To ask your advice on hot tub...

[StormcloakNord]

I know I'm likely to get flamed, and I know hot tubs are really really looked down on here, but any advice is appreciated!

DH and I have just ordered a Lazy Spa for over the summer. We usually go on at least 2 hot tub breaks around the UK per year and we just love them.

What I'm looking for I guess is what annoys you about neighbours with hot tubs? What is it that bothers you when your neighbours are in their hot tubs? I want to do as little of the annoying hot tub behaviours as possible as I really try to be a decent neighbour! We've bought a gazebo that we'll pop up when we use it, but won't leave it up as it would be an eye sore. We'll generally be using it between 7-10pm and only at weekends, and won't be having any music on. Just sitting in it chatting and enjoying the stars (if the gazebo isn't up!)

Anyway, thanks in advance!

I think the floaty thing just dispenses chemicals gradually (via tablets which slowly dissolve) rather than adding liquid chemicals.
You still need to leave it on to run the filter - I think mine goes 4hrs on and 4hrs off.

@queenofthenorthwest definitely asking the wrong person lol! I'm not 100% sure what I'm doing yet tbh. I'm hoping once it's delivered I can read the manual and it'll give me some kind of direction as at the minute I'm a total hot tub newbie!

I'm hoping as we've gone for a slightly more expensive one that the noise of it being filtered won't be ridiculously annoying!

Thank you op.

I am a total
Newbie and I haven't ordered one yet.

Do you mind telling me what you have ordered as I am also concerned about the noise

I wonder if it would be possible to build an insulated enclosure for the pump bit that sticks out. This could double up as a shelf area to put your drink, phone etc.

Oh maybe I will design and patent this and make my fortune then I could afford to buy and run one of the very big quieter ones.

Sorry for the high jack OP but does anyone know anything about the wood burning hot tubs?

@HairyFloppins

You sound very considerate OP.

We moved because of my neighbours behaviour in their hot tub. We couldn't hear it humming or anything but they were very selfish and would sit in it with music blaring and shouting till the early hours.

I wouldn't be bothered with quiet hot tub use.

Same. I could put up with the loudness and swearing when they went inside when it got cold.

Then they got the hotel and sat in it till all hours...then sat round their fire pit.

Tiny terraced back garden, you felt like you were in it with them.

I'll probably just grab them next time I see them and let them know we're buying a hot tub and make sure they let us know if it's loud/annoying at all!

Might sound an odd response, OP, given this would seem to be the considerate thing to do. But I really wouldn't do this.

My experience is that if you give someone an opening to complain they often will, whereas they might otherwise have said nothing. I'd take it as a given that if something bothers them sufficiently to raise it with you they will do so unprompted. Expectation management is key: if you're a considerate neighbour who is unlikely to give them reason to complain then I'd start from the assumption that there isn't going to be a problem.

I also love hot tubs and we are thinking seriously about installing one, undeterred by Mumsnet's disapproval . It would not be overlooked from any angle and would be the quietest model I was able to purchase (for my own benefit as well as others'). It would be invisible from anywhere other than one side of my house. I wouldn't want it under a gazebo as I much prefer them in the open as a vantage point for watching the stars.

No one in this quiet neighbourhood pollutes it with music. I appreciate this from others and I won't be the one to buck that trend. Most of the holiday lets ask that you don't use it after a certain time and this also isn't a bad approach.

There are so many things some neighbourhoods will see as anti-social, including wood burners (although nearly every house here seems to have one) fire pits and barbeques. I could personally live with all of these from others, but not noise pollution.

@StormcloakNord - the floaty thing is for chlorine tablets, which kill off bugs like legionella.
You still need to filter on to remove floaty bits and skin oils etc. We bought some scum sponges for ours that float about and trap the oils & gunk. If you didn’t want to get in straight away you might get away with turning pump off overnight as they keep their heat well ( though obviously less so as the temps drop).

I agree with @MarieIVanArkleStinkson about not running it past neighbours first. You know you’re planning on being considerate, if you’re making any noise that they can’t tolerate I’m sure they’ll let you know soon enough.

Thanks everyone! Good point @MarieIVanArkleStinks

@queenofthenorthwest I ordered the Lay-Z-Spa Maldives Hydrojet or something! It was £1299 at The Range (online)!

We had one but barely used it for one summer before getting rid. It was just really noisy and I felt uncomfortable using it when everyone has their windows open/ was in the garden. Just heard a neighbour using a power washing and the noise was a fraction of the noise when we use ours so suspect I was being over cautious.

We have a HT. We are fortunate to have a large garden and we have it close to the house and in a secluded spot. Lots of festoon lights and twinkly lights too.

We don’t have a lazy spa one. We have an m spa one with no noisy pump/filter. The only thing that is loud is the bubbles which we don’t use very often as it makes the temp plummet!

We have a filter which we change every other day and a chlorine tablet floaty thing. We also have a water vacuum thing we use to catch what the filter misses.

We love it. It’s been a lockdown treat which has made a huge difference to us. We use it every da and clean it often!

Nothing nicer than a hot tub with a cold glass of something

We have a lazy spa one on hire this week and it's so quiet running it with the filter on. It's only noisy with bubbles on and we dont have them on that much. Been lovely for a week off at home, would love to buy our own so might look later in the year.

I agree with previous posters - I think the size of your garden has a lot to do with it. I’m in a terraced and my neighbour has one. They can’t do anything quietly in it and shout over the noise it makes. The best part is though when they invite the whole family over and 8 of them get in it and get progressively more drunk and loud and obnoxious as the night goes on... but maybe it’s more about my neighbours than the hot tub.

We had one until last year when we decided to get rid of it (after having one for about four/five years) as we weren't using it much.

I also found myself being a bit uncomfortable using it as with the jets/bubbles on, it is noisy, over the years we had various models and they all seemed to be loud - this meant we rarely had the bubbles on - it's kind of a high pitched noise plus bubbles when they are on.

We also had to keep them running 24/7 to keep the filter moving the water about - the pump does have a humming noise which whilst we couldn't hear indoors with the windows open, you could hear if you sat outdoors so could potentially become annoying for the neighbours.

We did notice last year not long after we got rid of ours, that someone nearby must have got one as we could hear the distinctive noise of the pump/jets - wasn't in any of the gardens near us so the sound must travel!

Would love one indoors but too much hassle with the damp problem

I would hate the humming of the pump but my husband wouldn’t even notice it. I wouldn’t mind chatting and laughing especially if it’s not too late.