How to get rid of a spa? Have you ever cut one up? Don't LOL

Gary Ward

Gary Ward

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Lawrenceburg, Indiana
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Challenger1
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I67
We have a 20 year old spa that has been great under a awning until just recently. It's been powered on 24/7 year round since 2016 when it was delivered new. We used it plenty.
Were moving and buyers don't want an old broken down spa.
So I geared up and cut it up today.
Fiberglass dust is bad to breath or get on your skin.
I used up 3 blades cutting it up. Started about 9:30 am and finished at 2:30 pm with plenty of breaks and lunch.
I cut it up in 8 pieces plus the base and the center. The cover I got rid of last week.
 
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This spa is heavy even when empty.
IMG_6452.jpeg
That fiberglass is really thick in the corners and over all. I think it's a mixture of something because it is heavy and rock solid.
IMG_6458.jpegIMG_6464.jpegIMG_6467.jpeg
Filled 12-42 gallon trash bags full of foam.
At least they were light and easy to handle...dry. If that foam got wet it would never dry out and weigh a ton.
IMG_6484.jpeg
 
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This seems like either a ton of fun or the biggest pain in the rear ever. And I'm not sure which.
 
We had one at our house in San Diego that was several years old. We just sold it in a day by asking a really low price. It was in fairly good shape and we just cleaned it up and had it on when an interested party showed up. They asked why we were selling so cheap and we said because the cover was starting to weather and they'd probably want to buy a new one. I swear they felt like they'd scored a great deal and we were just happy to see the thing gone. We moved it with a homemade dolly and help from a couple of friends.

These days I'd bet OfferUp or FB Market Place would have that thing gone in hours.
 
I got it gone by myself on a nice spring day.
It was always a perquisites to really hot sex with my wife for 20 years. Yea it was worth it.
It was much too heavy to haul to the curb to offend the neighbors until it was picked up with a crane! lol
I moved the whole thing by myself today in pieces.
 
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I'm wondering why:

1. This seemed like a better idea than selling or giving it away, or even just letting someone haul it to the dump.

B. This wouldn't be the buyer's problem.
 
Lindberg said:
I'm wondering why:

1. This seemed like a better idea than selling or giving it away, or even just letting someone haul it to the dump.

B. This wouldn't be the buyer's problem.
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Because I wouldn't dump this on the buyer. The pump got new seals a couple months ago and I found out the 20 year old flexible line shrank during cold weather and was not flexible any more and would not fit any longer onto the original pump connections
When I tried to put the pump back in the 3 lines were 1/2" short. There was no easy way to add onto the stiff 2" flexible hose which was stiff as a board. After 20 years it was junk.
 
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Stuff like that I put on Craigslist for free; it's usually gone within an hour or two.
 
Took a chainsaw to dad's old one while wearing a tyvek suit and respirator
 
It's gone, so can't argue that it was a good solution.

But I'll second, or third, the suggestion that anything, and I mean anything, posted for free on Craigslist or FB will get picked up pronto. I've gotten rid of all kinds of junk that way. Including two used toilets, both gone within hours.
 
In my city we have a "big trash day" once a month. The day before all the scavengers go around grabbing what they can. They will grab just about anything. My record is I put something out on the curb, and by the time I walked back in my house, it was gone.

Guaranteed somebody would have taken the spa.
 
RussR said:
In my city we have a "big trash day" once a month. The day before all the scavengers go around grabbing what they can. They will grab just about anything. My record is I put something out on the curb, and by the time I walked back in my house, it was gone.

Guaranteed somebody would have taken the spa.
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The spa was 8'X8' and it so heavy that it took 3 guys to slide it 2 feet when they did the siding and it was empty. Even if I had dolly's and a way to get it out in front our home how would someone load it without specialized equipment? And then if no one took the POS then I would have handle it again
And it is broke, not usable anymore.
Not to insult anyone but I am not the kind of guy or neighborhood to put my used stuff out in front of my home hoping someone will take it.
Thanks for looking and commenting on this thread. I have been putting this job off for a few weeks and too cheap to pay someone to come get it. And really don't like strangers around my home.
 
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Like I said above that spa ran for 20 years non stop. It was on it's second motor and pumps. It has one big ole motor with dual pumps and is heavy.
One seal started leaking so I got 20 bucks worth of seals and put them in.
Then when I went to reinstall the pump the hoses were slightly too short and stiff. Really stiff from old age. They shrank a little bit.
I tried several times and you can't get to the hoses because they are incased in foam.
Then in the last couple weeks we finally bought a house after looking for years.
People don't like a old nasty spa that has been used by someone else for 20 years so I had to get it gone. I didn't have 5 friends to help to move it in one piece as a couple of them have died.IMG_6321.jpeg
 
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I'm seriously contemplating putting in a spa next to my pool, and I'd never contemplated what happens when I'm done with it. This thread has certainly given me something to think about.
 
RussR said:
In my city we have a "big trash day" once a month. The day before all the scavengers go around grabbing what they can. They will grab just about anything. My record is I put something out on the curb, and by the time I walked back in my house, it was gone.

Guaranteed somebody would have taken the spa.
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Heh. We had an old, beat up, set of kitchen chairs and a table. We were getting rid of stuff for a move and I took 2 chairs to the curb. I went back to get the other two chairs, and by the time I got back the first two were gone. It happened so quickly I thought, “Did I really take them out already?” I went back inside to count chairs, but there weren’t any more. So I took the table out. The last chairs and the table were gone by morning.

I used to see pickers every evening before trash day, but I haven’t seen nearly as many as I used to.
 
