FAQs...
Below is information that may help you as you consider purchasing a hot tub. If your concerns are not addressed with the information below, please "Contact Us" and we will be happy to help you understand how fulfilling and simple the hot tub lifestyle can be. We’ve owned and enjoyed hot tubs for many years and want to help you enjoy the experiences. Once you "take the plunge," you’ll wonder why you took so long to make one of the best decisions you’ll ever make!
- How expensive are hot tubs? I’ve heard hot tubs are very expensive. Can I afford one?
- Can I finance all or part of the purchase price of my Hot Tub or Spa?
- How difficult are hot tubs to maintain?
- How expensive are hot tubs to operate?
- I don’t think I have the room for a hot tub. How much space will I need?
- How difficult are hot tubs to install? What am I responsible for?
- How long does the process take from beginning to end?
- There are so many sizes and so many different features. How do I make a decision about which brand and hot tub I should purchase?
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1) How expensive are
hot tubs? I’ve heard hot tubs are very
expensive. Can I afford one?
 Hot
tubs are like anything else in life. You
pretty much get what you pay for. We don’t
view the purchase of a hot tub as a “cost.” We view it as an “investment” in a better quality life.
How
much would you pay to be able to sneak away
10 or 20 steps and slip into a warm liquid effervescent
hug? To relax under the stars or early morning
sky and take a 20 minute vacation from the cares
of your world? …and be able to do it any
time you felt you needed a break from the activity
that makes up your day?
We’ve been spoiled by our hot tub for
many years. It’s difficult to tell the
story of what a hot tub means to us without
using words like “relaxing,”
“restful,” “vitalizing,”
“rejuvenating,” “meditative,”
“fun,” and even “romantic.” We’ve enjoyed
sharing our hot tub with friends, just relaxing
under a beautiful clear Texas sky, commenting
on the constellations and conversing about things
bigger than even Orion. Our hot tub has
allowed us to share quality time with those
we enjoy being around. You’ll have
conversations with those dearest to you about
things that are bigger than any of you. There’s
nothing that encourages communication like relaxing
in a hot tub.
Until you slip into the indescribable
liquid massage a hot tub provides it is impossible
to determine the value of the experiences that
accompany hot tub ownership.
We
can calculate the dollar amount of hot tub ownership.
Dollar amount is tied directly to capacity (size) and features (number of jets, technology, sound systems,
lighting features, etc.) Only you can weigh
the value of owning one of our quality Caldera® or Freeflow® brand
hot tubs. We know that owning a hot tub
has enhanced our life experience. We often refer
to life “pre” and “post”
hot tub. There is a difference. Hot tubs are
about “connections.”
What’s
the cost of improved mobility and better feeling
joints? How could we ever put a price on just
one of the conversations we’ve had with
our children under a beautiful starlit Texas
night talking about “nothing” and
at the same time “everything.” What
are you missing? How much is it worth? Only you can decide. We are always happy
to share our experiences. This
we do know, you’ll never regret the cost
of your hot tub because ownership will be the
beginning of many of the most valuable experiences
you and your family can enjoy.
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2) Can I finance all
or part of the purchase price of my Hot Tub
or Spa?
Yes…
and we can help!
We
work with Aquavantage a G.E. Capital
Company and San Antonio Federal
Credit Union (SACU) to provide financing
help. The truth of the matter is that many people
need a little help when making a major purchase
such as a hot tub or spa. Our lending partners
are familiar with our products and pricing and
are eager to help our customers – you!
Come in and request an application or you can
apply online by following the links below. We
are happy to walk you through the process in
either case.
The
forms are simple to complete, and, in most cases,
we will have an answer back for you within 24
hours (or immediately if you apply online).
We
can provide you with details about both programs
including current interest rates and minimum
credit requirements. Many of our customers choose
this option when purchasing their hot tubs or
spas. We are seasoned at helping you make
purchasing a hot tub or spa a very pleasant,
stress-free experience – including financing
options.
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3) How difficult are
hot tubs to maintain?
That
depends upon the brand. Caldera® and Freeflow® spas and hot tubs are noted for their ease of
maintenance. Caldera has designed the filters
and controls on their products to insure ease
of use. Cleaning is also simple with the quality
accessories available designed specifically
for use with hot tubs. It has been our experience
that maintaining a Caldera or Freeflow spa or hot tub
is simpler than maintaining any other brands. Ease of maintenance was one of our top considerations
when we purchased our Caldera hot tub years
ago. Keep in mind that hot tubs are nothing
like a pool. We’d estimate difficulty
of maintenance someplace between a nice, hot
bath and an above ground pool. They require
some effort and attention. You’ll want
to take care of your hot tub as you would any
other life enhancing product you might invest
in. In most cases, maintaining your
hot tub only takes minutes a week.
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4) How expensive are
hot tubs to operate?
It
is difficult to assess how much a hot tub would
cost to operate. Cost of operation depends upon
many factors. Some of those considerations
are how big the hot tub is, how often you use
your hot tub, if you keep it clean and change
the filter as recommended, and of course, the
cost of electricity in your area. You
can expect your monthly energy bill to increase
somewhere between the cost of renting a couple
of movies and the cost of cable T.V. service. (Between $9.00 and $40.00 per month depending
upon the factors mentioned above.)
We do know that as heat rises, the most important
factor for energy efficiency is to make sure
you have a tight fitting, specially constructed
top cover. A properly designed and fitted cover
seals the heat in and keeps the cold air out.
