I am looking for information on the pros and cons of getting a walk in tub. I have 3 Companies coming by next week and I need to know what to look for and what questions to ask. I know that they take a few minutes to drain and I can live with that. Are there any other pitfalls I should be aware of?
Expensive to buy. They need a lot of water and time to fill. they need time to drain.
I took the tub out and put in a shower base. The shower is 32 x 60 and has a handheld spray and rain shower head. Plenty of room to but a bench too.
Have an ambulance standing by for the heart attack when they tell you the cost.
My sister says they told her $12,000. I find that hard to believe but when the ads start offering $1,000 off you know it is high priced goods.
Harry K
When I asked at the plumbing supply house, they told me the cost of just the tub starts at about $4500. That is just for the tub, no installation or plumbing.
I just finished a rather nice bathroom renovation for $10,000 including ceramic tile on most of the walls, dual shower heads, top of the line real wood vanity.
Do they fill with more water than a tub? More weight on a smaller area? Structural considerations?
b. I have 3 Companies coming by next week and I need to know what to look f or and what questions to ask. I know that they take a few minutes to drain and I can live with that. Are there any other pitfalls I should be aware of ? --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
I would worry about the weight factor if the tub volume is greater than the volume of the present bathtub it is going to replace. Water gets heavy re al fast when you use gallons of it.
Remember that you have to sit in the tub with no clothes on while it fills and then again while it drains, you may catch a chill sitting there all wet.
They must have to change the plumbing to fit the new tub shape, do they get plumbing permits and inspections? Or, do they just jury rig it to get it done fast.
Do they have to cut any joists in order to move the plumbing? Do they get a building inspector to approve the structural changes?
I have seen the TV ads, while they are selling walk in tubs they seem to be selling renovations instead as you cannot just drop a tub in without changes to the room.
Do they want payment up front before they even start the work? What stops them from doing a crappy job once they have your money.
You may need a bigger water heater or a large tank-less to supply enough hot water -- this will probably be part of their sales pitch. Remember, if you rent your water heater, you may have a penalty to pay if you allow a different company to change the heater to a new larger one.
Rent your water heater? I've never heard of it. Where is it practiced?
Cindy Hamilton
Many good points so far. I will keep all of the info I have received and will let you know what I decide and why. Thank you one and all. Chuck
to bathe and get clean sitting in ones own waste isnt appealing to me;(
look at the ring left when you have drained the tub, that gunk is on your body.
Showers are much better they actually wash off the dirt & crud
His post is full of misinformation. You need a bigger water heater than you have to fill a walk-in tub? You don't have to, and probably no one ever has, filled any tub to the top unless they didn't expect to get in it. There's a little thing called water displacement to consider.
I tend to agree with you but my wife has RA and she needs the heat and jets for therapy and can't stand too well in the shower...
IIRC, 62.5 pounds per cubic foot.
I'm not sure how one would keep the water into a walk in tub. The walk in showers I've seen don't have a very high wall.
So, tell me. Is water displacement a lubricant, or a spray can?
By walk in, do we mean larger than usual, with stairs or a ladder to get in and out?
Sorry she has Retrograde Amnesia.
They leak
No need to stand. There are many seats available. My wife uses one and with a 3' handrail can easily get up and down. I don't know if the handheld would be a good enough sub for the water jets, but with the rainhead there is the potential for plenty of heat.
The big difference for us, my wife could not get down in a tub no matter how good the jets may be.
Maybe Cindy Hamilton meant if you rent your house, there could be problems with the landlord if you replaced the water heater.
Rheumatoid arthritis
I don't really know anything about a walk-in tub. I have a drive-through tub.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.