Wrapping up my summer project!

[Bob Sanders]

Almost done. Still have to install the flooring but it's now usable...

My 100% home made 4 season indoor/outdoor hot tub! 16 jets, 4 bubblers controlled by 5 pumps.

It's actually a 7 foot x 8 foot tub that sits outdoors with a top which lifts via winch (controlled from the inside. This tub however has a leg coming off of it which goes INTO the house. In other words you enter the tub from inside (where it's warm) and go under the window to the outside section. Dammed thing took the entire summer to engineer and construct, but it's been up and running for a week now... and it SURE is WORTH it!


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[Bob Sanders]

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[Bob Sanders]

If you notice... the floor is a bit slanted to the front left (there is a floor drain there). On the wall to the right is a shower which you can quickly rinse yourself off before getting in. (keeps the water cleaner for longer)

[Mal]

Sweet! Looks awesome.


Now all you need is one of these to heat the water:




We buy them dirt cheap here....last one cost all but US$200 including installation!

[Bob Sanders]

Yeah... I may look into solar next year. I still have a lot of cosmetic work to do first though. The siding on the house looks like crap and that all has to get replaced.... (probably go with cedar). But for the moment the heat is coming from a 4500 watt, 240 volt in line heater (also home made). Don't know how well the solar heat will work in the Winter though.... Can't get much heat from the sun when the solar collectors are under snow and it's -35 outside.... and in the Summer you don't really need heat.... cooler water is preferred.

I'll tell ya though... it's sooooo nice just rolling out of bed right into the hot tub!

At any rate it was a really fun and challenging project!

[Mal]

Oh yeah, Winnipeg! I forgot about that little tidbit!

[Dr. Benway]

Any permits needed, Bob? Or can you just go ahead and DiY almost anything?

[Bob Sanders]

Any permits needed, Bob? Or can you just go ahead and DiY almost anything?

You pretty much need a permit to have sh*t these days... but then needing one and actually getting one are 2 different things

They're not too bad here in Winnipeg though. I suppose it might be a problem if I had lousy neighbors who like to complain, but there's nothing but good folk around these parts... not withstanding.... they're not getting permits for their various projects either.

[Dr. Benway]

.... they're not getting permits for their various projects either.

Good on them.

[Bob Sanders]

Well... that's it. Got the flooring in this weekend and it's now fully operational. Running the water at about 103F. I have Nooo idea how much it's going to cost to run it over the Winter period.... this year I guess will be the test ride.


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[Almohada]

Haha wow that is awesome!! Can you keep the lid closed on the outside and just stay in the leg of the tub?

[Bob Sanders]

Haha wow that is awesome!! Can you keep the lid closed on the outside and just stay in the leg of the tub?

Yes. In fact you can even swim in the outer section without raising the lid if you don't want to. I built the lid a bit higher than what you would normally see on a hot tub specifically so that you can sit in the tub without raising the lid.... so you can swim either way.... with the lid open or not.

I'll try and grab a pic from the outside with the lid open for you tomorrow. A bit windy right now and the leaves are flying all over.

[Almohada]

Yes. In fact you can even swim in the outer section without raising the lid if you don't want to. I built the lid a bit higher than what you would normally see on a hot tub specifically so that you can sit in the tub without raising the lid.... so you can swim either way.... with the lid open or not.

I'll try and grab a pic from the outside with the lid open for you tomorrow. A bit windy right now and the leaves are flying all over.

I was going to ask that too but I thought it would sound stupid asking if you can swim with the lid closed. Yeah I'd like to see how the lid meets with the window!

[darthpaully]

THIS IS THE BEST DIY PROJECT EVER!!!

Way to go Bob, I'm sure that your new tub will pay you back plenty. (Too bad it won't pay you back literally- yeah the bill will hurt for a few months) We just bought a new house with a SWEET spa, but it cost an arm to run it. I just pulled the plug and drained mine until I'm SURE I want to pay for it all year long...

