Submerging into Hot Tub Buying and Wellness in 2024

After a hiatus filled with both personal growth and challenges, Jacque The Hot Tub Lady is  back on the airwaves with a splash! I'll be your guide through the bubbling world of hot tubs in 2024, providing everything you need to know about transforming your home into a haven of wellness. This week's episode is a must-hear for anyone considering the soothing embrace of a personal spa, as I delve into the best times to buy, the smart economics of cash purchases, and the health wonders of regular hot tub use – think stress melting away and sleep quality soaring.

Have you ever stood before the myriad of hot tub models feeling utterly lost? Worry no more! I break down the essential features to look for, from durable insulation to critical warranties, and the lifesaver that is a 24-hour circulation pump. I navigate you through the market tiers, from the budget-friendly to the indulgently luxurious, giving you the scoop on what perks and pitfalls you might encounter – including the transparency trend in pricing and why a good dealer relationship is the cherry on top of your hot tub sundae.

But it's not all just about the buy – it's about the journey. I'll share the nitty-gritty on setup headaches you'll want to avoid, the maintenance must-dos to keep your oasis pristine, and why hitting the books (or rather, our popular logbooks) is key in this shrinking manufacturer market. With a nod to the exciting innovations on the horizon and a big thank you for your unwavering support, this episode is a toast to health, wellness, and the pure joy of hot tub living. So, grab your towels and let's make life epic, one hot soak at a time!

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:26

Hey, I apologize for everything I have been out. It has been just a lot going on this last quarter of 23 and the first quarter of 24. So far there has been just absolutely amazing, sad, all kinds of stuff, lots of personal stuff, had some medical issues, was out for the count for a little bit, but I am fine. Now I'm doing 100% better. I am back. I will start be doing the podcast on a weekly basis again.

Speaker 1: 0:57

I have lots of guests lined up and I'm super excited for them to be here this year and I think you guys are gonna get a lot out of it. And today we are going to talk about buying a hot tub in 2024. And I will tell you, I've been selling hot tubs since 2003. And this year I have never been more excited about buying and selling hot tubs as I am. This year there is a lot of super new, super exciting stuff coming on, and if you were ever thinking about buying a hot tub, this is definitely the year to get one. There are so many great things going on and just lots of stuff to pay attention to. Stay tuned, as I will be revealing a lot of brand new stuff and some of it I can't quite share with you yet, but here in the next couple of weeks I will be able to share it with you. You guys are going to absolutely be blown away. So if you're in the market for a hot tub, now is the time. And I would also tell you, if you're looking to save some money, now is definitely the time. You definitely want to. The 2023s. Everybody, everybody, absolutely every dealer that I know is 100% blowing out their 23 inventory right now and it is a really good time and historically, january, february, march that is the best time of year to actually buy a hot tub, and so if you're thinking about getting one, the best deals are 100% now and if you're willing to pay cash and pay in full upfront, I guarantee you that you are going to save a lot of dough. So hopefully that helps you guys out and we're just gonna get into it.

Speaker 1: 2:38

We're gonna start with the just the state of the hot tub industry. Hot tub industry is still doing incredibly well. Covid really raised up the hot tub industry. It put it on the map. It has made a big difference.

Speaker 1: 2:55

Hot tubs have definitely gone from being a luxury item something that just a few people had you maybe haven't for a social thing or a party tub to a household item. There are so many people right now who actually need a hot tub and they know it, and it has become more of a health thing. It has become a household of appliance. It is definitely something that everybody wants to have in their backyard now and why wouldn't you, I mean? That takes me right into the benefits of owning a hot tub. The reason that you would want to own a hot tub right now are just the health benefits in general, and there are hundreds and thousands of blogs on the internet to check that out. And check out my website, thehottubladyco, my blog. There's a lot of blogs there as well, just talking about health benefits.

Speaker 1: 3:46

But the things about owning a hot tub are you know, we always say you're gonna get out better than you got in, because what happens to you when you're soaking in hot water is absolutely amazing. It increases endorphins, it makes you feel better, it gets you out of that fight or flight mode that we all get into on occasion. The stress that builds up at the end of the day, all that stress that's right here in the back of your necks, that is gonna get relieved in a hot tub. It's gonna get more oxygen to the parts of the body that need to get it. It's going to lengthen your muscles. It's gonna stretch them out so that you can release the lactic acid that's in your body. It is just 100% one of the best things that you could do.

