Swim Spas Lake Tahoe | Lap Pools, Exercise Spas For Sale

By Laura Varnon, Marketing Coordinator

Is it safe to use a hot tub while pregnant? Is it safe for an infant or toddler to go in a spa? What about a child? What if I have a medical condition? (Disclaimer: We, at The Spa and Sauna Company, are not doctors. Always consult a physician for medical advice.)

We know you have a lot of questions about Hot Tub Safety and rightly so. Used correctly, a hot tub can be a wonderful family experience. They have been proven to actually improve health for most people.

We hope to address some of the most common concerns and put your mind at ease. Hot Tubbing should be an enjoyable experience, not one riddled with unanswered questions.

Is it safe to use a hot tub while pregnant?

It depends. In general, you don’t want to spend more than 10 minutes in a hot tub while pregnant, especially in the earliest months of pregnancy. Some people decide to skip a full-body hot tub soak entirely. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a hot tub while pregnant though. You can still sit on the edge of the hot tub and enjoy time with your friends and family by dangling your feet into the water. Again, consult your doctor for more individualized directions.

Is it safe for an infant or toddler to go in a very hot spa?

No. Infants and toddlers can’t regulate their body temperature in the same way adults can. For that reason, infants and toddlers should not go in a very hot spa. Extremely limited time in a cooler hot tub might be ok, with the use of water wings or other flotation devices, and constant supervision from an adult. Consult with your pediatrician or family doctor.

Is it safe for a child to go in a hot tub?

Yes. In general, children can go in a hot tub for about five minutes at a time, depending on the temperature of the hot tub. If you keep your hot tub with warmer water temperatures, five minutes might be their maximum. If the hot tub is cooler, they might be able to handle up to 20 minutes with proper hydration and breaks. Again, if you are concerned, consult your child’s pediatrician. Also, children in a hot tub should always be supervised by an attentive adult.

Is it safe to use a hot tub if I have a medical condition?

This is a tricky one. Since there are so many different medical conditions, we recommend you discuss your specific health concerns with your doctor.

And remember, in general, for most healthy adults, hot tubs improve health. They relieve sore muscles, reduce back pain, and improve sleep quality.  Enjoyable features include lights, waterfalls, and the opportunity for unplugged family time.

By Laura Varnon, Marketing Coordinator

The Spa and Sauna company recommends you drain and clean your hot tub every 4 months, unless you have an ACE salt water system. Then you can drain every 6 months. You can do your Drain and Clean yourself or you can have our one of our skilled Concierge Techs do it for you.

If you do want to do your Drain and Clean yourself, here’s what you need to do.

Locate where the drain is located on your hot tub.

Drains are located in different locations depending on the brand and model of the hot tub.

On all Caldera and Hot Spring models it is located on the base below the front panel (on the same side as the control board). Keep in mind that the higher-level models have extra amenities to make draining easier. Consider the Hot Spring Highlife NXT and Highlife which have one drain for equipment and one for the whole vessel. Or the Caldera Paradise and Utopia, which have a valve that slides out. You pull it out and hook it to a hose (which you have detached from your house) and then push it half way back in for draining. Similarly, the Sundance 880 has two options for draining, a drain on the exterior of the siding and inside the cabinet a quick drain, which requires less time.

Freeflow Spas have a drain at the base not far away from the outlet.

Draining your spa using the Side Drains can take up to 6 hours. Typically, when we drain your spa, we siphon the water out using a sump pump to save time. You can purchase a sump pump for yourself if you desire faster drain times.

If your model accommodates it, hook a hose up to the drain to allow the water to come out faster.

It is typically more difficult to insert a hose on Caldera Vacanza, Hot Spring Hot Spot, and Freeflow Models. If cleaning your spa at home yourself is an important consideration, we recommend you consider upgrading to a model that allows for more simple draining.

While you wait for your spa to drain, The Spa and Sauna Company recommends you use this time to clean your filter.

