Exercise and Relax in Style

Have you always wanted a heated swimming pool in your back yard, but lack the space? Maybe you fancy your own hot tub too, somewhere to relax at the end of a long day.

How would you feel about combining the two? Somewhere to get some exercise one moment and relax the next, but without the hassle of digging out a pool and in a much smaller area. If this sounds like your idea of heaven, you should probably take a look at the range of TidalFit swim spas from Artesian Spas.

Swimming in Your Hot Tub

TidalFit swim spas look much like any other premium quality hot tubs – but with one important difference. You can quickly configure the pumps to create a stream of water, then start swimming away. It’s the same theory as a treadmill, with water being pumped round in a circuit to imitate the circular motion of a belt. You can adjust the speed of the water to suit your swim. Want to really go for it? Crank up the power! Feel like taking it easy? Use the controls to drop the speed.

Swimming is easily one of the best forms of exercise you can do. Unlike running, there’s little impact on your joints. Even if you have serious knee problems that make it difficult to do other forms of exercise, being in the water means there’s equal pressure on all sides of the knee, alleviating pain and allowing freer movement.

It’s also great for building endurance and cardiovascular strength, but the biggest drawback is having somewhere convenient to swim. Not everyone is cut out for a cold dip in the sea or lake every day, while public pools tend to be a little crowded. You may also find that privacy is an issue, so your own swim spa is the perfect compromise. You can swim when you want and for as long as you want, whenever the mood strikes you. It’s like having your own underwater gym at home.

More Than Just A Tub

Then, when you’re finished with your swim, turn off the tidal jets and relax. Settle into one of the ergonomically-designed seats and let the warm water soothe your muscles.

Best of all, TidalFit spas:

• Cost less and are lower maintenance than your typical pool; and
• Offer year-round relaxation and safe fun for the whole family.

Artesian Spas are true market-leaders in the world of hot tubs. As they’re the best in the business, all tubs from Artesian Spas feature world-class manufacturing and innovative engineering. They create spas that are not only high quality and incredibly efficient, but also aesthetically beautiful.

Now, with their ground-breaking TidalFit range, they’ve cemented their position at the top of the industry, making an Artesian Spa a welcome addition to any home.

Try a TidalFit at Black Pine Spas

Not sure whether a TidalFit would be right for you? Get in touch and we’ll arrange for you to test out one of our swim spas.

Here at Black Pine Spas we can advise you on all aspects of your purchase. We’ll make sure you get the spa that’s right for your needs. We also offer a range of financing options, making our quality hot tubs available to everyone. You can call us at (800) 896-5405 or (425) 771-5774 or fill in our online contact form. If you’re not sure where to find us, take a look at the directions on our website.

We look forward to meeting you!

The post Innovative Swim Spas appeared first on Black Pine Spas.

When in-ground swimming pools first became popular, it quickly became obvious that if the pool was in a place where small children could find unsupervised access, tragedy was destined to strike. The drowning statistics concerning small children and pools are truly frightening. 77% of drownings occurred within 5 minutes of the child last being seen, and in a majority of cases, “Parental Supervision” was the only safety measure in place.

The most effective safety measure is a fencing system which effectively blocks unsupervised kids from getting to the pool. Hot tubs can be just as attractive to curious and adventurous kids. The danger of drowning is every bit as real, but thankfully a hot tub can be simpler to make safe.

Because the hot tub is a much smaller body of water, it should be easier to secure. Many insulating hot tub covers can incorporate a locking device. This means that the cover will not only save energy and keep out unwanted debris, it will block small children from getting into trouble in the spa.

A more popular reason for fencing the hot tub is for privacy. Privacy goes both ways. Your neighbors don’t want to see what is going on in your hot tub, and you probably don’t want them to see. Even if everything that happens in your hot tub is “safe for work viewing”, your time in the spa can be a special, relaxing time for you to disconnect from the rest of the world. This is a tough illusion to create if you are worried about Fred, the neighbor asking you about the weather while you are in mid-soak.

