Thursday, June 9, 2011

'Plug and Play' Versus Wired In Hot Tubs

Wondering how the two types of hot tubs differ? Well, in short a 'Plug and Play' spa doesn't need anything bigger than a 13A supply. For the non-techies this means it can plugged into a normal wall socket – hence its name! On the other hand 'Wired In' spas need to be connected directly to your electrical supply, and need to be signed off by your electrician.

I guess you are thinking that wired in spas sound like lots hassle. So why bother with them?

Well, plug and play spas usually have very few features. They keep the power usage under 13A by reducing the amount of pumps needed in the hot tub. This reduces the power of the jets, and also the amount of jets. They usually also have smaller and less powerful heaters. You can expect your plug and play hot tub to take a lot longer to heat up than a wired in spa.

An even bigger problem with plug and play spas is that they usually cut of the heater when the jets are in use. The problem with this is that after waiting hours for the spa to heat up, you are only going to have a short time to enjoy it. Imagine how quickly the water cools down when you turn those jets on?

Wired In spas operate differently, they maintain the temperature even when the jets are on.

Wired in spas on the other hand have no limitations. They can accommodate 100s of jet, they heat up pretty quickly, and occasionally, they even come with fancy features such as built in fridges or wine coolers.

So if I buy a wired in spa how much extra is going to cost me? Well, the only additional costs are those associated with getting in an electrician. This should cost between £100 - £250 depending on what type, and what length of cable is needed.

People often assume that Wired Nn Spas cost a lot more to operate than plug and play spas. This is not true. Since wired in spas heat up a lot quicker than plug and play spas so their heaters do not need to be on anywhere near as long.

Plug and play spas are perfect for hot tub newbies, however, if you want the real deal by a real spa!