Hut tubs have been commercially available for about 50 years, so you can guess that the technology has come a long way. In the early days, hot tubs were normally merely a small round wooden tub that was bursting at the seams with over two people in it. They were invariably round in shape and there was very little choice.
The first hot tubs to appear in the States were seen in the 1940’s, but they were usually little more that than wooden barrels filled with hot water intended to give a long deep soak. In the 1950’s, the concept grew and families started to create or buy hot tubs in order to relax and to alleviate the indications of arthritis. By the mid 1960’s, people were adding home-manufactured heaters and pumps and very basic versions of the contemporary wooden hot tub were being born.
One early innovator was Roy Jacuzzi who invented and marketed the first hot tub that incorporated swirling water and jets. This whirlpool bath literally began the whole industry in 1968. In the early 1970’s, manufacturers began to incorporate stronger jets into their hot tubs and some manufacturers started constructing more comfortable designs out of fibreglass and acrylic. The business was taking off big time.
Jacuzzi started to produce bigger models so that friends or a family could all enjoy the experience together. Most of the modernizations since the late 1970’s have been technical, but these technical improvements have been quite serious.
The filters are more easily accessible these days which means that they are more likely to be cleaned as often as they ought to be in order to avoid the build up of bacteria from rotting vegetation and hair. This will pollute the water and could pose a health hazard. Not only that, but clogged filters means that the pump has to work harder to circulate the water which means more wear and tear and eventually, more cost.
There is a better choice of materials and colours nowadays. Before, the option was: what sort of wood do you want? Now you can still have that choice, plus the choice of any colour acrylic you want as well. Or you can have an acrylic tub inside a wooden (or synthetic timber) exterior or skirt.
The benefits of the synthetic materials are that they last longer, are easier to clean and can be impregnated with a product that kills or wards off bacteria and mould.
The seating arrangement can be personalized in modern spas to suit individual bathers. Each seat might have one or more directable jets and the chair itself may be manufactured to a specific height for a specific person or for a certain injury or condition.
The water heating arrangements are a great deal more adaptable as well. Nowadays, the water can be warmed by gas, electricity, your homes central heating system or by solar power, which is a huge improvement if you live in a country that enjoys a great deal of sun.
To top it all off, you can add aromatherapy oils and spa salt crystals to the water by placing them in a draw like in a washing machine and have them circulated in the water uniformly.
Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on a number of topics, but is now concerned with Hot Springs hot tubs. If you would like to know more, please visit our site at Hot Springs Spa Parts