Tell me all about Whirlpool baths

[DaftLemon]

Always had a dream that one day I might have one. One with the mood lighting ideally.
An unplanned refit of our current bath and shower (badly installed by previous owner of house) I am actually starting to look but know very little about them.
It will need to be the same size as the current bath and I know I can get them that size. My plumber says he is happy to install and has an electrician also able to come in for the electrics.
So what do I need to know? Everything I think.
Any recommended brands?
How many jets do you have? Do you wish you had more or less or jets elsewhere?
My research so far seems to imply that mostly you pay extra for everything such as a speed pump, lights etc.
What do you recommend? Wish you had? Now think was a waste of money?
Also please tell me about cleaning and maintenance.
Basically I want to know everything possible. So please share your whirlpool wisdom with me.

[IAteSomeofthePies]

I lived in a flat with one previously. It was a new build complex and we were the 3rd or so tenants, so I don't know much about options. I would estimate it had 8 jets. It wasn't an oval, but rather one of those that installs in about the same footprint as a large standard bath. I thought I would like it but I didn't, really. We moved from a place with a proper claw foot tub, and that felt like a much more luxurious bathing experience. To have room for the jets (I assume) the whirlpool was that little bit narrower, though it was very deep. You can't use bath oils or bubble bath, or so we were told by the landlords. The water did seem to stay warmer, so perhaps there was a heat pump? I think I used it less and less as a bath over our year tenancy, whereas I'd used the old tub regularly.

But it was not easy to clean the jets! It would be different for you, as yours will be new to you, but I did always wonder about filth from previous tenants in the jets. Shudder.

Also, my cousin had one with DCs, and it wasn't really suitable, as the tubs are deeper, and it was murder trying to wash them in a little bit of water at the bottom. She wasn't happy with it.

Sorry to be negative about your dream! I think if I'd been more keen to start I would have persisted. They do take loads of hot water, as the jets obviously must be submerged, so make sure your boiler is up to it.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

I have one it was in the house when I moved in. I last bathed in my own bath 7 years ago ( I shower every day and the best thing about staying In a travel lodge or premier inn is the ordinary bath.
I am moving in 8 weeks and can't wait to have an ordinary bath.
It has been really hard to clean as well.
It's one of those things where the dream is far better than the reality,

[wowfudge]

I think they are naff and germ breeding grounds.

[DaftLemon]

Thanks for the input. I know they're not everyone's taste. Am grateful for all replies it's all good stuff to know and consider.

If we get one it will be as a standard bath - not fancy round one or anything. It has to fit into a certain gap - where the existing v v v deep but shitly plumbed in (and with nail varnish all over it) bath currently is.

Exactly what's involved with cleaning?

There is a drain down system that removes all the water from the pipes to avoid the stagnant water apparently - but I do wonder how that interprets into real life. It's fairly new technology apparently.

[EarSlaps]

We have one in this house, was put in by previous owners. I wasn't convinced at first but actually it's quite nice. We only have maybe 6 jets, and they are all at the same level. You don't have to have the bath that full to use them. We don't use bath oils or bubble bath anyway. DS1 loves it and DS2 is petrified of the jets

I don't really use it that much as I generally shower, but I tend to squirt a bit of cheap sterilising fluid in at the end then use this every now and then.

People who lived here before us were not the best at housekeeping and it took a lot of cleans before the water was running clear!

[Wolfiefan]

We looked at getting one when we got a new bathroom.
The noise, cost and cleaning put me off.
The advice I was given was that if you didn't plan on using the jets very often then don't bother.

[orchard13]

We have just had one put in our refurbished house! It's a square shaped shower bath (think the technical term is L shaped ?!) I haven't actually had a bath in it myself yet, but it's an excellent bribe to get my 1 and 2 year old sons to let me wash their hair and teeth so they can have the bubbles on! I can count the jets in the morning if that helps?

[AgathaF]

We put one in our previous house about 10 years ago. Really difficult to clean - the pipes didn't completely empty to the point of being dry (obviously. as not exposed to the air) so they got gunked up with black yuck. Nothing shifted it - not bleach, or sterilising fluid or the cleaner that is designed to clean those things. We didn't use it after a year or so because of that, but didn't get around to changing it as didn't really need to. We've just moved and I'm so glad to have a normal bath again - a beautiful roll-top, claw foot, deep bath.

[YaySirNaySir]

We had one put in the main bathroom when we had a re- furb shortly after moving in. Me and DC use it often but I do clean it properly after every use. It has 8 jets and wasn't much more expensive than a normal decent quality bath.