Most hot tubs or generally hard-wearing and long-lasting however there may well come a time when you are faced with a big repair bill. Depending upon the size of the bill and the age of the hot tub you will have to ask yourself whether it is worth fixing your hot tub or not. Is having a repair done good value for money or are you just throwing good money after bad? If you are having a bit of a dilemma as to whether your hot tub is worth fixing or not then this post is for you and hopefully, it will help lead you to the right decision.
So when is a hot tub not worth fixing? A hot tub is not worth fixing when the cost of the repair is going to be more than the value of the hot tub itself. A hot tub is also not worth fixing if you know that, even after the repair, you are likely to have to spend a lot more money on it in the near future. A hot tub might not be worth fixing if it is old either. An old hot tub will be significantly less energy efficient than a new one and you could potentially save a lot of money over a period of time with a more energy-efficient hot tub.
There are a number of variable factors involved in deciding whether to fix your hot tub or not. It’s a complicated issue and only when you have weighed up all of the facts can you make an informed decision. Here are the main things that you need to consider:
How old is the hot tub?
Generally speaking, hot tubs have a lifespan of between 5 and 20 years or so. Less expensive hot tubs will last less time as they are made from cheaper materials and components and more high-end hot tubs will last longer due to the quality of their manufacture and assembly. So, if your hot tub is near the beginning of its life then it may well make sense to invest in repairing it and you could reasonably expect it’s to last a number of years without any more large bills hopefully.
However, if you have a hot tub that is maybe 10 years old or more then it becomes a little more complicated. If you have a large repair bill then it might well be that you feel that it’s not worth putting your money into the old hot tub. The obvious issue is that there is a risk that once some components have started wearing and needing replacing the chances are that other components will soon follow. However, even if you replace the pump and heater and any other major components it will still be less expensive than buying a completely new hot tub. You could, in theory, more or less replace the consumable components of your hot tub completely and get 20 or more years use out of it. It would be expensive to do so in the short-term but if you view the overall expenditure over a 20 year period then this could represent very good value for money.
But there is a hidden issue here. Inevitably and older hot tub will be significantly less energy efficient than a new model. The technology used to insulate it will be inferior to current technology and you will be wasting a lot of money due to this. The chances of the insulation in an old hot tub been either waterlogged, decomposing or compressed are also quite high meaning that it’s very likely that an older hot tub will be costing you money in wasted heat. This might not seem like a major issue as you might imagine that it could be costing you only a few dollars per month. However, if you have your hot tub on all the time and all year round you could potentially save hundreds if not thousands of dollars in heating costs over time. If you know that you are going to be using your hot tub on a more or less daily basis for the next decade or so and that you will have it on all the time throughout the year, it might well be cheaper over a decade or more to buy a new hot tub and save on the energy costs than it will be to repair an old one and pay for excessive amounts of energy due to its lack of thermal efficiency.
Apart from the purely financial decision about whether your hot tub is worth fixing or not, bear in mind that if you have an old hot tub (even if you think it is worth spending money replacing parts to keep it going and it does seem to be costing only a reasonable amount in energy) it will probably be much less pleasurable to use than a modern model. It will probably be less comfortable to sit in, have fewer jets and features and also may have limited lighting, waterfalls or entertainment features. You might feel that these things are not important to you but don’t lose sight of the fact that a hot tub is a purely luxury item. To a certain extent, if you are going to have a luxury item it makes sense to have the best luxury item you can afford. If you are on the fence about whether or not to repair or fix up your old hot tub bear in mind that no matter how efficient it is, it will never be as exciting to use as a modern model.
Having said all that though there is however something to be said, particularly in terms of eco-friendliness, for keeping your hot tub going as long as possible. If you’re if you are happy with its comfort and performance levels then, to a certain extent, you won’t miss what you don’t have so this might be a reasonable course of action as well.
How much is your hot tub worth?
Another issue which will affect your decision as to whether it’s worth repairing your hot tub or not is how much your hot tub is likely to be worth. Remember that if you want to, you can always sell your hot tub or trade it in for a new one. If you know that your hot tub is only worth $2000 or $3,000 second-hand or as a trade-in and you have a repair bill for $1,500 then it doesn’t really make a lot of sense to spend the money. Having said this though, a non-working hot tub is essentially worthless so it might be worth biting the bullet and having it repaired and then selling it before upgrading to a new hot tub. Sometimes though, it’s just not worth the hassle and expense of having a repair done and it might be that the best course of action is to trade in your broken hot tub for a new one. Most dealers will give a discount of a few $100 or more even for a hot tub that is not currently in working condition.
Does your hot tub need further repair or investment?
Think about whether your hot tub is likely to need any more repairs or replacement parts in the near future. It might feel like a good idea to fix your hot tub and now and also feel that this is financially a good idea but what happens if you have to spend another $1,000 on it in the next few months? Would it still look like a good financial decision then or would you possibly be better replacing your hot tub in that instance?
