How to size a heater for a hot tub, plunge pool or pool: the maths, real heater outputs, worked examples and a free calculator for heat-up time and the kW you need.
02
Jun
Jun
What to plan before adding a spillover hot tub to an existing swimming pool, from the foundation and spa mode valves to heating, chemistry, bonding and barriers.
Case Studies / Example Projects
Fibreglass Hot Tub Refurbishment: Replacing a Fibreglass Tub with Poured Concrete (Case Study)
25
May
May
Mark replaced a tired fibreglass spillover tub beside his indoor pool with a poured concrete tub, reusing most of the old plumbing. Here’s how the build went, including the waterproofing lesson.
Design / Ideas Related, Support & Maintenance, technology
Copper-Silver Ionization for Hot Tubs: Does It Work, and What Do You Still Need?
20
May
May
Copper-silver ionisers and mineral cartridges can cut how much chlorine or bromine you use, but they don’t replace it. Here’s how they work, the staining risk, and what I’d use instead.
Design / Ideas Related, DIY Hot Tub Building
Built-In Spas: How to Design and Build Your Own In-Ground Hot Tub
19
May
May
What a built-in spa is, where it can go and how to build one: construction options, plumbing, heating, electrics and safety, from someone who built his own.
Design / Ideas Related, Plumbing Related
Self-Priming Hot Tub Pump Options: What to Do When the Pumps Sit Above the Water Line
18
May
May
Standard hot tub jet pumps won’t prime above the water line, and big self-priming pumps are hard to find. Here are the options that work.
03
May
May
Variable speed pumps are great for pool filtration but wrong for hot tub jets, and a spa pack can’t control their speed. Here’s where one does make sense.
Plumbing Related, Support & Maintenance
How to Wire a Hot Tub Blower the Correct Way (Balboa and ACC)
24
Apr
Apr
A hot tub blower plugs into the spa pack’s blower output. Here’s how to choose one that matches, wire it by the pin-out, set up the pack and stop it getting wet.
Cocktail & Plunge Pool Related, Design / Ideas Related
DIY Party Pool: How to Design a Shallow Pool for Entertaining
19
Apr
Apr
A party pool is a larger, shallow pool built for socialising. Here’s how to design and build one: depth, sun shelf, construction, plumbing, heating and safety.
18
Apr
Apr
How to design an in-ground hot tub that looks like it was always meant to be there: shape, level, coping, steps, lighting and fitting it into your garden.