Filters should be sprayed down with a hose monthly or soaked in Filter Cleaner and then sprayed with a hose before inserting back in to your spa every 4 months. If you soak your filter and drain your spa at the same time, you don’t lose any valuable hot tub time!

Once the spa is mostly empty, use a shop vac or even a bucket to get any remaining water out of the seats and footwell.

Our pros always use a shop vac.

You’ll also want to open your equipment compartment and vacuum out any cobwebs, dust or dirt.

Although you won’t see this from outside your spa, it’s important to keep the inside of your spa clean too.

Once the spa is drained, it’s time to clean it.

We recommend a mitt, washcloth or rag, and using BioGuard Off The Wall to clean the shell of your hot tub. We also suggest wearing gloves as the solution can be hard on your skin. Off The wall will clean dirt, stains, grease and scale. You will want to apply it all over the tub. Let it sit for a few minutes and then scrub it off. Rinse well with water.

We also suggest cleaning your pillows with water only.

You can also use this time to use The Original Gel-Gloss Polish and Protector on the shell.

Finally, use 303 Protectant on the cover and panels.

Put the drain cap back on.

This is one of the easiest but also one of the most important steps!

Refill the hot tub by inserting a hose through the filter as if you were filling the spa for the first time.

Then it’s time to wait.

Once the water is above the jet level, you can turn the power back on and allow the spa to begin to heat.

Depending on how cold the water was, and what kind of hot tub you have, your hot tub should warm up about 2 – 6 degrees per hour.

You will want to wait until the water has reached 80 degrees before testing the water and adjusting the chemicals.

Then the spa can continue to heat to your ideal temperature.

A few final reminders:

If you happen to have hard water or well water, you will want to add Stain and Scale Control at this time.

If you have an ACE hot tub, you will want to put Vanishing Act in for 24 hours, and flip it after 12 hours.

And that’s it, your final step is to get in and enjoy your hot tub!

If you prefer to have our Concierge Techs perform this service for you, we’d be happy to help. Please call us at 775-852-3838 or Click Here.

By Laura Varnon, Marketing Coordinator

Spas and Hot Tubs require proper Water Care. So, are spas and hot tubs chemical free? In a word, no. Although some hot tub and spa dealers will try to convince you that your hot tub doesn’t need water care or chemicals to function, water care is essential to maintaining a healthy environment in your hot tub.

At The Spa and Sauna Company, we are proud to offer a variety of water care options that are suitable for your individual needs. All of the Water Care Options we offer here will kill germs and bacteria, so the best choice is the one that makes the most sense to you, either for your budget or your skin sensitivity.

We also offer free water testing services at all 3 of our locations, so you can have a Water Care Professional check that the chemicals in your hot tub are at the proper levels. Just bring a sample of your hot tub water in a clean container to any of The Spa and Sauna Company’s locations. If your chemicals aren’t at their optimal levels, we are here to offer advice and products to help you adjust them.

The hot tub you purchase will determine in part the water care you choose OR if water care is an important consideration for you, the water care choice you make will determine which hot tub you buy.

At The Spa and Sauna Company we offer 4 brands of hot tubs, Hot Spring, Sundance, Caldera and Freeflow. Each has different options for water care.

We also use SpaGuard Water Care Products to supplement those systems. This includes items such as Shock Oxidizer and Enhanced Shock, one of which will be required for your hot tub cleaning needs. As a starting point for water care, minerals should be used on all hot tubs and work in conjunction with other sanitizers.

SpaGuard Enhanced Shock is a combination of oxidizer, sanitizer, and water clarifier. This unique water care item is exclusively carried by The Spa and Sauna Company in the Reno area.

Hot Spring

Let’s start with Hot Spring which has a Salt Water System available, which provides a lower chemical, more natural soaking experience.

Hot Spring Spas in the NXT, Highlife and Hot Spring Collection are available with the ACE Salt Water System. The ACE salt water system creates active oxygen with ACE diamond electrode technology. That active oxygen combines with salt to create chlorine. The ACE system requires less hands-on time to manage your water care. It also is environmentally friendly and offers softer, cleaner water. With this system, we recommend using 1 TBSP of SpaGuard Enhanced Shock per person, upon exiting.

