custom spa with fewer jets (but, ohh, so powerful..!)

5 years ago

Currently, I have a hot tub spa that is empty. It was drained b/c it is considered just a bathtub outside by me & my family. Thus, it wasn't ever really used. I could not justify the electric bill if only I was using it, & only two days per month at most. I want to create a custom spa. One that has fewer jets but incredibly powerful.

I will never buy a store purchased / pre-fab high end hot tub ever again. I actually cringe when I see a hot tub with 145 jets inside of it as this is laughable to me... I can remember going to Vancouver BC one time and spent a weekend at a lower end hotel that had a pool and spa. The hot tub wasn't very big at all and it had just a handful of water jets. But they were incredible at giving theee BEST back massage ever, .. and the closer to the back vertical wall I got .. the better the massage by the jet.

THIS is what I desire ... a spa that actually gives me a massage now that I am older, with more aches & pains. I can hardly wait to put an ad in the local papers for someone to come pick up my current perfectly working (but useless, in my mind) hot tub. Then I can start my dream project.

My current hot tub sits 1/2 way in a cement silo / well and the concrete is quite thickly poured from years ago. I want all the machinery (motor, filter, heater to be located inside my garage for ease of installation as well as servicing)

But here is the clincher: I want to have as powerful a HP motor as I can possibly have to make the jets shoot out water like the hotel spa I can remember so well.. so a 1 hp ain't gonna cut it at all.

Here is a picture of what I want to eventually make my spa look like:

and here is my current spa:

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Comments (2)

PRO
Ellen Utley Interiors
5 years ago
There are some fabulous custom hot tub designs to inspire you. Sounds like you know exactly what you would like which makes things easy!

Might be worth considering the comfort of the shape inside the custom tub and the colour. Here is some inspiration https://pin.it/6Oh9W3u

Enjoy
David Bobyn thanked Ellen Utley Interiors
PRO
Mystic Pools, LLC
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Your best bet is to find a qualified builder who really understands fluid dynamics.

When we build a spa, whether part of a pool/spa combo or stand alone, we must know the desired number of jets. A 10 gpm requirement for each jet, sets the calculations in motion. A pump size is determined and then the proper pipe size to support that water flow. The builder will have to do some math. The distance from the equipment to the spa must be factored as well.

We use these formulas for the filtration portion also.

Our current pool/spa project, has a 10' round spa with 16 jets. We are using a variable speed pump for the jets and also the filtration system. Our pipe size for the jet suction and return is 4" PVC. This is based on the required total flow to the jets. We have to move a lot of water to make the jets work properly. Plus, the piping has to be installed in a certain way to provide equal flow to each jet.

We use Waterway gunite jets exclusively. They have many jet internal choices for a particular jet pattern.

The "hotel" jets you experienced, I can pretty much guarantee they were a basic gunite venturi jet with a standard eyeball fitting. Hotel pools always seem to have the tightest budget.

Figuring out pump size and pipe sizes is not for the faint hearted. Many jobs I've come across over the years, clients were disappointed with jet results from their builder. I'm called to "fix" it. Most often I cannot short of ripping everything out and starting over.
David Bobyn thanked Mystic Pools, LLC
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