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Qube

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  1. Hey Pizzaman, I wrote a pretty detailed post about my California Cooperage 271. Do a search for it and it may help you out. I love the spa. It may not be a premium spa but it has a lot of features for the price and I haven't had any trouble with it so far...except for a speaker problem. Can't give you advise about the 110 or 220. I've always had my spas outside and prefer 220 for that.
  2. Hopefully things have been going well with the new tub. Congrats. The mistake I made in the beginning was following the dealers recommendation for using all kinds of crap I didn't need. As someone said, brand doesn't matter and you can switch from one to the other without changing the water. I have an ozonator and in the past just used about a tablespoon of chlorine about 5 minutes before getting in and would super chlorinate about once per week or two weeks depending upon use. My water always stays clear. I check it once every few days to be sure the PH is in line. You don't need to add spa up or spa down too much. It really shouldn't fluctuate enough to have to resort to substitutes. That stuff will last a long time. The key is to add a little spa up/down and then check again after two hours. Add more if needed. I just bought a new tub and it came with Nature2 cartridges so I am trying that now along with the ozonator and my same chlorine routine. It's working well so far.
  3. Your problem with foam could simply be detergent in your swim suits or lotions on your skin. I had that problem when I got my first tub and that's what I was told. I personally think that I was using too many chemicals by following the directions from the spa dealer. I always kept my spa up to temp and ready to go and started just super chlorinating once per week and putting about a tablespoon of chlorine in at least 5 minutes before getting in. It had an ozonator and after I just started doing that I never had any problems. You could also have a problem if you use that stuff that adds scent to the water.
  4. I pulled the trigger and bought a California Cooperage model 271. I'd never even heard of California Cooperage before and really couldn't find any information on here about them so I thought I'd write a review to help others out. I had a Cal Spa Genesis model that I bought in 1998 that was finally crapping out on me so I started looking for a replacement. I was only looking to spend about $5000, wasn't looking for a bunch of bells and whistles since normally my wife and I soak in it with the jets off anyway. I wound up getting this spa for $5499. It's got a detachable face Sony marine radio with an MP3 hookup, LED lights around the top, 40 stainless steel jets, waterfall and ozone. I had them throw in a cover lifter and a years worth of chemicals including 3 Nature2 cartridges (which I'd never seen before) so I feel that I got a good deal. As I'm sure you've all read there is always a huge debate about whether to get full foam or not. I was used to full foam which is what my Cal Spa had and was convinced that was the way to go. I never noticed a difference in my electric bill with my Cal so I guess it was doing it's job. The 271 is open inside and uses what Maax and California Cooperage call BlueMAAX. It's made from recycled denim I think and seems to do a great job so far. Since it has still been in the 80's and 90's around here I only have the spa set at 97 degrees but when I take the cover off at night to get in it's still 101 degrees. I obviously haven't been through a winter with it yet (I live in Ohio) but will be sure to re-post in the spring. The other big debate seems to be circulation pump or not. This one doesn't have a circulation pump but neither did my Cal so I'm not concerned about that. I'm used to the spa filtering and on this one you can set it up to filter more or less depending on your usage...and it's quiet! You can barely hear it filtering when you're standing right next to it. It's actually pretty amazing compared to what I was used to. Let's get to the bad first...maybe not bad but concerns. The wood frame inside looks kind of cheap. Could be standard for a wood frame but I don't know why they wouldn't use treated wood. Seems kind of light to me. The upgraded MAAX spas have a steel frame and a bottom pan that keeps out pests which I really would have liked but hey, I only spent $5500! The composite panels come off all the way around the spa but the bad thing is that you have to unscrew them all...and they just screw into the wood so it's hard to get the screws back in the same hole. I'm wondering how many times you can actually take them off and on until you screw up the wood. I'm guessing you shouldn't have to be in there too much anyway. Three of the LED lights around the top weren't working when I hooked it up and the dealer told me that they probably just need to be stuck back up in the lenses. That seems to be the case since I can look through the clear lens and see them lit up down there. I'm going to get in there and push those back up tomorrow. The other thing that may be kind of annoying is that the jets seem to turn real easy. Just by moving around in the seat you can turn some of the jets down or off. Also, the head cushions could be softer. Now the good...which far outweighs the bad as far as I'm concerned. The spa is 7' x 7', seats 6 and has a lounger. This is the same size that my Cal was but a spa this size is really better suited for about 4 adults comfortably. I did have 9 people in my Cal one night but that was in my younger days! The jets on this thing are awesome! They will definitely push you out of your seat when you turn the blowers on. There is definitely not a lack of power. It doesn't have a ton of jets but there are plenty for us. This spa also really moves the water for filtering. When the water goes through the skimmer it actually creates a whirlpool as it's being sucked into the filter. It has a skimmer basket on top of the filter to catch all of the big stuff and even has a filter pad that will collect micro particles. The spa itself seems really well made as far as fit and finish on the outside. I like the granite spa shells versus the acrylic smooth ones which tend to scratch easier, show more dirt, and seem to be more slippery. It seems to be made very well and the seats are really comfortable. This spa heats up really quick too. I filled it up and we were in it two hours later when it got up to around 82 degrees then within another two hours it was up to temp. I'm guessing on the timing here but it was quick. The controls are really nice, the LED lights change colors, and the stereo sounds great with an MP3 player hooked up. It has smaller speakers which sound great when you're in the tub but I can't see using them for entertainment outside of the tub...maybe though, haven't cranked them up that much I guess. This spa has two 2.5Hp pumps which really do the job. The interior components of the spa look great. Speaking of interior...when you get this spa delivered, everything (manuals, face for stereo, warranty info) are all inside of the spa near the stereo. You have to look behind the BlueMAAX insulation to find it all. This spa was easy to hook it up. I already had the 240 electric hook up from my Cal so all I had to do was drill a hole in the new spa (ouch) and screw the 4 color wires into there respective holes (tightly) and that's it. Hopefully this review will help someone out. If you have any additional questions about it just ask. I'll follow up after I've had the spa for awhile. It's only been about two weeks so far but I'm extremely happy with it.
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