It’s been an explosive two years of unprecedented growth for the hot tub and spa industry.Hot tub sales have skyrocketed in recent years as consumer interest in backyard amenities such as swimming pools, hot tubs and spas has revived.
More consumers than ever are looking to install a new hot tub or spa in their backyard, and demand for them is still hot.Sales of hot tubs and pools are on the rise nationwide, according to the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance, an industry trade association.In 2020, nearly 45% of members expect revenue growth of 10% or more.
“Hot tubs have been in the top 10 of the ‘I want’ list for a long time, but now they’re near the top because some other things aren’t currently possible, like travel,” said Kevin Richards, Master Spas Sales and Marketing vice president.”We’re seeing more and more people who end up saying, ‘It’s time to take a hot bath’.”
Sabeena Hickman, President and CEO of Pool & Hot Tub Alliance, is well aware of the increased interest from clients.”Hot tubs are absolutely in high demand,” she said.
Hickman believes a large part of this increase can be attributed to the quarantine conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic.Thus, this demand has created another basis for consumers to purchase hot tubs, which are still relatively inexpensive compared to building swimming pools.
The price of in-ground pools has steadily increased over the past two years.Since 2020, the price of swimming pools has increased by about 40%.Not only that, but the cost of a home with a swimming pool is soaring in many parts of the country.While demand for swimming pools appears to finally be at pre-pandemic levels, prices haven’t dropped.The truth is, they are expected to remain elevated in 2023, as builders still face many of the same issues this year as they did in 2022 and 2021.
The perfect storm of labor shortages, rising inflation and logistical delays has largely contributed to the price hikes consumers have seen from builders recently.This is related to an unexpected freeze in the Texas winter in February 2021.Industry experts like Orenda Technologies’ Harold Evans said this helped exacerbate the problem, as most equipment and components were taken off the market after the storm to facilitate emergency repairs.
The U.S. hot tub and spa market has expanded over the past decade.According to Realtor.com, Nevada and Arkansas are among the two largest new markets for hot tub sales, tied to a growing number of distributors, the two states most likely to have hot tubs on their listings. water tub.
In the Northeast, however, growth has been explosive.”We sell more hot tubs than at any time in our entire history,” said Jim Grammaticopolous, owner of Your Backyard Haven. “Pool sales slowed in Q4 and Q1, but hot tub sales slowed in the same tripled in that time period.”
Seasonal adjustments are the norm in the pool industry, however, Grammaticopolous attributes other factors to rising construction costs.”Some people may be out of the market because of the price of the pool, and suddenly hot tubs are a very attractive option.”
A representative for Life’s Great Spas in Malta, New York, said that for their company, it’s about making costs as feasible for dealers and consumers as possible.”That’s why we aggressively price our hot tub to make it a purchasable product.”
The hot tub and spa related products market was valued at USD 1.875 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow by 5% over the next two years.The largest player in this space is Watkins Manufacturing, which acquired Endless Pools in 2015 through its parent company Masco Corporation.They may find themselves best equipped to handle the surge in demand.Has the largest customer base and distribution channels.Let’s take a closer look at who some of the biggest manufacturers are:
The Asia Pacific market is one of the hottest emerging markets for hot tub and spa sales.Rapid urbanization is driving this expansion.Sales of hot tubs and spas are expected to continue to hold up well into 2024 and will account for a significant portion of the industry’s projected $3.56 billion growth during this period.
Pool News coverage brought to you by Pool Magazine’s own Marcus Packer.Marcus Packer is a veteran pool builder and pool service technician with 20 years of experience in the pool industry.In addition to being a swimming pool professional, Marcus is a writer and longtime contributor to the Home Improvement section of Newsweek Magazine, and most recently, Florida Travel + Living.Got a story idea or tip you’d like to share with Pool Magazine?Email mpacker@poolmagazine.com with your story ideas.
PHTA welcomes public comments on new PHTA/ICC-2 standards for the operation and maintenance of public pools and spas
The owner of one of Nashville’s famous and popular party buses, the Music City Party Tub, has been ordered to stop operating a public pool without a permit, according to a complaint.The business has been operating as an alternative to traditional party bus and limousine rental services.
Tennessee reports that in a lawsuit filed last week, the city of Nashville asked for the mobile tub to be temporarily shut down.Next Wednesday is their hearing date.
According to the complaint, the health watchdog sent a notice to the Music City Party Tub on August 11 of the breach.The Party Bus has been a regular in Nashville’s entertainment scene for the past few years, boasting that it can hold hot tub parties of up to six or seven people at a time.