As an alternative to the ACE system, owners of a Hot Spring Spas with an Ozone System can choose the EverFresh system, which reduces the amount of chlorine that needs to be added. It also includes minerals that make the water softer. With this system, we recommend using 1 TBSP of SpaGuard Enhanced Shock for each person in the hot tub, upon exiting.

Hot Spring Spas without an ozone system can use SpaGuard Water Care and Freshwater AG Plus Silver Cartridges. This is a more manual system for hot tub cleaning. SpaGuard Products can be used to sanitize your hot tub, reduce stains, clarify your water, test your water and sanitize your water.

Sundance Spas

Sundance Spas can use the SunPurity Silver Cartridge. This cartridge disinfects, prevents algae and clarifies water. Using this more natural option will reduce the amount of chemicals you need. All Sundance Spas are equipped with “ClearRay,” a UVC (Ultraviolet) Sanitation System. UVC light wavelengths are used for sanitizing water. Upon exiting the hot tub, you will want to add 1 TBSP of Enhanced Shock per person for sanitizing purposes.

Caldera Spas

For Caldera Spas, we recommend using the @Ease In-Line SmartChlor cartridges which lasts at least a month. The mineral cartridge lasts 4 months. When used with the Monarch^® CD Ozone System, it provides Caldera’s most effective water care system. This system doesn’t over-chlorinate the water or use excess product. It also prevents pH from fluctuating, meaning less dry itchy skin and less wear and tear on your spa’s covers and pillows.

With this system, you shock your hot tub monthly, instead of after every use. You will use SpaGuard Shock Oxidizer once a month. Never use Enhanced Shock with this water care system.

Freeflow Spas

Freeflow Spas are a more basic spa, that doesn’t offer ozone or salt water systems. Freeflow Spas from The Spa and Sauna Company come with an @Ease Floating System. The ball floats inside your hot tub. It uses SmartChlor Technology to reduce the amount of chlorine and the amount of Shock Oxidizer needed. When the SmartChlor runs out, the ball flips the other side to alert you. With this system, you only need to use Shock Oxidizer once a month.

Other Options

Additional systems are available if the options listed above do not fit your needs.

Routine Maintenance On Every Spa Brand

All systems require shocking the hot tub (either after every use or monthly, depending on the water care system), testing the water balance weekly and cleaning your filters monthly. You will also want to drain and clean your hot tub 3 times a year. Yearly, you should purge the hot tub plumbing lines to get rid of buildup. It’s not too complicated once you find a routine that works for you.

By maintaining your spa with a small amount of chemicals, you can enjoy a healthy, clean, hot tub experience for many years to come.

By Laura Varnon, Marketing Coordinator

Did you know you don’t need a 220 Volt electrical hookup to have a hot tub? While most acrylic hot tubs require a 220V electrical hookup, a Freeflow hot tub and certain other hot tub models can be plugged directly into a regular 110 Volt 15 Amp outlet.

That means all you need to do is take home your Freeflow Spa and plug it in to get started having some fun.

Freeflow is a value spa line, which currently has 7 models to choose from, and can fit anywhere from 2 to 7 People. Every model is unique. There is the 2-seater Mini, the diamond-shaped Tristar, the circular Aptos, the large Monterey, and a few square and rectangular models to choose from that would suit a family with 4 or 5 seats.

