Creating a home for my Hot Tub

[Bird]

OK, Eddie, what's an "endless swimming pool"? My personal experience with swimming pools was endless maintenance and expense, but I'm guessing that's not really what you meant.

Well, never mind. I went to google and found out what they are. I don't guess I've ever actually seen one, though.

 

[EddieWalker]

For anybody else who doesn't know what an endless pool is, just think of a much larger, LONGER hot tub. Then put a big jet at one end to create a current and something to swim against. You adjust how strong the current is depending on how good of a swimmer you are. Then you just start swimming against that current. Kind of like a treadmill for swimming.

I hate to ask "how much" questions, so I didn't. I was told it cost the same as a small car, but don't have a clue what the crane went for. The guy who delivered it drove in from Pennsylvania with that one and another that's going to Bakersfield, CA. Two deliveries and then back home.

Here are a few pics of it going in.

Eddie

 

[caver]

Much fancier than my stock tank hot tub.

 

[Tororider]

They are now making dual purpose endless swimming pools. They used to just be for exercising/wading pool type things. Now they are making them with jets and lights just like regular old hot tubs. Pretty cool if you ask me. But not for a small car price, at least not yet.

 

[dmccarty]

One brand of the endless pools is around $30,000. I was curious about the pools so I did a bit of research. I figure I can build a build for a 10-15K so 30K is unreal. This particular brand they just line the pool with plastic that is warranted for 10 years or so. They get 30K for a frame, a big pump, a heater and plastic.

And 30K does not include installation. You get to pay extra and there is some angst on the Internet about the installation.

Later,
Dan

 

[HickoryNut]

Have any ingenious minds figured out how to hillbilly-rig some heat exchangers between an old wood stove and your hot tub? I have a stove right beside my tub now but the transfer is manual via 1 gallon stew pot.

 

[caver]

Hickory,
Run copper tubing from a high spot on your tub to the stove, coil it downward and have the lower end back to the hot tub at a lower location.
This will create a thermal siphon. I was going this route with my stock tank but ended up buying a Cowboy heater instead.

 

[3238dpw]

Eddie,
Did you ever get the new tub in? Do you still use it like you used to or not as much? And lastly, how is the stain on the Hardie holding up?

 

[EddieWalker]

Scott,

Yes, I built the front wall so it was semi removable, then I used my backhoe to carry and place the new hot tub in place. I put the wall back in and sealed it up.

I'm in there several times a week now that the weather is cool again. I drain it and turn it off in the summer. Even at midnight, it's too warm to be comfortable in there, and I just dont have any desire to use it then. I find that it's very relaxing and when I get out, I'm ready to go to bed. Just half an hour, and that's plenty. An hour in it and I'm dead to the world!!!

The stain finish that I used hasn't held up very well. I've spoken to reps from James Hardie and have been told that they are working on a stain finish, but can't warrenty anything yet. Certanteed had a version, but its failing too. Smart siding has a stained product that looks good, but I don't care for their siding. The rep told me that the reason the stain fails is that moisture gets under it. In their tests, they found that you have to paint it first and then stain. That works good, but it can't be cut after they do that at the factory, or it fails. I've done this on a part of my house that I'm experiementing with, and also on my gazebo that I'm slowly building. I seal with caulking, paint with exterior flat paint, and then apply the gel stain and seal with a clear, exterior coat. Time will tell if this will work and for how long.

Eddie

 

[3238dpw]

Hey the grapple fits through there well. that makes it a lot easier:thumbsup:

Do you have any good pictures of the siding where it is failing?