fms

That is killer!!! Thanks guys, try it yourselves....it works great! I have to admit, I did not come up with exactly the idea. My mom used to make yogurt with our heating pad as a kid...I know sounds strange, but that works too(another thread for another board) but anyways that was my inspiration for making a towel warmer. Here's an update, I am a bit of a perfectionist, it may be from a grommet from a Harley-Davidson oil tank, but it works here. I did something similar. Instead of a heating pad I used a ceramic heater in a rubbermaid tube. It heats several towels and robes almost instanty.

Just as you said. I received the new blanket today. In fact it may have come several days ago but I just got it today. Without a doubt I purchased it at the right place. It's nice to find someone that actually stands behind what they sell. Thanks for all your support and non hassle policy. That is something hard to find these days. You have my business. fms

This is an 8 foot foam blanket. I don't have the receipt and it's probably not worth my time shipping it back, etc. Thanks anyway. fms

The blanket really works great but I am very disappointed in the way it is holding up. I purchased it in November form Roberts and it has already developed 2 cracks and the seam where it is glued together started coming apart. I attached that end to the side of the tub so that stopped the seam from separating. I think the cracks may have come from where the blanket was originally folded in shipping but I don't know. I do know that they have not come from misuse. Since the blanket is attached to the tub it never has touched the ground. When I use the tub I slide the cover back onto a frame that I built and then lay the blanket on top of the cover. One of the cracks on the blanket is where it touches the water and the other crack doesn't even touch the water. It hasn't been put under any type of stress. It doesn't appear to be rotting so thats why I think the cracks were caused by the fold. Maybe I just got a bad one since I have have not heard anyone else talking about these problems. If you get one I hope you have better success because it really works great and without a doubt it protects the underside of the cover.

I guess I was just lucky. I used bromine for about 10 years using a floater. I checked it infrequently and the sanitizer never went to 0, never had cloudy water, etc. I thought I could do the same with the n2 but I got caught. I was using dichlor after each soak instead of mps and my cya became really high without me knowing. Maybe thats why I ran into the bug. I have to admit that I really like the feel of the water with nature2 much better than bromine. I am more confidient that I can ignore the tub more and get away with using bromine. I still have a couple of the nature2 sticks so I will probably give it a try at another water change and switch to chlorine when my cya reaches the advised levels.

I used bromine for years; got a new tub and switched to nature2. I accidently let the sanitizer go to 0 fo about 3 days and ended up with a rash. I had to disinfect the tub and drain it. I am now back with bromine. Using the bromine tablets seem the easiest for me to maintain.

We purchased an 08 Chelsee and paid quite a bit less than that. Do a search and you may find the thread. Ours was not a floor model. It was oredred from a local dealer.

Thats what I thought. I didn't understand why but you explained it completely. Thanks again. fms

I feel dumb asking this but I just want to be sure. According to the booklet: If a chlorine comparator is used to test bromine, multiply the results by 2.25 to determine ppm bromine. Does this mean that I can still use the R-0871 reagent (used for the chlorine test) and just apply the above instructions for bromine results, or do I still need to get the RA-0872 to test the ppm bromine? Thanks

I am on my second tub. The first tub lasted about 15 years and had a lounge and we almost never used it. The tub we have now is a Sundance Chelsea. Both tubs were approx. the same size but the Sundance has much more room because the lounge takes up a lot of space. We decided we did not want the lounge in our new tub and I have heard alot of others state that their next tub would not have the lounge. When we were shopping we were comparing the Hotspring Vangard with the Sundance Chelsea. They seemed to be close to the same type of design, pumps, warranty, etc. We went with the Sundance because it had the mound with the jets in the center in the floor and because it did not have jets that move. It does have jets that pulsate. I was told by the dealer that the moto jets sometimes causes problems. (He sells both brands and was not trying to sway me one way or the other. He was just answering my questions honestly.) If you check other post you will hear others talking about their moto jets sticking. The circulation pump in the Sundance runs 24/7 and the heater is attached to this plumbing. You have 5 or 6 different setting allowing you choices as when you want the other pumps to filter and you can limit the amount of time the heater operates. The minimum is 1 hour per day broken into 2 30 minute cycles. One every 12 hours. Of course the heater does not run the entire time during the cycle. I think there is a major advantage to having two jet pumps along with the circulation pump. I think many Hotsprings models have dual pumps in addition to the circ. pump. I really think you should wet test the tubs that you are interested in and if the Hotsprings feels great to you then I would get it and deal with the jets. I am sure it is not much to fix if they do stick. I am not sure but the two tubs you are looking at do not seems to be very similar,(size, configuation, number of pumps, etc.). Both manufactures have a great reputatuon and are well built. You really can't go wrong with either tub. I am sure that if you pick either you will thourghly enjoy it.

