oakrad

Stomper, I was being sarcastic...I'm on your side. I was referring to those who dislike the Costco Spa and would rather spent the extra dough. Dude lighten up a little.

Go the trailer route. $30-$50 to rent it maybe even cheaper. Had my costco spa for 1 year. Stomper -I do think you are wrong. It does take a rocket scientist, let me see - 1) rent a trailer 2) buy 2 furniture rollers at lowes $20 each 2) invite 5-6 of your friends 3) on the count of three PUSH! 4) nudge the spa into place (no water yet of course). 5) Fill it up with water and enjoy. 6) and you save over $3000....Brilliant...now who is the rocket scientist?

Just to clear up the sealant part. I placed sealant where the control display joins the tub. No need to remove the display. Almost like if you were caulking a baseboard to the wall. The display comes with its own sealant but its like masking tape (poor quality). I would do the same with the stereo pad. I'm in California about 60 miles south of Sacramento. During the spring, summer , and fall my electric bill had a slight stipe of maybe $20-$30/mo. Winter has been much higher but its has been unusually colder (low 30's) this Winter. I will be able to tell next winter since I also added a Plasma and Fish Aquarium to my bill. WINTER: I run my spa on ECN (economy) mode which only runs the heater at certain times (2 cyles at 2 hours each). May drop the actual temp setting 3-4 degrees. But when I decide to get in the spa, I change the mode to STD. It may take 30 minutes for the spa to reach its temp. By the time I change and get ready, Spa is good to go. Remember, in STD mode the spa heater is always active so when ever the spa drops a degree from set temp the heater will turn on. What I DON'T use in the SPA is the blower. Why? remember the blower is bringing in air (bubbles) into the spa. You got to think where the air is coming from. The air comes from the inside of your spa where all your tubing and parts are. Remember the air is warm and serves as an insulator for the spa. By removing it, it will bring in the cold air from the outside, therefor lowering your water temp and inside the compartment area. Next time, sit or place your hand on the blower outlet and feel the bubbles. Much cooler then the water. SPRING, SUMMER, FALL: I have my SPA in ECN mode all the time. Temp may drop a few degrees here in there but most of the time it maintains set temp in ECN mode. Of course, SLP mode is only intented if you don't get in the spa for an extented period of time. SPA heater will only kick on if the temp drops below 20 degrees below set temp to avoid freezing. BLOWER: In the summer Calif gets hot! So it doesnt matter if I displace the air inside the spa since its hot air coming in anyways. But all this depends where you live. If your in the colder parts of the country then ECN mode might not work for you since the temp may drop too much in the spa. If you leave in Arizona then ECN mode may work for you all the time. Just play with it and see works works best. Of course, if you have a lot of money then all this doesnt matter and you probably bought a different spa. Later Platinum Spa Bothers

I also got the Platinum Elite 2. And also had the problem you had Mendoza in your post. D make sure you seal the top display controller with a sealant and also make a drip loop from the display controller to the main controller. Water from the spa will seap through and run right into the main controller and short circuit. The display controller is poorly sealed. I discovered the problem once my controller went out. But in my case, Hydrospa has been helpful. Trust me a few dollars for sealant (silicone) will go a long way and possibly avoid a headache in the long run. Also have you guys seen the new Hydrospa at Costo, 70+ jets nice interior and exterior. Very Nice. Good luck with your new spa...Had my for 11 months and love it... Later

Here is a downside when you buy from the dealer...price...I bought mine at costco at half the price. Of course I did spend some time on the internet researching the spa. Don't take it personal dealers, just stating a downside....Of course, there are positives and negatives from buying from dealers and internet.

The jet just popped off. Didn't know the jets were interchangable...will have to experiment a little. VIVA ELITE PLATINUM SPAS....

I also recently purchased the Elite Platinum Spa II from Costco. Like those who purchased one, my family and I are very happy with it. The jets are very powerful and the stereo system is adequate for its purpose. Just hooked up an LCD screen to it via the aux RCA jacks and now I am able to watch TV and listen to it via the spa speakers. .....but....... One of the jets did pop off when I turned the pump on. Contacted Hydrospa about two weeks ago and received a phone call from one of the customer reps a week later. Rep was very helpful. Rep sent out the whole jet housing unit in case I needed to replace the whole thing. The jet snapped on and now works fine. Of course, someone will respond and say how I had to go through the trouble of contacting someone and having to wait for the part. Well saving around $4000 , I can wait a few days. Like others, I had 6 of my friends unload and install the spa. Pssst,, its not that hard. But do make sure you get a qaulified electrician. Remember the Spa is made by Hydrospa been around since 1975. I'm sure they didn't survive this long by stiffing everyone in warranty repairs. Plus they have one of the best or equal warranties compared to others. Heres a link (http://www.poolandspa.com/page958.htm) that compares numerous spas including hydrospa. Either way, if you are a Costco member and buy the Spa and don't like it after a year or so...you do have the option of taking it back NO QUESTIONS ASK even without a receipt! Ya Ya Ya I know , your going to say I'm a free loader etc etc etc.....One things for sure if you buy one at a dealer bet you can't take it back if it turns out to be a nightmare. Let the Costco haters posts begin!

I sub contracted my pool, easy and saved a lot of money. If you dont mind paying cash you will even save more. Remember, get a bid and then asked how much more of a discount you will get if paid in cash, you will be suprised. Also let them know that you have other friends that are planning to build there own pools and that you will refer them once the work is done. I built my pool for $23,000 with all the perks and with no experience. Remember, you do have rights. When I got my permit for my pool, the permit office handed me a brochure on owner built pools rights. Good luck and be patient.