Why a DIY hot tub or plunge pool needs twin main drains with anti-entrapment covers, and how to set, plumb and test them before you pour the slab.
Materials and Construction Related
Rebar for Hot Tubs and Pools: Sizes, Spacing and Placement Explained
26
Apr
Apr
What rebar does in a concrete, block or ICF hot tub, which sizes and grades to use in the UK and USA, and how to place it in the slab and walls before the pour.
19
Apr
Apr
Doug from Virginia is building a custom infinity hot tub with a swim jet from my design. Follow it from the dig through the pours, waterproofing and control room.
Materials and Construction Related
Sand Filters Explained: How They Work, Backwashing, Sand Changes and Glass Media
12
Apr
Apr
How a sand filter works, what every multiport valve position does, when and how to backwash, how often to change the sand, and whether glass or zeolite media are worth the upgrade.
Support & Maintenance
How to Read a Spa Pack Wiring Diagram (Setup Numbers, DIP Switches and Pin-Outs)
10
Apr
Apr
The wiring diagram inside your spa pack’s lid answers almost every setup question, once you know how to read it. Here’s a section-by-section guide.
Design / Ideas Related
Can I Heat a Hot Tub with Solar Power? Panels, Batteries and Heat Pumps Compared
29
Mar
Mar
Three ways to heat a hot tub with the sun, what each really costs, why a battery running the heater falls short, and why solar panels plus an air source heat pump is the setup I’d choose.
22
Mar
Mar
Blaise is building a pool and hot tub in Cameroon using my off-the-shelf plans and a parts package exported from me. Here’s how it’s going.
01
Mar
Mar
Swapping a topside is easy. Buying the right one isn’t. Here’s how to match a Balboa panel to your spa pack, from BP and spaTouch to the VL suffix rules on VS and GS packs.
15
Feb
Feb
Mould, sap, rust or chalky patches on your hot tub cover? Here’s how to clean each one off without harming the vinyl, what never to use, and when a cover is past saving.
09
Feb
Feb
Roger built a simple, effective above-ground dipping pool in the Dominican Republic from one of my plans. Here’s the build and the lessons he learned.