So check, for example, that your hot tub cover is in good condition. If it is looking tired and particularly if it is heavy and sagging in the middle then the chances are that you will need to replace it in the near future. An old hot tub cover will have become saturated with water which will mean that it’s thermal properties will be severely limited. It will be costing you extra money on a daily basis to heat your hot tub as the hot air escapes through your old cover. With new hot tub covers costing anywhere up to roundabout $500 you may need to factor this into your decision-making.
I have a detailed post here on choosing and a new hot tub cover and looking after it.
Similarly, have you noticed any other noises or worrying signs coming from your hot tub recently? Are the pumps becoming more noisy for example? If you have noticed an increase in noise then it could be that your pumps may need replacing in the next few months which again can be significantly expensive. If your hot tub seems to be heating more slowly your heater, or heating element at least, may need replacing in the near future which could all potentially add to the expenditure.
Also, have a good look around your hot tub for leaks. Any water in the cabinet is not a good sign and a leak can be difficult to find and time-consuming to fix. The main issue is that the insulation inside the hot tub is likely to be compromised by water. Obviously, water-saturated insulation is ineffective so often the leak itself is quick and easy to fix but it’s finding it within the depths of a fully foam-filled hot tub that takes the time. After the leak is fixed all of the affected foam has to be removed and replaced which again is time-consuming and can be expensive.
Finally, do you know of any jets on your hot tub that will need replacing soon? Generally speaking jets on not that expensive and are easy to fix but if one or two jets have broken or worn out then the chances are that other ones will follow quite quickly. Numbers add up and if your hot tub has 20 or 30 jets you can be looking at a reasonably large repair bill over a period of time to get everything working again.
How much does it cost to fix a hot tub?
Obviously, the amount it is going to cost to fix a fault on your hot tub will depend on what is wrong with it and also the area that you live. But here are a few examples to give you a sort of ballpark idea of what the costs might be:
How much does it cost to fix a leaking hot tub? This will all depend on where the leak is and how long it takes to find the leak. Most hot tub leaks can be fixed for under $500 with a majority of the expenditure being on the time it takes to find the leak and on replacing damaged insulation. For a leak that is buried deep in the hot tub insulation and taking longer to find and to refill with insulation, it could be closer to $1,000. However, having said that, for a simple leak of maybe a pipe union or joint that isn’t insulated and is close to one of the main components, it may be a very simple DIY job or a very cheap professional job to repair.
How much does it cost to replace a hot tub pump? Again this is a possible DIY job which will save some time on labor costs but assuming that you have a qualified service technician to do the job it will cost you around about $500 per pump. The price on this will vary according to the size of the pump and the brand.
How much does it cost to replace a hot tub jet? Hot tub jets are relatively inexpensive and could be as little as between $20 and $50 to replace. Obviously, there are more complicated models which will be more expensive but they are generally relatively inexpensive. The issue with hot tub jets is that you may potentially need to replace a large number. If you have to replace 10 jets at $50 each the costs soon mount up.
How much does it cost to replace a hot tub heater? Again, depending upon the make and model of the hot tub heater it is likely to cost between $350 and $750 to replace. Bear in mind that you may not require the whole heater unit and you might only need a new heating element in which case it is possibly only going to cost between $60 and $150.
Related Questions:
Why is my hot tub not working? There could be any number of reasons as to why your hot tub isn’t working but, first of all, check the obvious one and make sure that it is connected to the electricity and turned on! Has the fuse blown or the consumer unit switch flipped? If your hot tub isn’t heating up then possibly the heating element needs replacing. Or is the problem that the water isn’t flowing around and that the pumps aren’t working? Some of the most common issues, particularly on modern hot tubs, are electrical ones. It might be that resetting or switching on and off again solves the problem. However, in a lot of cases “user error” can be to blame and you might have mistakenly put your hot tub onto a different setting or program. Check your instruction booklet carefully and look at any troubleshooting guide at the back. If you can’t fix the problem after this then contact your hot tub dealer for help.
How long does a hot tub last? How long a hot tub will last depends upon the quality of the hot tub components, design and manufacture as well as how well it has been cared for. Budget-priced hot tubs may last for only around 5 years whereas a top of the range model could give up to 25 years of service. Around 10 to 15 years is a good lifespan for a middle of the range hot tub.
Can a hot tub leak be fixed? Yes, hot tub leaks can be fixed. Generally speaking, fixing a leak on a hot tub is a simple plumbing job and, once fixed, the leak shouldn’t cause any more problems. However, the main problem with fixing leaks on hot tubs is one of access. Often finding a leak will be very time consuming and difficult as it will most likely be hidden in the depths of insulation. Often the insulation will have to be scraped away and removed in a large area to pinpoint the problem. After the leak is fixed the insulation will have to be replaced as well adding further to the cost and time involved.
Andrew Hind
This post was created by Andrew. Enjoyer of hot tub soaking, fine cheese, music and photography.