A leading hot tub equipment supplier has warned of the dangers of selling spa components directly to the general public, fearing the consequences including inevitable fatalities. Ray Desmond, the co-founder of Spa Euro, one of Europe’s leading trade suppliers, says the spa and hot tub industry is sitting on a ticking time bomb because of the lack of regulation.
“There is a worrying side of the spa and hot tub industry with on-line stores that, by promoting some parts, including electrical components, are encouraging the end user to repair their own spas on a do it yourself basis,” says Ray.
“We think this is very dangerous and a ticking time bomb that will impact on all of us,” says Ray.”
Spa Euro holds regular training events at its Wales base, attracting spa technicians from all over Europe for its technical education programme. “We get calls all the time from the general public asking us to
recommend people who are qualified to go out and do a professional job,” says Ray.
“Spa Euro has invested in training and education because we believe in supporting properly-accredited professionals who can charge a fair fee and run a good business as a result of that knowledge.
“You have people in our industry who think they can circumvent that by putting parts up for sale and encouraging end users to repair their own spas when in fact this is a piece of electrical equipment which can be fatal if the person does not attend to it in the correct way.
“It will take a fatality for the UK to wake up to the fact that this industry needs to be regulated.”
Ray’s warning comes as an investigation into the deaths of a couple found dead in a hot tub in Florida found they had died of
accidental electrocution. According to the local police, Robert Jones and Jennifer Britt were found face-down in the water of a hot tub that seemed to have been installed without proper electric and plumbing permits.
Spa Euro
Tel. +44 (0)1443 437915
www.spaeuro.eu