Speaker 1: 4:33

That's a completely another podcast, and I could spend a whole hour just talking about the benefits of a hot tub. I believe in hot tubs. I love my hot tub. I'm in it twice a day, every day, because I know what it does for me and it is one of the things that you definitely wanna do for yourself. And when you're looking at just trying to get into a routine that will help you feel better it's the beginning of the year, everybody's trying to do New Year's resolutions, get in shape, all that thing. If you would throw a hot tub into that, it's gonna help you with your recovery so that you can work out again the next day. It is going to help you relax more. It's gonna help with meditation. It helps with so many things and owning a hot tub is amazing, and I'm not even I haven't even touched on my favorite benefit, and that's the social aspect of it when you are in a hot tub with your kids or your spouse or your significant other and the conversations are so much better in a hot tub than they are anyplace else. They're just no distractions. And if you give your body just a few minutes to get it get out of that fight or flight mode and then ask that really tough question, I guarantee you the answer is gonna be very different versus you saying, hey, honey, don't forget to do this on their way out the door, that when they have a hundred million other things on their mind. So hot tub benefits are absolutely amazing and I highly recommend getting one.

Speaker 1: 6:04

This is what I had on my outline today. Is you need them for relaxation and stress relief? You need them for muscle relaxation and improve sleep. You do sleep better when you sit in a hot tub. Last night, for example, I woke up about four o'clock in the morning. Just a lot of stuff on my mind. I was going to grab my phone and play this silly little game that I play, passed the phone, went and sat in the hot tub for 20 minutes, came back to bed and hit the pillow and I was out. So just, it is absolutely amazing. And then, of course, entertaining and socializing, which I just touched on. So those are all some really amazing reasons why you should have a hot tub.

Speaker 1: 6:43

So when it comes to actually purchasing a hot tub, it is really important that you check out or figure out what your budget is going to be. I've been on the sales floor a little bit again and one of the things that I would tell you that I hear from people all the time is they think that they're going to get a hot tub for about $5,000. Those days are gone. There are a few hot tubs out there that you can get for about $5,000, which you're probably definitely looking more into the used market on that. And I would tell you, if you were ever in the market for a used hot tub, this is definitely the year to buy a used hot tub. Used hot tubs they're going to be. I've been seeing them anywhere from about oh gosh, about $2,000 all the way up to $10,000. And even a few of the saltwater hot tubs. Those are definitely on the newer side and I've seen those in the 12 to $15,000 range on the used hot tubs. But there are a lot of hot tubs out there in the used market.

Speaker 1: 7:45

You definitely you be careful when you buy a used hot tub, don't just buy it from somebody that you've never met. You want to definitely make sure that. If you do that, you want to make sure that you see the hot tub. Go see the hot tub hot, full of water and running, make sure it's not leaking, make sure that the jets are working and make sure that it holds heat. Those are the three things I would tell you when it comes to buying a used hot tub, let's say on Facebook Marketplace or something like that, because that's where you are going to notice it the most and it's where you're going to get into the most. Trouble is if you buy a used hot tub and you haven't seen it running or it's not holding heat. Those are the things that can cost the most amount of money to fix, and what I would tell you is I very rarely I would say less than 2% of the customers that trade in or are getting rid of their hot tub are getting rid of it just because they don't use it. There is typically something wrong with it or they are upgrading to the newest, latest, greatest, but even then there's still one or two things that need to be updated or fixed on that. So just be really careful.

Speaker 1: 9:00

I would definitely recommend going to dealers. The dealer base or the hot tub stores have so many options on used hot tubs. Definitely everybody has them in stock again you would definitely be able to get one. So if you're looking for a used hot tub, start with your dealer base and if you're okay with doing a used one and the market is huge, there are so many used hot tubs out there. But ask your dealer, see what they have. Most of them will warranty the used hot tubs and it's like buying a used car. It's a good way to go and it's a good way to get started. Used hot tubs is a good way to keep the budget in mind and still get a lot of hot tub for that.

