Used spas are currently such a hot commodity that anyone selling one is looking for the highest offer. And anyone offering a commodity for free has little motivation to “sell” you on taking it. The best offer you could give would be “I’ll pick it up today, no questions asked.”
Am I recommending that? Of course not. Because the chances are, the seller is just transferring his/her problem to someone else (you). And apparently you’re willing to live with the consequences of acquiring these problems. Actually, there’s a lot of questions you’d be well off to ask. Ideally the spa would be full of hot water and running so you could see for yourself that there’s not a huge puddle under it (or some other obvious flaw). But if that isn’t an option, and you still want to pursue acquiring it, then the more information you can get, the better.
Four basic questions you should ask:
If the spa is 120v, be prepared that it will probably take a solid 24 hours to heat after each refill, and it won’t heat while the jets are running. If you like to soak with the jets on for more than 15 minutes, you will definitely notice the water temp drop several degrees by the time you’re done (which may or may not be a big deal). Additionally, at your home you may not mind being without your hot tub for one evening; but if you plan on setting up the spa someplace like a nightly-stay rental, you will likely (more often than you’d like) regret not being able to get the spa drained, filled and heated before the next guest arrives.
If the hot tub is 240v, you will need to consider hookup cost in your budget. You will likely pay something like $800 for an electrician to do a simple hookup with a short run to your main panel. A difficult hookup or long run could cost closer to $2,000. Always have a licensed electrician hook up your hot tub according to the UL listing on the spa. A small mistake on your part could come at a huge expense of life or property.
Like buying a vehicle, this is pertinent information; you may be more willing to buy an older model with higher miles if you know it’s well built. It’s the same with hot tubs: a model that sells new for under $5,000 is almost certainly built with corners cut and inferior materials. At a retail spa dealership I used to work for, we considered the cheap spas as “5 year spas”, meaning with average care and maintenance, they would likely last around 5 years before running into increasing repair costs and needs. The more expensive brands were thought to last more like 15-20 years with reasonable maintenance.
A replacement cover is no small expense. For a basic, cheap styrofoam cover, you’ll be forking out an additional $400-$700; And you’ll likely get only 3-5 years before they are waterlogged and/or falling apart and needing to be replaced. A high quality Airframe cover may cost more, but the benefits are endless. It will insulate better, last longer, is able to be refurbished when the materials fade, is made without any VOC’s or any known toxins, and is made out of recyclable aluminum (so we can stop filling up landfills with mountains of styrofoam). And by the time you replace your styrofoam cover once, it will have paid you back.
If it does come with the cover, does it look like this? There are signs to look for that may give you an indication of how well the spa water chemistry was maintained. Maintenance, as with a vehicle, strongly affects the life-span of the product.
As with the cover condition, this may give you an indication of how well the spa was maintained. If all they have is a bottle of chlorine, or if all their other products are either still sealed or obviously expired, chances are they never took the time to learn and understand hot tub maintenance. Especially be careful when they include a bottle of tablet chlorine or bromine. These are very corrosive products and not made for hot tub conditions (many new spas state that the warranty will be terminated if it’s determined these products were used). And most cases of early failure of spas is a result of overly harsh oxidizers.
*It’s also worth asking if they are willing to part with the disconnect and “whip” (which is the conduit and wires that run from the disconnect to the spa). If they aren’t ever planning on replacing the spa at that location, they may even consider it an eyesore, and you will likely pay between $100 to $500+ to buy it new from the electrician.
If you’ve decided to take the jump and buy the used spa that “ran fine 5 years ago when we used it last”, here is a reasonable plan of attack:
and gaskets. Unbalanced water looks to consume anything it can to become “more balanced”, beginning with soft plastics like o’rings, gaskets, and pvc glue. Seldom is the spa built with easy replacement of these items in mind.
5A. If the spa doesn’t leak but doesn’t heat, there are several troubleshooting steps to try:
Start with the filter. You will want to buy a new one either way, since you don’t want to be soaking in someone else’s body hair and oils, but use the one you have until you’re sure you want to make the investment. Filters usually cost about $1 per square foot, so depending on how good the filter is, and how many there are, you can spend anywhere from $35 for a small single filter to $150+ if your spa has several specialty filters. In my experience, a high-filter-area paper filter may be just as good as a specialty one made by the manufacturer, and likely cost much less. Companies like Filbur and Unicel are known to make the filters that the spa manufacturers sell with the spa, just putting the company’s own stamp in the plastic. All that said, if it doesn’t heat, first try cleaning the filter really well and give the spa sufficient time to heat up. If it still doesn’t heat, you can try removing the filter and running the spa without it temporarily. Make sure you have a cover on the spa if you’re trying this, and ensure that ABSOLUTELY NO leaves or large debris get pulled into the pump and heater system. I find that more often than not, it’s simply a dirty filter that’s causing most spa-not-heating issues. If it continues to not heat, you can try looking for a “hi-limit reset button”. This is a built-in safety that protects the heater from overheating and melting any components. It may just need to be reset. Some spas have what’s called “power-down resets”, which means you need to power the spa off for 30 secons before restarting it to reset any errors. Beyond this, you may be looking at hiring a professional to troubleshoot the problem and repair it.
5B. If the spa heats but leaks:
The chances are that it’s a pressure leak: one between the jet pump and one of the jet returns. If it’s a slow leak, it would be worth trying a product like “Fix-A-Leak” or “Leak Seal”. Follow the instructions carefully and allow the product several days to a week to work. Again, patience is your ally. These products typically cost between $30 and $60, so if it works you’ve saved yourself a major expense and hassle of repair. If this product doesn’t
work, or the spa leaks more quickly than 3-6” per day, you likely have a larger crack or fitting which the leak sealing products may not be able to handle, or several pressure leaks throughout the spa. Yet again, this could be a result of negligence and something to beware of if you continue putting money into the repair.
6. If you’ve had the spa filled for a week or so and there are no signs of leaking, and the spa has stayed heated the entire time without issue, congratulations!! You have a working hot tub! Feel free to purchase a replacement cover and filters at this time, along with a bottle of “Pre-Drain Scrub”, or other brand of spa chemical purging product (these will break down oils and scum in the plumbing lines left by previous users of the spa). Also, now is the time to purchase new test strips and replace any expired or “caked-up” chemicals in your inventory and dispose of them safely. Super-chlorinate the spa with a heavy dose of chlorine and wipe down all surfaces with an oil-free cloth. A broom or scrub brush can work well to clean light stains from mold or algae. Make sure to sanitize any tools and rinse well after you’re done. Now add the Pre-Drain Scrub and follow the directions, usually running the jets for an amount of time and leaving it overnight to go to work before draining, rinsing well, and refilling. Switch the spa on, test the GFCI on the disconnect before using the spa, and allow it to heat up. Enjoy all of your future hydrotherapy days, taking time for yourself and your family, sleeping better and in less pain. Godspeed.
