psi-vs-fluence

The feel you get out of a jet depends on its fluence and psi together. Some spas have can have 2 to 3 times the jets per seat which means nothing if you don't know how much water is coming out, the fluence per area, and the size of the jet making the force stronger or softer which has nothing to do with the fluence.

Some pumps are very small and are only 1/3 Horsepower and some can be as high as 3 Horsepower. This can be confusing because some high horsepower pumps can deliver lots of water flow but all at a lower pressure. The fluence is much stronger in these tubs but the psi is much lower. For therapy, depending on the area in the body, a higher fluence is often preferred and others prefer a higher psi over a higher fluence. A high pressure single jet stream hose that sends water across the whole lawn has high psi but the same hose that sends the water in multi streams but just a few feet has more fluence.

For those wanting a deep tissue massage, a higher psi jet must be balanced with the fluence as you don't want a big red mark on your back and get irritated skin. I consider a high fluence hot tub having 20 gallons per minute per jet. These cheap tubs usually have smaller jets with less water flow and have the same horsepower and gallons per minute so you think its a good tub. Remember bigger water pump motors after a certain point have bigger motors to operate more jets. Having too much power can be irritating if its all coming from one jet. This is why fluence and having more jets and balancing the psi makes the difference between a comfortable seat and a seat where you have to move positions because its starting to sting your back. The way to get a deeper massage is to have more gallons per minute going through the jet with more fluence rather than creating higher pressure. Many people don't realize this when getting a new hot tub.

Note: if buying a tub for deep massages, you can't just go by the amperage of the tubs. Like buying a 20 amp hot tub and assuming its more powerful than a 15 amp tub. Some hot tub companies have very powerful looking specs so you think they are very powerful. Most people think a 15 amp water pump is stronger than a 10 amp pump. Here's what you may never find the truth unless you tested them. Lower energy efficient motors, such as a 1 HP pump that is not well built, can take up 15 to 16 amps while a very expensive 1HP pump might only use 10 to 11 amps to deliver the same water flow and pressure. This means to the customer that about half a killowatt per hour of your electricity bill will be wasted. Over the years, it will add up to possibly the cost of a more expensive tub. So before I buy a hot tub, I always ask how many watts and amps the hot tub draws on its lowest setting and how much it uses on its highest setting. The most energy efficient tubs that are the most powerful on the market use around 10 amps and a rule of thumb for wattage is to test how much it uses on its lowest setting. 160 to 180 is what I consider a low wattage range. The lower the better if comparing the same power of another tub.

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