your spa is well insulated and will retain its heat for a long time without running. Just think your spa is at 102 or 104, will take a long time for that to freeze solid. If you don’t open the cover and just let it be it can sit for days without needing to worry.

3. When the power comes back on, do not assume your hot tub breaker turned back on as well. Go out and check that the spa is in fact on and if not go over the the power disconnect and turn it on and make sure it starts up ok.

4. Make sure you are not running your spa in economy or REST mode. These types of running modes are great for the shoulder seasons but should not be used during the dead of winter.

(THIS DOES NOT REALLY APPLY TO SPAS WITH 24 HOUR CIRCULATION PUMPS)

Always run your spa in Standard or READY mode during the winter months.

WHy?

Well, economy modes only run the spa and heat the spa during filter cycles, this means your spa will not work to maintain temperature. If you run 2 1 hour filter cycles a day that means your heater will only run 2 hours a day and then be off for 18 hours during the day.

This type of operation will lead to a drop of a few degrees in temperature. So if we have a storm and do lose power, you are giving the cold a 5 to 10 degree head start.

AND the worst part is your spa may no be ready to use right when you want it, you will have to go out an hour or 2 before and turn up the heat. Not a really efficient way to run the spa in this weather.

4. Finally this is the most important thing to do during a winter storm…….

USE YOUR HOT TUB!!!!!!!!

There is NO better time to enjoy your spa then right now with the snow falling on your head, get out there have some fun, grab a drink and enjoy the outdoors!

Enjoy your hot tub, and if you have questions about winter spa operation please leave a comment below and I will try to answer as soon as possible.

How big should you build your new patio hardscape

greg — Thu, 11 May 2017 17:01:24 +0000

8 Ideas to upgrade your backyard

greg — Mon, 03 Apr 2017 17:27:37 +0000

8 Ideas To Upgrade Your Backyard

Courtesy of PAVESTONE http://www.pavestone.com

After a long winter when things start turning green again, all we want to do is find ways to spend more time outside. However there always seems to be work to do to really make your outdoor living environment a true getaway at home. Below we will take a look at some ideas that really add fun and functionality to your backyard living.

1. The Warmth of Fire

Fire has been bringing humans together since the stone age, there is just something about the dancing flame and the warmth that brings people together. Want to extend those summertime cookouts into the evening hours? A fire pit might be just what your backyard needs.

Techo bloc firepit Rowely MA

Fire pit on pool job Merrimac MA

Marquis Eseries 545 and fire pit Amesbury

You can always grab a metal log firepit from the big box stores, but why not think bigger? Custom hardscape firepits can be added easily to your new patio project. Or how about make the fire pit the centerpiece of a new paver patio, with a nice sitting wall for everyone to gather round?

2. Custom Hardscapes

You have a nice deck off the house, and a good grassy yard, but something is still missing? Extend your outdoor space off the wood deck with a custom paver patio. A nice 12×16 stone patio off the deck is a great way to extend your outdoor living space. Add some more dimension by adding multiple levels or terraces, and stone pillars to end cap pathways.

3. Deep Seating Outdoor Furniture

If you have not noticed patio furniture has evolved! No longer just a picnic table and benches. Now people are creating outdoor spaces that resemble their living room inside. If you have a big family and entertain a lot consider and outdoor wicker sectional with Sunbrella or other weather resistant fabric.

Another great option for outdoor furniture’s HDPE or envirowood composite type materials. These pieces are made from 100% recycled materials like milk jugs and laundry detergent bottles. They look great and last forever. They can be pricey but you never have to replace them.

4. Light Up The Yard With Landscape Lighting

pic courtesy of http://kglandscape.com

Landscape lighting is another category that has come a long way in recent years. Now you can actually work with landscape lighting consultants to help really bring your yard to life when the sun goes down. Think beyond the path lighting , now you can get LED tiki torches ! They give you the cool beach feel of the tiki torch without the flame.

You can also take advantage of your existing landscape and think about up-lighting that old tree, or shrubs by the house to really spotlight your beautiful landscaping all times a day.

