There is no maintenance or concern about algae growth with air jetted tubs. I have a piece of hosiery over the air intake (on the motor) to filter dust and move it around every now and then but that's about it :) I have a Bain Ultra hydromassage tub.
Monica

I think it really depends on whether you think you will use it - definitely a waste of money if you only take a bath twice a year... Having said that, if you think you will use it, then you should decide what kind of "massage" you want in your tub - air tubs have less maintenance and provide a more all-over, tingly soft massage while water jets provide more direct massage. There are also tubs that have both. We just bought a tub with regular jets and decided to do that instead of getting the body sprays in the shower. We skipped the air tub because we wanted the more direct massage on our feet and back! We bought a Maax Living hydro massage tub, but I can't tell you yet how great it is because it's still in the garage!

My sister in law has one that she had put in several years ago and she seldom uses the jets! She bathes in it so I asked her why and she told me it takes so much water to fill it then the heater has to keep it hot; she said it just uses too much 'energy'!!! Dh and I were going to put one in but decided not too since neither one of us likes to use a tub much; "shower folks" insead!! HTH

We were going to get one and then right before we built we stayed in a hotel with one. It took forever to fill and I thought it was kind of noisy. I like to read in the tub, and non-whirlpool style one is better for that. I ended up putting a clawfoot in the master bath. I know several people with whirlpool tubs and they never use them.

When we renovated I replaced mine with a clawfoot tub. It was noisy and the buildup inside the pipes was disgusting. I had to run bleach through it every time I wanted to take a bath. I considered getting a SaniJet tub when I remodeled but heard they were just as noisy, just cleaner.

Thanks folks. Any more experiences out there?

We just built a new master bath, and put in a Jacuzzi Allusion tub that is 6' long, with sloped sides on both ends (built for two).
We use it at least twice a week and love it. Great way to unwind after a long day. I am not crazy about the jets, so they are usually left on a very low setting just to circulate the water and keep it warm, with the built in heater. A soaking tub would be fine with me, but I think the water would cool down too quickly.
So far no problems at all. Yes, it does take a while to fill, but we have not noticed any huge spike in our electricity bill.

Another option to consider is a soaking tub with an inline heater (no jets). MTI and Aquatic HotSoak have that feature.

If heat retention is what you are going for, here is what I do. I have a cast iron clawfoot tub. I use it probably ever other day. I put in the plug, then turn only the hot water on to fill it. I either let it sit a bit to cool before getting in and adding more hot water once I am in or add some cold so I can get in. Either way, the tub is preheated and the water stays hot once the tub is hot, if that makes sense. I can see with this kind of tub, no matter the season you wouldn't want to get in before turning on the water- cast iron is COLD unless heated this way. Because of the tub design (double slipper) it is smaller on the bottom and fills a lot faster than my old whirlpool tub, which I also like.

We don't do a lot of baths now, but we're still getting an air bath and here's why: I found gardenweb because I garden a lot. I love to literally wrestle with plants, rocks, and dirt. I figure, as I get older, the resulting aches and pains will only get worse, and I'll need to soak in a tub. So, if you plan to stay very active as you age, a nice tub might be a good investment.

(I'm only 37 and I'm already amazed at how creaky I feel sometimes. Anyone "more experienced" out there care to comment on the desirability of a soaking/massage tub as we age? Maybe I'm just stereotyping?)

One bath I found that surprised me was the toto Clayton tile-in airbath. (with optional multicolored led light show!) I like this bath because it fits into a standard 32 x 60 tile-in tub surround area. I think the larger tubs that require a deck and separate shower, while deluxe, can be hard to fit into an older home like mine. So, for taller people the tile-in version of the Clayton might be a joke, but for me (5'6", dh same), it is an easy fit into our existing bathroom footprint, and you can also shower in it.

