How Long Do Hot Tubs Last? Everything You Need to Know

Considering getting a Hot Tub for your household or are you ready to upgrade to a newer model? You might wonder how many years this investment will last. We find that knowing the life expectancy of a hot tub greatly influences your purchase decision.

How Long Do Hot Tubs Last?

The lifespan of a Hot Tub ranges from 5 – 20 years. Where it falls within this range is ultimately dependent on a combination of a few factors. Poorly constructed hot tubs have a shorter lifespan as well as poorly maintained spas. On average, a spa with a ‘cheaper’ purchase price will last less than 5 years before you start to have significant maintenance issues to deal with.

Below, we break down each factor to give you more perspective and help you make a great purchase decision.

Warranty

Most Hot Tub manufactures will warranty their product. The length of the warranty offered varies and provides a good indicator of the longevity of the unit.

Quality of Construction

Just like excellent construction of a home gives it a foundation built to last, quality construction of a hot tub makes it go a long(er) way. Unfortunately, some builders of hot tubs use low quality, less expensive materials in order to reduce their costs. As always, you often get what you pay for in the end.

Here are a few factors to consider:

Arctic Spas Composite HULL Shell

The shell

The basis of any quality spa is the strength of the shell. At Arctic Spas®, we start with a wide selection of high gloss smooth and textured ABS backed cast acrylics. Then a proprietary heat transferring, no VOCs, composite material called Elastocast™ is sprayed on the shell to give steadfast structural integrity. This environmentally responsible way of building a spa shell allows us to take advantage of our Northern Insulation Heatlock® system.

The cabinet

Our No Maintenance cabinet borrows from our tried and proven cedar cabinet that is built for strength and longevity– we have replicated this beautiful and functional design in 100% composite materials. So, there is no need to sand or stain the cabinet regularly as they can be easily cleaned with the garden hose. Solid top and bottom rails and vertical surfaces are all HighWood composite material – highly resistant to the ravages of sun and weather, providing a true “no maintenance” exterior to your Arctic Spa®.

Arctic Spas no maintenance cabinets
Arctic Spas Freeheat cycle

The insulation system

The investment in constructing a self-supporting shell allows Arctic Spas® to insulate differently than everyone else. Insulation in the right place saves you money, every day! For our design inspiration, we didn’t have to look far, our homes in northern Canada provided us all we needed. We insulate the exterior walls, the floors and most importantly the attics of our homes and we tuck everything important to us within this insulated envelope.

Ambient heat from the pump penetrates the spa shell and heats the water. In winter this heat returns to the pump area in the event of a power loss. We have always believed that insulation below the water surface is of small value if the areas above and directly to the sides of the water are not adequately insulated (seriously, doesn’t heat rise?).

The “attic” of our design is our Mylovac cover, which at 5” of thickness and featuring a full-length baffle is capable of retaining even more of your energy dollars. Next, high density polyurethane foam is applied to the cabinet walls and lip underside to a thickness that stops heat loss. We finish off this insulation envelope with the same foam applied into our floor systems.

Then, we place all our equipment inside this cocoon, creating a perfect, stable operating environment.

Take some time to explore the engineering and construction of a hot tub before you purchase. You might be surprised at what you discover. This factor is crucial to your hot tub’s longevity, as even a well-maintained hot tub will fail sooner if it’s made poorly or with low-quality material.

Arctic Spas Mylovac Cover

Regular maintenance

When you invest in a hot tub, you’re expected to perform a certain level of upkeep to ensure it stays clean and in working order.
Some hot tub maintenance may include:

1

Cleaning the cover, filters, and shell

2

Balancing your Hot Tub water

3

Changing the water

Even something as simple as showering before entering your hot tub can reduce the build-up of materials, like body and hair care products, from getting into the spa.

Enjoy Your Hot Tub for Decades to Come

 If you perform regular maintenance on your hot tub, you won’t have to ponder, “How long do hot tubs last?” Similarly, if you purchase a hot tub that’s constructed using high-quality materials, your hot tub should last you ten to twenty years, minimum!

At Arctic Spas®, we have what it takes to build beautiful, long-lasting hot tubs that you can expect to enjoy for years and years.