Fortunately, a privacy screen can do more than just keep out prying eyes, it can also add to the atmosphere you are trying to create around your spa. There are two great ways to achieve this. The first is with a “living screen” of shrubs, trees, of climbing vines. The living screen can be very beautiful and peaceful, but it may take some time for the plants to become established, and living plants will require some attention and care.

A non-living screen can also be very beautiful. There is no rule that says that it has to be devoid of plant life. Potted plants and shrubs can be placed on the ground, or even hung on the fence, if it is sturdy enough. Even if the plants are left out, the hot tub enclosure can be decorated to create the mood you want for your personal oasis.

Need a daily tropical vacation? Line one side of your screen with bamboo slats and add some Tiki décor, and you can soak every day in the islands. Weathered boards and a few weather resistant antiques can plant you in the country, even if your neighbors are just a few feet away.

A common problem that many Northwest home owners have with privacy screens is that the screen may block some very beautiful scenery. Unfortunately, sometimes there simply isn’t much that can be done about it. As nice as it would be to enjoy a morning soak with a view of the mountains, if neighbor Fred’s window is in your sight-line you will have to miss out. There is nothing wrong with partial screens, however. Take time to investigate before you commit to the hot tub and screen location. Perhaps you will be able to block Fred form seeing your tub with a single wall that still allows you to see the scenery.

For more ideas about hot tub placement, call the experts at Black Pine Spas today!

The post Fencing Your Hot Tub For Privacy And Safety appeared first on Black Pine Spas.

Most first time hot tub shoppers will spend a lot of time researching until they find exactly the right spa for their needs. Who can blame them, a hot tub is a big purchase which shouldn’t be taken lightly.

When you come right down to it, however, there isn’t really that much difference from one hot tub spa to the next. Some manufacturers will quickly fade away because they produce a shoddy product, while others enjoy a reputation of quality built over the years. Occasionally, one will develop a new feature that consumers really like, and within a season or two, all the others will include the same thing.

No matter which model and manufacturer you choose, at the end of the day you will have an acrylic and fiberglass hole filled with warm water. When you come right down to it, yours is not likely to be that much better or worse than the spa your neighbors bought. So let’s consider a slightly different tactic in hot tub shopping. Rather than shopping for the best spa, spend your time looking for the best spa dealer.

Your hot tub ownership experience will likely begin at a hot tub dealer, and the relationship will not end once your credit card is scanned. It seems like there isn’t very much to go wrong with a simple acrylic and fiberglass hole filled with water, but there is a great deal of science and mystery involved in taking care of a hot tub. By its very nature, the spa is both a gathering place for the nasty things on people’s skin, and a marvelous environment for those nasty things to grow.

There is no end of advice out there on how to care for your hot tub and the water. The best place to turn is the experts who sold you the tub in the first place. The dealer will have seen every unique problem crop up over the years, and he will know how to fix yours.

How do you choose a hot tub dealer? For the most part, it is like choosing any other professional that you have a business relationship with. There are a few things that you will consciously or subconsciously be looking for when you walk into the showroom. Is the dealer easy to find and close to your home? Is the parking lot well laid out and well lit (remember that you may be back in the dead of winter, needing chemicals)? Are the tubs on display attractive and clean?

Does the dealer stock several lines of spas or is he exclusive to a single manufacturer? Variety is an indication that the dealer is more dedicated to getting the best fit for his customers than currying favor with a single manufacturer.

If a few of the floor models look interesting to you, the sales staff may invite you to take off your shoes and give the tub a test sit. Are the sales staff friendly and helpful or do you feel like they are pressuring you into a sale? These folks don’t get to feed their families unless they can get someone to spend some money in the shop, but presented a choice between giving my money to someone who is helpful rather than someone who pressures me, the choice is easy.

Does the salesman know what he is talking about? You may not know much about hot tubs, but you should be able to tell whether the salesman, who is teaching you, knows much about the tubs or if he has just memorized the brochure. Be sure and ask about delivery. The nice guy on the showroom floor may not be the one who shows up at your house to install and set up your tub, but he should be able to tell you what to expect. Delivery can be a very big deal!

