Legend has it that In 17th century Siam, the king awarded an albino elephant to courtiers who displeased him, as a form of ironic punishment. Although it was a precious gift, it was a huge financial burden to feed and care for it.  The term “white elephant” has since become a metaphor for a possession whose cost of maintenance is out of proportion to its usefulness.

Certain hot tub brands tend to be trouble-free and are easy to maintain, while others are prone to being white elephants.  

For instance, replacing a circulation pump on one model can take 10x longer than another model.  Some models require that you empty the water and remove in-the-way equipment in order to access the pump, then put everything back and refill the tub again.  Conversely, with other brands, you close the gate valves, swap out the easily-accessible pump, and bam, it’s done!  10x more time to fix equals 1000% more labour costs for the technician.

Likewise, some similar parts can cost 3x more than others depending on the brand.  So, the same problem can literally cost 300% more for parts with some models.

Unless you have money to burn, it’s best to choose a brand and model that’s well engineered, runs efficiently, requires little maintenance, and won’t cost much to repair.