[Shop-talk] Admittedly off topic, but I know you guys have these answers. Please forgive me.

[Brian Kemp]

Eric,

The big question on the tub is if you like peace and quiet.  My previous 
house had a jetted whirlpool tub and we never used it because it was too 
loud.  My current house has an oversized jetted tub, but I can't use it 
because the 40 gallon hot water heater can't fill it.  My home inspector 
wrote up our current jetted tub as a potential source of legionnaires 
disease because it was acceptable for each jet to be able to hold a 
tablespoon of water when drained. I don't know current requirement, but 
my jetted tub is only used for showers and if I redo this bath, it will 
just have a conventional acrylic tub with no jets or bubbles.

This summer we went on vacation at a resort with air bubble tubs. The 
people in the lockoff next door used theirs and even though both doors 
between the units were closed and there was a bedroom in between, we had 
to turn up the living room TV volume to hear it over the sound of the 
blower in their unit.

Another vacation resort had a two person jetted tub.  We filled it and 
got in for a nice soak, only to jump out of the tub when we turned on 
the jets and a bunch of black stuff (likely mold) came out of the jets.

I redid two bathrooms a few years ago - both complete guy jobs to the 
studs.  For the bath tub in the main bath, we put in an extra deep 
acrylic soaking tub, no jets or blowers.  It fit the regular 30x60 size 
opening.  The only disadvantage is that there is a higher step over 
(19"), so for a while, you stub your toes because you are not lifting 
your foot high enough to get over the side of the tub. I do recommend a 
deep tub for any baths by adults.

We put in a turn control stopper for the tub drain:
-    Geberit 151.505.00.1 17-24-Inch Tub Depth TurnControl 
Cable-Operated Bath Waste and Overflow Bathtub Drain ABS
-    Geberit 151.551.21.1 Traditional Metal TurnControl Trim Kit, 
Polished Chrome
This stopper was recommended buy the local vendor we used.  It seems 
much more reliable than the flip lever on the tub overflow.

In the second bath I did, it has a problem with being cold.  I added a 
Cadet heater as mentioned by Bob.  The local electrical supply house 
recommend them and the quality seems good.  Because kids may use this 
bath, I put the heater on a rotary 30 minute timer switch so it can't be 
left on.  I don't want the heat on when nobody is around.  The Cadet 
comes in may models.  I put in a 1500W version that runs on 110V.  It 
only takes a few minutes to make a noticeable difference.

You didn't ask, but I also recommend Panasonic bath fans.  I've now 
installed four over the years.  It is super nice to have a fan you can 
barely hear.  I see no reason to have a loud fan.  In the bath I use, 
the fan is on a electronic timer switch (5-10-15-30 minutes). When I 
start the shower, I push the 30 minute button.  For the bath where my 
wife and kids shower, I have a humidity sensor.  Their bath fan is a 
Panasonic FV-08VRL1 that looks like a recessed can light. At 0.8 sones, 
it is the loudest fan I've installed, but you still can't hear it from 
outside the bathroom.  My youngest likes to take her showers with the 
'spotlight' on.

Brian


On 11/17/2017 3:13 PM, eric at megageek.com wrote:
> First, is the tub. I'm installing a new tub and I was wondering about a jetted tub. There seem to be two different options. There is the traditional water jet type, and there is a new, air bubble type. Since I can't try it before I have to decided, I was hoping I could get some advice here.
>
> Note-I am looking for tub that I can sit in and 'soak' muscles and such. After a long day in the fields or cutting wood, I'm at an age where I don't heal quick. I was hoping I could sit in the tub and get some circulation value from it. Do these air bubbles work better/worst/not at all? Are they a gimmick? I'm not looking for 'luxury' just utilitarian 'healing.' I hope I'm getting my point across. 8>0 I think they even have a tub that has both, but I don't know if it would be worth it. Anything else I should look for in a tub like this?
>
> Next question,
> This is a small bathroom and it normally doesn't heat up as much as I would like on cold mornings. I was thinking about a supplemental heater in the room. The options here seem to be an electric wall unit, or a radiant floor option. I love radiant flooring, but since this is a bathroom, I wasn't sure about keeping it warm all the time. The heater would be the best for turning on when needed and turning off. But I was wondering if the radiant floor, keeping it warmer all the time might be more efficient? Or if it could heat it up quickly if I didn't keep it warmer all the time (but I doubt this.) This was the company he has experience with http://www.warmfloor.com/. Note, it will be a tile floor when done. Is there a good way to figure what option is more efficient?
>
> So there are the two questions. I'd love to hear any opinions or experience with either or both.
>
> To try and make this shop related, I use this bathroom to clean up my filthy, greasy self every time I return from the shop! 8>)
>
>
> Sent from my Commodore 64 on a 2400 Baud Modem.
> Tech Viper
> "Be as beneficent as the sun or the sea, but if your rights as a rational being are trenched on, die on the first inch of your territory." Ralph Waldo Emerson
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