Thinking About Buying A Spa

Rick the Spa Guy

Hey Everyone, today I just wanted to talk a little about buying a spa and what to look for or not care too much about. I sell Sundance spas and Cal spas, they are both great spas but are very different in their design. Sundance has been around since 1979 and sells all over the world as does Cal Spa, buying from a manufacturer that has been around a long time is very important as you know they have some sort of track record out there and the hope is that they will be around for the long haul, both of these companies have that track record.

I hear all the time about people buying spas because of the jet count, "My spa has 100 jets", remember that with any spa the therapy value and power is only as good as the pumps that drive the water, so in a 100 jet spa that has 2 pumps (usually 2 to 2 1/2 horsepower) each pump will run through 50 jets on average, now a similar spa with 50 jets and the same pumps will run through 25 jets each, which spa do you think will give a better massage?

There are manufacturers out there that advertise 5 bhp or 6 bhp pumps, the BHP stands for Brake Horse Power this means that when the pump first starts up it runs at 5 or 6 hp but once it achieves it's run cycle it down grades to a 2 hp or 2 1/2 hp consistently, so do not be amazed at a spa that has 6 bhp in the title, while these are still great pumps they are no better than a spa that has a full rated 2 hp pumps in them.

Another thing to look at is the Acrylic coating of the spa, most manufacturers use acrylic for their surface, but some have ABS plastic in theirs, and these spas are not as strong in the cold climate areas as they can flex much easier than Acrylic ones which can lead to de-lamination of the surface or blistering. In the Sundance spa for example they use Rigid Bond construction which means they use acrylic, a bonding agent, and the fiberglass structure that all have the same tensile strength, so as the spa flexes in cold and heat it will flex at the same time and should not de-laminate. If the manufacturer uses material that has different tensile strength, then the fiberglass and the acrylic can flex at different temperatures and the POSSIBILITY of de-lamination exists this DOES NOT mean it will happen just that it could more easily.

These are just my opinions on spas and take it for what it's worth. Don't buy a spa because it says it has 6bhp pumps or 100 plus jets, you want to know that it is comfortable when you sit in the seats, and that you CAN fit in the spa. Tall people can not fit in some manufacturers seating as their legs are too long for the shell design, and you will have this spa for 10 plus years you will have to live with the decision you make, so be sure you like it. The foot well is another big issue to my customers this is where your feet go when you get say 4-5 people in the spa together there will be 8-10 legs that have to get along in the foot well. Some spas do not have very big foot wells, some are very large so take your time and decide what fits YOUR needs.

A spa is the best therapy out there for what hurts, as well as a great family gathering spot.

Until Next Time......Happy Shopping...