5. Add the Tranquility of Moving Water

You may think because we are a pool company I am going to say add a pool or a hot tub to your backyard, right? Well that would be all too obvious… (and true, you should totally get a hot tub or pool)! However, there are other ways to add water features to your backyard that don’t involve a $60,000 project.

Small water gardens can be a great outdoor DIY project, using landscape rocks on your property or bought at the landscape supply company you can build a small water feature that will add beauty and calming sounds of running water to your backyard vignette.

Self contained water fountains are an easy way to add a small water feature to your garden, all you will need is a water source and power for the small fountain pump.

6. Add Style and Shade with Pergolas

Everyone loves the sunshine, but when planning and upgrade to your backyard design make sure you plan for some shade. A great way to add dimension to your design as well as keep you out of the UV rays is a patio pergola.

This can be placed just about anywhere, over your dining area, grill island, or even over your hot tub!

7. An Ultimate Backyard BBQ

Courtesy of HGTV

No backyard is complete without the grill! One of the most popular trends in outdoor living is the addition of complete outdoor kitchens. Think about it, you have your grill to cook the best bbq your wannabe grill master can cook up, a fridge to keep all the go to drinks cold, and plenty of counter space to lay out the spread. Sounds like the perfect way to complete your outdoor living space.

8. The Man Shed

Forget Man Caves, Backyard Bar Sheds Are the New Trend. This Gorgeous DIY Proves It.

Yup it’s a thing, not quite a tool shed, and not quite a pool house. Man sheds (or woman sheds too) are the new hangout spot that gets guys out of the basement. This is great if your pool area or regular outdoor entertaining space is a bit further away from your house. You can run power and plumbing out there and set up a tv, poker table, half bath, and of course a bar!

So what backyard project are you going to tackle this year?

A new pool or hot tub make great outdoor centerpiece but as you can see from the list above, there are many ways to truly complete your outdoor experience. From simple to full blow construction projects, these ideas are surefire ways to impress the neighbors.

The 5 Best Hot Tub Brands in America 2018 [Updated]

greg — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 14:15:46 +0000

This is an odd post from a local hot tub dealer who sells only 1 or 2 brands of spas, but I often get asked by customers who are shopping, what are the best hot tub brands?

I often rattle off the following names, and let the customer know if they are looking at these brands then they have done some good research and are looking at the best of the best.

The following list is in NO PARTICULAR ORDER, thats because they all make a great hot tub and you really can’t go wrong with any of these companies. Are there only 5 good hot tub manufacturers out there, of course not, but I wanted to limit myself and this post to what I think are the top 1%, cream of the crop spa brands out right now.

I used a few factors in deciding one who to include on this list, mostly it came down to experience with the brands over my 18 years in the industry, as well as company longevity, overall quality, and product innovation.

2018 Best Hot Tub Manufacturers

Hot Springs

Hot Springs is one of the older names in the business, and sell a huge volume of hot tubs in North America.

Hot Springs Spas made the push in the last 3 years to really transform what the traditional hot tub design looks like. With the help of the acclaimed BMW design group they redesigned the high end Hot Springs Highlife Series models and created the NXT spas in 2015. In 2018 they redesigned their Limelight series with a much needed refresh. From all accounts the new Limelights from Hot Spring have been selling like crazy. With Hot Springs you might pay a little more but their constant iteration of design and elegance will always make them one of the top brands in the business.

