Hot Spas -- Whether Wood-Fired Cedar Of Modern Plastic And Chrome, Tubs Provide A Relaxing Escape From The World, And Are Becoming More Popular

Deep in the woods of Bainbridge Island there's a wood-fired cedar hot tub. Bob and Lisa Miller-Rhees and their four children soak in it at least every other day.

On a Burien beach, a high-tech plastic and chrome whirlpool is built into an cedar deck overlooking Puget Sound. The owners say they've become ``night people'' because of their tub: ``Most nights we relax in the tub, watching the stars and the waves.''

A third type of tub is plunked on a concrete patio in North Seattle - a jetted spa that doubles as a swimming hole for Johanna and Maria Bonnell and their mother, Linda.

Most people would call all three of these outdoor tubs ``hot tubs,'' a term evolved from the 1960s Northern California practice of using old wine casks as soaking tubs.

To purists, a hot tub is built of redwood, cedar or other wood, while tubs molded of plastic, acrylic, concrete or tile are called spas.

Whatever you call them, more than two million tubs of all kinds have been installed in the yards of American homes over the last two decades, according to the National Spa and Pool Institute.

That figures pales when compared with the nation's estimated six million residential swimming pools. But as with many things, Washington state is different.

There are more than 90,000 outdoor tubs in Washington, double the number of residential swimming pools.

Spa and hot-tub dealers in Washington hope to sell at least 10,000 more tubs this year. About 70 percent will go to new buyers, say the dealers, but they add that a growing number of people who bought tubs five or 10 years ago are upgrading to more high-tech, energy-efficient spas.

Following national trends, most buyers will purchase an acrylic or plastic self-contained, so-called portable spa, which means that all the plumbing and heating equipment is housed inside the wood or plastic skirting. Most of these spas can be delivered to a site, wired into a 220-volt circuit (in some cases plugged into a 110 outlet), filled with water and used within hours.

``Seventy percent of the market has gone to self-contained units. They're factory-built and ready to run, without the need for a lot of installation work,'' explains Brian Quint, president of the state chapter of the Spa and Pool Institute and manager of the Georgetown branch of AquaQuip, a spa and pool equipment retailer that has exhibited at the Seattle Home Show for years.

But calling them ``portable'' is a misnomer, he cautions. ``These units are moveable, but it takes three men and a flatbed truck to do it. You don't move them around very much.''

Self-contained spas usually range from 6 to 9 feet square, round or oblong, hold 300 to 600 gallons of water, and hold four to eight people. Costs vary dramatically depending on the quality of the unit and the warranty.

What do tubs cost?

At the high end are units built of Rovel, the white thermoplastic material used in football helmets. Warranteed impervious to ultraviolet light, Rovel isn't supposed to fade, crack, delaminate or blister. Local dealers say their best-selling Rovel tubs are 400-gallon, two-to-four-person units that retail for $4,000 to $5,000 - delivery included. Larger units, designed to hold six to eight people, retail for $6,000 to $7,000.

In the low and middle ranges are units built of Fiberglas-backed acrylic, often topped with tile, for $2,500 to $5,000, depending on size and features.

Custom-built units of gunite (concrete), tile and other materials start at about $5,000, and are more commonly sold for commercial installations than home use.

Wood hot tubs, equipped with jets and pumps, start at about $2,500. These units also are moveable, but unlike self-contained tubs, most have the heating and pump equipment on a separate skid housed either under the steps or in a separate cabinet.

Even cheaper and simpler are the 6-foot-wide, 3-foot-deep round cedar tub kits sold by Seattle Snorkel Stove Co. For $1,150 to $1,500 you can buy an unassembled cedar tub, cover and seats plus an immersible aluminum Snorkel wood stove that replaces electrical or gas heating systems. Wood tubs require a bit more maintenance than other materials.

What the buyer

should consider

Quality of construction, materials and mechanical equipment are the major differences between spas, says Alice Cunningham, co-owner of Olympic Hot Tub. ``The best units come with the best warranties; ours are five years parts and labor, some are as short as 90 days. And be sure you read the warranty before you buy. One warranty I read said you had to prove that whatever went wrong was a defect or you had to pay for the repairs!''

