What do you know about whirlpool tubs?

Im about to do a renovation and might squeeze a whirlpool tub into the bathroom. Im really into the idea of an inexpensive indoor spa but am worried about the noise level and hygeine ie. moldy jets. What about keeping the water hot? What have you all to say? Does anyone own one or know someone who does? Whats the story? Thanks, Greta

We have a whirlpool tub. There is some noise, but not a lot in the rest of the house. Mostly in the bathroom.

I clean it at least once a month using this method.

Fill with hot water and add 1/2 cup bleach. Run the jets for 15 minutes. Drain and refill with hot water and add 3 Tbsp. gel dishwasher liquid. Run for 15 minutes. Drain and refill with cold water and run for 5 minutes to rinse, then drain again.

my bedroom will be on the outside wall, will it be noisy? If you dont clean it regularly what happens? Do you enjoy the whirlpool action? Is it worth it? Does yours have a heater? Do they cool off really fast?

I don't think you will notice too much noise in the rest of the house unless you have a room underneath yours. There will be some noise on the floor below it. I've noticed that you can hear ours in our basement when it's running.

I'm not sure what will happen if you don't clean it regularly. I've always just done it because that's what the directions said to do. Sorry.

Ours does not have a heater, but stays warm for a long while. It's the kind that fits in the corner and has room for two people. Therefore it holds quite a lot of water. Maybe that's why it stays warm for a long time. I've never had it cool off before I was all wrinkled and ready to get out anyway.

thanks... its be above our diningroom and living room. umn..... its an old house, could be noisy huh?

I think it could be noisy in your living room and dining room when it's running.

Maybe someone else has some other ideas too. There may be a way to insulate it so it's not so noisy?

I was thinking the same thing.....maybe Ill put a noisy thing near the floor up there and do a noise test. ...

Good idea, like a vacuum cleaner or something. Our whirlpool isn't quite as noisy as our vacuum cleaner, but I suggested that because of the vibration factor.

Now thinking bout just getting a hotub spa outside ...more money but so much fun!!! Not sure about $ though.

For what it's worth, ours is upstairs in the masterbath, directly over the living/dining rooms. When you're downstairs, you can hear it running, but you probably wouldn't mind it, or think much about it. Anyway, who cares?

We also have a toilet in the master bath that flushes down through wall between the LR and the outside door entryway. So what? Everybody flushes. Doesn't bother us. Hope it doesn't bother them. It's a good way to let them know why you're not answering the door, but will be there soon! LOL

I guess we're too old to worry about such anymore. Might have bothered me when I was younger.

All our outside doors make a horrendous noise when opened, either rattle the blind, squeak like inner sanctum, or vibrate. Love it! No one can get in without us knowing about it. Especially nice when you have an upstairs. Can hear them all the way in the master bedroom. Teenagers can't sneak out or in after hours either! Put away that oil can! Don't attach that blind at the bottom of the door, let it bang!

We're weird!!!!!

But I love my whirlpool tub! Keeps this old body moving, more or less. No problems with cleaning or maintenance in 13 years.

We had an outside large spa in a screened porch that was nice, but we didn't use it much. Too much trouble to put on the bathing suit (unless you're an exibitionist), and you still felt like you needed a shower afterward. I mean you couldn't use soap in it. You can in the whirlpool tub, and finish the job. And you had to fool with chemicals and draining and cleaning out the outside spa.

JMHO

This message was edited Aug 20, 2004 2:26 AM

All I know about them is that I WANT one! lol!

Geez! Now youre making me want the whirlpool again! Guess Im a bit hung up on resale value as we hope to move in the next few years. RESALE RESALE RESALE ugh!!!! In my dream world we do the hot tub off the deck which is private enuf that you can skip suits and we want an outside shower right there. So 1/2 the year you can take hot showers outside. My folks have always had an outside shower. Very woodsy so no biggee cept youd have to run for it if a car drove up. heh heh. Taking a hot shower in the rain is the COOLEST thing.

Love our whirlpool tub. Especially after a hard days work in the garden and flower beds.

Our last home had a hot tub AND huge cedar sauna installed in one bedroom. (Used to be a bachelor pad, piped in music, etc.) It actually hurt the resale value of the house, becuase of a couple of things.
1. People are worried about maintenance, and damage incase of leaks. It had a limited appeal to a select group of people. The majority won't pay any extra for it. (Quote from a realtor)
2. The house was worth more with the room as a bedroom.

AND whoever had installed the hottub, didn't choose one that was heated, but they installed a 100 gallon hot water heater. Care to guess how $$$$$$ that can be with three teenage daughters in the house?

We took it all out,and converted it back to a bedroom. (Anyone want a 6ft x 6ft cedar sauna do it yourself kit??) That added $10,000 to the sales price of the house.

