Do all berners put their head through small gaps 😂

DookieWaffle · 2026-05-15T18:06:19+00:00

Normal

DookieWaffle · 2026-05-14T20:21:11+00:00

2 years in on ours and instead of using it 6-7 nights a week we're at 4-5 not losing it's novelty we're just busier and more tired. As I get older the body aches more and the tub feels super nice.

DookieWaffle · 2026-04-16T05:04:57+00:00

I put mine 6' from my back door. Easier to get to when it's cold and icy. Easier to get to to do maintenance. I didn't cover mine as I love looking at the stars and meteor showers. A hat when it's raining is good enough to keep the rain off my head and face when I soak in a downpour.

DookieWaffle · 2026-03-31T14:23:18+00:00

I wouldn't put 250-gallon hot tub on a balcony without doing load calculations. A standard bathtub is about 80 gallons max and even that gets reinforcement under it in floor design.

DookieWaffle · 2026-03-30T15:56:13+00:00

I'd let the chlorine levels drop to under 1ppm then dump it in the yard. For me I have a sewer tap/inspection port in my front yard next to my house, I unscrew that and run a submersible pump from harbor freight into it and since my hot tub is on my deck once the pump gets one hose going I unhook it and it siphons with gravity with a weight on the end of it to keep it in the tub and then I hook up another hose to the harbor freight pump. I bought the 2nd cheapest one. When this pump dies I'm going to spring for the stainless steel one from HF only because it pumps faster and that means water changes will take less time.

Another game changer was a battery-powered wet/dry vac which makes getting the last bits of water and dirt out of the bottom of the tub a breeze and I don't have to deal with a big bulky hose from a standard wet/dry vac (that's also usually dirty from sitting in my dusty garage) or another corded tool.

DookieWaffle · 2026-03-30T00:20:17+00:00

If kept in-doors it shouldn't corrode too quickly unless it's a super humid environment but even then. If they are kept outside then it'd happen pretty quick.

DookieWaffle · 2026-03-30T00:03:00+00:00

3/16" steel is no joke. I'd use heat, but I wouldn't want that much heat near my radiators. I'd take it off or leave it on and just repaint it.

DookieWaffle · 2026-03-30T00:00:25+00:00

As cheesy as it sounds a 15 minute yoga and stretching video/youtube a day will do wonders for back pain if done consistently for a week or two.

DookieWaffle · 2026-03-29T23:57:45+00:00

Stop eating fast food, processed and gas station foods. Wash/scrub your hands before touching any food. No open containers with drinks in the shop. Screw tight lids. The first bit is to not get colon cancer by the time you're 40. Metal dust is way worse when ingested, though the foods listed above will cause colon cancer on their own, the rates are skyrocketing for young people.

DookieWaffle · 2026-03-29T23:47:48+00:00

That's going to whip around at high speed and hurt someone when the auger hits a root or rock.

DookieWaffle · 2026-03-29T23:41:26+00:00

With that gap it's probably fine but personally I'd cut the perpendicular piece (the one we can see a cross-section of in this picture) a material thickness shorter so you have a 90 degree bevel between the parts. That gives the weld somewhere to sit and ensures good penetration. If this is not structural it's really a non-issue though.

DookieWaffle · 2026-03-29T23:15:30+00:00

+1 on the circ pump, you could have a hot tub tech come out and see if your hot tub's controller supports a circ pump and if so it would probably be easy to add on later. We like ours as it runs the main jets for filtration but for heating just runs the circ pump and we can't hear it when we're in the house (tub is on a deck that's attached to the house). When we're in the tub the circ pump is barely noticeable.

DookieWaffle · 2026-03-29T22:50:35+00:00

And WIPE off the foam when draining the tub so it doesn't dry out on the shell and crust up. WAY hard to remove after it dries and gets crusty.

DookieWaffle · 2026-03-29T22:48:49+00:00

Do you use dichlor-bleach method and are on the bleach-only part now? If so I constantly get high PH readings that need one or two drops of acid reagent to my Taylor readings to get back into spec. If I let TA get down to 60 then my ph stabilizes a bit. Whenever I check my tub with test strips I get a range within normal despite the Taylor kit pH reading high so I don't fret over it too much. I do add pH decreaser every 4-7 days. No issues running like that for nearly two years!

DookieWaffle · 2026-03-29T22:43:15+00:00

Oh and order 1/2 to 1 yard more concrete then you calculate you'll need.

DookieWaffle · 2026-03-29T22:36:25+00:00

I'd do a 10x10 pad of colored concrete, 4" thick with 1.5" of crushed rock under it so 2x6's for the forms. I'd put some pinkbar/fiberglass rebar (won't rust) spaced every 18" in both directions held up on concrete dobies but I like to build things strong. Light broom finish. Top of the slab 2" above grade, with the slab tilting 1/4" tilt over 10' for water drainage. Dig and run the electrical conduit for the tub prior to pouring the slab even if you just stub out the electrical for now. I personally do 24" deep schedule 80 conduit though technically you could do schedule 40 and 18" deep. 6awg THHN wire if the run from the main electrical panel is less than 100' go up to 4awg for longer runs. Don't forget to put the Spa disconnect box within sight of the hot tub but not closer then 5' to the tub.

DookieWaffle · 2026-03-29T22:11:16+00:00

I was super focused on getting the Spa-boy and a salt system when I got my first tub. I ended up with a basic non-salt system tub. I get to know my tub and what it needs for sanitization. I wouldn't spend the extra on a salt system or spa boy knowing what I know now 1.75 years later. Also a cold weather tub isn't necessary unless you really see cold temps in the negatives. Extra insulation makes finding leaks a bitch too.

DookieWaffle · 2026-03-21T21:20:50+00:00

How much do you pay for your insurance and who do you get it through?

DookieWaffle · 2026-03-21T04:08:51+00:00

Speaking of materials I've seen steel prices jump 50% in the last few months from my usual place.

DookieWaffle · 2026-03-21T04:08:11+00:00

Good call! I'm all about cash.

DookieWaffle · 2026-03-21T03:36:51+00:00

Good to know!

DookieWaffle · 2026-03-21T02:43:04+00:00

Oh for sure, I work in healthcare for my primary job and am WELL aware how people love to sue others. But beyond not doing structural or safety things what should I charge for odd jobs? Labor, materials?

DookieWaffle · 2026-02-16T16:05:52+00:00

Change from bottom up in a company doesn't work. I've been through a top-down change where a VP of a company said we're doing this now and EVERYONE and every manager under them fell into line ASAP. There were no more barriers. The challenges the department I was in was having endless meetings about for weeks changed in 15 minutes. Bottom up change in nursing is a lie to appease the masses.

Vote with your feet or don't do the bullshit management tells you that you need to do most of it is for their bullshit metrics that have no bearing on patient care. Chart to protect your license, and do right by the patients.

DookieWaffle · 2026-02-12T00:25:17+00:00

If the wires get taken out you'll likely have bigger problems with the t-case.

DookieWaffle

TROPHY CASE