how to get a hotter hot tub?

JJ · 2007-08-23T20:29:28+00:00

We're in the market for a used or new hot tub. One thing we're concerned about is the maximum operating temperature. It looks as if all hot tub thermostats are now capped at 104 degrees for safety reasons. That would probably be OK for me, but for my wife who likes it hot, hot, hot, that just won't cut it. We have an indoor jacuzzi tub now, and she gets that above 110 for her tubs. Granted, there's no heater, so the water starts cooling off immediately - but it's still above 104 after 20 minutes of soaking. We've measured water temps in other tubs and hot tubs and I think somewhere between 106 and 108 would probably be ideal, but at a max temp of 104, it won't be worth buying. My wife's parents keep their hot tub at about 112. Ouch! That's too hot for me. I can last about 5 minutes. So, my question is not about the health effects of such hot temperatures, but rather... Is there a simple way to hack the thermostat on a hot tub to get above the 104 cutoff? I was thinking of maybe covering the temp sensor with some kind of insulating material, but I'm not sure if that's feasible. Since we don't currently have a hot tub, I'm not even sure where the temp sensor would be located. Has anyone successfully hacked their hot-tub thermostat, and how did you do it? Thanks. -JJ