Whirlpool/Jacuzzi bath

[UncleEbenezer]

Having moved into my new place, I find I need to re-jig the bathrooms. One has a bath, but at 150cm the bath tub is too small for comfort. The other has a shower that leaks into the kitchen below, but also has space to spare (it's also 150cm wide, which is obviously more than a shower cubicle). So the plan is to take 20cm from the shower room to accommodate a 170cm bath, while replacing both bath and shower.

This project led me too looking at new bathroom stuff online, and contemplating the indulgence of a jacuzzi/whirlpool bath such as https://www.plumbworld.co.uk/double-end ... 85-1256884 or https://soak.com/en-gb/baths/straight-b ... 00070.html . But if I'm to fork out for such a thing, I'd like to get it right, and not be left with a damp squib like the tub my mother once had, that blew mostly air and did nothing for me (I think she soon lost interest too).

What do I need to look out for, and what questions should I ask the salesman?

Anything bigger that the examples linked above is not an option (though a single-ended bath is just fine).

[vrdiver]

My recollection of jacuzzi baths is that they get tepid very quickly (possibly from the water losing heat to a constant jet of cold air being blown through it. If I was to have one again, I'd look for an in-line heater to go with it if the unit didn't come with one as standard. (E.g. https://www.thewhirlpoolbathshop.com/ko ... ter-heater - but just an example, not a recommendation).

The other thing I'd look for is the position of the controls - are they ergonomically positioned for access when actually in the bath, or have they been stuck somewhere for aesthetic reasons that override practicality? Adjusting the force of the jets or even just turning it on or off should be an easy task, not requiring awkward manoeuvres.

If you want the thing to massage your back, legs etc. check that the jets are situated accordingly and are adjustable. Speaking of jets, the jacuzzi will generate more steam / wet air than normal, so make sure your ventilation system is up to the job if you want to avoid excessive condensation.

Have fun!

VRD

[vrdiver]

Just remembered - check the noise of the pump; will it bother you, other people in the house, neighbours... Can it be soundproofed sufficiently for your installation? With variable flow rates, if the pump is under-specc'd it may be much noiser than a pump that could handle a larger volume but is set to run at less than max capacity.

VRD

[UncleEbenezer]

Thanks VRD for some excellent thoughts. Now you mention it, I think going tepid was one of the things that put me off my mother's bath - along with the fact that air bubbles lacked the force to do anything for me. I already thought about controls, probably mainly because my bathroom in my last place - which I couldn't change 'cos it was rented - was beautiful but horrendously impractical due to poor design. Pump noise is I guess something to be aware of, though I'd be surprised if any modern system was really that bad.

I'm thinking a £500 whirlpool vs £250 for a regular bathtub of decent quality looks like not really such a big difference, even if I rarely indulge (well, I'm mostly a shower-man). I shall have to consult my plumber on the subject.

[UncleEbenezer]

I ended up with https://www.plumbworld.co.uk/single-end ... 85-1256880 , and I've just enjoyed my first bath in it.

No problem with water going tepid, and the steam didn't seem any worse than from a regular bath. If you asked me for a single improvement, I'd say the jets on my back should be bigger and more powerful: they seemed rather weedy compared to the others.