Finally, what you will be looking at is the dealer’s reputation, and making a judgment for yourself whether or not it is deserved. We’re sure that you will find that Black Pine Spa has earned the reputation they have built over the last three decades!

The post What To Look For In A Reputable Hot Tub Dealer appeared first on Black Pine Spas.

The modern hot tub spa has been around for several decades now, and in that time most of the design kinks have been worked out. A hot tub is an investment that can be expected to last nearly the life of the home. For many, a hot tub can be the epitome of luxury, but they are not without disadvantages.

Usually these disadvantages are easy to ignore because they are relatively small in comparison to the benefits of owning a spa. The bigger reason to ignore the drawbacks is that there isn’t much we can do about them! The disadvantages we are talking about are the initial expense of purchasing a spa, the fact that once they are in place they are a permanent fixture, and that there is a need to maintain the spa whether it gets used regularly or not.

These are the very advantages claimed by the makers of portable hot tubs. Portables have their own set of disadvantages as well, and we will discuss some of them as we go along.

The biggest selling point of a portable hot tub is that they are relatively inexpensive. An installed hot tub can be as expensive as a low priced used car; perhaps not a great expense, but a chunk of change that will make a significant dent in the wallet. A portable tub is closer to the price point for a set of new tires on an SUV.

Keep in mind that the installed tub can be a one time investment. As spa dealers, we hope you will upgrade every few years, but the truth is that there is no reason a hot tub cannot last a life time. Portable spas simply are not that durable, and the materials they are made from are vulnerable to UV damage from the sun.

Portable spas come in three basic types; inflatable, rigid/rollaway, and folding. The inflatables seem to be the most common and most economical. They should not be confused with the plastic blow up pools we had as kids. Inflatable hot tubs are made from material similar to what white water rafts are made from. The stuff is very durable, but not indestructible. Many inflatables will include an airpump in the waterheater/ pump unit.

The rigid type of portable spa may be made from roto-molded plastic or a semi-rigid foam with a vinyl liner. These are the closest to an installed hot tub. They are light enough that when they are empty, they can be tipped on their side and fit through a normal sized door.

The folding type portable spa is basically a folding box with a vinyl liner for water-tightness. The liner may be subject to tears and holes, but an automotive upholstery shop should be able to make repairs as necessary.

All portable spas have a separate water-heater/pump assembly. Another important selling point of the portables is that they can be plugged into a normal household circuit, and most feature a GFCI plug. However, be aware that these units draw a lot of power. Whether they are more or less expensive to operate than a normal hot tub on a dedicated 220V circuit is debatable.

It is advisable to avoid putting a hot tub on the same circuit as kitchen appliances like toasters, coffee makers or microwaves which may trip the breakers. For the same reason, avoid having them on the same circuit as a home computer or other sensitive electronic device.

Water maintenance for a portable is similar to an installed tub, although the smaller volume of water is much more sensitive to changes in water chemistry. It is important to follow manufacturers recommendations in order to avoid damaging the material of the portable. Along with the indestructible nature of the installed tub, the parts that may eventually wear out, the pump, heater and controls, can all be replaced. Although they are separate parts, the portable is a single unit; when one part fails, the whole thing usually needs to be thrown away.

After the low purchase price, the biggest thing going for portable hot tubs is that they are, um, portable! Portability has its limits, the bother of setting up the spa dictates that you will want to enjoy it for at least a few day before moving it. Portability is an advantage for renters who want to enjoy a hot tub, but don’t want to make permanent changes to the home. Home owners will also appreciate being able to move the hot tub seasonally, or when they are making changes to their landscaping.

The fact remains that a portable spa will never be as luxurious as an installed tub. Most portables do not have installed seating. Most will have rounded edges with not place to set your glass of wine while soaking, and sitting on the edge of an inflatable may invite disaster. For many families, the advantages of a portable spa will out weigh the drawbacks. As a spa dealer, we feel that using a portable will show how wonderful it is to have a hot tub in your life, but the fact that they are not long lasting will bring you to our showroom in the near future.