The health department claims Guy Williams visited that month and regulators urged him to submit a pool design plan and apply for a pool permit, which he did.When inspecting the trailer-style party tub, the inspector told Williams that some items needed to be fixed before he could be authorized.However, according to the lawsuit, he never returned.
In September 2020, health department employees saw Williams driving the party busy again and asked him about his lack of a pool permit, the lawsuit alleges.He claimed he was excluded because his hot tub was 50 gallons (190 liters) less than the “minimum volume” of a public swimming pool.
According to the lawsuit, no such exception exists.The business was also not registered with the state and did not have a business license, the complaint said.
Metals are naturally occurring elements found everywhere; in water, soil and stone.Metals in soil and stone dissolve in acidic rainwater, which is then carried into surface and groundwater.In this way, the dissolved metal gets into the pool and tub as it fills up.Exposure of metal to water can cause staining of pool surfaces and equipment.This article discusses techniques for controlling the presence of pool metals.It also discusses the different kinds of metal stains and related chemicals that remove and hinder stains.
There are 91 metals available, but only 6 are problematic for hot tubs and swimming pools.The six metals include magnesium, copper, cobalt, iron, manganese and calcium.Here, we will only discuss cobalt, copper, magnesium and iron 4 species.
Fill water, including nearly all municipal and well water that fills hot tubs and pools, contains some metal.It is recommended to test source water for metal concentrations before filling hot tubs and pools.
Tests for iron and copper are readily available, although most only measure the free form of dissolved metals.They also did not test the chelated and complexed forms of dissolved metals.Two-phase metal tests containing sufficient reducing and releasing agents provide better results for free metals, complex metals, and some oxidized metals.
Sources of metal contamination in swimming pool and hot tub water are gypsum and pebble surfaces, water features, decorative materials, metal equipment, galvanic corrosion, chemicals, and runoff.
In addition, slate, marble and stone contain iron, which seeps into the pool after every rainfall.A water imbalance can lead to the introduction of copper from the heat exchanger in a gas water heater.Additionally, copper-based algaecides and mineral-based water treatments may be sources of pool metals.Plant fertilizers can also introduce metals if applied improperly or due to uncontrolled flooding.Further metal sources include methods of irrigation with well water.
Avoid using untreated water with high concentrations of metals (above 1 ppm) in hot tubs or swimming pools.Treat water when metal concentrations are above 0.2 ppm.Sediment filters (10 microns or smaller) remove most of the larger oxide particles.Treat water with filters with metal sorbents to minimize dissolved metal concentrations.
Maintain appropriate concentrations of primary disinfectants and other similar stabilizers to prevent organic contamination.These include; pathogens, harmless bacteria and algae, minimizing the need for copper-based algaecides.
Most swimming pool and hot tub equipment is made of metal.For example, electrolytic halogen generators, heating cores for electric heat pumps, gas pool and hot tub heaters, ladders, light rings and handrails.
To improve chemical and electrical safety, install a bonding system in a hot tub or swimming pool.The bonding system consists of bonding copper wires together with all metal elements and water.This minimizes the potential difference.The lack of this system would dissolve metals in the pool, causing contamination and damage to equipment.This is a process called galvanic corrosion, and it is exacerbated by a number of factors including salt water, stray DC currents, and their power source.Anodes (zinc metal) reduce damage to equipment, but do not address the cause of corrosion.Test the bonding system annually or any other time there is corrosion.
pH is the most important yet most overlooked factor in preventing the release of metals in water.Low pH water (below 7) is acidic and corrosive.Acidic water can dissolve metals in pool equipment.
Improper water chemistry can damage pool surfaces and mechanics.Always ensure accurate pH, alkalinity (carbonate) and calcium (hardness) are maintained.If insufficient, the water will absorb carbonate and calcium from the cementitious surface, discharging the metal into the water.
Chelating agents bind to dissolved pool metals to reduce oxidation, thereby reducing staining.They chelate metals, not eliminate them.They needed a sophisticated modern ultrafiltration system to remove the sequestered metal particles, which were too small for a pool filtration system.Add this agent regularly as secondary sanitizer and primary sanitizer systems continue to destroy them.
To remove metal pool stains, add oxalic, ascorbic and citric acid or similar products to the pool water.Experienced pool service professionals should only use hydrochloric acid to remove metal stains, as it can cause permanent damage to the pool surface.Sequestration of dissolved metals and minimization of dissolved metal concentrations have been addressed earlier.
