avasicek

Yes, in the event the dealer is unable to service for whatever reason (life happens), my group will coordinate all service. Its fairly rare though, most are required to service or have their own preferred tech, just that my office issues the work orders to keep the service history and paperwork straight. Generally though your dealer will always be your first point of contact regardless of who arranges what.

Im still around lurking, just dont get the time to post or keep up like I used to. Even though I am not in sales, I clearly work for the company, so my opinion wont really carry the weight an actual shopper wants to hear. Its expected in any industry that I am simply towing the party line, so I do not generally chime in much when I am around, unless its a general type question that nobody seems to be looking at (regardless of brand). My duties keep me busy elsewhere these days as my role has changed quite a bit. In the early days of Premium Leisure, having just purchased the assets of Hydro Spa, its natural that the spas looked similar. They were after all, the same molds. Shortly after we hit the ground running, is when the changes started happening. The spas slowly evolved, they got plumbed different, then equipment was changed, while they looked the same on the outside, under the hood they were different animals all together. Quality rose, service calls dropped through the floor, and to keep me from being a sad, bored, service manager, my efforts were pointed towards other projects. The Leisure's Edge line...Not sure how anyone can say they look similar to anything past or present in this industry, let alone a Hydro Spa unit. A sports car maybe, spaceship even. There isnt a straight line on these spas. Seats contoured to the body designed for comfort. Its a complete change in philosophy if one does insist we are Hydro with a new name, right down to the last detail. Its about comfort and power, not jet count. Its about looks, fit, finish, and styling. Its not our top end, its not our bottom either, but in my opinion can stand toe to toe with near any. Its about taking a step back, actually listening to what both dealers and end consumers actually want in a hot tub. Its purpose built to sit exactly where we have it placed in the market. Been doing this line of work quite some time now, seen spas and spa companies come and go, and never have I seen a product where the marketing didnt do it justice. The actual in the flesh product looked better than the marketing pictures. (For as simple as the system is, the waterfall is one of the coolest things I have seen on a spa in many, many years, it just doesnt photograph and do it justice.) To continue beating the poor horse, its just one more of the many ways its a different company. A line of spas designed with a computer, not a guy carving out a plug from foam by hand for 6-months and $50k plus per mold, that looks like the last one they spent a year carving. A spa that doesnt look like the same cookie cutter unit near every company produces. Ive said it before, and really hate to sound like I am harping, but again for the record; We sell to dealers only, no mass merchant. In the time we have been around, the total number of spas produced and all while dealing with and overcoming the very issues in this very thread (not to mention the wonderful economy and winter that would never end...) and still nearly no negative posts left and right, should tell everyone loud and clear I am not coming out of left field. Used to be, couldnt go a few days without a good ole company bashing. In the end, I really have to differ to the logic and resounding, thread after thread, message present on this board. If you like the product. If you like the dealer. If you are satisfied with the seating, pressure, equipment, warranty, service the dealer will offer, if the price is right, etc. If after all of those points and research, you are confident its the right deal, then you have done what you can to self educate. If you are on the fence, I would suggest taking it one step further. Call the factory. If you are in the area, stop by the factory. This is honestly one of the most companies I have ever worked for. Ive made the offer to anyone who reads these boards, I am not in sales, but I will personally and very very happily, take the time to show what makes these spas different. Offer is still open to anyone, consumer, professional, and skeptics here alike. They have me that excited and I am that confident. I personally put my hands on as many spas in a day as possible, checking every fitting, clamp, union, underwater light seal, pack settings, computer testing results and work hand in hand with one of the best engineering teams I have ever had the pleasure to work with. I dont see many others here that can say the same, and that honestly astounds me. The new Leisure's Edge line has been on display at several shows, and been received well. If there isnt a major show in your area, the line-up is on display online. Love my posts or hate them, the spas are worth the look. Again, like I said, not a salesman. Not going to harp features, compare it to or bash a fellow manufacturer, I think these new spas can stand on their own merits. Sit in one, test one, weigh the dealer selling the Leisure's Edge vs. the other brands being shopped, and make the decision that is right for your family and lifestyle. In the end, if you are happy with your purchase, then nobody can tell you otherwise. Its not near as hard as some make the process out to be. AV