[Bob Sanders]

I just pulled the plug and drained mine until I'm SURE I want to pay for it all year long...

Well power is pretty cheap here... about 11 or 12 cents a KW hour. As it stands now the heater (4500 watts) is kicking in for about 3 hours for every 2 days, so I don't know.... we'll see.

The cost of the whole thing wasn't TOO bad..... probably about 2/3 the price of a good store bought hot tub and its install.

I will say though.... I'm quite new at the hot tub water chemistry. Keeping the water balanced and non cloudy seems some what of an art that I'm clearly not quite used to yet... and the price of these chemicals! I went to my local spa depot and said to the guy... I'm a rather ignorant beginner when it comes to this water treatment stuff...please help.

$162 later I walked out with what amounted to a "small" starter kit.

[Almohada]

$162 later

WOW. I had no idea it needed so many chemicals to run...

[Bob Sanders]

Yeah... PH up, PH down, Alk rise, Bromine tablets, Cal rise, spa shock.... yadda yadda, the list goes on. Of course this is Canada and the prices on this kind of stuff are always a bit inflated as compared to the USA....

[darthpaully]

I'm a rather ignorant beginner when it comes to this water treatment stuff...please help.

Me too. Luckily I have some relatives with spas to help me out and a pool guy too, although he doesn't take care of the spa...

I would have spent a similar couple hundred bucks the first time I left the pool/spa place, but since I was kinda broke, I told the guy (who was obviously trying to sell me EVERYTHING- they always do) that I just wanted the ABSOLUTE MINIMUM. Strangely, that amounted to 1/5 of the chemcals and cost, yet, by my calculations, is all that's really necessary...

The main reason I say this is because I've heard that the best way to treat your spa is to just drain and refillit every other month. You're supposed to (as I was told anyway) drain it every 3 or 4 months anyway, but I just figure to stay ahead of that. Most of the chemicals are just agents to help to the filter, treat your skin etc. If you're draining it anyway, then why spend all that money to literally toss it down the drain!!

I dunno though, your masterpiece looks pretty big. That might change things as far as drain and fill up time/heating it up. My spa is a good sized model that fits 8 or so, and I was able to clean it out, drain the muck in the bottom, and refill it within a few hours. It took another 18 hours to hit 100 degrees F and voila- good to go in 1 day! I couldn't believe how fast the process went, and it was encouraging considering I already drained it, but will surely use it again. It's nice to know all I have to do is give myself a 24 hour window and it's drinks with the wife under the stars!!

BTW, thanks for ALL the grat pics Bob, I must habe stared for hours... One question... hope you didn't already clarify but what was that part of your house by the window before it became the Sanders Family Pool Palace? Was it just a hallway to the backyard?

Anyway, very cool and unique idea, Bob, thaks again for sharing! I hope my limited spa wisdom helps. Also, don't let those spa salesman sell you something you don't need...

[Almohada]

Was it just a hallway to the backyard?

It looks like a closet or a small office. Couldn't lead to the backyard, unless you'd want to use a window to get out there, LOL!!

[Bob Sanders]

was that part of your house by the window before it became the Sanders Family Pool Palace? Was it just a hallway to the backyard?

It's an addition specifically for the hot tub. If you look at picture 13 you'll see I'm standing in another room (the dining room) while taking the pic. That glass door that you see used to be a window looking into the back yard. The window that used to be there I actually turned into a sky light for the tub area.

[Dr. Benway]

Yeah... PH up, PH down, Alk rise, Bromine tablets, Cal rise, spa shock.... yadda yadda, the list goes on.

Can you salt chlorinate it?

[Bob Sanders]

Can you salt chlorinate it?

Some one suggested a salt system and I may try that next year... but for now this will do.

[Playing]

Bob, you can save on electricity by inviting about 6 or 8 hot bodies, as long as it's private from the neighbors

[Gillvane]

That's bad ass. Really neat project.

[darthpaully]

I see, I thought you had said window but it looked like it could have been a doorway... I guess it's both now!! So bad ass...