Ordini's Pools & Spas - Jacuzzi, Hot Tub, Spa Buyer's Guide

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Whirlpools, hot tubs, spas... Whatever you call them, the spa has moved from the exclusive resorts and health clubs to the backyards and decks of homeowners all over the country.

The whirlpool spa first made it’s appearance in the late 1950’s, developed and introduced by Jacuzzi. Initially made from concrete or gel-coat, in the 60’s Baja began selling spas with an acrylic tub, which is the material still used by most manufacturers of “portable” hot tubs today. At around that same time, fiberglass built-in spas made their first appearance. Whether portable or built-in, modern day spas have come a long way since the first hot tubs were introduced. Reliable, cost efficient and easy to maintain, spas offer hours of fun, relaxation and hydrotherapy, all for about a dollar a day.

With over thirty years in the spa business, Ordini’s determined that most “portable” spas (like Jacuzzi, Hot Springs, Master Spas, Catalina, etc.) offer at best a compromise both aesthetically and functionally… you find the model that will fit your space but perhaps you want more jets. Or, it has the features you want but it’s too big for the space you had in mind. In fact all portable spas, no matter what make or model, tend to stand out like a sore thumb in a well landscaped back yard.

The alternative is a built-in fiberglass spa. We offer 11 different models with much more diversity in shapes and sizes than a portable spa, and all can be customized with features to match your specific desires. Tile, fiber-optic lighting, the number of jets and where they’re placed are all up to you!

A custom fiberglass spa can be installed in a deck, in the ground or partially above ground, creating the environment that best suits your landscaping project. And for those who would like a pool but do not have the space, we offer several “swim spas” that are equipped with a “Badu” jet that allows you to walk, exercise or swim in place, combining the size and hydrotherapy of a spa with the benefits of an in-ground pool.

Most people approach buying a spa from a quantitative view; how many seats, how many jets, how many pumps at what horsepower, etc. While all of these specifications contribute to the spa’s cost, the fact is that these are meaningless if the spa does not meet your needs and expectations. Below are some of the factors to consider when shopping for a spa.

Jets - Obviously, the number of jets is one thing to consider when comparing spas; but more important is their placement. How are they arranged around the tub? Many spas concentrate their jets into one or two hot seats, leaving the remaining locations with only one or two jets. If the spa will be used primarily for one or two people, this arrangement may be ideal; however, if you’re house is “party central”, you would want the jets more evenly distributed around the hot tub. Another consideration would be the quality of the water stream. Does it have adequate pressure to suit you, and does the stream itself feel harsh or gentle? Some people like to be physically assaulted by the jets, while others prefer a soothing spa experience. The total number of jets are not as important as their quality and placement.

Pumps/ Motors - Pumps move the water through the hot tub. The more pumps and horsepower the better, right? Not necessarily! Although more pumps or higher horsepower will generally move more water in a spa, the number of pumps and their horsepower is just one small factor when examining quality of water movement. For example, are those horses thoroughbreds, or Clydesdales? Thoroughbreds will beat the Clydesdales to the finish line carrying a jockey, but have them drag a ton of bricks behind them and the race horses wouldn’t even reach the finish! If you were to compare a high quality 3hp pump to an 4hp Chinese or Korean pump found in many spas, you would find the diameter of the high performance motor to be 30% to 50% larger, due to the use of heavier wire and a higher number of windings. That pump will move more water for a longer time at a higher efficiency than the other pump, because horsepower does not measure how well a pump will perform against a load, in this case the weight of water.

Seating - Seating is one of the most subjective components of spa shopping. While a spa might have what looks to be a good seating plan, the only way you’re going to know if it’s comfortable for you is to GET INTO THE SPA! We know it’s a radical concept to suggest that you actually try out a spa that you are potentially going to spend several thousand dollars on and own for 15 years. You’ll be hearing this suggestion again and again during this tutorial, so get used to it. Get into the Spa! Examine the seating with an eye toward versatility: Is it a 5 person spa that will barely fit 5 people, or is it a 5 person spa that in a pinch could seat 6 or possible 7 people? Does that fact matter to you? Are you a party animal or a shy recluse? How many people will be using the spa on a regular basis? Theses are all criteria that will affect your overall comfort and seating needs.

Size - Naturally, the physical size of the spa you can use is sometime limited by the area you have to place it in. It is often surprising to us to find that clients are willing to sacrifice comfort or performance in a spa they are going to own for 10 or 15 years in order to fit it into a specific area in their yard. Would you choose a Yugo over a Lexus because the Yugo was the only one that came in the exact color that matched your garage, or would you paint the garage? Of course, there will be some clients who are severely limited by physical obstructions, and compromises must be made; otherwise, try to be open to alternate placements. In the long run, you’ll be happy you did.

Size vs. Seating - Many potential spa owners look at the number of seats they feel that they need, and disregard the size. In fact, they may have a much larger space allowance than the spa they choose requires, but since they were only concerned with buying a two person spa, they don’t even think about size. This is really an incorrect way to approach selecting a spa. To get the maximum spa experience, you should purchase the largest spa you can afford that meets your other requirements. Most spas vary the jet arrangement from seat to seat in order to provide hydrotherapy to different areas of the user’s body. The more seats, the more varied the massage. It is like doing a circuit on weight machines at a health club. Different machines work different muscle groups. In a spa, different seats concentrate on different areas of the body. The more seats you have, the more versatility you receive.

Hydrotherapy vs. Entertainment - All spas provide hydrotherapy (the combination of water, air, and heat). And all spas also provide entertainment/relaxation. A spa is the perfect product to relax and enjoy yourself while soothing sore muscles and joints. Spas are highly recommended by the American Arthritis Foundation.

Price vs. Performance - The higher the price, the better the performance. Although not totally etched in stone, these are words to live by. While lower priced spas will give you years of entertainment and relaxation, you basically get what you pay for. For high performance and true hydrotherapy, expect to invest around a minimum of $4500 for a 4-5 person spa.

Get In the Spa - Get in the spa - Get in the spa!! - Whether it’s that Yugo or the Lexus, you wouldn’t think of buying a car without test driving it first. And you only keep a car for 3 to 5 years! It never ceases to amaze us the number of people who buy a spa without trying it first! The first thing to do before committing to any spa is to get into it without water in the showroom. If you don’t like the way it feels dry, you probably won’t like the way it feels wet. After you’ve narrowed your selection down to one or two manufacturers, make arrangements to try them wet. Although we don’t keep every spa in our showroom filled, we always have at least one of every manufacturers products available to try. If a dealer hesitates to allow you to try his spas both dry and wet, maybe you should consider a different dealer. Period! End of Story!

Call 215-788-5532 for our low, low prices. We ship everywhere.