Looking for input here. We're going to do a major remodel of our upstairs bath, and we are currently on the fence about a jetted tub.

If we do one, we will have a shower regardless, so the tub wouldn't be used all the time. Primary concerns are noise levels, and any reliability or maintenance hassles. I'd hate to do all that and find out we don't use it often due to noise or general PITA problems.

Any input appreciated as for general input, specific brands or types, etc. Same for air massage tubs if anyone has one, as they are an alternative if the whirlpool tubs that fit within our budget would be pieces of crap.

 

Only thing I have heard in the past was you have to be careful about making sure it is cleaned regularly, and I don't mean the tub itself. The water stays in the jet lines even though the tubs are drained and can have problems with mold and mildew. Don't know if this is still true, but the reports I saw were back in the late 90s.

 

We had one for a couple of years in the last house we lived in. The wife used it at least once a week and usually more. I used it once in two years. It was still a good investment because it made her happy. I just asked her and she said she never did anything more than clean a filter and it was easy to get at. It was in the main bath upstairs and was also the shower. It made noise but nothing too bad.
Here's some good info on them.

 

i put one in about 4 years ago mine said that there will be no mold. some how it wont grow in the pipes.dont ask how i dont know. that is what the book said. we used it a lot at first. i bet it has been a year since i have used it. i would say go for it. mine said every 3 month to fill it with hot water and dishwasher soap run for 10 minutes drain fill with cold water run 10 minutes drain. mine was not that much. it was like $650. you will have to run a 110 to it on its own breaker with a ground fault plug

 

Most of the piping free-drains back into the tub, so mold shouldnt' be a problem. Never use any kind of bath oil in the tub because it can be bad for the pump and piping.

Important: Buy a model with a small, integrated water heater. You need a small heater that is just large enough to keep the water warm once it is in the tub.

Grim

 

We had one installed with the house when built. We have a shower as well so the tub is used only once each day. Never with the jets on. About every 6 months I use dishwasher soap and blow it out. The black crap that comes out is disgusting. I believe its from using oils etc. in the bath water. When blowing out, if you rotate all the jets there is more that comes out. It has to be done at least twice to get clear water. This won't be a problem if you use the jets frequently but the novelty will wear off and then it will be. Personnaly I would not buy another for the house. We do have an Arctic spa in the back yard that we use frequently but those tubs filter about 4 to 6 hours a day so there is no buildup. Good Luck.

 

Thanks for all the input. It sounds like most of you have already dealt with the problems I'm looking to avoid. I didn't manage to talk the wife out of it, which was the only problem I knew it would be hard to avoid!

Many of the new tubs use run dry safe pumps and/or have an auto purge feature to clean out the lines, so cleaning them isn't as bad, but I've still heard to be cautious using bath oils and such.

Once I saw the capacities of the 6 footers I realized that the inline heater was a must, but thanks for the warning.

 

One further thing I'd add is make sure you take care of vibrations. When installing fiberglass tubs/shower bases I like to set them in wet mortar or durabond gypsum (ideally using something to keep the mortar from sticking to the floor/tub). This works wonders for keeping the tub quiet when being filled and making it feel solid like the old cast iron stuff. The flange of the tub should not really support any of the weight, so the trick is just enough mortar to get the flange flush with the bottom embedded. Try using piles of mortar rather than a 'bed', and keep it away from the lines etc. Oh yeah, enjoy

 

I had one in my last home in PA. Loved it, specially my wife! Now we do not have one in our current home and miss it. We are considering a hot tub outside since we figure adding one to the master bath would cost too much ( have to rearrange our entire bathroom ).

Good luck on your decision.

 

His decision?

 

I bought a new house last Summer with a Whirlpool bathtub, and quickly became addicted... I'm in there every single night now days.. I have wondered for quite a while what the correct way to clean the Whirlpool out... If you move the jets around to point in a different direction, some black yucky stuff comes out that is probably some type of algae or something. (So I pointed the jets where I want them, and have left them alone every since) Is useing dish soap with the tub full of hot water definately the right way to clean these things? (It would seem like that would make a huge bubble-mess!) Would bleach or chloring do any good, or is dish soap all I need?

 

Bleach would definitely get rid of it, but I don't know how hard it would be on some of the materials to have extra chlorine in the water.

 

Do not use dish soap. Use dishwasher soap. It has more grit and does not foam up much.

 

Hell I already determined that for the money involved we could probably build a deck out back, install some French doors, and have our hot tub on the deck.

It didn't fly.


Thanks for the advice on the bedding mortar. I had thought about using noise insulation but wasn't sure on bedding it or not. I'll probably go overboard on sound insulation as well, just to be safe.

 

i take my jets out. mine just pull out. i have a basket that i put in the dishwasher on the top rack to clean them