Speaker 1: 9:37

Next up would be the entry level of hot tubs. Those are typically going to be your 110 units, your plug and plays. They typically are going to have a one-pump system. They're a fantastic hot tub and I'm going to tell you we sell thousands of them. We literally sell so many of the 110 plug and play hot tubs. People absolutely love them and it's a great starting point to get your hot tub Check with dealers.

Speaker 1: 10:04

Some dealers have some really great deals where you can if you purchase a 110 hot tub like we sell the free flows and if you buy a free flow from us and again, we can only sell in our market. So I'm in Sioux Falls that's the only place I can sell to is in the South Dakota area. But if you buy one of our free flow hot tubs, if you trade that in and trade up within a year, we'll give you 100% of what you paid for that and a lot of dealers in hot tub stores out there do that. But check around and see what's out there. There's some really good options that you can definitely check out. And it's a good way to get started because I can say I hear this almost every day that somebody comes in and says I just don't know if I'm going to use it. That's getting. People are figuring out that they are going to use it and they are going to use it on a daily basis. But hot tubs is definitely one of those things that you want to get in it, use it daily and this is a plug and play. Hot tub is a good way to start on that.

Speaker 1: 11:10

I do have a question from Dolores Dolores. I'm going to get through this topic and then I will definitely answer your question for you. If anybody else has a question, be sure to type it in. I'd be more than happy to answer those questions. The next series up is going to be the value line. That's probably the most popular out there, the value line. Those are going to be anywhere from probably around 7000 to about 14000. You're going to see two pump systems there. You're going to see that's going to be. Caldera has a ton of those. Hot Springs has a ton of those. You're going to see those in Jacuzzi. You're going to see those in Sundance. There are artesian. That's their bread and butter. That's where they are the most. Cal Spa those are all going to be in that range, right there.

Speaker 1: 11:53

Now, things to check out there is you want to make sure you're buying a quality hot tub. There are a lot of them in that market or in that price range that do not have insulation. So you definitely want to be in that insulated market. They are not going to have a 24-hour circulation pump in that market. That is definitely going to be more of a one or a two-pump system. Most of them are going to be 220s. So keep that in mind too when it comes to buying a hot tub. That's an additional cost that you're going to have to take care of, and they're going to have jets, they're going to have lights, they're going to have waterfalls. But just check and make sure you're getting a really well insulated and that there's a good warranty in it, especially on a value line. You are going to see a two to three year warranty on the components and that makes a big deal on just peace of mind, knowing that your hot tub is going to last and I will tell you, most of the quality hot tubs are going to last 20 plus years out there. But having peace of mind and having warranty, that is a good thing to do.

Speaker 1: 12:55

The next series up is going to be your premium, the Caldera's Paradise series. That is one of my favorite lines. It's going to be saltwater options, so you're going to have the ability to put saltwater on that. It's a really good hot tub, super great insulation. It's going to have the fiber core insulation, so it's really good. It's just a loose pack insulation, very easy to work on if you ever have to work on the hot tub, but it's super, super efficient. So it's a really good thing. Like I said, it's going to have a 24 hour circulation pump.

Speaker 1: 13:31

The Watkins products are going to be saltwater and I will tell you, salt is still one of the hottest things when it comes to buying a hot tub. Everybody I talk to wants to know if they can put salt on their hot tub and you can put salt on your hot tub. But you are going to have to get up into that premium and luxury line hot tubs and there's some reasons for that. You're going to have titanium heaters. You're going to have a 24 hour circulation pump. You got to have a pump that's moving that salt water through the system 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can't have just a jet pump that kicks on and heats and cleans. So that's really important. You've got to have premium products in the hot tub because salt water can be corrosive and if it's not balanced correctly it can be really hard on the hot tub, unless the hot tub is built to be a saltwater. And just because somebody says it's salt water ready does not mean that it's a salt water hot tub. So keep that in mind as well. It's a big deal.

