Learning Hub
32 questions hot tub buyers and owners ask, with a short answer to each. Every answer has its own page with the detail, and the glossary explains the words.
Cost and value
- 01How much does a hot tub really cost in BC, all in?For the One Model, the tub is $19,995 CAD, with the hard cover and delivery to your pad included. Add electrical work and a pad, and the usual Vancouver Island total is $21,995 to $22,995.
- 02How much does it cost to run a hot tub per month in BC?The One Model typically costs $15 to $25 a month to run in BC, depending on how much you use it. Its measured energy rating, from the CEC approval, is still to come. Here is what drives the cost and what to ask any seller.
- 03Is a hot tub worth it?It is worth it when it fits how you will use it, your yard, your all-in budget and the weekly routine. A test soak on Vancouver Island lets you try the One Model before you decide.
- 04How long does a hot tub last?It depends on how the tub is built, how it is looked after and who can repair it. Good Hot Tubs does not give a number of years for any tub, pump or cover. This page shows what decides the answer.
- 05What should a hot tub warranty cover?Ask which parts it covers, for how long, whether it pays for labour, and who does the repair. The One Model's warranty covers parts on all major components for 3 years, labour for 1 year and the shell structure for 7 years. If something goes wrong, contact Good Hot Tubs, and it arranges the repair.
- 06Buying a hot tub online: what to check before you orderBuying a hot tub online works when you can check the things a showroom would let you check. Look at the yard, the fit, the tub itself, what the price includes and who delivers and services it. This page shows how that works for the One Model on Vancouver Island.
Your yard and your house
- 07Where can you put a hot tub?The One Model needs a base at least 86 by 86 inches, a way in at least 42 inches wide, 90 inches clear overhead and its own 240V, 50-amp circuit. For a deck, patio stones, pavers, gravel or a garage, raise it on the video call before you order.
- 08Does a hot tub need to be on concrete? Pad options and sizeThe One Model needs a base at least 86 by 86 inches, with 18 inches clear on every side. A pad averages $500 to $1,000 on Vancouver Island. Whoever designs your pad may ask how much the tub weighs.
- 09Can my deck hold a hot tub?Whether your deck can hold a hot tub depends on how the deck was built, and a structural engineer decides. In Nanaimo, the City's deck guide says a structural engineer will be required for the design and field review of deck structures supporting a hot tub.
- 10What electrical does a hot tub need?What electrical a hot tub needs depends on the tub. The One Model needs a dedicated 240V circuit on 50 amps, installed by a licensed electrician. It cannot plug into a regular outlet. On Vancouver Island, the electrical work usually costs $1,500 to $2,000.
- 11Do you need a permit for a hot tub in BC?Technical Safety BC requires a permit before regulated electrical work starts unless an exemption applies, and a new circuit for a hot tub is electrical installation work. The contractor you hire usually applies for it.
- 12Plug-and-play 120V or 240V: what power does a hot tub need?Plug-and-play means a hot tub plugs into a regular 120V outlet. The One Model needs a dedicated 240V circuit on 50 amps, installed by a licensed electrician, and its water pump runs 24 hours a day.
Delivery and setup
- 13How is a hot tub delivered, and when do you need a crane?A hot tub is delivered to your pad on a dolly and a cart, and some yards need a crane. The One Model's standard delivery is in the price. A fence lift, a slope the dolly cannot handle, a deck or going over the house needs a crane, which you hire and pay directly.
- 14What happens on delivery day and at the first fill?A local expert brings the One Model to your pad and sets it up. Have the pad, the circuit and a clear path ready. The local team does the first fill, tests and balances the water and shows you how to use the tub, and you get 30 days of support after that.
- 15How long does a hot tub take to heat up?How long a hot tub takes to heat up depends on its heater. Good Hot Tubs has not released the One Model's heat-up time or heater rating yet. Plan your soak around a thermometer reading.
Water care
- 16How much maintenance does a hot tub need?With the One Model, a short routine: a test strip each week, a new filter every 3 to 6 months, a new salt cell every 6 to 18 months, a yearly check-up, and a drain and refill every 1 to 2 years. The tub does the daily work.
- 17Do saltwater hot tubs use chlorine?Yes. A salt system uses electricity to make chlorine from salt, a process called electrolysis, so the water still holds chlorine. In the One Model, the salt system makes it, and you still test the water with a strip each week.