I'm thinking that if I'm the homeowner and I'm in the whirlpool tub, there's not likely to be a party going on in my dining room ;o)

I'd go for it. We had the corner two-person tub in our last house and I adored it. I miss it like crazy, but it just didn't fit the floorplan in this older ranch-style we bought and renovated. We did put in a single whirlpool tub in the hall bathroom, which is nice - but not nearly as nice as as a big one in the master bedroom.

As to cleaning, I follow a similar regime to what was outlined above. No bleach, but a scoop of automatic dishwashing detergent in warm water (make sure it dissolves), run for 15 minutes, drain, fill with cold water, run for a few minutes, drain, done.

Found some great hot tubs used for sale last nite when I couldnt sleep but then started imagining my year and a half old drowned and stuck under the cover!!!! Gave me horrible anxiety and couldnt sleep after that! We're getting a line of credit and am psyched about putting in one of these options. Seems like alot of new construction includes a whirlpool these days ... and the big lots are giving em away seems like. The hot tub could go with us at time of sale to avoid the problems you mentioned. ,,,, but now Im scared my kids will die, our family doctor thinks its a no no til theyre older. I thought I could manage the safety but now Im not so sure it only takes a second to get in trouble with an 18 mos old.

Well, UPDATe,
Gave up on the whirlpool tub, there wasnt room in the reno for a full bath and we figured we go for it and get a hottub whivh is what we want ed more. I got a HOTSPRINGS which is very efficient. I got a used one at a great price. A coat of paint and a new lid and now its as good as new for 1/3 the price. Its more costly than the whirlpool tub. More maintenence too. But we like it so far. Only been 4 days. We built a gate to keep pets and kids far away as well .... I feel evry good about safety now. Its an expensive perk but really lovely! Were still building the deck around it. Its costing more than double a new whirlppo tub after all expenses. But......... it sure is nice!

Oh, this was a fun thread to read....had me laughing out loud! I agree with somecomments, especially Terry's about being in the tub and there NOT being a party downstairs in the dining room! ROFL at that one!

I have one and I have to tell you that I didn't use it for about a year. Finally felt like it, filled it up nice, put fabulously fragranced stuff in for spas and turned on the jets....ACK! Green gunk (algea) spewed out from every jet and totally polluted my bath! Thank God I wasn't in it yet! I would have had to boil myself!

I looked online and found some kind of enzyme cleaner that you put in that supposedly dissolves the solid gunk (hair, oils, etc.) that clog up the works. Not just kills bacteria, but actually gets rid of the solid organic material that accumulates from use. I haven't gotten it yet, will let you know if it works!

Anyway, enjoy the new hot tub! It's too darn hot in TX for one! Our swimming pool is a hot tub! LOL It was 98 degrees yesterday!

Forgot to mention, Judithl, love your attitude! You're just great!

DivaSharon, please post here when you get the cleaner and let us know how it works. I would be interested in getting some if it works.

I know ours gets pretty skunky if we don't use it for awhile. That's why I do the clean cycle so often.

Here's the website of the enzyme cleaner....

http://www.stinkbegone.com/product.cfm?Prod=68

Thanks. I've bookmarked the site while I think on it a bit more.

Are you going to try it?

Yes, I plan to order it. I really seem to have a problem with mine, and this sounds like just the thing to get rid of all that green crud! I still can't believe how it looked when I turned on the jets! Like seaweed rushing around the tub! Blech!

I can imagine how bad it was. Yuck!

I hope this works well. Let me know.

whoa! You guys are making me relieved I went for the big messy hottub!!!!

Holy Hot Tub, Robin!!!.......I'm in my second childhood and just couldn't resist saying that......LOL

I have both.

The hot tub is inside the house in a room lined with redwood walls and ceiling and a tile floor.

It is too big for one person and a little pricey to maintain so after my last kid went off to college and I knew there wouldn't be anymore football teams in it....I shut it down for good. EEWW what a mess after the teams got out!

When I enlarged my bedroom, I included a nice good sized whirlpool tub. I had it set floor level. Big mistake...I didn't take into account that I would grow older and my bones would start hurting in a different way.... you know....like old people move...scuff scuff...grunt, groan, .......etc.

I find it hard to get in it...but you ought to see me get out. I have a small little plastic stool that I put on the bottom of the tub...I line the floor around it with towels and I virtually roll out onto the towels....then I use a chair to help me stand up. I grab my "Gopher thingy" and bring the stool out of the tub. Oh...I clean the tub out very well before I get out too.

Obviously...my recommendation would be to put it raised...not floor level. LOL

Sheesh! What an image!!!!!! Get a skid pad for sure! Now Im worried you might fall into that pond and drown! LOL We have tons of baby gates here if you need em. heh heh