Speaker 1: 14:30

And then the luxury series. Again, I'm doing a lot with the Caldera stuff these days. That's going to be their Utopia series. What a cool hot tub. It's got oh my gosh the Canabria, one of the most amazing hot tubs that's out there. It's got three jet pumps, two waterfalls, tons of jets. It's got this lounger. That's got oh my gosh, this is amazing. It's got six different options, that kind of take those jets and move them up and down your back. It's like sitting in a massage chair. It is. It will wow you if you sit in the Caldera Utopia's Canabria. It is a really cool hot tub. But that whole series is just absolutely amazing.

Speaker 1: 15:11

But the luxury series hot tubs are going to be around anywhere from 13,000 to about 23,000. The premium I didn't mention that. Those are going to be in that 10 to 20,000 range. So just to recap that, you're going to find the used hot tubs in the 2000 to 15,000 range. You're going to find the entry level in that 3,500 to 8,000 range. Your value line that's going to be between 7,000 and 14,000. Your premium again, that's where your salt's going to start. You're going to find those anywhere from about 10,000 to 20,000. And then the luxury series hot tubs those are going to be 13,000 to 23,000. So one of the things I would tell you that has changed from any other time I have done a hot tub how much should you pay for a hot tub in a certain year? I've never been able to say that you can find pricing online. Most manufacturers these days are putting pricing online. That is new. That is something that's happened in the last eight to 10 months, so you can definitely see pricing online.

Speaker 1: 16:14

You still are going to want to talk to your dealer, because you're usually going to be able to get a better deal at the hot tub store and there's just things that the pricing online is just going to be the hot tub and the cover. You're going to need things. You're going to need delivery. You absolutely 100% going to need delivery. You're going to need water care. You're going to need cover lifters. You're going to need steps. You've got to figure out what the shipping is going to be from California or wherever to your place. So the hot tub dealer's got that all figured out for you. It gives you a good idea of what you can do. Once you get to the store, you are going to know where it should be landing and that's a really big deal. That is something new that the hot tub industry has finally stepped up and they're getting there and most hot tub dealers are super transparent. They're going to have the pricing right on the hot tub when you go in, and it's really cool to go in there, see it, look at it, check it out, fill it. Those are just things that are really important, so I suggest that you do that. I am going to.

Speaker 1: 17:13

Dolores did have a question here real quick and it is. This question is off topic Is it normal to have to add alkalinity and pH up every week? Yes, if it can be, especially depending on what you're using for chemical bromine, you're going to find that you're going to need to add to al. If you're on a bromine system, you're going to have to add a lot of alkalinity and increase your and a lot of pH up and they tie in together and you want to get that alkalinity between 80 and 120 parts per million and you want to fix the alkalinity first and then you're going to do the pH afterwards. I don't have it there now, but I do have on Chemical pH and Alkalinity Dosage Guide on my website, the HottubLadyco. I will put the link in the show notes for those of you that are watching, and then I will also put the link in the podcast notes for those of you that are listening and I'm going to put a note down right now to dosage charts. We'll get that on there. So, again, my website is full of a ton of really great information. But, dolores, I hope that answers the question. If you have any more, please let me know. And, again, anybody else has any questions, add them to the podcast here. We would love to answer your questions.

Speaker 1: 18:34

And then, when we're still talking about budget, you also want to think about all the additional costs that are not included in the Hottub. So you're going to need a solid surface to set that on. That is not included with the Hottub and most Hottub dealers do not provide that. Now there are some really cool things out there, like the Easy Pad and some portable pads that you can put down and take with you if you were moving. So if you're renting or doing something like, that's a really good way to go. You can put it down, put the Hottub down, and then when you move, you can take the Hottub and that pad with you.

Speaker 1: 19:11

Can put them on railroad ties. You can put them on platforms. I've seen a lot of people build platforms out of plywood. The best is a concrete slab. That's what I highly encourage anybody to do is to put them in a concrete slab. I've seen them go on Pee Gravel Not a big fan of that. I've also seen them go on pavers. Pavers work really well as well, but you do have to put them on a solid surface.