Proper insulation is also critical for heat
retention. As the water in your hot tub circulates
through the system, having insulation injected
into critical “gap” areas and spaces
around the shell between the apron insures that
heat loss will be minimal here. Look for hot
tubs and spas that are properly insulated and
feature a properly constructed, exclusively
designed and fitted insulated cover for a tight,
energy saving, seal.
Another consideration are controls. Electronic
controls are simple to operate yet provide complex
control and oversight of your hot tub’s
critical systems to save energy. Every energy
saving feature incorporated into a hot tub is
money in your pocket, year after enjoyable year.
Caldera and Freeflow are constantly searching
for ways to enhance your ownership experience. Quality manufacturing processes, superior
materials, and perpetual innovation insure that
Caldera and Freeflow spas and hot tubs will
always provide cutting-edge Energy Saving Technology.
To read more about the energy saving
advantages of investing in a Caldera® hot
tub, click on the “More Info.” button
below.
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5) I don’t
think I have the room for a hot tub. How much
space will I need?
How
much space you need for a hot tub depends upon
which model you choose. The largest
hot tub takes no more than 64 square feet, approximately
an 8’ x 8’ square area. Of course,
you’ll need clearance around the hot tub
for proper access and regress and to perform
needed maintenance. For more information
we encourage you to stop by the showroom and
take a look at the hot tubs. This
will help you “envision” one in
your back or side yard.
Some
folks also enjoy “hot tubbing” indoors.
You can get more information by downloading
the “Pre-Delivery
Information” provided in our “Installation
Information” area. The best
information you can get is coming in and talking
with us about your concerns. If you desire,
we are happy to drop by your home and help you
with some ideas of what would work in the area
where you are considering placing your hot tub.
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6) How difficult
are hot tubs to install? What am I responsible
for?
There
is nothing simpler to install than a Caldera® or Freeflow® portable
spa or hot tub. You just make sure the location
you have chosen for your spa can properly handle
the load (around 120 lbs. per square foot),
have access to culinary water and a 110v outlet. Place it, fill it, connect it and you’re
hot-tubbing! How much easier could it
be?
Larger spas and hot tubs are not difficult to
install. Like anything else in life, one just
needs to have the proper information so they
know what they are doing or know someone who
can provide the service. We provide installation
service with each new hot tub. The things you
are responsible for is preparing the site, making
sure the electricity hook-up is complete, and
providing us adequate access to the site. We
can provide referrals to qualified bonded contractors
who will help with site preparation for your
hot tub. Just let us know what help you need
at the time of purchase. Some people are so
busy that they just cannot imagine having one
more thing to do. We are experts. We want your
experience to be pleasant. Allow us to take
you by the hand and effortlessly walk with you
along this path to a more pleasant life. It’s
all part of our superior service philosophy.
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7) How long does the
process take from beginning to end?
The
timeline for installation of your hot tub of
course depends on many things. If you’ve
purchased a portable spa or hot tub things are
pretty simple. As mentioned earlier, just place
it, fill it, and connect it. If you decide to
purchase a larger spa or hot tub it will require
a little more time and attention…
Generally,
a hot tub or spa will take between 2 and 6 weeks
from purchase to installation. We can provide you a much more accurate estimate
once we know your situation. The time required
can be estimated using three factors: model
availability, the site being prepared properly,
and completion of the proper, required electrical
hook-up. When we know which brand and model
you want we will be able to account for availability
and any shipping time. It will also take some
time to prepare the site for the hot tub and
get the proper electrical connections in place.
We’d
love to answer your questions and concerns.
Your relaxing and comfortable new lifestyle
should start with the first contact you have
with a dealer. Let us worry about the things
we are responsible for. We ask you to give
us a chance to earn your trust, …and your
business!
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8) There are so
many sizes and so many different features. How
do I make a decision about which brand and hot
tub I should purchase?
The
most important things you can do is 1: take some time to look at the Caldera®
Spa Selector Tool, Caldera’s Web Site
as well as Freeflow’s information. Links
are provided below… and 2: come into the showroom and take a
look at the various hot tubs and features. You
can make a much better decision if you will
invest a little time in gathering information
and coming in to get your specific concerns
and questions answered.
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(NOTE : Sometimes the links inside Spa Selector Window
DO NOT work when brought up in our site. Just
CLOSE the window after viewing the information or click the "BACK"
button on your browser if you are taken outside
our site. THANK YOU!)
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Some
other information that may help you with a buying
decision is provided by Caldera®. Caldera
has been an industry leader in design and manufacturing
of hot tubs for decades. They have assembled
a list of questions and concerns that most people
considering hot tub ownership are concerned
about or should be concerned about. You can
read that information by following the “get
info.” link below. This link will take
you to an area titled “WHY BUY CALDERA SPAS.” Here you will find valuable information about
avoiding mistakes and making the best decision
regarding this major purchase. |
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If
you have any other concerns we encourage you
to "Contact Us!" We look forward to talking with you about this
most exciting and enjoyable decision!
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Two Locations to Serve You!
Northeast Showroom
Near The Forum
At Olympia Parkway
- SweetwaterHotTubz
- 13910 IH35 North
- Live Oak, TX 78233
- 210 590.6700
Northwest Showroom
Near The Shops
At LaCantera
- SweetwaterHotTubz
- 8202 N. Loop 1604
- San Antonio, Texas
- 210 561.8829
- Store Hours at both stores:
- M - Sat. 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
- Thurs open until 8:00 pm
- Sunday 1:00 pm to 5 pm
- After hours...
- Please call for a
Personal Appointment
Get Directions...
- For SERVICE
- SweetwaterPools
- 210 647.3000
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