If you have any questions about taking care of or purchasing a spa, be sure to contact Black Pine Spas today!

The post Hot Water To Go/ Thoughts On Portable Spas appeared first on Black Pine Spas.

Congratulations! You’ve finally made the decision to remodel the family room, or else your significant other has given you permission to go ahead and build your man cave. Along with all the other planning that goes into a job like this, you know what the space really needs, don’t you?

A Pool Table

There is something more than magical about a fine pool table. There is something incredibly manly about sharing a round of pool and drinks with friends. The ladies can be (and surprisingly often are) better players than the men, and pool can be a fun social skill that the kids can begin to learn as soon as they are tall enough to see over the rails. I defy anyone to find a video game that will give as much satisfaction as learning and practicing the perfect bank and combination shots.

A fine pool table has a massive, undeniable presence. It will probably be the focal point of the room, in part because of its shear mass. The pool table will need not only the space it occupies, but there should be clearance the length of a cue stick on all four sides of the table.

Remember that the pool table owns the space that it occupies; you cannot simple roll it up and take it out the next time you want to play. Buying a pool table should be a once in a lifetime purchase, like a grand father clock or a baby grand piano. Like these other item, the pool table is an heirloom piece that can be passed down through generations.

The heart of the pool table is the slate. There are a number of slate substitutes on the market, heavy plywood, slatine, slatex, or honeycomb. None of them have the same feel or playing characteristics as slate. They are not accepted for tournament play, so they should not be accepted in your family room.

The slate will be finished and honed to a 1/1000 of an inch flatness. A three quarter inch slate should be thick and heave enough for family use, but profession tournaments are played on one or one and a quarter inch slate.

A piece of rock that is ¾ inch thick and 7-9 feet long will need a substantial support. The frame of the pool table provides that support. When shopping for a pool table, do not be afraid to crawl under to see how massive the frame is. There should at least be two massive crossbeams, and hopefully two more the length of the slate.

The frame supports the slate, and in turn the frame is held up by the legs. Most pool table manufacturers will have a selection of legs to fit each model table, so your significant other may appreciate being consulted for decorating purposes. Your concern will be the same as th frame- the more massive the better. As far as attachment goes, look for the best engineered system that is less likely to come lose over time.

Cushions and felt are usually proprietary items unique to the individual manufacturer. Go with the highest quality available. These are elements that are expected to wear in time and eventually be replaced, but it is more satisfying to replace them after ten years ofuse rather than three.

Your best source for pool tables, as well as answers about them, is Black Pine Billiards and Spas.

The post What To Look For When You Are Shopping For A Pool Table appeared first on Black Pine Spas.

Congratulations, you’ve done it! You’ve been cutting back, skipping a few mocha lattes every week, bringing your own lunch to work, but it has finally paid off and now you can afford that hot tub that you’ve always wanted.That’s the good news.

The bad is that even if you were able to walk into the spa showroom, plunk down cash, and take advantage of free delivery and installation, you aren’t done paying for your hot tub. The simple fact is a hot tub is an ongoing expense. Finding hard numbers to indicate what those expenses will be is kind of hard, but we can look at where some of the money will go.

The thing most people look at first is the increased use of electricity. This is the most obvious recurring bill for hot tub ownership, but the spa industry has made great strides in reducing that expense. In fact, there are manufacturers who promise that running your hot tub will not increase your electricity bill more than $20/month. If it does they will attach a meter to your hot tub circuit and track your power usage,and pay the difference!

The reason the electrical cost is coming down is because newer spas are much better insulated, so it is cheaper and easier to keep the water hot than to incur the expense of heating the water every time you want to soak. In addition to the insulation in the tub itself, the hot tub cover is very important for holding the heat in the water. Most spa owners find that their covers begin to warp or even crack after two or three years as a result of the hot, moist air over the tub, so you should figure the cost of a new cover every few years.

