larrys1

Hi again. Just wanted to pass along that we purchased a lot of 6 MF-170 spa filters for our Arctic Summit for $50 + $25 shipping on Ebay from Pooltechmidwest. We were paying $36 each locally. Something to look in to... Also, we drained and re-filled the tub a couple of months ago and only put 5 lbs of salt which seemed to work for a few days but then dropped bromine level again. I called our dealer for repair and they got a little worked up because she had me give her the ORP reading and then told me I didn't have enough salt in it (The new recommendation is 5.5 to 8 lbs). I told her the ORP reading didn't have anything to do with the salt level. Anyway, long story short is I added another 2 lbs for a total of 7 lbs and the tub has been perfect ever since. I run the Onzen at CP4 which seems to work great for our amount of usage. I tried turning it down to 3 but the level started dropping off again. Turned it back up to 6 just to get it stabilized, then back down to 4 and left it alone. Have not added one capful of shock. It's great!

I used Source 1 Outlet to purchase 6 lbs of MPS for $15 + shipping.

We have been using Blue Devil 5-Way test strips (Total Chlorine, Free Chlorine/Bromine, pH, Alkalinity, Hardness). since we got the tub mainly because these are the ones supplied by our dealer. Our dealer is quite a distance from our house so I would like to find some that I can order online. Does anyone have any suggestions for comparable strips reasonable with shipping costs?

We started having trouble keeping bromine levels at the proper level so I purchased some salt test strips ($10 w/ free shipping on Ebay)and a handheld TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meter ($15 w/ free shipping on Ebay). Salt level came out to 3200 ppm, which was a little high. TDS showed around 3800 ppm. After doing a bunch of internet research on TDS especially reading about the Genesis Bromine Generator, I found that a level of 3500 ppm TDS is time to change the water. Here's what I learned. When we first got our tub, Arctic said to put in 8 to 10 lbs of salt. I put in 8 and didn't think it was producing enough sanitizer so I through in the remaining 2 lbs. Now Arctic recommends 5.7 to 8.1 for our Summit. Genesis says 1 lb of salt for every 100 gallons. So I completely drained the tub and only put in 5 lbs. The sanitizer levels came up perfectly and things are working better than ever! So I recommend testing not only your salt level but your TDS also. Mine is now at 2500 ppm. The rule of thumb is if EVERYTHING else is perfect, check your TDS.

We started having trouble keeping bromine levels at the proper level so I purchased some salt test strips ($10 w/ free shipping on Ebay)and a handheld TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meter ($15 w/ free shipping on Ebay). Salt level came out to 3200 ppm, which was a little high. TDS showed around 3800 ppm. After doing a bunch of internet research on TDS especially reading about the Genesis Bromine Generator, I found that a level of 3500 ppm TDS is time to change the water. Here's what I learned. When we first got our tub, Arctic said to put in 8 to 10 lbs of salt. I put in 8 and didn't think it was producing enough sanitizer so I through in the remaining 2 lbs. Now Arctic recommends 5.7 to 8.1 for our Summit. Genesis says 1 lb of salt for every 100 gallons. So I completely drained the tub and only put in 5 lbs. The sanitizer levels came up perfectly and things are working better than ever! So I recommend testing not only your salt level but your TDS also. Mine is now at 2500 ppm. The rule of thumb is if EVERYTHING else is perfect, check your TDS.

We purchased a Summit only because the dealer at the fair kind of led us to that model. I understand the Tundra is computer designed and has won several awards. It looks like it has four great captains chairs; the Summit has two with a third that sits higher up with OK jets and the fourth is kind of three seats together with so-so jets. We love it since it is just the two of us 95% of the time and we didn't want to pay anymore than we did which was $11,000 U.S. before taxes. I have read people in the neighborhood of $15,000 for the Tundra. We don't really care for the Therapy Air as it is noisy and cools the water slightly...maybe we will like it better in the summer. Our Summit has Onzen which I have grown to love for ease of use. It has a little bit of a learning curve but is so much easier and cleaner than other folks I have heard about their difficulties maintaining chemicals and cleanliness.

Just be sure to check your electrical requirements BEFORE you pour. I found out I was supposed to have the rebar EQUIPOTENTIALLY tied together inside the slab and now I have a couple of stray volts you can feel if you stand on the slab barefooted and put your hand in the water...

Be careful using clarifiers if you use the micro-filters you throw away. It is not recommended at all unless you use pleated filters that you can clean. Our Arctic w/Onzen turns milky white when you turn the jets on simply due to air bubbles. It clears off several minutes after the jets go off. We use a kitchen sieve to scoop off soap bubbles. You will always have SOME bubbles and you can tell the difference between the air ones and the soap ones. The air ones dissipate immediately and the soap ones stay formated.

Tom, looking forward to a new rev to the Onzen manual! Dust, thanks for the info. I printed it out and am going to check my settings tonight when I get home.

Dust, are you certain that your Onzen generator dial is turned ALL-THE-WAY to the left (counter-clockwise) to the plus sign? Also, try emailing [email protected]. I called and they said he was the one to answer any and all questions dealing with Onzen. I have got e-mail replies back from him so I know it works. Normally, the wife and I do not ever need to throw in Refresh. I have the Onzen topside set to CP3 (per Len's recommendation). I may boost it up a notch or two if we have people over AND use a half capful of Refresh (you should never need more than that if it is working correctly). Then I turn it back down to CP3 when it is just the two of us again.

Glad to hear your Onzen problems are getting worked out. Ours has been working great. We just got back from a week in Maui and checked the sanitizer. System took good care of itself while we were gone. Have had no problems and no complaints. On the other hand. I have been talking to a guy at my work who also bought a tub at fair time but it uses regular chemicals and he has been having nothing but problems. In fact, he told me the other day his was green and smelled bad. The wife and and I are extremely glad we went with the Onzen system.

No objections here Tom. Sounds like a great idea. Are you going to make an Onzen sub-folder?

I was told about rhtubs.com and found good ones.

www.rhtubs.com Thanks for the info!

Our friends have an 8' Clearwater spa that needs a new cover. I saw a post the other day for a cheap ($75) umbrella on Ebay that we bought for them and it was GREAT! Now, does anyone have any ideas on where to buy a good quality but reasonable cover? They want it to match the burgandy color that the umbrella is.