We finally did it.  What is ‘it’, you ask?  We bought a hot tub, and you can too in just four easy steps:

1.  Start looking on Craigslist two years prior to investing in a hot tub.  That way, when the time is right you will have a good gauge of what is realistic to afford and what to expect from your price category.  When the time is right, start checking Craigslist daily for hot tub deals.  Earmark those that are your favorites and watch them for weeks, or even months.  Over time some will be sold, but others will see great price reductions.  When one of your favorites hits your mark, go for it!  Meet the guy at a storage space under the power lines in Mill Creek, pay him and have it delivered to your house.  This whole process may take about 2.5 years.  Be patient, it is worth the wait!

2.  Wire your hot tub to meet code.  This will entail an eye for detail and ability to read books, search the web and follow instructions laid out for you.  Being able to read electrician code will benefit you here.  Plan to make at least two extra trips to Home Depot for lost/missing parts during this portion of the hot tub installation process.  Kiss your husband or wife afterward to thank him or her for their willingness to handle dangerous electrical craziness that scares the bejeebees out of you.  If you hire this part out, kisses would be inappropriate.

3.  Fill the tub up THROUGH THE FILTER with cold hose water.  If you have it, warm hose water will speed up the process.  You can add chemicals at this point, but you really don’t have to for another day or so, unless your kids (or you) put the ‘P’ in ‘Pool” if you know what I mean.  Then you may need to doctor the water a little more.  It takes about 12 hours to get the water to a smoking 104 (too stinking hot, 102 is much more reasonable).

4.  When the water is hot, throw your kids in and see how red they get.  Their lower half should be a healthy pink color while the upper half will retain it’s white appearance.  Enjoy.  Plan to go into the tub at least five times the first day, especially if you are on Spring Break.  If you are not on Spring Break this will be much more difficult.  Try to get your tub on a Friday so you can do the five times thing the following Saturday.  If you are on Spring Break, plan to go in daily and plan for your kids to live in the darn thing for the week.  Have lots and lots (and lots) of extra towels and bathing suits on hand.  Plan to do lots of laundry, and plan to make many trips to the Dollar Store to load up on floaties, non-functioning goggles and other garbage that will get caught in the filter.

5. (This is the secret 5th step) no matter how big of a pain the whole process is, enjoy.  It is ridiculously fun, after all, to have 300 gallons of piping hot water just stewing away in your back yard for you to step into anytime you have sore muscles or are freezing cold.

(And yes, we have had a lot of fun with the silly thing.  It was this or a vacation and I think we made the right choice!)


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