To enjoy the benefits of the insulation keeping your water hot means the water needs to be kept clean, which means keeping your filters clean and keeping track of the water chemistry. Water test kits are not expensive, but they will need to be replaced when the test materials are expended. Whether you prefer test strips or the count-the-drops tests is a personal decision. Strips are generally cheaper and most people find them simple to use, but I find I get better and more accurate results with the liquid tester.

There are a number of water chemistry programs on the market, and the one that is best for you and your tub may not be the same as for your neighbor. The biggest difference between the systems is the basic chemical, usually chlorine or bromine. There are advantages and disadvantages to any system, and it is worth talking to your spa dealer to find what will work for you.

There may be a savings in buying your chemicals in bulk, but this is not a recommended approach when you are starting out. For the first few months of having the spa in your life, it is worthwhile to buy in small batches so that you can find the system which works best. It is also beneficial to be able to talk to the experts at the spa store until you have everything figured out.

Some other small or hidden costs of spa ownership include extra wear and tear on your laundry facilities, and you may want to invest in more towels as well. It is also important to budget so that you can have extra wine on hand. This is because your friends are likely to show up for a soak, and they are not likely to remember to grab a bottle on the way over!

To learn more about bringing a spa into your life in the least expensive way, contact the experts at Black Pine Spa and Billiards today!

The post Electricity And Chemistry; The Cost Of Owning A Hot Tub appeared first on Black Pine Spas.

Surprisingly, it is a question that doesn’t get asked all that often. When we do hear it, the question usually comes from a customer who is from a more tropical climate, is new to hot tubbing, or, usually, both.

The question is not a silly one. I once knew an exchange student from Costa Rica. He had seen pictures and heard stories about snow, but until we took him inner tubing at the Summit at Snoqualmie, the concept of snow was completely strange to him.

So we try not to smile too much when someone asks us what to do with their spa in the winter. Sometimes I even manage to not sound facetious when I say that if the snow gets too deep, dig your way through it so you can enjoy a soak.

In my humble opinion, winter is actually the best time to enjoy a hot tub. There are a few things that the winter-time hot tubber should keep in mind, however. Something else that our Southern neighbors don’t always appreciate is that sometimes it has to warm up to snow.

A winter time high pressure can mean several days of cold, clear, very COLD weather. This is pipe freezing weather, when some municipalities instruct people to leave the sink dripping. Why? Because of the water in the pipes is moving, it is less likely to freeze. If the water in the pipes freeze, it can expand and burst the pipes, and that can be a mess.

The hot tub holds a large enough mass of water that the tub itself is unlikely to freeze, but the water in the piping and pump casing is more exposed, and could freeze with tragic (or expensive) results. Most hot tub timers can be set to operate for a few minutes, every hour or so, to prevent pipe freezing.

The question often comes up whether or not it is worthwhile to drain the hot tub and winterize it. This is a concern for people who will be out of town for an extended period during the winter months, and who want to avoid the cost of having the hot tub running while they are gone. It is largely a judgment call; if the well-insulated spa is closed, and only runs long enough to maintain temperature (and avoid pipe freeze), the energy cost will probably be less than the cost to drain the tub, have it professionally winterized, and then refill and retreat the water in the spring.

If you do decide to let the tub go through the winter dry, it is worth the expense to have in professionally winterized. Modern tubs can have complicated piping and as many as three pumps. EVERY BIT of water needs to be removed to avoid the possibility of freezing damage. Be sure that your Hot Tub technician will stand behind the winterizing job.

If you are going to stick around for the cold months, you are in store for some of the best hot tubbing of the year. There is little to compare with the feeling of snowflakes melting on your face while the rest of your body is being warmed and massaged by the warm, bubbly water.

The biggest problem of winter hot tubbing is getting into, and more importantly out of, the tub. Snow may be the least of your worries. During “pipe freezing” weather, any water that splashes out of the tub will freeze almost immediately, causing a slipping hazard that may not be obvious until it is too late.