Other advantages of a Freeflow Spa include:

• Cost – Freeflow Spas tend to be less expensive than acrylic hot tubs due to their less expensive shell construction. You can take a Freeflow Spa home for significantly less than an acrylic spa. Lower cost means more people can afford a hot tub. And more hot tubs for more people is always a good thing!
• Shell Construction – Freeflow Spas are called “Plug-and-Play” Hot Tubs or Unicast Hot Tubs. They are made from rotationally-molded plastic, which is also used to create everything from traffic cones to kayaks. This plastic is lighter than the materials used to make acrylic hot tubs. It is also less expensive to make, keeping the cost of your Freeflow Spa down.
• Portability – Some of these spas are so easy to move you can purchase them “cash and carry.” All you need is a small pick up truck and you can purchase your Freeflow spa and take it home that day!
• Water Care – At The Spa and Sauna Company, we recommend the @Ease Floating System for Freeflow Spas. You simply place the ball in the water and it floats. The system uses SmartChlor Technology to reduce the amount of chlorine and the amount of Shock Oxidizer needed. When the SmartChlor runs out, the ball flips the other side to alert you. With this system, you only need to use Shock Oxidizer once a month. It couldn’t get any easier!

As you can see, Freeflow has many benefits in addition to being a 110V hot tub. Click Here to learn more about Freeflow Spas.

In case you are exploring other 110V options, Sundance Spas, which makes acrylic hot tubs, offers a few hot tubs that will work in a standard 110V 15A outlet. These models include the Denali, Prado5, Dover, Tacoma and Jetsetter.

Other brands we carry also have a few spas that feature a 110V model, but they require 20 Amps. Don’t use these with 15 Amp outlet, as you will trip a breaker. Caldera Spas offers two 110V models, requiring 20 Amp outlets. Those 110 V 20A models are the Aventine and the Tarino. Hot Spring Spas also has some 110V 20A models. They are the Beam 110, TX and SX.

We hope this information has helped you decide if a Freeflow Spa or other 110V hot tub might be right for you.

By Laura Varnon, Marketing Coordinator

Have you ever wondered what the electrical cost to run a hot tub is?

To help consumers make informed decisions, Hot Spring Spas offers a Monthly Operating Cost Estimator with sample temperatures and electrical costs. Click Here to estimate your monthly costs. These figures were determined based on a hot tub set at 102 degrees and used 6 times a week. In this scenario, the jets were kept on for 15 minutes and off for 15 minutes.

For instance, a Hot Spring Envoy Highlife Spa will cost approximately $15.53 to operate if the climate is that of Las Vegas, NV, with an estimated temperature of 70 degrees and energy cost of $0.12 per Kilowatt hour. If you choose a Jetsetter Highlife, it would cost about $13.74, using those conditions. The Jetsetter is a smaller hot tub, however, so there is less water to heat and less surface area for heat evaporation.

The energy efficiency of portable hot tubs is listed on many of the hot tubs we sell here at The Spa and Sauna Company. You can see the Portable Electric Spa Energy Guide on the inside shell of the Caldera, HotSpring and Freeflow Spas offered here. It is listed on product signs next to the Sundance Spas we sell. All the acrylic hot tubs we sell are highly energy-efficient, and have foam insulation to help deter heat loss.

The California Energy Commission regulates portable electric spa efficiency. Regulations related to appliance efficiency in California were established in 1976 to reduce energy consumption. The Commission has a document of over 40 pages dedicated simply to portable electric spa efficiency.

While each spa will vary in the amount of energy it needs, a quick scan of our showroom showed that most models ranged somewhere between 100 and 250 Watts for Standby Power. Standby Power is the amount of power used at test conditions of 60 degrees. This is also known as resting wattage. It does not include spa usage or extreme cold conditions. The information allows you to compare spa models, but should not be considered the monthly energy consumption. Your energy usage will vary based on the seasonal weather in the Reno/South Lake Tahoe area that we serve, the hot tub model you purchase, the frequency that you use your spa, and the cost of electricity where you live.

After you purchase your hot tub, there are things you can do to keep your energy consumption down. Having an air-tight cover will keep in most of the heat, while the spa is not in use. Should you get a leak or find that your cover has become water logged, you should replace it. To purchase a replacement hot tub cover, Click Here. Keeping your filters clean will also lead to optimal energy efficiency by keeping excess strain off the pumps.

We hope this information has helped you make a better decision when selecting a hot tub for your energy needs or helped you keep your energy expenses down after you’ve made your investment.