Hello, I was considering having a heater installed into a whirlpool tub in my master bath. The home and tub are about 19 years old. It's a jetted tub however by the time the water level is above the jets, its already getting cool and within 5 minutes is no longer hot enough. Would it be more feasible to just replace the entire tub, with one that is heated, considering the age ot it?

Got a picture?
Unless your planning on a complete bathroom remodel I'd leave the tub in place.

I would would think twice about trying to modify any function of a 19 year old unit. Not even close to sure how you would go about adding a heating device to you set up. Suppose they are available though. But that would entail tugging more Romex methinks.
And yes whirlpool tub units with out a heater are rather useless.

if your a handy person it can be done http://www.spatecservice.com/
call these people and they will help you find someone in your area
they also have parts,
a whirlpool is just a big tub with pipes wrapped around it and conected to the jets
a heater can be added and at the same time i would STRONGLY suggest replacing the motor. and air switch.
of course... access will have to be had to do the work. so if there is not a access door. one will have to be cut in
then. INHO wrap the unit in cultured marble to hide the access door and add a marble step. stuff insulation under the tub, fill all gaps.
after replacing motor,switch, and piping . reglaze the tub. then it will be a new unit.
http://www.spaguts.com/SpaHeat...atg7YCFVGf4AodlVgAqA

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Frodo,

a modern jetted tub will have the oddball-thread PVC unions in place, with a cheater between them, curiously at exactly the right distance for the manufacturer's heater. child's play, but if they have the silicone gaskets availiable instead of O-rings, use them for a more certain leakproof seal.

my tub, a builder-grade Jacuzzi under a private label, didn't. if yours doesn't, get the manual. if you can't get the manual, don't even try modifying.

if you can get the manual, then you can order a heater and the necessary PVC unions from a repair center. you can't get them in a store, they are a bahrstahrde thread unique to the application. the unions are meant to use little round O-rings, not much sealing area. there are silicone rubber sealing rings availiable that seal not only in the groove, but all across the area of the union. recommended!

you will need to bond the motor, heater, pipes, and electrical supply with a #8 solid copper wire per code and common sense, to be absolutely sure there are no circulating currents that could roast you alive inside. heaters will need either a 15 or 20 amp dedicated circuit fed, as the motor should be, through a GFI, which is placed well out of reach of any tub user.

again, this should all be in a current manual for the tub type and brand. if you can't get the manual, so you don't get the heater in the right place far enough away from the meltable, flammable tub side and so forth, don't even try this.