Energy efficiency is another consideration. According to Puget Power, a homeowner can expect to spend $50 to $130 a month to heat a spa or hot tub. A well-insulated unit used on a timer can be kept warm for much less. Several dealers guarantee that their tubs, used properly, can be heated for $10 to $20 a month.

Speaking of dealers, the spa industry has done a lot of shaking out since the early 1970s.

``Over the 14 years we've been in business dozens of local spa dealerships and manufacturers have come and gone,'' Cunningham says.

``It's a very volatile business. If you buy a cheapie tub off a flatbed truck on a parking lot sale, there's a good chance you won't be able to find the dealer or manufacturer when something goes wrong.''

What can go wrong?

Just ask the hundreds of tub owners who found themselves with frozen pipes or blown circuits after the December freeze.

``When you're dealing with water, electricity and mechanical parts, anything can go wrong,'' says Gene Crock at Evergreen Spa and Pool. ``Particularly with older units that have the equipment outside the tub where it is less insulated and prone to other damage.''

Crock is particularly excited about swim spas, a cross between a swimming pool and a jetted spa. These units, which start at about $8,000 for an 8-by-14-foot model, use heavy-duty jets to shoot the water in one direction. The user hooks himself into a tether attached to something sturdy outside the tub, and swims against the current.

While most spas are set to keep the water at about 102 degrees (or put on a timer to heat it to that temperature once a day), swim spas are kept at a cooler 85 degrees for swimming. They can be warmed up to soaking temperature in about two hours.

What's best for you?

Budget is always a primary consideration, but beyond that, the key considerations are here you want to put the tub; how many people will use it; how will they use it.

The choice was relatively simple for the Miller-Rhees family on Bainbridge. They were delighted three years ago to find a family-sized Seattle Snorkel tub that could be heated by wood.

``We had just bought five acres and a house in the woods,'' says Lisa Miller-Rhees. ``We chopped some trees for a clearing and built a little brick patio for the tub. It takes a couple hours to heat it with wood, but it stays pretty warm once the temperature is up.''

``We use it all winter, even in the snow, it's great for a dip. The only time we don't use it is midsummer when it's hot outside and the tub would draw mosquitos.''

The owners of the Burien waterfront spa, a close-to-retirement couple who wanted to make better year-round use of their resortlike home site, selected their tub for its low maintenance, low energy costs and luxurious massaging jets.

``We have it on a timer, so it heats up every evening, just in time for us,'' the wife says. ``We love the jets, too, because they are so relaxing, it's just a pleasure.''

The Bonnell family of North Seattle chose their tub for its versatility. They say it is comfortable and can accommodate adults and youngsters, and next year, when they plan to move, they can simply empty the water, unplug the tub and take it to their next home.

Outdoor vs. indoor

There is one other consideration that prospective tub buyers may find themselves debating, and that's whether to choose an outdoor hot tub or spa or an indoor soaking tub.

Indoor soaking tubs, jetted or not, are more like bathtubs and are meant to be filled and drained after each use. Because of that, they require either a larger hot water tank or their own heating unit, to keep the water warm. Soaking tubs are built in and usually require extensive plumbing, electrical and carpentry work. Most are smaller than outdoor tubs and are designed for solo or two-person use.

Price-wise, you will probably end up spending more for an indoor tub. The basic tub and equipment can cost $1,200 to $3,000 or more. Installation and remodeling costs can easily double the cost.

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Spas at Home Show

At least 30 different spas from eight dealers will be on display at the annual Seattle Home Show, opening Saturday in the Kingdome and running through March 10.

This year's show features 400 booths, 50 kitchen and bath vignettes, and two model homes. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays, noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and noon to 9:30 p.m. Friday. Admission is $5.50 for adults, $3 for seniors (weekdays only), $2 for ages 6 to 15, and free for children under 6.