Bathtub Jacuzzi: Why You Can’t Install Whirlpool Jets in ANY Standard Size Single Person Bathtub

Physics, proportions, measurements, they all play a role in…mostly all household renovation and architectural design. A bathroom bathtub jacuzzi whirlpool is not an exception. Not everyone takes physics into account when they get excited about an idea to renovate and upgrade their bathroom. Before you make this mistake and install a glorified foot soak, take a look below:

Personal Experience with Poorly Placed Bathtub Whirlpool Jets

I am not an experienced handyman, contractor or an architect by profession. But I do have a personal account using whirlpool jets in a standard size single person bathtub.

A friend of mine purchased a mansion with over 8 bathrooms in it. To this day, I have no idea why someone would want a house with that many toilets in it (pee-yew!), but alas, there it was. He wanted every bathroom to be luxurious. He requested his renovation team to install jacuzzi whirlpool style jets in every bathroom’s bathtub.

When I was staying over, he reminded me, “Hey! Don’t forget to try out the bathtub jets!” I thought OOH LA! LA! I was excited. I love a good whirlpool. Unfortunately, my friend nor his renovation team, took physics into account when installing these “luxurious” bathtub jets.

I laid in the standard-sized bathtub as it filled with warm water prepared for the most relaxing bath experience of my life. There was an on/off button on the inside of the tub for starting up the jets. Of course, I waited until the bathtub was filled above the jets before turning them on. The jets turned on perfectly. As the bathtub filled with water, I laid back to relax. The tub filled up to normal soaking height. Normal soaking height is laying down, head laid back, with body submerged in water.

I am 5 feet 4 inches tall and my weight is 145 lbs. The shape of this bathtub is rectangular, with the inner tub a narrowly oblong shape, and an approximate measurement of 52 inches in length, 24 inches in width, and 14 inches in depth. Approximate because I did not bust out my measuring tape at the time, but I have a bathtub in my home, that is roughly the same size and shape as my ill-advised whirlpool enthusiast friend. There were 2 – 3 jets on each side on the inner tub, left and right side 2 – 3 each.

Much to my disappointment, the jets caused an eruption of chaotic splashing pouring out of the bathtub and all over the floor of the bathroom. I closed the glass doors to the bathtub to prevent flooding. But this did not prevent the jets to cause the disruptive water to chaotically and unpleasantly splash me in the face and all around me like I was in some sort of slasher horror film.

I opened up the drain to allow some of the water out of the tub to see if it would help. It didn’t. The shape of the tub was too shallow and the width was too narrow. The jets were set low in the tub, but obviously they need water to work, and if I drained the water any lower, there would be no water left in the tub at all. This was whirlpool bathtub was designed more like a communal foot soak than a standard size, single person whirlpool bathtub.

My friend actually allowed his renovation team to put these jets in every single standard sized bathtub in his entire mansion.

I didn’t have the heart to tell him. But I did find inspiration to write this article.

So what are the important factors to consider before installing whirlpool jets in your bathtub?

Shape of your bathtub.

Measurements of your bathtub.

Jet Position.

Jet Placement.

Jet Measurements.

Water pressure.

Plumbing and pipes.

And, most importantly, always do a test-run and see it in action for yourself before going ahead and spending a fortune installing useless bathtub jacuzzi whirlpool jets.

Also a special reminder, there is a difference between appearance of luxury and actual luxury. I can spray paint metallic gold on a wood chair, it is still a wood chair, even if it looks like gold. Get it?