Let’s face it, hot tubs aren’t cheap. That doesn’t mean you have to overpay though! Today, we will discuss how you can save money on your hot tub by purchasing it at the right time!
What Time Of Year Should You Buy Your Hot Tub?
Spring
Early Spring is a great time to buy a hot tub as this is the time when most retailers start getting in their new stock from hot tub manufacturers. Often times, hot tub manufacturers have minimum order quantities or offer large discounts on high volume orders. For this reason, most retailers overbuy and try to offload their excess inventory with an event sale.
Summer
Once Summer hits, many hot tub and pool retailers begin to switch focus to pools. For that reason, there typically aren’t very many hot tub sales throughout the Summer. That said, it is worth checking in to see if there are any available floor models that the retailer is looking to offload.
By late Summer, most hot tub retailers switch their focus back to hot tubs and start planning their Fall hot tub sales. Since hot tubs typically take around 6 weeks to be made and shipped, retailers have to order their hot tubs well in advance of the actual sale. This is a good time to check with the owner or manager of the retailer to see what they will be bringing in for their upcoming sales. Most are more than happy to pre-sell a few of these hot tubs, allowing you to get the first pick of the incoming hot tubs while also locking in the sale price!
Fall
Fall is typically the most popular time to buy a hot tub. For this reason, it is also the most common time to see hot tubs sales. By late Fall, most hot tub sales are over. That doesn’t mean you can’t get a good deal, however. Check with retailers to see if they have any leftover sale hot tubs or floor models that they are looking to get rid of.
Winter
Winter is typically the least popular time to buy a hot tub in Canada as the cold weather and frozen ground make delivery and installation almost impossible in most cases. For that reason, there typically aren’t many hot tub sales during this time. That doesn’t mean that there are no deals to be had, however.
Winter is a great time to get a great deal on a floor model hot tub. With retailers not selling much during the Winter and having to make room for the new models going in the Spring, most are more than willing to give a great deal on a floor model, sometimes even below sale pricing!
So When Is The Best Time To Buy A Hot Tub?
As you can see, it typically doesn’t really matter what time of year you’re looking to buy a hot tub. With the exception of Early to Mid-Summer, there are usually great deals to be had at most hot tub retailers. Just as important as timing is knowing the right questions to ask. There is almost always a deal to be had somewhere.
If there isn’t a hot tub sale on when you’re looking to buy, talk to the owner or manager of the retailer to see if there are any other deals to be had. Specifically, you can ask:
- Do they have any floor models they are looking to get of?
- Do they have any sales coming up soon?
- Do they have any hot tubs ordered for those sales? Would they be willing to sell any of them before the sale starts?
- Does the manufacturer have any blemished models that they are looking to get rid of?
Other Things To Consider
While buying at the right time can save you money, the purchase price isn’t everything. To truly get a good deal on a hot tub, you also need to make sure that it is right for your family, and won’t cost you an arm and a leg down the road. How can you do that? Ask yourself these three questions.
1) Why Are You Buying A Hot Tub?
With so many different hot tub makes and models available, it can be hard to figure out exactly which one will best meet your needs. To help this, you should always define exactly why you’re buying a hot tub before you start looking. Generally speaking, most people buy hot tubs for one of the following reasons:
- To relieve pain.
- To relax and de-stress.
- To entertain and reconnect with friends and family.
By defining which of these best describes your needs, you are then able to pinpoint which hot tubs have the features that will best suit those needs, and which ones do not. For example, if you’re just looking to relax after a long day, there is no point buying a hot tub with 100 jets. If you want to entertain and the hot tub you’re looking at only has 3 seats, it’s probably not going to suit your needs.
2) What Are The Ongoing Costs Of The Hot Tub?
One of the biggest mistakes that first-time hot tub buyers make is putting too much emphasis on the purchase price of a hot tub; without also considering its ongoing costs. While the purchase price is definitely important, only focusing on initial costs can cost you a ton of money over the life of the hot tub.
When purchasing a hot tub you also need to consider the long-term costs of the hot tub; that is how much it will cost to run, maintain and fix over its entire life. While a given hot tub might be $2000 less to purchase than another, it could also cost an extra $4000 or more over its lifetime in extra energy costs and extra repair bills.
While you definitely need to be mindful of how much your new hot tub will cost to purchase, you also need to make sure that it is well built, uses quality parts and is energy efficient.
Signs Of A Low Long-Term Cost Hot Tub
Long term hot tub costs can be broken into 3 main categories:
- Chemical costs.
- Repair costs.
- Energy costs.
Most hot tubs will have roughly the same chemical costs, with smaller hot tubs being slightly cheaper than larger hot tubs. Repair costs can also be very difficult to predict. Although you can never know for certain what your repair costs will be over the life of the hot tub, buying from a reputable North American manufacturer is the most reliable way to minimize them.
This leaves us with the most variable of the long-term hot tub costs; energy. While some hot tubs can run for less than a dollar a day, others can hundreds of dollars per month to maintain. So how can you tell which hot tubs will be less expensive to run? There are a few things that you can look at:
- Where are they made? Hot tubs manufacturers based in warm areas are generally not as concerned about energy efficiency as those from colder climates such as Canada.
- How well are they insulated? If possible, try to find a hot tub with insulation around the cabinet as well as the plumbing. The extra insulation around the cabinet of the hot tub traps waste heat from the motors and heaters and uses it to heat the water further, and protect the hot tub electronics from the freezing winter weather.
- How efficient is the filtration system? Hot tubs need to filter their water anywhere from 8-24 hours per day to keep the water clean and clear. While this process is very necessary, it is also responsible for a high percentage of the energy costs of a hot tub. To reduce this cost, look for a filtration system that is able to clean the water quickly and efficiently. Hydropool’s Self-Cleaning filtration system, for example, uses a unique pressurized design that is able to clean all of the water in the hot tub in less than 15 minutes (others typically need between 2-4 hours). This means that Self-Cleaning hot tubs only need to run for a fraction of the time that others do, saving you a ton of money in energy costs.
3) Who Are You Buying The Hot Tub From?
Poor after-sales service can ruin any hot tub buying experience. If something goes wrong, you want to make sure that the issue will be resolved quickly and professionally. For that reason, it’s important to consider who you’re buying the hot tub from. How long have they been in business? What is their reputation? Do they service what they sell or subcontract the work out? Answering these sorts of questions can go a long way towards ensuring that you aren’t left disappointed by your after-sales service.