Here is a link that might be useful: tile-in airbath

We had the same dilemma when we were designing our house. My husband was pretty much against a Jacuzzi. He figured we'd never use it. Our previous house had a large shower in the master bath, but no tub. I really wanted a tub and if I was going to put in a tub, it was darn well going to do something besides hold water :). After a lot of shopping around, I ended up with the Jacuzzi Signa 6 with chromatherapy (light show like slateberry51's), heater and 8 jets. I got it from luxuryplumbingplus.com and was $1700 in the door.
I cannot tell you how much I love this tub! It doesn't take long to fill (daze roman tub filler), is very deep, and really just relaxes me so much!
Also, I thought about resale value. In a mid high to high end home, I think people expect to see a jettet tub in the master - the bigger, the fancier, the better - even if they will use it once a year.
It has become my sanctuary. I have had no trouble regarding mold - I think the newer tubs have systems in place to flush the jets?
FWIW, that's my experience.
I also put a Kohler jetted tub in the kids' bath. It was about $700 and they just love it!
Good luck with your decision.

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jodidesign,

If you are still following this thread, did you get your Maax tub installed yet? How do you like it?

We are looking for a Maax Souvenir freestanding tub with air and whirlpool jets, but cannot find one in a showroom so far. We are afraid to order without actually seeing one.

AnnaLeeF

I am a huge bath person. I take multiple bathes a week. My mother has a jacuzzi tub and you think I'd love it, but I don't. Her tub doesn't have an additional heater (to my knowledge) and the water turns cold very quickly when you run the jets. You're aerating the water, so that makes sense. If you like bubbles or soaps in the water, the jets can also cause a foaming issue. Finally, I found it hard to get the jets on her particular model into a comfortable position. Of course, there are so many models out there, I'm sure many tubs can avoid all the issues I've seen.

I personally prefer something deep for soaking, where I can just relax in hot water.

I originally wanted a jetted tub for our bathroom, but ulitmately decided against it for the following reasons:
--cleaning
--it's the main bathroom for all of us--kind of deep for little baby baths
--I have three little kids and never take baths myself...just don't have time!
--was recommended that you have to get one with a heater--otherwise, by the time it's filled and you get in, the water's lukewarm
--with a heater it became an expense and oh-no-another-possible-electrical-issue-in-a-140+year old house!
--I know both of us would never use it together...made more sense for our large family (extended family next door and down the block) to get a large outdoor hot tub at a later date.

:)
Sarah

Don't do it. We have one in the current house we live in and it's so wonderful until you have to clean it. If you use this tub for your main family tub it's aweful. Do not shave in it or wash the kids hair etc if u want jets. They are SO hard to clean sanitary and spotless. I'm a neat freak and scrub every few days and then run the jets with bleach water for 20 min and they still don't come 100% clean. We will not put one in the new house we are building because of this issue. Don't get me wrong they feel wonderful but it's a high maint product.

I am not really sure if best practices have emerged around things like that, but I am sure that your great job is clearly identified. I was wondering if you offer any subscription to your RSS feeds as I would be very interested and can?t find any link to subscribe here. Big thanks for the useful info i found on New Show Information

Wheel Bearing

I am wondering whether there is a real advantage to have a cast iron whirlpool (looking at Kohler's Tea for Two) rather than an acrylic one. In the past we had a regular cast iron tub - loved it. Then we moved - and installed an acrylic whirlpool bath (Kohler). Overall it is OK - but...the water gets cold very quickly, unless the heater is on and at times when you move in it the tub "makes funky noises" (the kind of noise you associated with plastic not steel flexing or bending). We are remodeling so now is the time to pull the trigger on the tub material.
Other than the obvious differences - cost, installation ease, and sheer weight - does anyone have any comments on the two materials that point to clear advantage of one over the other?

I just posted about how much I love my new Sanijet tub. It is acrylic with no heater, so I had the contractor fill the space around it with insulation, no problem with the water cooling too quickly. It is very sturdy and there is absolutely no plasticy feel or noise when moving around in the tub. See my other post about Sanijet, if you haven't read it yet.

We are building a new home and were sold on the Sanijet tub for not having the mold/tub funk, but when I found out how few jets there are and their placement (only one set on your back and they are only 4-5 inches from the bottom of the tub) I was disappointed. I really want a tub with several strong jets along my back. And I want it deep enough to have my shoulders and knees under water at the same time, a problem I had in my previous tub. I'm 5'7" and you wouldn't think this would be a problem, but the drain placement even on large tubs, makes this difficult. Does anyone know of a good jetted tub for my situation? Thanks!

