How a bespoke hot tub solution captures the serenity in Mangawhai

When your rural Mangawhai bach captures stunning coastal views, it’s only natural to want to have somewhere warm to relax and enjoy them. And if you’ve also got land to spare, there’s no real reason to place a spa directly next to your house, is there?

The result of this kind of thinking means the jaw-dropping views can be taken in from the comfort of a large, family-sized, classic Colonial Hot Tub, far removed from the house.

But with the abundant serenity, it made sense to the owner not to have the running gear near the tub either.

It’s just the kind of request that Colonial Hot Tubs’ Charles George is good at accommodating. He’s used to bespoke design requirements from architects, designers and customers and he enjoys the challenge of making each unique situation as ideal as possible.

At the Mangawhai bach, it meant housing the running gear in an existing shed 20 metres away, while the pipes were insulated and put inside conduit “so the insulation didn’t get crushed” and fed underground to the tub.

But if you thought the solution was going to be that simple, think again.

“We ended up using a variable speed water pump to get the water flow just right and a hot water Thermoplus seven kilowatt heat pump, because the power supply up there wasn’t enough to supply the electric element capable of doing the job. There was also discussion about solar power in the future.”

Because the family isn’t at the property all the time, it was crucial to get these aspects correct, as any failure of the system may not be noticed for some time and bacteria could bloom.

In addition to these specifications, Charles chose to use a Novospa sanitation system that uses copper ions and ozone gas to sanitise the water, along with minimal bromine.

“This means there are several levels of sanitation and if one fails then there’s always a back-up; the owners can arrive at anytime and the tub will be hot without bacteria in it.”

The customer is incredibly pleased with the sanitation system and while he had never before been a ‘hot pool person’ he’s now the biggest advocate for it.

Understanding the client is key to a successful project, says Charles. To create a suitable sanitation design involves knowing how the client wants to use the hot tub, what they want their ongoing costs to be and how often it will be used.

But clients have other common requests aside from sanitation systems and Charles is always happy to accommodate.

“We get asked for stronger jets, a bigger tub, customised access to the tub, we get asked to work around pool fences, and to install stairs and ladders.”

Nothing is too difficult to arrange, particularly because Charles is a builder by trade and has spent many years reading architectural plans and problem-solving through difficult issues.

The classic design of the Colonial Hot Tub, never causes issues with clients, however. The warm timber aesthetic speaks for itself and is constructed from a material that already has a natural sanitary quality.

The Canadian cedar used to make the tubs has anti-bacterial properties and natural preservatives, “so it doesn’t rot like most other woods and it’s not treated with a chemical – it has natural tannins in it.” This means a healthier spa experience for the client.

The construction of the tub is also really important – larger sections of wood are used to make them more stable, which increases the longevity of the tub significantly.

It’s this kind of care and attention to detail that makes the Colonial Hot Tubs such a great option for anyone who needs either a bespoke solution or who connects with the warm, natural cedar aesthetic.

Want to know more about customising a hot tub solution at your place? Be sure to visit Colonial Hot Tubs on ArchiPro today or visit their website to view the range.