Another, less common cold weather hazard is the “tongue on the flagpole” effect. We know one man who was enjoying his tub in minus 10 degree weather. Everything was fine until he grabbed the aluminum handle of his patio door. A half hour later he was still screaming, half naked, when the fire department showed up to pour warm water to unfreeze the hand from the door.

To learn more about enjoying hot tubs, any time of the year, contact the good folks at Black Pine Spas and Billiards today!

The post The Hot Tub in Winter appeared first on Black Pine Spas.

It is the end of a hard day. The days are getting shorter and colder, but that just makes it seem like there is more to do. It will all feel worth while once you get home and take a nice long soak in your spa.

So you pour yourself a cold glass of wine, dash out to the tub to turn on the pumps, then come back into the house and wrap up in a towel. You know how chilly it is, but the contrast between the chilled wine and the hot water is going be so relaxing.

Until you open the cover of the tub, and then you see it; a gray foamy mass of YUCK, floating and swirling in the middle of the tub.

It is probably the most disgusting thing that you have ever seen in your hot tub. What you are seeing is a result of your hot tub filter failing. It is quite likely that there are other problems with your water chemistry as well, but the biggest problem is the filter.

Keeping track of the water chemistry is an important part of keeping the water in your spa healthy, and there are a lot of things that can attack the water. The hot tub is a moist environment that is kept at a near ideal temperature for all sorts of nasty things to begin growing.

Whatever water treatment program you choose will keep the nasty things from growing and taking over the tub, but it can’t keep out the dirtiest thing that goes into your hot tub- you!

It is hard to believe that your body, or those of your family and friends, could be covered with anything as disgusting as the YUCK you found floating on the top of the tub. After all, you probably insist that everyone who uses the spa, (including, or especially your kid’s friends) take a shower before they get in the tub. However, the soap used in the shower does not completely rinse away, nor will it wash away all of the ointments and lotions that you use.

Soaking in the hot tub allows time for all those contaminants to dissolve, along with some of the naturally occurring oils in your skin. These will have no where to go but the water in the tub. This is not a bad thing, because all that gunk in the water is going to go through the spa’s filter, where it will be trapped.

Until the filter becomes over loaded.

The filter is very good at holding all that disgusting stuff, but eventually it can become overloaded. When this happens the result is that floating, foamy, disgusting mass.

The prevention is to keep your filters as clean as you can, and to keep the water flowing through it. Buying new filters can get expensive, but most filters can be cleaned.

It is a good idea to have at least two filters for your spa. When you remove one for cleaning, simply put the other in the system. The filter that you just took out should be rinsed using a garden hose. Every two weeks should be sufficient, and every two months give the filter a good wash.

There are easy to use commercial cleaning compounds available. Simply soak the filter in a bucket of the solution overnight, and let it dry completely so that any remaining microorganisms are killed.

For more detailed instructions on caring for your spa, contact the experts at Black Pine Spas and Billiards.

The post Your Spa, Your Filter, And You appeared first on Black Pine Spas.

Did you realize that the Seattle Home Show is part of Pacific Northwest History?

The McDonald boys were part of Vaudeville in the 1920s, and did a number of morale building shows for troops stationed in the Puget Sound region and around the country. Vaudeville pretty much dried up about the time the Great Depression hit.

As the Depression deepened, FDR commissioned the boys to put together a number of “Back to Work” events in support of the recovery effort. This brought the brothers in contact with the building trades, contacts that would be mutually beneficial when the economy began to get back on its feet. Eleanor Roosevelt was on hand to open the very first Seattle Home show in 1939.

With the theme “Things Look Fine for ’39”, that show opened at the old Civic Auditorium, and began what would become generations of home-owner dreams and plans. The Home Show has been operated by the McDonald Family ever since; Bill McDonald took over in 1951, finally retiring in 2002. Bill’s daughter and son in law, Pam and Mike Kalian, have been active in management for the last two decades, and their daughter Tara has worked in all aspects of Show management.

The Seattle Home Show has always been about home owner dreams and ambitions. The show is now the oldest and one of the largest in the country, and has expanded to a Spring and Fall Event. The theme for the Fall 2012 event is “Get Your Dream On”.

