If you're thinking of buying a home hot tub, you probably already know that it's an important decision.
Home spas don't come cheap, so you want to make sure you get one that will suit your needs - and your budget.
Before you buy, it's important that you know as much as possible about what's involved in choosing and maintaining a home hot tub.
Hot tubs are self-contained and once they have been filled with water, they will reuse that same water until it is drained and refilled.
That being said, it is important to keep the water clean in your unit.
Water is pulled through a drain and then is processed through a filter and eventually makes its way back into the tub.
Therefore, filters are very important to this process and must be maintained regularly.
It is suggested that you physically remove the filters and wash them off with a hose on a weekly basis.
If the filter doesn't seem to be getting clean enough this way, there are filter cleaners that can be used.
Filters do wear out eventually and a complete filter change will be required every three to six months.
Filters are important for removing particles, but there are other things that can end up in your home hot tub that can't be seen.
Some of these things, like bacteria, can damage your health, and others like calcium can damage the tub.
So, what can you do about them? You will need to use a chemical treatment consisting of chlorine tablets and an anti-foaming agent.
If you live in an area where the water is hard, you should also use an anti-scaling chemical which will help prevent the buildup of calcium deposits that could permanently stain the unit.
Hot tubs today are much more energy efficient than their predecessors, and what used to take a sizable amount of money to keep heated and operating now takes a fraction of the cost.
If you want to save even more money on energy costs associated with your spa, choose one which uses solar power, or buy a separate solar energy panel to power the unit.
Safety is another important consideration when it comes to a home hot tub.
Because of the risk of drowning, you must choose one with a locking cover, especially if you have kids or pets.
A cover will also keep out dust and debris, whether the tub is indoors or out, which will lengthen the life of the filters.
It can also help to retain some of the heat in the water.
By placing a cover on the unit when it is not in use, the heat will not be able to escape as easily and it will be much less costly to raise the temperature once again.