realDrew

Supposing you were a stupid person such as one that did not use one of those wrenches and snapped the whole damn thing, would you recommend a Hayward again? Thanks, Drew.

Not a problem, hope I could help. The only reason I bought mine at a show was that I had planned on buying one over the next 1.5 years anyway, and thought I was getting a bargain. At the time I guess I was, but if I had waited, and done a bit of background checking, I think I could have purchased a better quality brand for an even lower price. I think the only reason a dealer would keep their pricing up now is that they had purchased the tub for a high price and need to recover some of their costs back through the sale. Another popular quality tub seems to be the Arctic make.

Hi Rodg, You are technically correct in that the term "self cleaning" should apply in part to most hot tubs. I guess what I am referring to is the fact that more of the cleaning in that model line is automatic, and they quote: "The Hydropool Self-Cleaning system takes the worry and hassle of hot tub maintenance away with a hands-free cleaning system that safe guards you and your family by providing crystal clear purified water for your hot tub experience. The Self-Cleaning System actually cleans 100% of the water every 15 minutes and even includes a built-in floor vacuum as part of the science of the worry-free, Self-Cleaning technology of Hydropool Hot Tubs. Don’t you wish everything in life could be this easy?" Combining this with a salt (chlorine generating) system leaves little room for human error if the settings are correct. Sure you can argue that you can do it better with proper attention, but such is the human condition... I haven't had Kool-Aid since I was a kid, but now you've made me thirsty and I'll see what is in the cupboard! Cheers, Drew. Ummmmmm.....every spa I have ever worked on has been the self cleaning kind. I didn't know they made spas that you had to clean yourself????? Salt systems are clorine generation systems. A proper chlorine regimen will have you soaking in less chlorine than tap water. Sorry Drew I wasn't blasting you it' just seems you've drank some koolaid and are a bit fuzzy from it.

Insulation in the Master Spa - Down East models really is not very good. I've had one since Thanksgiving 2008 and had to put some pink insulation inside, but you can see obvious areas that are not insulated and you can't really get too. Add at least $100 to your hydro bill each month for good measure in the winter months! The glass cover plate came off the tv last month, and i siliconed it back on. DVD player stopped working last month; looks like there was not a fuse on the power line and it might have fried inside; i'm having it checked now. (I did run a sat. tv line in though so i am surviving!!!). The original filter clogged up right away and i use the pleated only at the moment. If you are still thinking about it, I'd drop your asking price down an additional 2k and pay by Visa for extra security. They probably have a ton of these sittting in the warehouse right now!! Have a look at Hydropool, they make a nice self-cleaning line; and I'd go with the salt water as the chlorine in the hot tub is alot more intense than in a swimming pool and you won't go to bed with that smell in your nose all night long. Get one with jets by your feet, as nothing beats a good foot massage!!! (well, almost nothing ;-) ) Just my 2 cents. Drew.

Personally, given the current economic climate I can't beleive anyone would think about spending 5-15k on a tub right now. I'd wait to see if the big B can clean up Dubya's mess first.

I purchased a 2008 Down East - Windsor model last October and have had only one problem so far. The stock filters caused a LF code so I only use the pleated type now. In the Toronto area we have had a few really cold months, and it looks like my hydro bill is up about $100/mth for the past 2 months. Of course part of that increase is due to the hydro rates jumping up this year too. I like my tub, but wouldn't mind a foot jet system in the tub, which this does not have. It does have a tv, which is really great for Seinfeld dvd's. The price was great at the time, and it probably dropped another 35% by now too. I mean, when you walk into one of those stores with cash, it talks. I hope I continue to have a great experience with my MasterSpa, and to tell you the truth I don't think I would have bought a tub if it were more expensive.

I have a MasterSpa and came across a "low flow" code coming up and the heater only came on occasionally. Checking around i learned it was due to the filters. The middle of the 3 filters clogs easily, and can be thrown out. They came out with a new style, 2 in 1 to replace it, but really you can get away with the outer pleated one if your chems are always good, or so I'm told.

I'm looking for the same thing, preferably with an alarm alerting us when it gets too cold.

Good morning Doc, Just wondering if you could expand on what you mean about having some zinc in the tub? TIA, Drew. Great tub for the Northern states and Canada. Keep a close eye on your chems. I am seeing more and more salt destruction to equipment. Be sure to get a piece of zinc as a sacrificial metal.

Best way to handle this is to post the make and model of the spa, then the pros can tell you what to do. To save time you might want to call a spa guy in your neck of the woods right away.

Hey Doc, any tips or things I should keep an eye out for with a Master Spa/Down East - Windsor STS tub? TIA.

I've got a Master Spa/Down East (yes, yes, i know, i know...) and after just having some trouble with LF problems due to a discontinued filter I was using (that the dealer did not tell me about) where the heat would shut off and temperature would drop, I wonder if I can get a hold of a good remote alarm that will tell me when the temperature inside the spa drops below a certain level. Yes, I know some manufacturers have this standard on some nice models (Thermospa), but I'm looking for one that I can buy off the shelf, turn it on, drop one part in the spa and put the other on the table inside the house and Shazaam, I'm done. Anyone know of one?? TIA.

Forgot to mention that if you use a pump to drain the tub make sure you set it on a towel or something inside the tub, as it will scratch like crazy. You will not notice the marks until the sun is just right, but when you do you will be kicking yourself! I watched my brother do this ( i like to watch and learn ;-) ).

You must have got one of those electrician slash snow removal guys then? Unless I'm mistaken, it is assumed that you will have the location ready and accesable for the delivery guys and the electrician, who should have done a site inspection prior to the arrival to see if he needs to run a new wire or install a new GFI box, not to mention the slab it will sit on. I'd put the delivery on hold until you are completely ready rather than have it sit out collecting snow and ice and possibly damaging the pumps and lines.

When you drain the tub you have to shut the power off, including any pump or heater so you are relying on previous heat generated to stay around for a while. While just a newbie, I would think this would be dependant on insulation of the tub, the slab it sits on, and the cover. Having had an outdoor pool all my life I'd say a couple hours max. without protection if the temp. is under freezing (am i correct?). We had a warm morning in Toronto yesterday (7C) so I drained mine with a 1/4hp pump, and with the bottom drain, in about 15 minutes. Then I had water trucked in as I'm on a well, and filled it in about 10 minutes and turned the system back on. After the tub primed and started up the temp reading was 47F and by evening hit 85F which was good as the outside temp dropped quickly to freezing around 4 PM. This morning it’s a nice 101F (and 15F outside!!!) and crystal clear. I dropped a couple chlorine packs in as well as some PH down, but it was nice clean chlorinated fluoride packed city water to begin with. And, NO FOAMING!!!! I did this water change about a month earlier than normal as we have been using the new tub quite a bit, causing allot of soaps etc. to get into the water making it very sudsy. I expect our next change to be in March sometime, and hope we get some warm weather that early too.