How much did it cost for all the supplies? Rubbermaid tub= $23.00 from Home Depot Heater= Bought over 10 years ago. Can probably be purchased from Wallyworld for around $25.00 Styro= Scrap Wood= Scrap

I sort of agree. Personally I use the tub every day & haven't been cold getting out down to 3degrees F. [getting some below zero nights this week & I'm wondering where the 'get cold' point might be] But my wife uses the tub rarely and is more likely to join me if there is a promise of a warm towel waiting for her. If I was a single guy hoping to coax a friend to join me I'd already have the heated closet ready to allay all fears. Jim I have been using this towel warmer for a couple of weeks now and even though I am plenty warm when I get out of the hot tub it sure feels great to use a warm towel and put on a warm robe. I wasn't sure how to add a photo to this message so I attached this link from my flickr site. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3342/322307...b787def53_b.jpg If the link doesn't work my address is www.flickr.com/photos/fms5000/

55 gallon Rubbermaid tub 1500 watt ceremic heater wooden grate Styrofoam I took the tub whick has a indentation about 4" from the top and placed a wooden grid on the shelf. The tub also had tabs in the bottom which I wedged the styrofoam around the tub. This also helped hold up the grate. I placed the heater in the bottom and towels and robes on the grate. After about 20 minutes in the tub the towels and robes are nice and toasty. This actually really works.

I had been looking at those blankets but didn't know if they'd be too much hassle to remove each time and the blanket leash for the heavier one looked like it required punching small holes in the cover so I wasn't too keen on doing that just yet. The bubble blanket sounds like a great starting point!! When you say "leave it big for the spa, hanging over the side" you actually have it hanging out one, or both sides of the spa, or just have it larger than the water surface so it sits up on the inside walls?? In the past I have had the bubble blankets and now I have the foam blanket. I never cut either to fit the tubs. I have always draped them over the sides. At the present time my tub is 88" square and I have an 8' blanket. The center rest on the water and the rest extends approx. 2" past the edge of the tub. I have the blanket attached to the back of the outside of the tub so when I remove the cover the blanket just lays on top of it. It is so easy to roll the blanket back onto the tub when it time to close it up. When closed the entire water surface is blocked from the cover. I do not have to be concerned about the waterfall or filter area leaking steam and saturating the cover. The underside of the cover and the top of the blanket are always dry. The cover makes a tight seal to the top of the blanket. Sometimes when I remove the cover there seems to be a vacuum holding it down to the tub. There is definitely no leaking around the edge. Others have said that it is best to cut the blanket to fit the tub but I really see no practical reason for this.

Hi all I have answered my own post, do a google search for Oregon Scientific floating pool thermometer, this looks like ti will work not cheap but combined with the right unit in the house it will be great Will In the US you should be able to purchase a cheap remote transmitter with a temp probe and a base unit for under $50 at Lowes, Home Depot, etc. They do not have an alarm but show max and min. and can be connected to several remotes. I have 2 remotes. One is in the tub and the other is inside the cabinet. They have worked great for years. I know they make similar but more expensive units for use in green houses, etc. that have multiple alarms. In Europe you should be able to purchase any of these over the net.