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piscesgirl

Tub: Regretting choice and ideal not avail -help me off ledge!

piscesgirl
10 years ago

We purchased off Craigslist a never used Jason alcove 60x30 airbath tub with LED chromatherapy light, for a small fraction of what it would cost new. Tub is 5+ yrs old, but was still in the box and works like new.

Issue is now I am second guessing whether this is the right tub for us and debating if we sell on Craigslist and buy a different tub (which will cost us more).

Here are the details of our situation:
-Only tub in house located in hall bathroom (alcove -tub/shower)
-Currently used as shower for guests (friends and our parents -age 60-70s)
- Don't know if we will be blessed with kids, so bending over to bath young ones is not a pressing concern but something we consider not only for us but for future owners.
-We are not "bath" people. Love pools & hot tubs (we don't own either). Always have had cheap small 60x30 shallow tubs, so not sure if finally owning a nicer (yet small) airbath tub will convert me (still too small for hubby)

My concerns with the Jason tub are as follows:

Acrylic: I have never owned an acrylic tub, only fiberglass (hated it - textured and hard to clean) and enameled steel (noisy but easy to clean). My main concerns with acrylic are that it won't hold up and it will be hard to clean. Is it like cultured marble? We have that for our counter/sink and I hate it. I have debated between cast iron, acrylic and steel. I am very concerned with the weight of cast iron in our house. Long story but just don't trust the weight on our beams.

Durability: We want the tub to last a long time. We are putting calacatta marble in the shower so it is not something we plan on tearing out and redoing in our lifetime. How long will acrylic last (especially if only used occasionally in guest bath)? Will it yellow, crack, etc? How long does an airbath last? I am concerned with parts breaking and not being able to replace them and then not being able to remove the tub without removing the shower tile.

Height: The Jason tub is 20.5" so I am a little concerned with elderly parents stepping into it, however all the acrylic tubs I have liked average around that high.

Width: The interior width of the Jason tub is only about 18", which is smaller than our current old steel tub. Concerned how comfortable this will be for guests showering. I don't want it to feel like they are standing in a bucket.

Airbath: Found out after I purchased the tub that Jason tubs need to run the air drying system for 20 minutes after every use (even a shower) to flush the air channel. Not sure if guests will know to do this and the wear on the parts this will cause.

Skirt: So the tub is not skirted and I actually prefer that, however because it is an airbath we need to have an access panel and air vent. I don't want access panels with calacatta tile, so this means wood. Not sure how i feel about a wood skirt on an alcove tub/shower. The current wood baseboard near our tub is shot from water coming out of the shower. This also means extra cabinetry costs.

After all my concerns I still like the Jason tub. It is an awesome tub that many people would love to have and it cost us less than any other tub would cost (except cheap builder grade tubs). Am i over reacting? Should I keep the tub? Again, the tub is currently (sans kids) only going to be used a few times a year when guests come to visit.

If we go with a different tub I am really at a loss as to what to go with. There are limited 60x30 alcove tub options and honestly I don't think they make what I am looking for. If I could design my own tub I would want:
-Quality tub that will stand test of time
-Not a great deal of weight (don't trust our beams)
-Apronless (want to tile the front)
-Soaker tub 16-18" high
-Large interior footprint
-Traditional clean soft lines (no weird interior angles)

I wish I could take the Kohler bellwether and make it higher, lighter and eliminate the apron...but that doesn't exist.

Would love to know what others suggest we do or what you would do in our situation. Thanks so much!

Comments (9)

  • kudzu9
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    At the moment you are not completely satisfied as this is an unfamiliar fixture and It sounds like you are over-analyzing: you have come up with all the potential downsides, even if most of them aren't true or are highly unlikely. It's called buyer's remorse and is quite common when wanting the perfect [fill in the blank]. But don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. It sounds perfectly fine to me as is. Unless you are a truly obsessive person, I predict that you will not even be thinking about this in a couple of weeks, and in a couple of months you will be amused that you ever got so concerned. As a friend of mine reminds me when I am overly focused on making the right choice among several totally good options: You're fortunate...this is a First World problem.

  • sjhockeyfan325
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    But don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

    What a great line!

    If and when your parents become elderly and infirm enough that they cannot use the tub, and if you are still in this house, you can change it out then. I'm certainly guilty of overthinking things, but short of a walk-in tub, all tubs are going to be "step-over", so one is probably not that much safer than another.

