An Outdoor Spa is for Life...Make Sure You Choose Right!

Hot Tubs and Outdoor Spas are becoming increasingly popular in the UK but with so many on the market making similar claims how do I choose the best one? Firstly you must understand what benefits you derive from a Hot tub. There are three types of therapy that you get from Outdoor Spas.

Firstly, there is Immersion – this is basically the benefit of weighing 10% of your normal body weight - as you do in any body of water. This reduction in weight on your muscles and joints whilst in hot water,allows blood to flow around the joints, muscles and tissues more effectively. Another part of this healing process sees oxygen from the air get carried by the blood more effectively.

Secondly, there is the Hydro Thermal therapy - this is the effect of sitting in hot water and is particularly acute when the outside air temperature is low. Basically, the blood looks to get rid of the heat your body is receiving from the hot water in the tub you are sitting in. The hot water causes an increase in heart rate and blood flow around the body as the body looks to let heat out through the head. Your intake of Oxygen from the outside air (where it is most prevelant - in comparison to inside) increases dramatically. This has all sorts of benefits as oxygen is an amazing healing agent. All this activity is generally good for you as has been established by thousands of years of humans bathing in hot springs and thermal baths.

Nearly all Hot tubs can provide the first two benefits and in these areas but the main points of difference are about how cost effectively various tubs can heat the water, keep it warm and keep the water pure. So to this end insulation and design are very important as the more heat you lose from the tub the more money it will cost to run. It follows that there should be virtually no heat loss, aside from out of the top of the tub when you are using it. Most heat loss apart from this is lost from the water carrying pipe work which travels outside the wet part of the spa. Many manufacturers have foam insulation but the best have 90% of the pipe work imersed in the hot water inside the main Spa shell which means any heat loss from the pipes is conducted straight back into the hot water.

Filtration is also important for general health and most US, Australian and West European manufacturers have realized the importance of preventing the spread of water borne disease. Look for tubs with both large and small particle filters in combination with ozone water treatment and also check that the total volume of the tub is filtered many times a day (up to 150 times a day in the best tubs). Also UV ozone treatment systems lose effectiveness over time (grow weaker) so make sure you look out for ‘Electrode’ Corona Discharge Ozone systems as these produce Ozone with a ‘microchip’ or an ‘electrode’ maintaining the same sanitizing power throughout its life.

The third and final benefit of Spas is Hydrotherapy which is derived from the stimulation of the various jets available as they massage, stimulate circulation and speed up the dissapation of lactic acid built up in the muscles. There are many technical issues with this benefit but the basic premise is that for true physiological benefit you want a tub that pumps high volumes of water at relatively low pressure with a perfect mix of air and water. Some manufactures claim extremely high pressure pumps but these can actually be damaging to your tissue and muscles.

A Villeroy & Boch Spa Piping	Also for effective hydrotherapy the jets in a Spa need to be adjustable in height so as to hit the correct area of the body intended. This is extremely difficult for manufacturers as we all have different shaped and sized bodies. As far as we can see only those Spas that can take different jets from one seat and place them in another, different height, seat are able to offer this benefit which rules out 99% of the tubs on the market. In addition, the best tubs have as little pipe work as possible - the science is that the further the air and water have to travel through pipes the more resistance they face and therefore the harder the pump (or pumps) has to work, increasing electricity use and decreasing pump effectiveness. There are many manufacturers making Outdoor Spas but the only one that ticks all the boxes in the areas highlighted are Villeroy and Boch tubs sold by The Art of Bathrooms in Bath, Bristol and surrounding areas.	A Conventional Spa Piping