Every conceivable Home Improvement technique or project will be on display somewhere during the show. The event draws exhibitors showing their wares to improve the home both inside and outside. Anything from landscaping, gardening, and siding to roofing, flooring, or the latest in window blinds will be on display.

In addition to the fun vendors display, there are always a number of informative seminars at the Home Show. Topics will include Surviving the Remodeling Project, Solar Energy for the Home, Custom Cedar Homes, Sustainable Building and Remodeling Practices, “Top Ten Tips For a Better Night’s Sleep”, Redesign on a Budget, Solatube lighting, and many more.

The kitchen has always been the center of the home, and as more people are spending their time there, the Home Show will feature a number of Chef Demonstrations on the Viking Stage over the weekend. Seating is limited for these fun demos.

Parking should be less of a problem. Purchasers of etickets will be able to enjoy free parking at the CenturyLink Event Center Parking Garage and the Safeco Field Garage. There is also a “Four Or More Park Free” promo in designated lots.

Black Pine Spas has been a part of the Seattle Home Show since the days in the Kingdome, and we are happy to see all of our friends in the CenturyLink Field Event Center. Just like years past, our staff will be on hand to answer all of your questions about the latest in spas and hot tubs, as well as billiards, swim spas, and infrared saunas. We will have a couple of our spas filled and operating, but sorry, even after walking around the Event Center all day, we can’t let you soak your feet!

Come on down to the Seattle Home Show and be sure to stop by the Black Pine Spas display.

The post Black Pine Spas Welcomes Our Friends to The Seattle Home Show 2 (October 5-7 2012) appeared first on Black Pine Spas.

Congratulations on your decision to buy a swim spa. You will find that swimming is one of the most beneficial low-impact exercise options, and nothing beats the convenience of having a place to swim in your own home. Not to mention all the fun that you and the kids can have with your own, private, swimming hole!

Beyond the purchase of your swim spa, there are a few considerations that will need to be taken into account before you can enjoy all the benefits of your swim spa. The most important are site and installation. It is a good idea to take these together, ideally the best place to put the swim spa will also be one that is easy to deliver it to.

So what is the best place to put the swim spa? The most important consideration is drainage. There is a lot of water to consider with a regular hot tub spa, the swim spa will hold several times the amount of water. Believe it or not, because there is so much water, maintaining water chemistry will actually be easier with a swim spa, so you will have to change the water less often. However, there will be occasions when you need to drain the swim spa, so plan ahead for where the water will go. This will also help for the normal splashes that are bound to occur while enjoying the swim spa.

The site not only needs to have provisions to get rid of all that water, more important is the ability to support the weight of that much water! A hot tub spa can weigh a couple of tons when filled with water, but a swim spa may be seven times as heavy. As a general guideline, think about the truck that Black Pine uses to deliver your swim spa; could you safely park the truck on your swim spa site? Most experts recommend a 4 inch concrete slab for the hot tub, a general guideline for swim spas is a 6 inch slab reinforced with #4 rebar on 18 inch centers.

Swim spas are designed for outdoor installation, although putting one indoors is certainly possible. The same weight supporting and drainage requirements will apply to an indoor installation, but ventilation is an important part of having an indoor swim spa. The extra humidity from the swim spa has the potential to damage the structure if not properly controlled by ventilation or air conditioning.

As close to the house as possible has a lot of benefits for the outdoor installation, not the least of which is that there is less distance to travel between the pool and the warm house during bad weather. It is important that there is 36 inches of clearance at the end of the swim spa where the equipment access panel is, as well as 24 inches clearance to the other sides. Some home owners prefer an in ground or semi-in ground installation. There is nothing wrong with this, as long as the drainage, weight bearing, and drainage requirements are met. An alternative to in ground installation is to construct a deck around the swim spa which will mimic a higher ground level.

If you have any questions about purchasing or getting the most out of your swim spa, contact Black Pine Spas and Billiards today!

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