Spa Heating Question?

[higgyman]

We are planning to rent a villa in August. We would like to have a heated spa, but not a heated pool. Many of the villas appear to have spas attached to the pools. Is it possible to just have spa heat when they are attached like this?

 

[jas_mom1]

What about renting a townhouse that has a heated splash pool? It's just like a spa. They have them at Windsor Palms and probably at Windsor Hills, too.

Dianne

 

[5mins2disney]

What about renting a townhouse that has a heated splash pool? It's just like a spa. They have them at Windsor Palms and probably at Windsor Hills, too.

Dianne

Windsor Hills townhomes do have splash pools. They're not exactly a spa, they're a bit bigger and a little deeper, and they don't have as many jets. They also don't get as hot as a true spa, although I would imagine if you turn on the heat in August they'd be piping hot!

Anyhow, to answer your original question, yes, you can heat the spas separately from the pools, for those homes that have both.

Pools are actually heated typically via a heat exchange / heat pump system that draws heat out of the air, to heat a spa they will actually have a heater that is powered from tanks of propane or natural gas, enabling them to get much hotter. (At least this is how it was explained to me, my home has a splash pool with a heat exchanger / pump type system). Our MC said it becomes a problem when people leave the heat on the spas on constantly, since they can burn through a tank of propane in a week if left on all the time!

 

[higgyman]

Thanks for the reponses.

We will need at least four bedrooms (maybe more) so we aren't looking a townhomes. Also, we want the regular size pool for the kids and the spa for the adults.

 

[FLParadisevilla]

Yes in the homes that have the built in spa's they can be heated seperate from the pool. This may be an additional charge but well worth it.

 

[MYDISNEYHOUSES]

Another thing is that the spa can be used (Jets) without the heat.

So in the summer you can still get the bubbles without the cost of the heat.

 

[Sunrisedream]

Many homes now also have seperate hot tubs, and these are heated seperately

 

[kilee]

I think you've gotten your answer. If this is a priority for you though, be sure to ask on the particular home you're going to rent before doing so.

 

[A&CsMom]

Last year we rented a pool home with one of those spas that has the spillover (like a waterfall) into the pool, and it was only heated with the pool water, not on its own. My understanding from researching many pool homes (and I could very well be wrong) is that having the spa heated separately is something that has to be put in separately by the owner when the pool and spa are being installed. I remember seeing some homes specifying that the pool and spa could be heated separately. The next home we are renting has a stand alone hot tub on the pool deck. We have a stand alone hot tub here at home, and the way it stays so hot without costing a fortune is because it has an insulated cover that fits tightly. If a hot spa is important to you, I would definitely ask the owner how hot the spa can get - a real spa is over 100 degress F, usually 104 or so.

 

[isla bonita]

A&C'sMom

You are correct. There is an additional charge for the propane hook up. When we built I did not want to spend the extra money we had gone way over budget and we really did not know enough about it, I thought it would be an accident waiting to happen with the water able to get very hot and little ones.

It has turned out to bite us in the a**. We can always add it to our home in the future when we have the extra $$. Along with the other amenities we would like to offer. There is always something bigger and better on the horizon.

 

[5mins2disney]

A&C'sMom

You are correct. There is an additional charge for the propane hook up. When we built I did not want to spend the extra money we had gone way over budget and we really did not know enough about it, I thought it would be an accident waiting to happen with the water able to get very hot and little ones.

It has turned out to bite us in the a**. We can always add it to our home in the future when we have the extra $$. Along with the other amenities we would like to offer. There is always something bigger and better on the horizon.

I also know of someone in EI who had his propane hookup disconnected since if guests leave it turned on all the time, the entire propane tank will be gone within a week! So, moral of the story is ASK!

 

[KayR]

Just to clarify, you don't need a propane heater to heat a spa hot.

We have two homes, one with a propane heater for the spa and one with an electric heater for the spa. Both get the spa hot, however the gas heater will heat up the spa slightly quicker.

If the spa has a waterfall spillover to the pool, the waterfall feature is stopped when the spa is running/heating, so it doesn't affect the pool.

We also have Jandy Controls on the valves which mean the spa is controlled from a switch inside the pool area. As guests this is better for you as it is easier for you to switch the spa on and off.

Just check with the owner what they offer as each home is slightly different.

-Kay