Thinking about a jacuzzi - any suggestions

[bazerd]

We are in area 31 and would like an outdoor Jacuzzi with terracing. Has anyone done anything similar or could recommend suppliers please?

 

[Quillan]

A friend of mine that had several hotels had them installed then after a year removed them. He tells me they are not very hygienic, far less so than a pool mainly because they use hot water which speeds up the growth of bacteria. People also see them as a bath and don't always get in clean. Basically he said they were too expensive to run, not in chemicals etc but that he had to employ somebody in each hotel to look after them. It's OK if you have the time, bit like a pool really, if not then don't bother which was his advice to me. Still fancy one though, €24m on Euro Lottery should do the trick. [;-)]

[halfblind]

Whilst building my pool actually built a hot tub into the terrace. Octagonal in shape using solar panels to heat. Also installed 3kW heater but have never used. So have hot tub with massage jets and free heat for around €2000 - gets used a lot !

[renard]

You are asking about a "jacuzzi". Jacuzzi, with a capital J is a specific brand, who make what are commonly called 'spas'. I will assume that you are asking about spas generally, and not specifically about Jacuzzi, the brand. Sorry to be pedantic, but just so we are not talking at cross purposes!

We bought a spa almost 2 years ago, and have not regretted it. Wish we'd made the decision sooner.

Yes, they do require more frequent attention than a swimming pool, but it is not complicated. If you are not willing to be scrupulous about hygiene for a spa then you are inviting serious health risks, including possibly Legionnaires Disease. But if you keep a regular check on chlorine levels you will be perfectly safe. Regular? Preferably daily, maybe every other day, depending on use. Very heavy use might mean checking more than once per day, but that would be exceptional. If you have left it for longer (holiday, etc) then you will need to use a higher chlorine dose initially and wait, possibly for up 24 hours before using it. Time for checking and treating? 5 minutes normally, longer if you have a problem.

If you go for a big name make (Hot Springs, Sundance etc) expect to pay a lot: 20,000 to 30,000 euros plus?

We bought from Angel Spa's, a french manufacturer, based in Nimes. http://www.spaspromo.com/ should give you their website.

They regularly (every few months) have an open day, with factory visits, lunch and afternoon test sessions. This is by invitation only. Look for "portes ouvertes" tab on the web site.

Quality of construction is good. We had a few minor problems, but I sorted these myself. Their after sales service looks good: look at http://www.eauplaisir.com/annuaire/forums/index.php and find the two spa forums, and check for posts about Angel Spas. Their prices range from 5,000 to 10,000 euros approx. I have no relationship to this company other than as a customer. I would not hesitate to recommend them.

If you require further info, feel free to PM.