Speaker 1: 19:35

So that's an additional cost to the Hottub and you're going to have to hire an electrician to wire it. If it's a 110, it's typically going to go into an outlet that you already have. You are going to want to make sure that you're close enough to the outlet that you can actually plug it in. You do not want to run a 110 Hottub on an extension cord, so keep that in mind. Typically, most of the cords are about 12 feet long and you want to be able to plug that in there. So you'll need a solid surface to set it on and you're going to need an electrician to wire up. If it's 220, you're going to need what they call a ground fault disconnect box or GFCI. That is something just to make code that you are definitely going to have in addition. So every market is different. In the South Dakota market we're seeing probably around anywhere from 800 to 1500 to get your Hottub wired.

Speaker 1: 20:30

And then concrete pads. That is probably the biggest challenge in my market is to find somebody to run a concrete pad and that just depends on how elaborate you want to make it. You don't need it to be real elaborate and it just needs to be the size of the Hottub and it can just be plain brush broom concrete, because you're going to put a Hottub on it. How pretty does it need to be? But those are things that you need to think of. And then you got to figure out how you're getting it in the backyard. So we provide a delivery service when we sell a Hottub and I highly recommend that's one of those things. There's a lot of things that you can deliver in your own backyard.

Speaker 1: 21:14

A Hottub is not one of those things that I recommend that you do. It's there are about 1000 pounds and they do get heavy and you have to go up on the side to get through the gate. Those are things that you have to do. We at our store we never pick them up and over. If we do, then we'll hire equipment. We'll get like a crane or something like that and that would be an additional charge. We do go up on the side and we will go through gates. Most standard gates are 42 inches wide and you can fit a Hottub through that there. I have seen a few instances where the gates are only about 30 inches wide and in cases like that you're either going to have to take down a panel of the fence or we're going to have to get a crane or a forklift to actually lift that up and over. And then, when it goes to going up on the sides of decks and that type of things, typically you need to take a piece of the railing down. But if your steps are wide enough again, most of them are 42 inches then we can take it up the steps on the side and visit with your Hottub store. They're going to help you out with that and just know, if you're buying a Hottub online, that's going to get shoved off off of the truck into your driveway and you got to figure out how to get it back there and they are, like I said, they are about a thousand pounds, so just keep that in mind. Paying for that delivery fee is 100% worth it. So that is an additional cost that you need to think about, but it is definitely worth paying for that.

Speaker 1: 23:19

Where are you going to put the Hottub? I recommend I'm an outside girl. I like my Hottub's outside, but if you don't think you'll use it outside, then put it inside. But that is going to typically that's going to limit your space because you again you're going to have to get through the door to get the Hottub in there, and most Hottub's 29 to 32 inches. Those are the ones that are going to have to fit through there, and then they're going to have to typically be rectangular or smaller because you can't get through over through the threshold. You know a 7 by 7 Hottub, which is what most people is the most popular size of Hottub that is not going to fit through a door, even on its side, unless you have a specially made door. It's just not going to work. Keep that in mind as well.

Speaker 1: 24:08

When it comes to what makes a Hottub cost, what a Hottub costs one of the biggest features is the filtration system. The lesser the Hottub, typically the lesser price, but it's also the lesser filtration it has. So I sell Hottubs with 30, 35 square foot filtration, some of those inflatable Hottubs, which is a great option if you can keep it out of the freezing cold. So, like in South Dakota, you can't really use an inflatable Hottub outside in the winter, but you can in the summer, but you can put it in the garage. But those Hottubs only have a 10 square foot of filtration, which is an inflatable Hottub with a 10 square foot filtration just isn't enough, unfortunately.

Speaker 1: 24:56

And then, like I said then, I have Hottubs starting with 30, 35 square foot filtration and then, by the time you get all the way up to the premium, those have 100 to 125 square foot of filtration. And if you've only got so, let's go back to the entry level. Those typically only have one pump and that pump is heating and cleaning the Hottub and as it's heating and cleaning the Hottub, it is forcing the water through the filter and so that pump has to be working to heat and clean the Hottub. So where, if you go up into the premium line with the 24 hour circulation pump, that's a completely separate pump and is going through anywhere from 75. I have anywhere from 50 square feet all the way to 125 square feet of filtration, so it's going to be easier to keep that clean, but that water is going to be moving 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and it's a good deal. And one thing that I would say is, when it comes to thinking about if you, the more your water moves, the cleaner your water is going to stay and the easier it's going to be to take care of. So if you are cleaning your hut or if your circulation pumps run in 24 hours a day, seven days a week, think of that like moving fountain, moving mountain stream. That water is running and it's crystal clear and it's going over the rocks and it can't sit still and collect moss and that type of stuff, where, if you're in a stagnant pond and that water is not moving at all, then that water is going to be harder to clean. So the more pumps and the more your water is moving, the easier water is going to be to keep clean, the more you're going to use your hot tub, and so those are the things that affect how much the hot tub costs. So keep that in mind as well.

