Above-Ground Vs In-Ground Hot Tubs
Buying and installing a hot tub involves plenty of choices. You have to decide if you want a two- or ten-person tub, wood or plastic, electric or gas heater, or four or 16 pressure jets, not to mention color, shape, and the accessories you want. You will also have to make up your mind about where to put it, whether in the middle of the garden, or in some hidden private corner. And of course, you will need to choose between an above-ground and in-ground hot tub.
Above-ground hot tubs are portable and thus can be transferred if you wish to redo or re-landscape your garden, or if you move to another house. Often, they are made of plastic or fiberglass with an outer wood cabinet. There are also those that are made purely of wood but since they require more maintenance than plastic, they are less popular. For this same reason, outer wood cabinets are also being replaced with other low-maintenance materials.
Freestanding tubs installed above the ground usually have better insulation, and thus they are more energy-efficient compared to their in-ground cousins. Generally, the accessories of above-ground tubs, such as the heaters, pumps, and blowers, are installed in an enclosure below the tub. Owing to their proximity to the tub, these accessories need not be very powerful. They are often small, not only in terms of power, but also in size.
In-ground hot tubs, because they are buried into the ground, are permanent additions to your garden. They have the advantage, however, of more easily blending into the garden landscape and becoming an integral part of it. They can be concealed behind hedges and bushes for privacy. Beautifully cut stones can also be laid around the tub. While some tubs are constructed with concrete and gunite like swimming pools, they can also be made of fiberglass that is embedded into the ground.
Their heaters, pumps, and blowers are often installed at a distance from the tub as their whirring can be noisy. For this reason, they have to be sufficiently powerful keep the water hot as it travels the distance, and to maintain water pressure and bubbles.
It is more expensive to install in-ground tubs. The digging alone is already a great addition to the cost. Apart from this, you can also expect higher heating costs because of the bigger machines. However, they look and feel infinitely more beautiful than a box sitting on the garden which looks more like an afterthought than a part of the landscape.