- 18What chemicals does a hot tub need?A sanitiser, usually chlorine, and a way to keep pH in range. The CDC recommends at least 3 ppm of chlorine and a pH of 7.0 to 7.8. In the One Model, the salt system makes the chlorine, and the rest are household items: cleaning vinegar to lower pH and baking soda to raise alkalinity.
- 19How does a hot tub ozone system work?Ozone kills bacteria and viruses on contact as water passes through the ozone unit, and it leaves nothing behind in the tub. You still need chlorine or bromine, and you still test. In the One Model, the ClearCore ozone chamber is part of the water-care system.
- 20How often should you clean or replace a hot tub filter?For the One Model, check the filter and replace it every 3 to 6 months. It is an antimicrobial filter that traps dirt and debris as the water flows through it. Weaker jets and cloudy water are signs a filter needs attention.
- 21How do you test hot tub water?Owners test chlorine and pH, and the CDC says to follow the maker's directions for the test you use. In the One Model, you test with a strip once a week and enter the result in the app, while Waterlab reads pH, ORP and temperature in the plumbing.
- 22Why is my hot tub water cloudy, foamy or green?The King County public health hot tub guide lists the same steps for all three: filter more, clean the filter, check pH and chlorine, replace the water if needed. In the One Model, check the app readings, test with a strip, check the filter, then contact Good Hot Tubs.
- 23How often should you drain a hot tub?For the One Model, drain and refill every 1 to 2 years. Between drains, the weekly test strip and the app show whether the water needs anything. Good Hot Tubs has not released drain steps yet.
- 24What temperature should a hot tub be?Never above 40°C (104°F), says the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). It calls 38°C (100°F) safe for a healthy adult. Check the water with an accurate thermometer, because a thermostat can be off by as much as four degrees.
Winter and the Island
- 25Can you use a hot tub in winter on Vancouver Island?Yes, you can use a hot tub in winter on Vancouver Island. King County public health guidance says to keep the pump running in freezing weather, and the One Model's water pump runs 24 hours a day. A hard cover that lifts with one hand and perimeter insulation keep the heat in.
- 26Hot tubs on Vancouver Island: delivery and service across the IslandGood Hot Tubs delivers the One Model, a hot tub for Vancouver Island, across the whole Island from Victoria to Port Hardy. You buy online, and a local expert brings the tub to your yard, sets it up and services it. Orders open January 1, 2027.
Choosing a tub
- 27How many jets does a hot tub need?How many jets a hot tub needs depends on where the jets sit, how they are grouped and how you control them. The One Model has 25 massage jets in three zones, and every jet except the central Everywhere jet turns from off to full with a quarter turn.
- 28Full foam or perimeter insulation: what is the difference?Full foam or perimeter insulation differ in how the cabinet is built. Full foam fills the cabinet with spray foam around the shell and the plumbing. Perimeter insulation lines the cabinet walls and leaves the plumbing reachable. The One Model uses perimeter insulation, with no full foam.
- 29Hard hot tub cover or foam cover: what is the difference?A hard hot tub cover and a foam cover differ in what happens in rain and snowmelt. A foam cover can soak up water, which makes it heavy. The One Model's Smartop Upright 3.0 hard cover does not absorb water, and its built-in hydraulic lift opens it with one hand.
- 30What size hot tub do you need for 6 people?What size hot tub you need for 6 people depends on how the seats are laid out as much as the footprint. The One Model seats 4 to 7 people across 12 seating positions, deep and shallow. It is 86 by 86 inches, 38 inches high, holds 345 US gallons and needs a room of 96 by 100 inches.
When something is off
- 31Why are my hot tub jets weak or not working?Hot tub jets can be weak because the filter is dirty or because the jet at your seat is turned down. On the One Model, every jet except the central one turns from off to full with a quarter turn. If the jets are still weak, contact Good Hot Tubs.
- 32Why is my hot tub not heating or tripping the breaker?A hot tub that is not heating, or keeps tripping the breaker, needs a few safe checks and then a call. Check the water temperature with an accurate thermometer and keep the cover on. Work on the circuit is for a licensed electrician. Under warranty, contact Good Hot Tubs, who arrange the rest.
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Is the One Model right for you?
Ten questions about your home and how you would use a hot tub. You see your result before you give any contact details, and you can ask for a test soak on Vancouver Island when you send it.