Doc, I think despite your love to hate Hydro Spa bias showing for all to see, official public record will show my November of 2007 date to be the accurate and factual one in this thread. As an actual employee of both the Premium Leisure and Jacuzzi companies, with plenty of mud to sling I can assure you, you wont see me here doing that. I hope my post is viewed as factual and as unbiased as can be reasonably expected given my current position. I have said it before, I am not in marketing or trying to start a marketing debate, as I personally feel there are very few companies on the planet that nail it with perfect marketing and early on we clearly were not in that club. I concern myself with building a better spa not what the web page says. So with no bigger targets we can harp on year plus old website marketing, though it seems somewhat petty and boring to me. Simple fact is we had to get a site up and start growing the company, I believe the site was changed some time ago, but I am sure you will verify. You should be much happier now and moving forward as we now have an official marketing team in place. It is my sincere hope that if they perform to your expectations that we can put the great marketing debate to rest. I believe both Premium Leisure and Jacuzzi spas to be sound products, and that having personally and actually built, serviced, and been a manager in the support and engineering realms of BOTH companies that I would sit them down side by side. My personal feelings remain as posted, that if the original poster feels its a close race it should come down to personal comfort and dealer support. The mere fact that we have produced the number of spas that we have, and nearly no negative things to say should speak volumes. I like to think that the fact that we are here nit picking marketing and not the product and quality means I am doing my job.

Premium Leisure has been in business since November of 2007 (not 6-months as noted above...by a mod no less, and not 32 years either). Track record wise, and from the service department point of view I would have to say for the number of spas being produced that the lack of chatter speaks for itself to the other side of the arguments posed. Happy customers generally dont go out of their way to post. While no, grand scheme of things we havent been around as long as some would be comfortable with, but at the same time we arent being plastered all over the internet like others with similar yearly volume. We also have several new initiatives and experienced significant growth during this economy where others are faltering and shrinking. With the roll out of the swim spa program, the purchasing of other spa companies assets, the hiring of key industry personnel, have to say in my biased opinion that I have never worked for a manufacturer this stable. Having worked personally for both companies you are shopping in a service capacity you wont be unhappy with either. While I would certainly like to see you as a Premium Leisure customer, I feel its going to boil down most to which spa you like best after testing, and which dealer you are most comfortable in making this investment with for your family.

Even worst case no return, or you just dont want to do that, it can very likely be repaired. It may not be cheap, or it may be cheap but not pretty, but you do have options. If you dont want to do it yourself, can check with local bath refinisher type companies, local pool stores that use fiberglass pools etc. If you are comfortable with at least a functional patch, clear away the insulation and use a tiger hair type product. I have seen some horrific damage repaired over the years, and with some really good acrylic companies, if you didnt know it was ever damaged you couldnt tell aftewards.

Now you've done it! Whatever you do, it is absolutely imperative that you do not say Costco next, or the boards will self destruct and a server in some remote location will catch fire!!! Seriously though, the full foam vs barrier debate will never end. Done correctly, the barrier system has its merits, done correctly so does the full foam. There is a wrong way to do both methods as well. There are even more wrong analogies and arguments for and against either method on these boards. Its going to boil down to personal preference in the end. There are plenty of existing threads you can read up on just about anywhere people talk about hot tubs. Check your local dealers, test the spas that catch your attention - See what you like. Then pop back in for some Q&A. Really any name brand, company and dealer backed spa worth its name and reputation where you enjoyed your wet test, are happy with the price, warranty, and service should serve you well and meet your needs. I understand the need for education, but I also wouldnt make the shopping portion any harder than it needs to be. I have a feeling once you really get into the shopping phase, your going to know what you like more than anyone here can tell you. You will know if your local dealer gives you a warm feeling or makes you want to run screaming.

Typically the filtration cycles are there for a reason, anti-stagnation, anti-freezing, software and safety device testing, etc. The 24/7 pump will generally, quietly, and more efficiently keep your water heated and moving vs having a large jet motor kicking on all hours of the night whenever the spa thermostat calls for heat. The filtration cycles mentioned on a 24/7 system are at least predictable and often programmable. Normally 24/7 circ pump type systems also have better (and more constant) ozone delivery if that is important to you. These systems also, while drawing less power than the main jet motors, also generate a good deal of heat which can also help with energy efficiency. Not to start the full foam vs barrier system debate to raging again, but the 24/7 systems keep the cabinet space warm pretty well across the board.

