Considering that a moderately priced hot tub can cost seven or eight thousand dollars new, it’s very tempting to buy a used hot tub from a classified ad or on Craigslist.
But you need to be very careful buying a used hot tub anywhere. First, there’s the question of: is it working? Then, there’s the expense of moving it from the seller’s back yard to yours, followed by the cost of building a base to put the hot tub onto and finally, having an electrician run an outdoor circuit and hooking up the tub.
While most people selling hot tubs on websites like Craigslist are honest, there are several opportunities for them to withhold information, or slightly under-exaggerate the potential problems with the tub.
Here are a few statements that sellers may make, and what you might want to consider when you hear those statements.
1) “Oh, it’s got a few leaks, it’ll probably cost you a couple dollars in PVC from Home Depot to repair.”
This statement is a warning that you need to find out where those leaks are before you put any money into the hot tub. Let’s face it, if it only cost a few dollars to repair, they probably would have done it already. As a company that finds and repairs leaks on a regular basis, we can assure you that very few leaks can be repaired with a couple of dollars of PVC from Home Depot.
A $25 part requiring $1000 worth of labor.
2) “It was working fine when we drained it two years ago and haven’t used it since.”
If you are living in a climate where it gets below 32 degrees during the winter, then “we drained it” may mean the same as “we destroyed it.” Almost all tubs will have 5 to 10 gallons of water inside the pipes if the tub is just drained. That water will freeze during the winter and crack pipes, leaving thousands of dollars in potential repair costs.
To protect a hot tub from freeze-up and cracked pipes, it needs to be “Winterized,” which means water drained, pipes blown out with compressed air and antifreeze added to protect pipes from any residual water. If the tub is in a winter environment, “Drained” really means “we left ten gallons of water in the lower pipes to freeze up and shatter the pipes over the winter.”
3) “The heater is a little worn out, you may need to replace it in a few years.”
A burned up electronic control pack is over $1000 to replace
Heaters don’t wear out a “little.” They stop working. If the tub isn’t heating, it could be due to a $200 heating element having reached the end of it’s life, or a $1500 electronic pack that had an electrical fire.
The question is, are you willing to put $1500 into a 15 year old “free” hot tub, or is that money better spent buying a new hot tub with a warranty?
If you were buying a used car, would you want to have it examined by a mechanic before getting involved with potential problems? A hot tub, in many respects, is like a used car. As it gets older, it requires maintenance and repair.
4) “We don’t use it anymore and want to get rid of it.“
Sounds fair, right? Consider that hiring a junk removal company to come your house and remove an old hot tub could cost $500 – $1000 dollars depending upon how the tub is installed and how much room there is to work on your property. Wouldn’t you rather give away your problem to someone who was willing to pay to get it repaired, then pay all that money to dispose of it?
A used hot tub seller or gifter may feel like it’s a win-win situation: they don’t have to pay for disposal, and you get a decent tub, even if it requires some repair. That’s fine, as long as your eyes are open and you have an idea about what kind of expense will be required to get that free hot tub working in your backyard.
We’re not saying that all Craiglist sellers are dishonest, but there could be a real temptation for a homeowner to convince himself that the tub can be repaired cheaply.
The best way you, as the recipient, can make an informed decision is to ask to see the hot tub functioning before you take it. That means filled with water, pumps running and heater heating.
For more information or to schedule an evaluation before you invest in that used hot tub, contact us at 201-897-7900 or 732-894-4494. You can also reach us by email through this link.