Speaker 1: 26:51

Jay Hulmes stopped on there and he was talking about the concrete and he says make sure you seal the concrete due to all the chemicals. I don't necessarily 100% agree with that. I've never sealed the concrete on my hot tub and it seems to do okay. The it's not that many chemicals actually land on the concrete pad, but it's if you want to protect your investment that it's always a good idea not not 100% necessary, but the way to go. And then Dolores said she had to replace her circulation pump less than a year from purchase. I'm sorry to hear that happen, but you should. That should have been under warranty. If you had a hot tub that had a 24-hour circulation pump, it should have been under warranty and it should have definitely gotten taken care of via that way. And then, another thing to consider when purchasing a hot tub is your chemical options. There's a lot of really cool stuff out there right now when it comes to taking care of your water care, and I will tell you, the number one reason that people don't buy a hot tub is because they're scared of taking care of it.

Speaker 1: 27:58

Of course, you can always go back to the old-fashioned ways of just adding chlorine, hand-feeding your chlorine. You have to do that every time after you use it, or every two or three days or so. You want to do that. You can use a bromine floater. That works really good If you ever going to use tablets, make sure you're using bromine. Don't use chlorine tablets in your hot tub.

Speaker 1: 28:16

I'm a big fan of the Frog at E systems. Those work really good and there are a ton of manufacturers right now that are using that system. It's a once a month program so it's super easy to use and they're built into the hot tub. So again, the Caldera's that I was talking about, the chemicals that are in the hot tub, I'm sorry. They're built into the systems and they're just super easy to use. So the the Spa Frog systems are super awesome.

Speaker 1: 28:48

And then, of course, there is salt and I'm a salt girl. You guys all know that that. I love my salt water hot tubs and if you can afford it, you definitely want to do salt water. Salt water is not for everyone, but those of you who do it absolutely love it. And once you figure it out there's a little bit of a learning curve, but they are a piece of cakes and they you change your water once a year on those and they're absolutely amazing. And I do love my salt water hot tubs and the water feels great and it smells great and I things happen.

Speaker 1: 29:20

And then we want to go to your brand research. You definitely want to check out brands. Brands are everything and as this category, the shopping category, hot tubs and that type of thing as it continues to grow, the number of manufacturers is continuing to shrink down. There's getting more and more. The big dogs are buying the little players. I've seen more manufacturers get absorbed in the last 18 months than they have in the last 18 years. So they've been. You know they're buying new brands. There's a lot of bigger brands buying smaller brands. Keep that in mind.

Speaker 1: 30:06

You want to do your research. You want to make sure that you're buying a hot tub that you 100% know that there's going to be somebody around afterwards to honor the warranty all the way through. When I was talking about those premium and luxury hot tubs, those have five year warranty on the components. That's a big deal and but the warranty is only as good as the manufacturer that stands behind it. So if the manufacturer goes away, your warranty goes away. So keep that in mind, especially when you start looking at some of these online hot tubs and these manufacturers are coming and going really quickly.

Speaker 1: 30:42

Do your research. See who's been around for a really long time. See who owns the manufacturers For example, caldera and Hot Springs. Those are owned by Watkins Manufacturing. Watkins Manufacturing is owned by Masco. Masco is a huge company that is going to give you total and complete peace of mind the Jacuzzi group. They own a lot of hot tubs. They've been around for a really long time so they do a lot of brands there. You definitely want to just do a little bit of research and make sure that the brand not just your hot tub, but the brand is going to be around 10 years from now, because, if we've seen anything, parts are hard to get on some of that older stuff that's out there. It's not that the hot tub is done, but you can't necessarily get parts for it. So, again, do your homework and do some research and see what you can do.

