Hand-held sprayer for the spa

No matter what faucet style you select for your Jacuzzi spa, you can enhance your enjoyment of your hot tub by making sure the one you buy includes a handheld sprayer. Besides making it easier to wash your hair and rinse off in the Jacuzzi, a hand-held sprayer could liven up a dull hot-tub party. You can also use it to clean a whirlpool. Another useful, though less amusing addition to your spa, are hand rails. These will allow you and your guests to get into and out of hot water with relative ease, not to mention safely. Speaking of which, you can avoid a lot of slipping and sliding (and potential lawsuits) by putting in slip-resistant floors and ledges.

Shopping for a hot tub or spa

Francis Bacon, an early Jacuzzi enthusiast, once said that “Knowledge is power.” That's especially true if you have never shopped for a Jacuzzi before. The best way to acquire knowledge in this case is to ask questions. So here are a few that you should get the answers to before you invest your hard-earned money:

• What are the spa's specific features?


• How easy is it to use, and maintain?


• Does the water always remain hot and when the spa is not in use?


• Can you adjust the jets and jet systems?


• Are the jets and pumps loud?


• Is the filtration system balanced to ensure clean, clear water?


• Can you access the filters easily?


• Is the heating and filtration system completely automatic?


• What about the heater? Will it corrode? If the answer is yes, say no to that spa.


• Are the controls easy to use?


• What optional features make owning the spa easier?


• What are the electrical specs?


• Is the seating configured to your liking?


• Can you move around comfortably?


• How was the spa constructed?


• What is its energy efficiency rating?


• Have the spa components been fully tested?


• Are they backed by the manufacturer's warranty?


• Is the unit 100% insulated, or only fully-foamed?


• How much will it cost to run this spa each month? (Roughly speaking).


• Which parts are covered under warranty and for how long?


• Are the heater, surface/structure, components, tile and skirt are included? (This is key.)


• Does the manufacturer's warranty compare well with other brands?


• Are there any undesirable limitations or exclusions?

Additional tips:

• Ask for a copy of the warranty and read it carefully. If a dealer doesn't want to do this, take your business elsewhere.


• Get all the information you can about the spa maker and the dealer. Find out how long they have been in business and ask about their service policy. Ask for references. If you need more information, contact local agencies like the Better Business Bureau, Council on Consumer Affairs and the Chamber of Commerce.

Finding the right spa faucet

After you get yourself a hot Jacuzzi or whirlpool tub, you've got to figure out what kind of faucet, or filler, you are going to put in. Any old filler won't do. You need to make sure that the ensemble you get matches your overall décor. (As usual). Make sure the finishes match up with the rest of your fixtures, whatever they may be. You don't want to be mixing polished brass with chrome or brushed nickel.

A Jacuzzi by any other name…

You should know that the word "spa" is not short for spaghetti, or spam, or spat. Spas was, and is, a town in Belgium, where people went to “take the waters”, meaning mineral waters. Today a spa means a jetted, heated, water-filled tub. Most "spas" are made out of either fiberglass or acrylic. Acrylic spas are the better of the two, in that they are more durable and have a longer service life. quot;Hot tubs" are made of wood, and occasionally have a liner on the inside. You can get them with "jet action", but you won't have a nice contoured seat to sit in while you soak as you have in an acrylic. A "whirlpool", the way the word is commonly used, refers to the mini-maelstrom created by jets in a spa or hot tub. One note about nomenclature: a "Jacuzzi" is not a generic name for spas. Jacuzzi is a company that makes whirlpool baths and spas. You can get whirlpool action in your water with any spa or hot tub, no matter what the brand.

Faucets options for hot tubs and spas

Basically this is the deal on faucets for your hot tub. You can get any kind you want as long as it is deck-mounted or wall-mounted. These are also known as “concealed faucets” because all their plumbing is hidden, or concealed, behind the tub wall or inside the tub deck. The most common type of deck faucet for a whirlpool is also known as a Roman Faucet, probably because the people who name faucets want you to associate your hot tub experience with the Roman baths. As for handle options, you have your choice of one or two. You can also add a handheld sprayer that comes in a range of styles, from standard to exotic.

Hot tub vs spa: what's the diff?

You probably already know that "hot tub"� and "spa"� are two words that mean the same thing. Synonyms in other words. (Or, depending on what you do in them, sinonyms.) Hot tubs/spas come in two variations: self-contained and non self-contained. The self-contained version or portable spa, the electrical, filtration and heating system are inside the unit's cabinet. If you want your self-contained to look built in you can install it above a surrounding deck. Of course, it goes without saying that these self-contained units can be moved and re-installed elsewhere. That's why they are called portable. Non self-contained hot tubs, on the other hand, are installed in-ground and are meant to stay there. Often the electrical, filtration and heating systems of these spas are located away from the spa as part of a spa-pool complex, known informally as a spool.(Not really.)