Figuring out the difference between metallic stains and organic contamination can be difficult.For evaluation, determine the source of the stain, assess the chemical composition of the water and test the stain with citric acid or ascorbic acid.
Note: Some organic stains, similar to those from iron bacteria, disappear after treatment with ascorbic acid, but recover with the introduction of chlorine residue.
Several methods apply when heating water in a hot tub.These include; the use of electricity, solar energy, heat pumps and external heat changes.From a narrow perspective, heating a portable hot tub with electricity is practical.With this, there is no need to consider other alternatives.From a broader perspective, it’s a different story when it comes to the built-in concrete tubs commonly found in wellness spas and resorts.It holds a large amount of water, which means it is uneconomical and impractical to heat the water with electricity.This paves the way for the use of fossil fuels, an alternative source.
Electric heaters are convenient and dominate the portable tub.Brian Koops, vice president of Jacuzzi Engineering and Technical Services, said all of his company’s boats run on electricity.This is because it is reliable and compact, so it is placed in the central cabinet.Only one heater is needed to run all the machines in the spa.
John Milligan, CEO of prefabricated spa maker NESPA, agrees.Electric heaters are more popular because they are clean, easy to use and maintain.Electricity simplifies many technical parts of life.Likewise, electric heaters speed up the manufacturing and installation process.In case of failure, just replace it.All operations returned to normal within minutes.When it comes to other energy sources, they don’t have the same benefits.
Professionals in the spa industry don’t question the benefits of electric heaters.They believe more emphasis should be placed on improving existing electric heaters.The same old model heaters have been around for a long time, and engineers should consider raising the bar.The materials used to make the heater corrode easily, making it difficult for users to handle.In the development of the heater, it is better to use friendly materials.
As mentioned earlier, electric water heaters heat water fast, but gas water heaters are indisputably faster.In about an hour, the electric heater raises the water temperature by 4-6 degrees Celsius.This takes into account the volume of water and the size of the heater.
The main concern is the effectiveness of electric heaters in meeting customer needs.To raise the water temperature from 60 to 100 degrees at night would require a different heater or a different operating system to maintain the high temperature, Hales said.Clients choose how they want their spa to be run.They can use a five and a half kilowatt heater, which is very fast but expensive.They also have the option of 4 kilowatts of power, which is slow and keeps the temperature at a certain level without using excess energy.
The California Energy Commission regulates energy consumption and standard efficiency for portable spas.They require Golden State spas to meet established requirements for annual energy consumption.These standards are not mandatory, but they will be bound by the law if they wish to sell these services within California.The statute has also been adopted by other states.
Koops points out that these systems are made in a way that is directly connected to the water, so all the energy goes to the water.However, this does not guarantee 100% effectiveness.It is possible to lose heat from the water.When the electrodes are transferred into the water, the energy has nowhere to go; therefore, the heat is lost to the atmosphere.Therefore, water use and maintenance are part of the system’s efficiency.Managing systems to prevent heat loss is a huge challenge for construction crews.Hales explained that foam insulators can be used in heater coatings to prevent heat loss and relieve areas that come into contact with water.
The areas of the hoses are also foam-coated instead of using pipes to prevent water from cooling.
Hydraulic efficiency is also important for improving the overall efficiency of a spa.This paves the way for the smooth delivery of water to consumers for treatment.These are just a few ways to increase the effectiveness of hydrotherapy.Builders must study the functionality and energy efficiency of the entire spa system and update these areas.
The use of high-efficiency heat shields, insulation within cabinets, and onboard software all play an important role in improving hydrotherapy efficiency.
Milligan prefers to use gas and electricity in his pre-built spas, which are larger than portable spas.Consumers don’t necessarily know exactly how hot tubs work, but they buy these containers with expectations.When choosing the type of energy required, it is important to explain it clearly to the customer.Cost, required temperature, how to achieve the required temperature, and maintenance are all factors to consider.
If you want your water to heat up faster then natural gas will be a better choice.If you don’t mind waiting for the water to heat up and stay at that temperature, then electricity would be suitable.The cost depends on the cost of the chosen energy source.Insulation is also a factor when choosing the type of energy source.When using electrical energy, the container must be insulated.Problems arise when the container is wider than 100 inches.Subtract 5 inches from each side to sit down, leaving 90 inches.If the container is larger than this, there is no choice but to switch to gas energy.This is a common problem with free-form containers, and choosing straight lines is a convenient design.Ultimately, these factors are important to customer satisfaction.