    FWIW, when our kids were little we had a huge jetted tub in our bathroom, and even though they had a "regular" tub in their bathroom, they took their nightly baths in ours until they were old enough to bathe alone.

  • divotdiva2
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    How tall is DH? Does he even use a bathtub usually, or just shower? It sounds like 60x30 is your only size option, so I think if that's the case you made a smart purchase. Put in a grab bar now and then no matter who uses it (you or guest, future children or parents) it will be safer to get in and out of the tub AND shower. You never know when a slip might occur. There are nice looking grab bars so you can get something sleek and not industrial/hospital looking.

    You can also call the Jason representatives and ask them about shower/tub combo installs.

    We just installed our Jason 60x32 and then did a fill test. It's not completely hooked up yet. It holds a lot of water, which adds weight - so the acrylic material will definitely lessen the load on your beams.

    I have another thread on here about the Jason which is mostly about its features and mounting options, if you care to scroll through it. I debated a lot about which tub to get and I'm happy so far with my choice.

  • piscesgirl
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you everyone for your comments. You really help put it into perspective.

    Kudzu9 - you got it right.....I over analyze every purchase, so it is not surprising that for a purchase that I didn't analyze to death that I am second guessing.

    Reminds me of my wedding dress. I was engaged 2 months and TJMaxx was having a one time only bridal closeout at select locations. Snagged a $3000 designer wedding dress for $500. Then proceeded to drag my bridesmaids to bridal salon after bridal salon to make sure I had the "perfect" dress....only to realize that there was no "perfect" dress. It was a stunning dress that anyone would be thrilled to have and I was lucky to have it and get it for a steal.

    So I guess getting a $3000 Jason Airmasseur for $400 is kinda my "wedding dress" all over again. However the wedding dress was only for 1 day....this tub is going to last a lot longer than that....or at least I hope it does :)

  • tuesday_2008
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    For what it's worth, I have never seen a Jason Airmasseur tub, but can definitely vouch for good quality acrylic.

    I have an almost 30 year old acrylic one-piece tub/shower combo that is still in good shape. It could be that it LOOKS better for wear and tear because it is harvest gold :) I have always just used a good spray bathroom cleaner. Of course, a total gut-job is in order for that bathroom, involving tearing down a wall, etc - been procrastinating for several years. I plan to replace with another acrylic shower unit (no tub) to avoid grout in my older days :). Hope I can still find the same quality.

    I also have another acrylic unit in another bathroom that is almost 20 years old - nice neutral biscuit color that still looks as good as the day it was installed. It is in DH's BR and is used daily (actually probably 3 times a day when son who showered twice a day was living at home)

  • kudzu9
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    firsthome-
    From one veteran neurotic to another, I understand completely. Having said that, I think you will be fine with this great purchase!

  • lascatx
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I checked over here to see if divotdiva had posted anything about her new tub. I want one so bad, but my remodel has been delayed and may not happen until fall or even next year. When we do finally get to do ours, I may just line them up and have the upstairs baths redone too. I'd be happy to have that tub for one of them.

    Do you know Jason is the original Jacuzzi family? They sold the name and after a while got back into the trade with a new line -- Jason, for JAcuzzi and SON. They are not as well known a name, but they are good quality.

    The only concern I would have is the tub height, but that allows a decent bath where so many tubs are basically shower basins. Your guests can actually use the tub as a tub and not feel like they are in a kiddie pool brought indoors. Most of the things we have in our house have tradeoffs -- OMG, my ovens doesn't have a built-in rotisserie! Just kidding to make a point -- our grill has a rotisserie and I really couldn't see me needing one in the oven, but I still stopped and thought about it when we were making selections and it was the first thing that came to mind here. .

    Grab bars are a good idea, as is the curved shower curtain rod, regardless of the tub you use. If the step turns out to be a bit much, you might put a stool next to the tub so they can sit, scoot and swing their legs over. You might have to test a couple of step, stool or other ideas, but you will find a way. Worst case, would it really be so awful if your parents used your shower and you got to soak in the air tub? Yeah, definitely a First World problem, but you got a great deal on a very good tub you and your guests should be happy to have.

  • dekeoboe
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    firsthome - I am another one who overanalyzes and compares like crazy to make sure I get the best deal. When we built I knew that would drive me and everyone else crazy, so I adopted a new motto for the build - Done Is Good. It is good to have a decision made and I needed to learn to go on from there and not second guess myself.