HotSpringsSpas.com

Jacuzzi

You can’t have a top 5 list of hot tub brands without Jacuzzi, they pretty much invented the product category. The Jacuzzi brothers pioneered the hydrotherapy pump system way back in 1956, when hot tubs were just wine barrels. Today they continue to produce world class spas, and their new j-500 series designer spa is one of the best looking hot tubs on the market right now.

http://www.jacuzzi.com/hot-tubs/

Bullfrog Spas

BullFrog Spas has not been around nearly as long as some of the other hot tub brands on this list but they are well deserving. This Utah based spa manufacturer started up in 1996 and quickly made its mark on the industry for its innovative take on hot tub jetting systems. Having patented the JetPack Bullfrog made it possible for hot tub customers to basically build their own spa hydrotherapy experience. Each spa has Jetpack consisting of a different jetting system, these Jetpacks can be taken out and moved from seat to seat, or upgraded for different Jetpacks as new styles are released.

http://www.bullfrogspas.com/

Caldera Spas

In 2018 going into 2019 we have decided to take Dimension 1 off this top 5 list and replace it with Caldera Spas. Caldera has gone through many advancements since 2015. Their Utopia Series spas are one of the most comfortable high performance luxury spas out there. You just do not see seats sculpted to your body the way Caldera does it. While their Vacanza and Paradise series spas are probably due for a little refresh themselves they are solidly built.

I think the best thing about Caldera is the amount of space you get. They have a way of making their 7’x7′ spas feel like 8’x8′ spas. If you have a big family, or big family mmebers, check out Caldera.

http://www.CalderaSpas.com/

Marquis Spas

Marquis is an independent employee owned company that has been making a quality hot tub since 1980. Like most of the other spas on the list they have been around a long time. They have been rated #1 in initial quality by the independent Trade Certified Organization in the Spa category that rates the top spas manufacturers in the industry. Their exclusive HK40 40 gallon per minute HOT ZONE jets are some of the most powerful jets in the industry and their idea of high flow low pressure has made them one of the top spas when it comes to deep tissue hot water massage.

Their recent launch of the Celebrity Elite series in 2018 has been a huge boost to their overall sales. They took the design language from their Vector Series, 2 tone modern cabinet and the multilevel seating of their old Eseries line and created a mid-level spa line-up that will be tough to beat.

MarquisSpas.com

Again this list is presented in no particular order and is just to be used as a reference for shoppers looking to learn ONE hot tub salesman’s opinion on the top hot tub manufacturers and brands in the country based on 16 years experience in the industry. If you are looking for a quality , therapeutic backyard hot tub experience you can not go wrong with any of the companies above. You should also make sure that you buy your spa from a good local dealer who has a good service department and been around for a good amount of time, as a hot tub brand is only as good as its dealer.

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12 Awesome Hot Tubs In The Snow

greg — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 17:37:30 +0000

These pictures show why snow covered winter is the BEST time to own a hot tub!

There might not be a better way to spend your winter than nights under the snowflakes in 104 degrees of soothing hot water in your backyard hot tub. The ultimate winter staycation!

This Marquis Spas Mirage model is sunken into a deck at this winter resort, right next to the sauna, that’s what I call paradise!

While at Precision Pool in Amesbury MA we typically only sell portable hot tubs, I thought this picture of a built in spa was awesome, very inviting. Just keep in mind built in spas like this are usually a lot more costly to operate in the winter than a “portable” hot tub.

The closer to your house and a door your hot tub is placed, the less shoveling you will have to do to use your spa when it snows. While the setting looks great, it would be even better closer to the house.

This is a promotional photo from Jacuzzi (yes one of our competitors!) but love the shot. Look at the base the spa is sitting on, that is a spa EZ-Pad. We can use these types of plastic hot tub pads in place of concrete slabs that are pretty much impossible to pour in the winter months. This allows us to get your hot tub installed on a level surface any time of year.

We can all dream can’t we!

Who needs to shovel to get into their hot tub? Not this guy! He the snow is so deep it looks like a built in spa.

Um … Ski-in Ski-out condo and a hot tub! Sign me up for wherever this resort is. Beautiful Bullfrog Spa to take care of those muscles after a long day on the slopes.

This picture is from a ski resort in the Alps….can’t beat that.

A classic looking hot tub in a classic New England snow setting.

Perfect setup! Close to the house for easy access but no compromise on the view. I could see this set up in a New Hampshire winter rental.

Plenty of snow to hold your beer while you soak!

Wait….is this real!!???!

Already Own a Hot Tub? Need Supplies?

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