bath and spa jets - anyone with experience?

emily95

We're having a new bath with a whirlpool/spa jets, and would appreciate any advice. We got the following quote from a plumbers shop (just for materials) :

£250 for bath (20 yr guarantee)
£630 for 8 jets

On e-bay, I found an offer of approx £90 for a bath (5 yr guarantee) and £350 for 10 jets, which is approx half the price of the one from the plumbers shop. Does anyone know what the difference can be in the quality of the jet system, hence the price difference? What should we look for? Both the baths quoted are 5mm thick acrylic.

Any help would be very appreciated!

Thanks.

don_ky01

I had an 8-jet system fitted in an acrylic bath, the system its self was fitted by an expert. However having seen how it was done and the fact there are no moving parts, apart from the inside of the sealed pump. I can say that if you buy a pre-drilled bath with a jet system that is compatible, you should have no problems. Just make sure you get the electrics checked by a pro.

grumpyoldgit_2

I recommend you do not use a 5mm bath you want 8mm at least. By drilling the bath you are weakening the normal support and you will use a jet spa more so it will get more wear and tear.
With spa units you get what you pay for - try and get a "branded" name as the fitting means most of the pipework and electrics will be tucked away under the bath and therefore a problem if you later need access - think about how you will fit any panelling to allow future access. Also the air pipes clip on to the nozzles - make sure they are of sufficient quality to withstand (hopefully) years of usage - if one pops off you have a problem.
The electrics MUST conform with regulations so I would say you should employ an electrician to do the wiring up.
Having done all that ENJOY they are fun and relaxing
GoG

firestorm

we had one of those at our last house. it cost 1k for a 1 horsepower model (probably about 10 jets) my husband fitted it himself (he is v handy) but it was unusable as a spa after the first 6 months because it got so skanky. every time it was used it sprayed out filth. not nice! nothing we tried to clean out the jets worked :-( i wouldnt recommend buying one im afraid.
funnily enough our new place has one too, but were planning on ripping it out asap. the thought of bathing in somebody elses filth, YUK!

totalguitar

I bought 12 jet bath from Ebay just over a year ago and fitted it myself. It cost about £450 with £25 shipping. It was straight forward to fit and is a pleasure to own. It is wider than a normal bath and very comfortable. These baths are not as powerfull as a proper Jacuzzi bath but they cost thousands. Overall a good experience. As far as dirt and things coming out of the jets, this does and will happen. It happened to us after about 9 months. We clean it regularly but it still happened. It's a build up of grime in the pipes that suddenly loosens and comes out of the jets. The solution is to fill the bath with warm water, add 2 dishwasher tablets and run the system for half and hour...sorted ! Don't forget to use an RCD if you fit it yourself.

firestorm

we tried dishwasher tablets, another idea was soda crystals, we also used steriliser (which is pretty much the same as the cleaner stuff they sell for spa`s only a lot cheaper) ours was a much bigger big bath than normal too, perhaps thats the problem.
shame really because its a nice idea having a spa, but who wants to bath in clogs of their own mouldy dead skin cells? YUK!

emily95

totalguitar wrote:

I bought 12 jet bath from Ebay just over a year ago and fitted it myself. It cost about £450 with £25 shipping. It was straight forward to fit and is a pleasure to own. It is wider than a normal bath and very comfortable. These baths are not as powerfull as a proper Jacuzzi bath but they cost thousands. Overall a good experience. As far as dirt and things coming out of the jets, this does and will happen. It happened to us after about 9 months. We clean it regularly but it still happened. It's a build up of grime in the pipes that suddenly loosens and comes out of the jets. The solution is to fill the bath with warm water, add 2 dishwasher tablets and run the system for half and hour...sorted ! Don't forget to use an RCD if you fit it yourself.

Do you remember which shop you got yours from? Is it a regular ebay supplier?

firestorm

emily95 wrote:

Do you remember which shop you got yours from? Is it a regular ebay supplier?

have fun bathing in filth, if you really want to

firestorm

if you really insist on getting one, we got ours through exchange & mart. it may be worth picking up a copy.

vansboy

We fancied the idea - but the plumber said (as well as already mentioned probs, it'll make the water colder quicker, too.

So just lits foam bath now!!

VB

totalguitar

emily95 wrote:

Do you remember which shop you got yours from? Is it a regular ebay supplier?

Sent you a PM with the link