Speaker 1: 31:32

And then, more important than your brand research, is your dealership research. You definitely want to buy a hot tub from somebody and trust because you are now entering a relationship. Once you buy a hot tub from someone, you are definitely in a relationship with that person. You need to be able to contact them. You need to be able to go in and visit with them. You need to be able to do all the things that will if you have an issue like Dolores here.

Speaker 1: 32:02

She just added to the conversation. She says that she had to replace her circulation pump and that was covered under warranty, but she was able to get that done, whereas if she would have bought it online, possibly, then you know, it's just, we've all been there, we've all tried to do something, buy something online, and you can't necessarily get it repaired and then you're just out. I mean, I had something the other day. I bought some jeans and I can't even get a hold of the company to find out where the tracking number is. It's just completely disappeared.

Speaker 1: 32:36

So it's really important that you do buy a hot tub from someone that you know and trust, and this is a purchase that you're going to have for a very long time. You're not going to have it for just a year or two when you buy a hot tub. Most people buy a hot tub and it's going to last them anywhere. I do have a few customers that will trade a man once a year, but most customers will have it anywhere from five to ten years before they trade up or they move houses or they do something like that, and so it's really important that you have a company that has a service department. We'll take care of you. Check the Google reviews. If you check out the Google reviews, it's going to tell you a lot. My company, combine, pull and Spa. We have over 500 Google reviews and they're all over five stars. So, or all at five stars. That's a big deal. We've tried really hard and we maintain our reputation on that, so that's a big deal.

Speaker 1: 33:30

I've been a part of them since 2008 and we definitely have always made sure that we take care of our customers and it doesn't always go perfect. I'll be the first to admit that there are times when things go wrong and when that happens, we make sure we do the right thing and we fix it. Sometimes it's a matter of sending a service check out and fixing a situation. Sometimes it's a matter of replacing the hot tub. Very rarely, but it does happen. But we want to make sure that you're happy and you're saying good things about us and you're saying good things to your friends when they say, hey, who do you want to buy a hot tub from? Hopefully you're going to say, oh hey, go see the hot tub lady and she will help you out. Or you're going to go see combined, and I have so many peers in this industry that feel the exact same way and they 100% take care of their customers.

Speaker 1: 34:23

Nobody is out to your. Reputation is more important than anything. So when it comes to all these tips and tricks I'm giving you about buying a hot tub, the most important one is the dealer and the salesperson that you buy it from. That's what it comes down to. You must be able to trust that person and you must be able to trust the store that you bought it from. It's everything. If you do that, then your hot tub will definitely your hot tub experience will be a great experience. And then I have installation process. We talked about that. Just know that you got to have somebody set it back there and then you got to have somebody to support you after the sale.

Speaker 1: 35:06

That is the whole reason that the hot tub lady exists is that I'm here to help answer questions after the sale is done. People need help. They have questions about their water care how do you take care of it? They have questions about how often do I clean my filters? They do all of that. So you do need help to support after the sale. But you can definitely join my Facebook group. I'll throw a plug in for that right now Clean your hot tub filters. There is a great group of people on there that 100% are there to help each other. I definitely weed out anything that would not be true or something that you don't want went in there. So that's a real reliable, safe place to get good information. So you can definitely join that group. You can follow me on YouTube, instagram and all those places. Facebook. I will support you, but hopefully, more importantly, that the person you bought the hot tub is there to answer all your questions and support you via that way. That is, you definitely want to want to do that.

Speaker 1: 36:07

Regulation and permits check with your local city or whatever. There's not a lot of regulations when it comes to putting in a hot tub. If anything, what you need to check most is with your electrician. If there's any codes, that's typically where you're going to have some issues or things that you would need permits for is going to be through your electrician, and that's why I do suggest hiring a professional to get that done. But some of you are smart enough to figure that out. But electricity and hot tubs of water you just don't want to mess with that and most of them do need electricians or do need permits, okay.

