Deus66

#1. My advice: Stay away from #1 it can be really expensive! I know several people who have ditched it for that reason. #2. I use #2 although have used just chlorine in the past and it works well too. I like Bromine because I can just leave the floater in there and not worry about it as much. #3. Looks bright and shiny, probably a lot more $$$ than just plain ol' chlorine. #4 Completely agree with Imnay..."redundant". BTW your dealer is going to charge you a premium to buy those chemicals in his store. Take some friendly advice. Read these forums, and your owners manual. Go to www.spadepot.com and save a lot of money by ordering your stuff from them. That is what I did, and I save 50%++ on everything I buy when compared to any local spa dealer. Just an FYI I'm sure several dealers will post in here about how your dealer will know about water conditions in your area, and how they can get your water balanced..and....blah blah blah.... anyone that can read can get the chemicals right, and no it isn't some magical mystical skill that only spa dealers have. Hope this helps!

Just get some "Mighty Putty" that Billy Mays guy says that stuff is the bomb! ...lol

My patio is 18x24 and it has "rebar only" and is 4" thick. I have a 450 gallon tub that has been on it for almost a year, and I haven't noticed any cracks that weren't there before (normal for concrete). Enjoy it!

First Off Lighthouse206 "Give Em' Hell" God knows I've tried for months and given up posting. These dealers and techs want us to believe that PVC pipe, a pump, and Chem. 101 is some kind of magical mystical force that only they can understand! I own a Costco tub, and since it was my first, I didn't want some $10,000.00 tub that I might not have enjoyed. In the future I may purchase a more expensive model, but I am happy with my first time out Costco tub. As for KIALDA I saw the rank of that user is a "Spa Savant" should be "Idiot Savant" only because the post was so negative! My God what is wrong with people in here, when someone wants to defend their point of view about something that they get slammed? Moron KIALDA, back off! Get over it people, Costco sells good products with the best darn return policy you could ever dream of. Sure some of the Spas they sold in the past had issues, that’s why those spa companies have been bought/sold/bankrupt/etc... I haven't posted in months here because of these negative attitudes by the "Elite" spa professionals. Keep up the fight Lighthouse.

I know when I was looking to buy my spa, I saw several used tubs. All were at dealers, all were taken as trade-ins. Most were around the price range you mentioned, and all about the same age. Not sure about he models I saw, but I know that Tiger river (hot springs) is a good manufacturer. I ended up going with a new tub because the extra money was worth it for me to have the extra warranty / peace of mind. I've only had my spa since May, and I haven't had any problems (knock on wood). I know I have that 5 year warranty to fall back on, if I have any problems in the furutre. If it were me I'd get some kind of extended (longer than 30 days) warranty if they offer it, you never know what might go wrong with a 6 year old spa.... but from what I saw, the price is about average. Hope this helps.

My opinion is different from most of the others I read here. I wouldn't place as much weight on the dealer as I would the product. Would you buy a Honda Accord, from a dealer (not the best) if the price was a lot cheaper than the dealer across town.....Who wouldn't? Your talking about a lot of $$$$ for the same thing. The warranty is the same no matter where you buy it. I would say get the most spa for your money, as long as it is the spa you want. Personal comfort is the most important thing when buying a spa, and price comes in second everytime. As I found in my search, price can vary a lot between dealers. If you have multiple dealers in your area, I'm certain you'll see that. Take your time and bargain as much as you can, remember your dealers 401K took a hit too last week, maybe he'll be willing to give you a better deal to keep a sale!

Since you have double checked the wires, and found nothing wrong, it's probably a little more complicated than that. Best thing you can do at this point is call someone with the proper testing equipment (electrician) to find out what the problem is. (like Dr. Spa posted) I have heard stories about concrete conducting electricity, and it could go back as far as the rebar used in your slab and how it is placed, what it is touching (as an example)..... Another suggestion that might cost less than an electrician to repair it may be to place you spa on some pads like these Spa pads. Just put them under your spa to insulate it from the concrete slab.

RTFM.........................

As for going for a soak in the nude....Anyone have any pictures?????

Alright, here's what I know, and what I did. First off, if they can run any of the wire through the attic it'll save you $$$$$, trenching is very expensive! Mine was about 75 feet, all through the attic / crawlspace, and then just a bit outside to the GFI and then to the tub. Total cost was $750.00 by a lic. electrician. I had to call around and get a few quotes before I found one I thought was right. Some seemed way too low, others way too high. IMO you need to keep calling until you find someone who'll come out and look at it then write up an estimate! I gurantee if they say $1500 it'll cost $1500 whether or not it was a legit qoute! You are laying out big bucks for this spa, and want it done right, and don't want to get ripped off. The proper procedure would be for a qualified electrician to explain what parts are required, what they cost, and why, before you agree to a price...If you do it yourself, make sure you know what your getting into, and have everything you need before you start.

Look, To microban or not to microban ......Who Cares? You'll put so darn many checmicals in there anyway it won't make a bit of difference. BTW just picking...but mold in a fungus...not bacteria.. I doubt microban would work on fungi, they grow in a different manner than bacteria.

I went for the light grey siding, light grey steps, light grey cover and light grey concrete...... Shoot now I can't find the dang thang......lol

OMG Bose? Polk Audio? hello it's a spa! I got one with a sony system that I can use my Sirius with. I have my high end sound in the house where I use it. Remember that out door sound is mixed with everything else too. I'd say get the best system you wouldn't mind some kid knocking off the table, or getting it splashed with water. What ever happened to just listening to the sound of nature while taking a soak... BTW before you buy anything, make sure your neighbors won't call the home owners assoc. on you for disturbing them with your spa muzak! .... lol

It's a good thing your getting started early. Do your research.... I got a spa from Costco (a lot of folks will disagree with that) but I didn't buy a site unseen spa from a 2x2 picture on the net. I bought one "in store". It's made by a well known manufacturer that occasionally makes a "price point" model for a big box store. My point is, several of the higher end manufacturers will sometimes sell a model through a big box store (for whatever reason) and you can find a great deal. You just have to be commited to buying before you find a deal like that. If you say "well that's nice maybe they will still have them in a month" ... they won't. And BTW when it is time to buy, don't let those dealers hold your feet to the fire.... They can be like used car salesman.... Yes there is always a better price they can give you!

Yep, my thoughts exactly! It's not that taking it off is hard, but putting it back on is so much easier with a lifter..... Buy IT!