Hot Tub FAQ's
Our hot tubs online FAQ and Jargon Buster allows you to cut through all the industry terms and find the right hot tub for you, whilst understanding everything you need to know about hot tub ownership.
When choosing which hot tub is ideal for you, it’s good to make sure you do your research. Our hot tub jargon buster will help you make the right decision so you get the perfect hot tub.
And remember, we’re always here for any questions you may have. Just call us on 0333 990 0320 and we’ll be very happy to help.
Before you get to the real detail, here are the basic questions you need to be clear on when looking for your perfect hot tub.
General Questions
How much do hot tubs cost to run?
As with all hot tubs, there is a cost involved to run. On average, you'd be looking at between £1.25 to £3.50 per day. This is quite a different and there's lots of factors that affect running costs.
For more, see our article about hot tub running costs
Do H2O Hot Tubs come with chemicals?
Not as standard, but we offer low-cost chemical kits to our customers which contain absolutely everything you need to get started.
Opt for our full set up service and we'll fill the spa, add chemicals and show you how to use it and teach you everything you need to know about water chemistry.
Should I leave my hot tub on all the time?
Generally speaking: yes.
For more, see our article about leaving your hot tub on all the time
Do you have a hot tub showroom?
Yes, we have a fantastic hot tub showroom in Nottingham, easily accessible from J26 of the M1.
Alternatively, we can video call with you for a virtual tour.
How much should I spend on a hot tub?
A difficult question to answer, but for a good quality small hot tub of 3-4 seats we'd recommend spending between £3000 - £4,000.
For a larger spa of 5-7 seats we'd recommend spending between £4000 - £9,000 for something with serious hydrotherapy performance, but around the £4,000 - £6,000 mark for something that's a great balance of features, performance and value.
Can I put a hot tub on decking or a patio?
Yes. You can place a hot tub on a patio or decking as long as it’s completely level and strong enough to support the filled weight. Use your model’s dry weight and water capacity in our specs to check the load. If you’re unsure, get a builder to confirm.
Are hot tubs good for you?
Yes. Used regularly, hot tubs can ease aches and joint pain, improve sleep, lower stress, boost circulation and support heart health.
They also aid muscle recovery and flexibility, can benefit skin, support immune function and encourage mindful, connecting moments.
They can help manage long-term conditions - though they’re not a cure. For the evidence-backed rundown, read our guide.
Hot tub jargon buster
ABS base – All our hot tubs come with an ABS base. This means the base is made from a solid material, making it fully water proof and keeping your hot tub rodent free. Some companies use a cheap liner or nothing at all. This leaves you hot tub exposes to elements of danger.
Acrylic – The acrylic part of the hot tub is the part where you sit and holds the water. We have a range of acrylic colours for your hot tub.
Air jets- For hot tubs that come with a blower systems, these will have dedicated jets positioned around the spa which provide a different massage experience.
Balboa – Balboa is the manufacturer of controls for hot tubs amongst other components. They are renowned for their quality touch panels and wireless app.
Captain chairs- What is a captains chair? It is a dedicated seat normally the largest single seat with dedicated jets that cover most of the upper body. In some cases this also includes jets to the lower body and legs. The higher the spec of your hot tub, the better the captains chair.
Circulation pump - All our hot tubs have dedicated circulation pumps. Why is this better? A dedicated circulation pump on our hot tubs runs at a very low ampage. Ours is 0.25 amps. This means even running 24hrs a day and is a lot cheaper than a spa using the low speed jet pump. Which is normally 1-1.5 amps up to 6x the ampage.
Hydrotherapy jets - Most cheap hot tubs will have one directional jets and will only use up to 3 inch jets. We use up to 5 inch jets and a mixture of multi directional and hydro jets. Hydro jets spin, giving you a sensation of massage. Using only single directional jets can leave areas of the skin feeling sore and other areas not touched in terms of massage.
Insulated cover – All of our hot tub covers are twice as thick as most other standard covers. They are insulated to keep the heat in your hot tub as well as keeping garden debris out.
Loungers – For ultimate comfort, lounge seats (loungers) are formed for you to be able to submerge your whole body in a lounging position, ideal for all over massage and relaxation.
Led water lights – All of our hot tubs come with LED lights. LED water lights are set around the hot tub and under the water.
Lucite Acrylic - Lucite is well known within the spa industry. It is renowned for quality and durability. Other acrylic used is chines acrylic which is half the price to manufacture but is known to fail. Chines acrylic actually looks thicker, but it needs to be as it is not as strong. Lower quality acrylic can face from chemicals used in your hot tub. It can blister and crack due to weakness. Most will claim hot tubs are manufactured using Lucite acrylic, but until you get it and have used your hot tub for a while, you will probably not know.
We guarantee that all of our hot tubs are built using quality Lucite acrylic.
Microban – This is injected into the hot tub acrylic and prevents bacteria building up on the surface which can lead to discolouration. It also helps to keep the spa sanitized by not allowing the above to happen. We inject all of our hot tub acrylic with microban for a hygienic spa experience.
Jet pump/s – Our tubs come with branded spa pumps from LX and DXD. All our spas currently run 3hp pumps which are the most powerful pumps on the market, the fail rate of the pump is very low - in fact up until now we have not had to change any under warranty.
Hot tubs with Ozone – The hot tub ozonator is an ozone generator that injects dissolved ozone into the spa water where it is one of the most powerful oxidizing disinfectants on earth, yet virtually undetectable by human touch. The natural from of oxygen combines with organic matter of all kinds to kill or neutralize it. Ozone is 200 times more powerful that chlorine and up to 99.99% effective against bacterian and viruses that can lurk in a hot tub. As an added benefit, the only byproduct of ozone is ordinary oxygen – no chemical residues.
Seats – In general, hot tub seats are upright sitting areas within your hot tub.
Single pump – A single pump provides a good strength of water jet for relaxation and in some cases the power of one pump can be switched to a specific area of your hot tub for more powerful jets.
Twin pump – For the ultimate in powerful jets, a twin pump hot tub provides extra power to all jets for great massage.
Waterfall – A beautiful feature of a large selection of our hot tubs. Waterfalls pumping water from the hot tub and back out from the side of the hot tub. Some of our hot tubs have multiple waterfalls.