How to Buy a Swim Spa: The REAL Questions You NEED Answered Before Buying
If you’re going to buy a swim spa, the first thing we suggest you do is have good answers to the questions we pose in this article. If you know these, you will avoid the mistakes that some people do when they buy a swim spa.
It’s normal to have swim spa questions. We want people armed with information on what swim spas cost, where to put them and understand the maintenance involved in owning one. We have sold swim spas since the 1980s, and from the beginning we have understood this is the kind of product that people have a lot of questions about.
Here’s a list of the main questions people ask, along with answers.
- How much is a swim spa going to cost?
- How much is a swim spa with a hot tub?
- How much does it cost to run a swim spa?
- How do I choose which is the right swim spa for me?
- How big is a swim spa?
- What’s the best place for a swim spa?
- How much work is a swim spa to maintain?
- Do I need to get approval for a swim spa?
- What options do swim spas come with?
- How is a swim spa delivered?
We hope by answering these questions, you’ll have a solid sense of how to buy a swim spa and what most people are concerned about.
How Much Does a Swim Spa Cost?
The range is roughly $25,000-$70,000 Cdn, for the swim spa itself. If you pay less than that, you’re into cheaper versions we don’t recommend (for a list of quality swim spa brands to consider, click here).
Here’s a video that breaks this down further:
The swim spa is only part of your costs. For a complete breakdown of everything, check out this article:
How Much is a Swim Spa With a Hot Tub?
Models with both hot tubs and swim spas are popular for socializing, as you can have people playing and swimming and lounging at the same time. This is a Hydropool AquaSport 19-foot DTAX. For more on it, click here.
This style of swim spa is often called a dual-temperature unit or dual-temp, for short. These start around $50,000 and can go up past $60,000. You can also buy separate swim spa and hot tub units, as another way to get both versions. The prices there will vary depending on which units you select.
How Much Does It Cost to Run a Swim Spa?
It costs about $100 a month, including everything: your power, your chemicals and water. You can hire someone to do the work for you, as another option and the cost ranges depending on where you are. For more, check out the following article.
How Do I Choose Which is the Right Swim Spa for Me?
You have a few decisions to make. Your budget is one. The second big decision is how you intend to use the swim spa.
- Do you want the swim spa for swimming?
- Do you want it to be an all-round activity centre?
- Do you want it purely for recreation (almost like a big hot tub)?
What you’ll find is that most swim spas can be slotted into one of those categories (Hydropool’s break down roughly this way, you can read more here if you like). You should be able to do the following things in a swim spa:
- Swim without a tether, and have the level be adjustable for different swimmers
- Use it as a large hot tub
- Use it for fitness
- Use it for entertaining, like you could with a pool
- Be able to be sold in California (it has the harshest energy efficient restrictions)
Any swim spa that doesn’t let you do those things is not worth your money!
How Big is a Swim Spa?
The last decision you have to make is about size. In general, they are eight feet wide, and from 10 to 19 feet long. Check out the following article to learn more there:
What is the Best Place for a Swim Spa?
In Canada? As close to your house as possible, is the usual line, because it will help you use it more (the run back in the house in the winter can be fun, but it’s also still best if it’s short).
You also need to leave two to four feet around the entire swim spa so that people are able to access it easily should it ever need servicing down the road.
In-ground and above-ground installations are possible, although in-ground comes with considerably more work and expense. More below:
How Much Work is a Swim Spa to Maintain?
A swim spa requires weekly maintenance. You need to check the water balance and adjust it and hose down your filters at least once a week, with a deep filter clean about every six months or so. You will need to replace the water every four to six months or so. Regimes can vary, but that’s more or less the work involved. With our self-clean models, it’s generally about 20 minutes a week and most people get the hang out of it easily. Others hire people to look after them, which we understand as well (locally, we recommend this service).
Do I Need to Get Approval for My Swim Spa?
In most cases no, but swim spas are regulated differently depending on your location. You will always want to check with your local regulations. Click here for an article on this.
What Options Do Swim Spas Come With?
Check out this video:
How is a Swim Spa Delivered?
Very carefully! At Hydropool, we do them all by crane. We’ve learned that it is the safest way. Have a look:
You can get them just dropped on your lawn (so you can move it yourself) or rolled in (if you have a path big enough) but in general we have found the risks aren’t worth the rewards in those cases.
How Do I Landscape Around My Swim Spa?
Oh we bet you have more ideas than we do! We have seen it all, decks around the spa, swim spas done like pools, pergolas on top with dangling lights are very common: there are a lot of options. Your local dealer is your best spot, as he or she will know what most people have done in your area.
Our Ultimate Tip: How Do I Buy a Swim Spa?
The best piece of advice we can give you is to buy from a local retailer. A swim spa is the type of product where it is best if you have some support along the way. Chances are you will have questions as you own it: We can almost guarantee you will have questions. They can be best answered by a professional who has been there before.
We hope we have answered your main questions in this article! There’s a chance you have more, and if so, don’t hesitate to reach out to your local retailer now.