Thats going back a ways, but I think the filter compartments on the BlueRidge Spas were a separate piece that got fiberglassed to the shell itself. If this is your style set up then you will likely need a product like tiger hair to just patch the fiberglass to fiberglass. The inside of the filter well wouldnt have been insulated, only the outside.

Thanks, hot_water, very kind and also very helpful! I dont think the red bull has kicked in yet this morning, not sure I could have typed out an explanation like that this morning =). One other thing on the deck vs. slab install, and it does relate generally to some of the more less thought out designs in thermal pane set-ups. Some manufacturers, for all their good intentions, really dont consider the many ways a spa can be installed and as such the bottom isnt just not insulated well its plain not sealed to any degree. The spas I had see on raised decks, with no wind protection, and open holes in the base (even on some fairly well insulated) and the wind really did knock the heat out of the cabinet. If you do have holes in the base, you can plug them with foam, put the spa on an insulating mat of some sort, etc. I know its a pain and not something one would normally want to do, especially this time of year, but it sounds like your on the right course. Insulate better as you've done, close your air valves, keep the cover on (make sure its a good cover - heating a spa with a poor or no cover is like cooling a fridge with the door open). If your in an extremely windy area, may want to consider a wind wall, gazebo, just some sort of sheltering. Also most of these tips can help even the high end spas and installs. Dont know about the rest of the crew here, but every penny helps out my way! Time for work, take care gang. AV

Id be more curious about what the spa is set to filter, how its installed (up off the ground on a deck, flat on cement, etc). Direct exposure to elements, wind, etc? I have found some spas installed, raised off the ground, with direct exposure to the lovely ocean breeze, can suck the heat right out of a spa cabinet. Really, any name brand spa worth a name shouldnt lose temp as fast as noted, or cost as much as noted, cheap or not, dealer or not. I know some are lacking in insulation, but just the physics of cooling water, vs heat able to be generated/retained by a heater, cover, cabinet, heat from the equip...seems like something else is acting on the system. May not be your particular situation, but for other readers, I find most typically its a misunderstanding on how the tub operates. For instance, Balboa. By default most will automatically circulate twice per day, 2 hours per cycle. If the AVC's are left open, when that spa runs its minimum of 4 hours per day, only tries to heat when its in this mode due to ECON, your cooling it faster then your heating it for 4 straight hours per day (maybe more if the settings have been tinkered with). You have sub 30-degree air pumped right into the water your trying to keep 80+. Off subject a bit, because you do seem to have a real issue, but again, for others...What are you paying per kWh? One thing many people point to is the "average" $30 a month, based on the old 8cent per kWh average, 400kW per month = $32...but what about California where top tiers are 38cent per kWh? These people get completely blindsided by sky high bills due to deceptive marketing, when the spa is doing exactly what its supposed to do. What is "average use"? I use mine every day, my family uses mine a few times a week (I still dont pay what the poster does, but we live in sunny FL =). Just saying a lot of it is subjective. Ive also seen manufacturers that balance or average the costs for a year round average, knowing, but not disclosing higher winter, lower summer costs.

I typically find with Jacuzzi in particular that its by design as part of their anti-entrapment system. If you plug one or both of the two currently drawing water, does the 3rd then work like you want it to?

Hey, Eagle. Sorry to hear about your troubles. Honest mistake by the sounds of it, not to worry though you have a full warranty on your side. Please take a look at the PM I am working on, will see what we can do to get you squared away. Alan Vasicek Pinnacle Spas / Premium Leisure

Unless its been replaced before by someone, and I apologize for just skimming through while traveling, the Platinum II came with a UV ozone unit not a CD. A build-up of any kind that causes you any noticeable problem would be suspect in my book. The only real issues with those were if the hose fell below the water level and you GFCI started tripping. Due to mixing, general misunderstanding of how they work, bubbles being in your spa regardless due to the plumbing, most home owners dont know if they are working or not without a visual inspection of the light itself and even then do not know how much is actually in the water itself. Normally my first question in regards to lack of bubbles, is do they return with the filters out? Has the hose fallen from his mount and the check valve is keeping the water out, but not creating the venturi effect?

How old is the spa? New? Just fill it up? Clogged filter or airlock in the circ system are the two most common causes. If you cut the power, remove the filters and with no debris around turn the power back on, do you feel any suction or see any water movement at all? Does the code clear with the filter out? Can you hear the motor running?

Brian, The back of the ipod dock should have a cord, RCA connectors, something, that attaches to the receiver are those just hanging free?