Matthew said:
Heh. We had an old, beat up, set of kitchen chairs and a table. We were getting rid of stuff for a move and I took 2 chairs to the curb. I went back to get the other two chairs, and by the time I got back the first two were gone. It happened so quickly I thought, “Did I really take them out already?” I went back inside to count chairs, but there weren’t any more. So I took the table out. The last chairs and the table were gone by morning.

I used to see pickers every evening before trash day, but I haven’t seen nearly as many as I used to.
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Wow it is not quite like that around here. But where we live it makes it harder for people to stop because we live on a 35mph road with no side walks and most are going 50.
 
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Gary Ward said:
People don't like a old nasty spa that has been used by someone else for 20 years so I had to get it gone.
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Maybe it's just me but there are certain things in life that I don't want to own after someone else. A used spa is a no-no for me ...
 
You did the right thing by cutting it up and putting in the dumpster...

Jacuzzi tubs were all the rage in the "Slick Willie" and "Bush the Dubeya" administrations, now I see people yanking them out.

We had a Hot Springs Spa that over the years I must have replaced everything (pumps, heater, circuit board, etc...) more than once... the chlorine is nasty on some of that stuff... the heater element gave out... again, and I was told they are NLA.... I should have read between the lines when the guy said, I have three in stock, how many do you want a few years back when I replaced it.

Congrats on your new house...
 
Ventucky Red said:
You did the right thing by cutting it up and putting in the dumpster...

Jacuzzi tubs were all the rage in the "Slick Willie" and "Bush the Dubeya" administrations, now I see people yanking them out.

We had a Hot Springs Spa that over the years I must have replaced everything (pumps, heater, circuit board, etc...) more than once... the chlorine is nasty on some of that stuff... the heater element gave out... again, and I was told they are NLA.... I should have read between the lines when the guy said, I have three in stock, how many do you want a few years back when I replaced it.

Congrats on your new house...
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Thank you,
Are's were a CalSpa. It was totally reliable except for the motor/pumps right at the end of warranty. Cal Spa sent me a new motor and Pumps right at 5 years old at no charge.
Then I ran that motor and pumps for 15 more years. The motor was still good.
 
Oof. I have one i need to dispose of as well. I think you just made up my mind to list it for free on marketplace rather than cut it up.

My dad built a whole room onto the house for this one. He didn't use it the last couple years they lived here. I recommissioned it when we moved in and used it pretty regularly for a year, but eventually lost interest in it. Teresa didn't like it, so it was just me solo, and a long hot shower accomplishes the same thing without having to keep 300gal of water hot 24/7. A pressure switch failed about six months ago and I decided not to bother fixing it, but still haven't gotten rid of it.
 
Jim K said:
Oof. I have one i need to dispose of as well. I think you just made up my mind to list it for free on marketplace rather than cut it up.

My dad built a whole room onto the house for this one. He didn't use it the last couple years they lived here. I recommissioned it when we moved in and used it pretty regularly for a year, but eventually lost interest in it. Teresa didn't like it, so it was just me solo, and a long hot shower accomplishes the same thing without having to keep 300gal of water hot 24/7. A pressure switch failed about six months ago and I decided not to bother fixing it, but still haven't gotten rid of it.
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It will be interesting to see if anyone will come pick it up for free since it is broke.
Good luck with it.
 
Matthew said:
Heh. We had an old, beat up, set of kitchen chairs and a table. We were getting rid of stuff for a move and I took 2 chairs to the curb. I went back to get the other two chairs, and by the time I got back the first two were gone. It happened so quickly I thought, “Did I really take them out already?” I went back inside to count chairs, but there weren’t any more. So I took the table out. The last chairs and the table were gone by morning.

I used to see pickers every evening before trash day, but I haven’t seen nearly as many as I used to.
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Yes, it's pretty amazing. So like I said, Big Trash day is once a month, when the city will come by and haul away almost anything you have (there are some restrictions on size and weight). But the day before, that's when the salvagers come around, and anything is fair game then.

It's amazing what some people will take. Some things they'll grab for parts or the scrap metal value (like the old dishwasher that I clearly wrote "broke" on). But others I have no idea. I put out an old suitcase with a broken wheel and missing multiple zipper pulls (and indicated as such), and it was taken too.

It's actually pretty awesome and impressive. And actually saves the city a lot of time and money since they don't have to pick as much stuff up.
 
RussR said:
And actually saves the city a lot of time and money since they don't have to pick as much stuff up.
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...unless it's picked up by homeless folk who then dump it in the creek when they can no longer use it.
 
When I was a younger man so (when dinosaurs roamed the earth) I used to prowl the neighborhood before the collectors came and I'd take home broken bicycles and parts. A bit of elbow grease, perhaps a new part or two, and a coat of paint would render a product to ride, make a few bucks on, or trade for something different, (that's how I got my first go-cart). ;)
 
RussR said:
Yes, it's pretty amazing. So like I said, Big Trash day is once a month, when the city will come by and haul away almost anything you have (there are some restrictions on size and weight). But the day before, that's when the salvagers come around, and anything is fair game then.

It's amazing what some people will take. Some things they'll grab for parts or the scrap metal value (like the old dishwasher that I clearly wrote "broke" on). But others I have no idea. I put out an old suitcase with a broken wheel and missing multiple zipper pulls (and indicated as such), and it was taken too.

It's actually pretty awesome and impressive. And actually saves the city a lot of time and money since they don't have to pick as much stuff up.
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My burg offers bulk pickup on our normal trash day. Call a day or two ahead and they send out a picker truck. I think it’s $25, that gets added to your next month’s utility bill. They charge extra if it takes more than 20 minutes, but it rarely does. I replaced a deck once, they got the old one all in just a few minutes with the claw. What typically happens is someone will order a bulk pickup, let the neighbors know, and split the cost. Many old mattresses and recliners disappear that way.
 
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