Get a Japanese soaking tub, a tankless hot water system and the money you save with installation and on going maintenance get a weekly massage.

Our jetted tub was here when we moved in and seems to have been here a while, so I estimate it is at least 15 years old. The jets work fine and cleaning is easy. The previous owner told me to use a half a cup of dishwasher detergent and run the tub for 20 minutes with hot water to clean the jets and that has been all I need to do for them. I clean the inside of the tub by wiping as you would expect.
We are looking to renovate our bathroom and want to fix the down sides to our tub with our next purchase.
1. The jets are loud. It bothers me but not my husband. I want soothing in a bath and they are jarring to me. They are great for mixing the water if it has been sitting a while and the top is hot and bottom cold.
2. The tub is acrylic and it slopes down from the inner edge heading to the wall tiles and seems to pull away from the caulk, making gaps due to the weight when the tub is full. I have tried caulking it with a full tub of water and letting it set that way, but that did not work either. I end up recaulking more than once a year and that is a royal pain. The area in the corner on the end by the faucet collects water after every shower and even as the water drips from the wall. It should be sloped the other way but isn't.
3. It does cool down but I do not see any insulation when I open the side panel so perhaps that was an installation issue. I think a heater may be a good feature to have to conserve on water. We have solar electric so would not feel too guilty using more power in that way.
4. The acrylic has not held up too well the past few years. There are some nicks in it and I do not know how they got there.
We do not have the space for a longer tub but could do wider. I don't want super tall sides since I often rest my tablet on the side while in the tub and that stresses my shoulder. I also sometimes work on a laptop on a small table and have the same shoulder issue. As you can tell, I take long baths, lol.
I'd love to hear about the sounds in the newer jetted tubs and the new air tubs. I'd also consider a plain tub with a heater if my issues with our current tub are inevitable. It would help if anyone went from a jetted to an air tub and can tell me the pros and cons. I think my hubby will want another jetted one but I am not sold on that idea.
These are the early days of planning and I know I will be researching everything to death and reading old posts. Thanks for any advice you can share.

I just used my Bain Ultra Meridian 55 (66"x36"x20") air bathtub with heated backrest for the first time. We've had it for a year and a half and I thought I should test it out. It replaced a gray Kohler Tea for Two cast iron whirlpool tub (66"x48"x20") that was also used about once a year.

The Bain's noise is dependent on the level of air bubbles. Ours came set to 40% which is nice, but when I set it to 100% it was way too loud and wild for me. The water stayed warm throughout my 15 minute soak, and I did not turn on the backrest. There is no insulation around the tub in our install. After the water drained, the air came on to dry out the tub, and that was louder than I liked, but it came on as I was leaving. We have a hand spray that helps with the cleaning. I would say I preferred the whirlpool jets' strength, but you can definitely feel the air bubbles at 40%.

As far as doing computer work, the tub is deep and narrow. A tablet on the deck would be at eye level as you soak. You just have to have a deep deck. Two errors on our design 1) specified Pro model, but ordered in stock center drain model and 2) remote control in wall instead of in deck. Since we are really not a bath family, compromises on function are OK for us, and we love how it looks. Good luck.

I've had my BU Thalassa air tub for just over 7 years. I use the air jets almost daily. I can't hear the motor that is in a closet in front of the tub but bubbles/air certainly make noise. I read complaints about the noise level. Don't water jetted tubs make a lot of noise? And with the motor being under the tub, can't you hear that too? I don't' understand how anyone could be surprised. It's just the nature of how the product works.

I was hoping to find a quieter model. I know there will be noise but our current old one is annoying. I would probably vote to skip the jets or air but will be an issue for hubby to get rid of them. I wish there was a way to compare tubs noises against each other.

You could call the manufactures of the models you're interested in and ask them what the noise levels (decibel) are. I just Googled decibel levels of whirlpool and air bathtubs and got lots of hits.

I have had a whirlpool tub in my master bath for 32 years with no problems at all.