Stevie

So it's been a 100 years since I stopped in but noticed many of the "old gang" are still around. Being that I've been sucked back in to the industry in a teaching capacity, I thought I'd say HI! ;-) Frozen Tundra Man

Ahhh buyers remorse... If the tub was in YOUR price range, you have a great spa. You did some research PRIOR to this sales event which is key. Had you just wandered upon this and walked away with a spa, you may question this more. I'm sure you'll love it and Arctic (built a few miles from where I live), is a quality company that builds quality spas. *and FTR, I use to sell against them * enjoy! Steve

What information specifically are you looking for that the owners manual doesn't provide?

I just take it as pure desperation and an attempt to distract someone’s attention away form other quality spas in a desperate attempt to SELL. Obviously he's having troubles selling his products through conventional methods. Both spatech and Dave have covered the question well so I won't be repetitive.

When I signed up, the name "Steve" was already taken. I am a kid a heart ya know...

WOW... 50% off eh? Never heard of that! This guy must have HUGE margins... Do you mind me asking what the regular price was and what you paid?

Great point! Draining will NOT get rid of bacteria within the plumbing but instead, you will just contaminate the new water without solving anything. I too am unclear why you couldn't safely treat the water periodically with chlorine and let the reading drop back down? Can you fully explain your condition and why an approaved sanitizer of any kind can't be used to keep your spa safe? Maybe a spa just isn't for you if you are forced to not use any sanitizer. The result could easily be worse than sustaining a .5 - 1ppm reading of chlorine.

And just an FYI... I'ver read you mention the "clarity" of the water a few times now. Please don't be mislead that clear water is safe water. Battery acid is clear too... It is one of the biggest mistakes spa owners make. It's unfortunate that you can not use some form of sanitizer in the spa. With all the alternatives out there (moreso in the USA), I'm surprised you don't have an option... Good luck

In all my years in this industry, I have never heard of someone willing to drain and refill weekly instead of operating a safe spa with minimal sanitizer. Your choice and by the sounds of your intial post, no one here is going to change your mind about. I'm just curious why even question it in your post if you have already made up your mind? Knowing what I know about watercare and MORE importantly, about the bacteria and contaminants we take into the spa, I would stick to the "drain and fill" weekly if you choose not to properly sanitize. A couple of good rashes and maybe exposure to Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Staphylococcus, e-coli, Acinetobacter anitratus and bacillus may change your mind in future...

If it's an older Beachcomber, it could require a slight adjustment at the pressure switch. Try a 1/4 turn, reset the breaker or a 1/4 the other direction and do the same thing. As mentioned, it's usually a filter (restriction in flow) or a simple adjustment at the pressure switch. Steve

You bet the water will cool and the colder it is outside, the quicker it will cool. Will your salesladies coffee cool down in winter with the lid off? It's just common sense and she seems a wee bit of a BS'er to me. Say anything to make the sale... 110V only has enough power to run the heater OR the jets. Not both. These 110V spas are NOT designed for cooler climates where the buyer wants to use it in the winter months. There's no real benefit to 110V as a 220V system can operate at very similar costs.

Nope. Not needed. I've tried both systems a number of times with little change in chlorine/bromine demand or clarity.

Expect to change the water every 4 to 5 months. I'm being completely brand neutral when I say I would not expect much difference on this between brands no matter what the hype is that you may hear. Spatech is right. Couple things I would add would be that the key is knowing what the TDS (total dissolved solids) of your source water is. This is will give you an idea of how often you will need to drain. It's also dependant on usage...how many people, how often. Personally, I would suggest every 3-4 months but that would just be splitting hairs! Nothing changes from brand to brand really as most of it is just marketing. For YEARS, I kept a 6 person spa in perfect condition with 4 of us using it almost every day with 1 - 25 sq ft filter. Do you need 6 filters or no bypass, or floor vacuums, or pressure/suction side filtration for great water? NO! Just an understanding of watercare and how to prevent issues before they happen.

I don't get it... I'm really not sure why anyone would spend thousands on a glorified kiddies pool with jets? If they could retail them for a $1000-$1500, I would have sold them in our store and that's what I told the rep the 5 times he came in to sell me them. I could offer a real spa that's actually comfortable and you don't have to sit on the floor, you get real hydrotherapy and it'll maintain its temperature for a thousand bucks more than what I'd have to sell the softtub at. It just didn't make sense. I think the "portable" aspect appeals to less than 1% of hot tub shoppers so I wasn't buying into that either. I had delt with many people with regards to access in and out of the spa with regards to ailments and such. There's always a way to do things if the desire is there. To those of you considering buying a softtub... go to Walmart, buy a kiddies pool, a few cans of baked beans and the result will be similar! You'll just spend less than $100 to get similar therapy and comfort. Steve

These would be the key aspects IMO; - Positioning in my area of a given line - if all the componants are equal with alternate lines available, you have no unique selling position and are going to be in a dog fight. Not a major aspect if dealing with a quality line IMO. - Is it unique from a price point/feature perspective - Again, if it's not, why bother? - Dealer support from manufacturer - Do they have marketing support and quality sales material and training to maxmize your sales potential - Quality of product - You need to be able to stand behind what you sell and believe what you sell is the best for your customer. Its why we are ALL the best!! - What will the manufacturer provide - Do they have a sales projection based on real data for your store. Will they help with all aspects of your spa sales in training, executing event sales, defining a strategic pricing strategy, help with floor layout, provide reasonable terms for buying spas, offer free sales material, provide a quality rep that you trust, etc.