Once a hot tub has been purchased, you’re married to the dealer you bought it from. Hopefully this is a relationship that you plan to have forever, because unlike the ability to find a new spouse in real life, it can be difficult to marry a new spa company with the baggage you now possess (that is, an old hot tub). Some companies, including all of us here at Swimming Pool Services, are more than happy to assist you with a spa you purchased elsewhere. We’ll gladly help you maintain it and love it every single day! Where the trouble may lie is in obtaining parts or equipment for the particular brand of your hot tub.

Hot tubs are similar to cars in that parts are generally not interchangeable across different brands. This is to say, one cannot simply take the parts that make one hot tub work and plug them in to another hot tub. We often here people express frustration when we’re unable to get parts for a hot tub they bought elsewhere. It’s not that we don’t want to help people- it’s our mission to make it easy for people to have a hot tub, and it’s certainly good business to help them get any product or part that they need! However, manufacturers will only sell their parts to dealers who sell there hot tubs, and they do not make exceptions.

So how do you find the right hot tub dealer to marry? Consider the following criteria:

1. What is the reputation of the dealer? How long have they been in business? Do they have a lot of negative online reviews? Will they stand behind their hot tubs?
2. How long have they been at their current location? Have they moved recently, or do they have a history of moving? Will you be able to find them when you need them?
3. How many hot tub brands do they carry? Are they loyal to one or two reputable brands, or do they carry a whole slew of brands with no particular loyalty to any of them?
4. How long have they carried their brand(s)? Do they frequently switch brands based on who might be the cheapest that quarter, or have they stuck with someone who’s simply good at making hot tubs? This is evidence of how good the brand is.
5. Who provides service on the hot tubs they sell? Do they have their own service team on staff, or do they sub-contract it to someone? Who will you call when it’s 0 degrees outside and your hot tub isn’t working?
6. How long does the brand they sell guarantee to produce parts for their spas? Some brands will only offer parts for a year or two once those parts become obsolete, while others will continue to offer parts for a decade or two.

Before you go and tie the knot with the pretty new hot tub store who just moved in down the block, consider whether or not they’ll be around to help you nurture and care for that beautiful hot tub they want to bring into your life. Do your homework, ask the right questions, and choose a company who genuinely wants to help you love that spa.