Speaker 1: 36:50

And then when it comes to financing, there is so many options when it comes to buying a hot tub and definitely check around, ask around A lot of your local dealers are going to have some financing options available right now. I would definitely tell you that the absolute best of deals today are between now and the end of March. Everybody's blowing out their 2023s and if you pay cash, you're going to get an absolutely fantastic deal on a hot tub right now. But there is always different financing options going on and there's always going to be some sort of financing, because not everybody has that type of money just sitting in their checking account, or even if they don't always want to pull it out. So just ask. A lot of times you'll find 0% or a real low, 6%, 7% interest rate and everybody has financing. So just ask. You will definitely see what's going on. And even some of the manufacturers that have their pricing online right now there is financing available on those as well, and a lot of times, a lot of those manufacturers will actually end up sending you to a dealer Like they'll sell you the hot tub, but then the dealer will take care of you afterwards. So that's something you want to take care of, definitely check into, know, when you buy a hot tub, it's going to come with maintenance. You're going to have to clean your filters and you're going to have to clean those filters At least, I'm going to tell everybody on here clean those filters once a week, knowing you're going to do it once a month. I have playlist upon playlist that talk about cleaning your filters. So, clean your filters, the number one thing that I can tell you. If you're going to buy a hot tub, know that you have to clean your filters and it's super easy to do. Those are most of my tips on buying a hot tub. Right now.

Speaker 1: 38:37

I'm actually going to make a video. Hopefully I'll have that up later this week. That's a little shorter and doesn't drag on as much as this did, but I needed to get a podcast going and I will be back on. Next week we're going to be talking about the 30 day soak challenge. I didn't get to do that last year because my knee surgeries, but I am going to get to do it this year and I hope you guys will join me, so be sure to tune in next week as we talk about that.

Speaker 1: 39:00

We do have a few questions that I'm going to answer here. Dolores says I have an artesian sowsies Great hot tub. I didn't think that those had 24 hour circulation pumps but they may. But that's a really good hot tub. I sold quite a few of those during COVID. Good company. I really enjoy artesian. They've been a really good company. Let's see Perfect soulmate Welcome to the podcast and let's see what, um, what if I barely use my hot tub once a week and keeping mine nice and warm?

Speaker 1: 39:33

How often do I clean the filters because they always look new? That's funny that you brought that up just right after I brought that up. If you're only using it once a week, I would say still once a month, at the most every two months. But you do have to clean your filters. It is the heartbeat of your hot tub. If you are not cleaning your filters, it's going to shut the hot tub down. It's it just. It's so important that you do that and you will have better everything if you keep your filters clean and you keep your water balance. And then, of course, dolores, thank you for this.

Speaker 1: 40:06

Word of mouth is the best advertisement and that is so true, and we do know that as hot tub dealers. That is a very important thing and it's important that you take care of your customers. It's important that I take care of you, guys. When you reach out and ask me, answer me questions, I do my best to answer every question that comes to me. There's getting to be a lot of them and a lot of ways to get a hold of me, but if you reach out to me on Facebook, on the Facebook group, instagram, I will always get back to you and I always respond to the YouTube comments as well. But we're thrilled to have you there and, guys, I am so very happy that you joined me.

Speaker 1: 40:46

I will be back on a weekly basis doing the podcast. You can either catch me on YouTube or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Definitely check that out. Don't forget to pick up the book Hot Tub Clarity somewhere in here. I've got a pile of them. Hot Tub Clarity an easy guide for new and frustrated hot tub owners. You can find that on Amazon. Just search Hot Tub Books and it should be the first one to pop up.

Speaker 1: 41:13

But this has been fantastic. I've sold so many of these and thank you guys for that. And then, of course, I have the logbooks that work really well as well and definitely got some new exciting stuff coming out. There's going to be a new course, there's going to be lots of new guests on the podcast and there is some very new exciting stuff coming out in the Hot Tub world and you definitely want to stay tuned because it is going to blow your mind and you are going to be like, wow, I can't believe it took them this long to build that. But it's coming and I cannot wait to share it with you and bring in the experts that get to tell us all about that. But, guys, thank you so very much and just remember, keep making life epic and I will see you guys all next week. Thank you.