flint350

That is what I am planning to do. I will lower the temp and see how the (relatively) cooler water feels in the hot months. I will also take the advice to test the water. Thanks to all.

Well, it sounds like I should keep it full. I have been using SilkBalance so I don't usually test the water, but I will adjust. Thanks for all the suggestions and info.

Just wondering what others do in hot summer months. I loved my H.S. Envoy during the fall, winter and spring and used it almost daily. However, the summer is about here and temps are already hitting upper 80's and approaching the 90's. I find that my face sweats in warm ambient temps and I feel less like using the tub in heat and humidity. If that continues and my usage drops significantly, is it better to empty the tub for a few months and forgo the possible use on rare cool nights or keep it full and treat the water even though I'm not in it much? I imagine that even with minimal use, the water needs regular maintenance with chemicals and that is what makes me consider just emptying until cooler weather. So, what do the other hot weather users do and if I keep it full, do I continue the same maintenance or is it possible to cut back and not endanger the water balance? Thanks.

In an older thread several folks suggested fleece over terry. I found a nice one at Lands End and agree that it is very nice and keeps you warm. I didn't compare it directly to terry, but many who have say that fleece is warmer and doesn't have that wet clammy feel of absorbing/holding moisture. I agree.

The manual suggests cleaning filters approximately monthly. I use my spa by myself almost daily for therapy/relaxation and never when sweaty, etc. Is there a good way to know when to clean the filters in such usage (i.e. tub is NOT used by groups as is normally anticipated by manual writers when making cleaning suggestions)? Since I soak solo, I imagine the filters would go longer, but I don't want to have a problem down the road either. Bottom line, is there any way to tell or do you just decide on a schedule and stick with it?

Thanks for the replies. They were helpful.

This is my first winter with my new spa (2009 H.S. Envoy) and I'm still on the learning curve. I'm enjoying it almost every day, but I have noticed that after a soak, when I start the first pump which runs on low and also runs the "water feature" (3 stream fountain), that the water is initially quite cold for about the first 5-10 seconds. This would indicate to me that the water in those lines (water feature) is not circulating with the 'always on' circulation pump or getting any heat. I worry that this could cause a freeze somewhere in the line as temps are below freezing now both day and night. The tub is always hot when I get in and is keeping the temp fine, but the lines to the water fountain and the low pressure on one side of the tub start off pretty cold for several seconds. Is that normal or might I have a problem? Thanks. P.S. We just had 2 feet of snow a week ago and sitting in the tub looking at that was a real treat!

From my recent experience as a new buyer, I think there are two things to do before asking your questions. First, find out what lines are available in your area. I live in a large metro area and still found that some lines that are highly recommended are not readily available here. So there was no purpose in evaluating them or asking about them with no local dealer/support. After finding which tubs are sold in your area, you can then do a search of this (and other) forums to see what is being reported on those lines and what the price ranges are. Once you do these two simple things, you can get much more useful advice. You give a price range but is it firm or just your guess at what a tub 'should' cost? You may find that a high quality tub that will serve and last 10 years is worth more money in the long run. That was one thing I discovered. I began thinking the price ranges would be around $5k and ended up buying a new Hot Spring Envoy at nearly twice that. It began snowing here today and I am about to run out and jump in my new Envoy for a 1st wintery soak. I don't regret the extra money spent, but I would have regretted a hasty decision based on not doing the research. Just my opinion, based on being in your position recently.

Really depends on oxidizer levels and sanitizer levels that you add before you close the lid. These chems. need to gas off before you close the lid 15-20 min.. If you do not add anything before the cycle - should be fine. Also, close your air controls so the jets dont't create extra gas off. Closing the lid after adding sanitizer or oxidizer can also burn your cover and break down the poly protecting your foam cores. Paddy Yikes, thanks for the info. I will be leaving the cover up. I hadn't thought about out gassing of the chemicals.

Is it okay or not advisable to run the 10 minute clean cycle on my H.S. spa with the cover on? I'd like to walk away rather than go back out just to put the cover down when the 10 min cycle is finished, but I don't want to cause problems. Advice appreciated.

I finally took delivery of my new custom factory ordered Envoy this past week, after patio paver construction completed. I agree with those who mention that the Moto Massage does indeed cover a wider area and that the various seats provide different types of therapy versus any single "do it all" seat. I find myself moving around to get the benefit of all the varieties of jets. However, one of the corner seats does do almost everything I need and I am gravitating to it more and more. I wonder if adding calf level jets to the lounge would also promote floating out of the seat due to lifting force. The price range in the low 9000's with the steps, lifter, cover, chems included sounds right. That's what I paid and thought it was a very fair deal. The tub alone lists at $10,695 IIRC. I'm loving it so far.

Okay, thanks for the input. I guess this isn't really a big issue. I'll also look into the fleece robes vs the cotton.

I purchased a new Hot Spring Envoy and am having the area finished with concrete pavers and screened off for summer bugs, etc. The distance from the house to the tub is minimal - about 10 ft - but the access area is not adjacent to a bathroom, but through 2 other carpeted rooms first. So, toweling off a bit may be required to avoid tracking wet feet and dripping. My question is what do most people do/recommend for wearing to/from the tub during cold weather? Shower shoes and a good turkish robe maybe? Towels and robe outside while in the tub will likely get pretty cold, so not much warmth from them when getting out to dry off. Suggestions appreciated, especially if they ward off pneumonia after a refreshing winter soak. (paving project completes next week and tub delivery immediately after - can't wait)

I think my retina may be permanently damaged.

Thanks Nalod. Those are good ideas and considerations. I'm in Maryland and near the water, so the mosquitoes and biting gnats can get a bit troublesome in summer. I am looking at a system like Dek Drain for the underside to keep water out and am still thinking about the screening for the bugs. I may wait though, since it will be cold by the time this project is finished and the bugs won't be an issue until next Spring. I may decide on a screen at that time. All I have to do now is figure out if I want an Envoy or an Aria and whether the pricing I'm getting is good. Seems like the dealers/manufacturers are very territorial to protect their pricing, so they have you at a disadvantage. I also wish I knew where to find reliable reviews on dealers - one post in this forum mentioned shopping dealers in my area and stating a couple had very bad service while one was very good, but there was no info on how that was discovered and who was who. So far my searching has proved futile on that and the original poster has since stopped posting so I can't ask directly. Oh well, thanks again.