My old college pal Kathy just bought her first house. “It has everything I want,” she rhapsodized, “and one thing I don’t — a big pink spa in the backyard. I shudder to think.” “), “they sometimes think, Oh, I’ll just give it away. But then you tilt it on its side to move it and the old motor falls apart. Or it’s rodent-infested or full of termites or spiders. We’ve dealt with six units just this year where beehives had taken over the inside of the spa. If you buy a house with an old spa and it’s not working, it can cost up to $6000 to repair. People don’t want a hole full of filth just sitting there; they want space in their yards. It’s best just to get rid of it and to use a professional company. And if you do give it away, make sure the other person uses a professional company. I just got called in last week to save the day after some college students tried to move a spa with a skateboard for a dolly.” Spa Removers takes out in-ground and above-ground spas.

“In-grounds are hooked up the same as swimming pools, with the same equipment. The shell is usually fiberglass, and we can cut it out of the ground, cut back the piping, and do various things to reverse everything. But we specialize in removal only, so you’ll need another contractor to fill in the hole.” Some of the bigger above-ground spas were originally craned in, he explained. “Once, I did a job in San Francisco where it had been helicoptered up onto a mountain. They can weigh from 700 to 1100 pounds. You can save a lot of money by not craning it back out. But even if there aren’t access issues, that can be difficult. If it’s old, it can just fall apart while you’re dollying it out. Or it can fall and damage something or someone — it’s just this huge, awkward thing. We’ll cut it into pieces and remove it. Plus, spas are usually hooked directly to 220-volt electrical lines, or even gas lines. You need a licensed professional to disconnect them safely.” Because he’s been at it for a long time, he sometimes doesn’t even need to cut.

“We now have techniques and equipment — special jacks and things — that help us keep mess and fiberglass in the air to a minimum. With in-ground, we’ve cut fiberglass mess 70 to 80 percent. We can usually get your spa out in 45 to 90 minutes, and we pressure-wash the area where the spa was.” Cost varies by job, but Fehrenbach estimated $300–$350 for above-ground spas and $450–$475 for in-ground. “That price includes removal, clean-up, electrical work, and dump fees.” ) told me her company has been doing “swimming-pool demolition for over ten years. We’re licensed and insured. Above-ground spas cost from $350 to $450 — the higher price is if we have to drain it and cap off electrical, or if access is difficult. Usually, the spas have to be cut up. In-ground spas require us to come out and give an estimate. We can fill the hole with dirt when we’re done, but we don’t do concrete work.” ), a professional spa-moving company, said, “We move spas as well as disposing of them.

If the spa is in good enough condition and there’s easy access, we won’t have to cut it up. If we don’t need to cut it, the removal takes about 30 minutes. If we have to cut, it will take longer. Price depends on size. Air Handling Unit Smoke DetectorAn 8´x8´ spa that doesn’t need cutting would be $190, and that includes the spa cover and landfill fees. Rent Patio Furniture AustinIf it does need cutting, the price starts at $240 and goes up, depending on access. T-Shirt Shut Up And FishAbove-ground spas don’t usually have gas lines, but if they do, you’d need to have the utility company disconnect the gas first. As for electrical, we don’t have a licensed electrician, but they do know how to disconnect spas. You just need to turn off the breaker so they can pull the cables.”

Inground Hot Tubs vs Above Ground Hot Tubs: Which is better? When purchasing a hot tub with their pool, customers often debate whether to choose an inground hot tub or an above ground hot tub. Each unit clearly has their own benefits and this article will list the pros and cons to each. Above Ground Hot Tubs (Price: 3-12k) -Have ergonomic seating to fit people of all heights (husbands and wives) -Can be placed very close to the house. This factor is very important. Proximity of a hot tub to the house will dictate how much the spa gets used. This is because in colder climates, people don't typically want to walk across a freezing concrete patio in order to get into the hot tub when it's 30 degrees [or less] outside. For this reason, inground hot tubs are much more prevalent and functional for year round usage in such states as California, Texas, Florida, etc. Inground hot tubs can be placed close to the house, but in most cases, are located next to the pool and therefore are at least 20' away.

-Cost around 20-30$ per month to run on average -Require less maintenance then an inground unit -Parts and Labor warranties usually are 3-5 years -Are always kept at one temperature and do not need to be preheated -Utilize cover lifters (This is very important because spa covers are very heavy, and when one person wants to use the hot tub, it can be very hard to take off the cover. Above ground hot tubs have an attached bar that uses a lever system, thus allowing anyone (even an elderly lady) to remove the cover. Typically, two people are needed to remove an inground spa cover.) Inground Hot Tubs (Price: 5-25k) -Have much more aesthetic potential than an above ground hot tub. -Bench seating (one depth fits all) -Are usually placed near the pool, far from the entrance to the house -Cost more than $30 per month to run -1 year warranty parts and labor (normally) -Do not have a cover lift option As you can see from this list, above ground hot tubs tend to have more benefits in terms of a ‘year round hot tub' than do inground hot tubs.