jacobbencke

I'm getting my first hot tub next week and need help preparing. I'm getting the Hot Springs Grandee with Ozone (no Salt). Do I need to do anything with my tap water when filling the tub each time? I do not have soft water at the house, and I'm not sure of the water quality in San Diego. The dealer has both the Clean Screen Pre Filter, and the Vanishing Act Calcium remover, but didn't really seem to push one vs the other. Any recommendations of whether I need either of these or something else? I will be having young kids in the tub, so water quality is something I want to keep clean so it doesn't irritate them. Plus I've heard that you can make the water quality such that you don't even need to shower after you are done. Thanks

After some back and forth the dealer has offered to lower the price of the of the 2008 Sundance Maxxus floormodel down to $10900 out the door. They did not have a Maxxus or Aspen to wet test, but they had an Optima with similar jet setups which we tried. The tub will have manufacturer warranty starting the day it is bought, so in that sense it is good as new. The tub had never had water in it, and doesn't appear to have any cosmetic defects. The model has a built in stereo. The 2008 comes with CD ozone, and they will retrofit the tub to add the ClearRay and include 4 extra bulbs. Plus they throw in all the normal stuff: locking Cover, Covermate 1 lift, steps, chemical startup kit, and delivery. Any thoughts on the price? My other options was a brand new Hot Springs Grandee for $11500 brand new, I could probably talk that down to $105000. I like the jets a little better on the Grandee, but I anticipate the tub might get more kid play time than adult time in the tub so I'm leaning towards the bigger tub so we can spread out. thanks in advance for any feedback.

The Hot Spring dealer told me that even the ozone system needs replacement after 5 years, about $300. So $80/yr for UV bulb x 5 years = $400. I would say about roughly the same cost for Ozone vs UV. The Jacuzzi dealer was going to add Ozone system for "free" (notice the parentheses, nothing is really free), because they feel UV and Ozone work differently at killing bacteria and the combination is better. I don't know enough about either system to say which one is better, seems like both have oponents and proponets. In most cases it seems like the dealer claim what they have is better than the other guy.

This is the hot tub background the dealer gave me: "The ‘08 Maxxus was a floor model at our other store. This was a two story building, and we hoisted spas up to the second story with sheer man power. Since the Maxxus didn’t change for quite a few years, we left it up there. When things started to change, we brought it down to another store. Just recently we had these sunrooms taken out, and had the chance to steal it from that store and sit it next to our Aspen, as we have wanted to do for a long time. But now its time to sell it! So we put it out for sale along with a couple other smaller models, 2010 & 2011’s for practically what we paid for them! " This is my first time shopping for tubs so I'm not sure what red flags to look for. I know a car dealer would never have a vehicle in stock for so long unless it had a problem. I agree the price seems a little high for something 5 years old, even if it is good as new and comes with factory warranty. My biggest concern when spending this much money is getting a lemon.

the dealer emailed me and recommended concrete pad that could support 120 lbs/sqft. If I make it 1" thick at one end and 2" at the other will that meet that need? I'm looking at a big 500+ gal tub, so I want to make sure I build something strong enough to support it. Most of the research I've found addresses pouring a brand new pad and always specifies 4" thick. Since I already have a solid patio underneath it's different story. Do I need to worry about a thin pad cracking? Do I need any rebar?

thanks for all the feedback. To me it just sounds fishing having a 2008 still in stock. Why wouldn't it have sold any of the previous years as a floor model. It comes with Ozone, but not the new Clear Ray system. I found it intersting that Jacuzzi and Sundance make it sound like Clear Ray is the latest and greatest technology. But Hot Spring feel Ozone is better and that UV is old school. I couldn't really get a good answer on which is better from internet searches.

good idea. does the plastic go under the form, or line the inside of the form? Since you've done this before, did you screw the form down? I'm assuming pressure treated wood. Did you paint it, if so any specific paint? And lastly, how thick should the pad be? I'd prefer to keep it as thin as possible so the spa height doesn't get too high. thanks

I'm looking to buy a larger size hot tub (Hot Spring Grandee, Sundance Maxxus) and need to provide a level surface to install it. I already have a concrete patio that is in good shape, but it has about 2" slope over 8' in one direction which appears to be more than the recommended. These spas are too big to shim, so I need to build a level pad on top of my patio. It seems like I have 3 options: 1) Wood deck. However that requires maintenance. 2) Concrete. Building a wooden frame and filling with concrete. The concrete pad is obviously the most stable and long lasting, but I would like it to be removable if I ever get rid of the tub. One contractor said he could coat the patio with oil so the pad didn't really stick, it would just kind of sit on top of the patio. The outer wood frame would be bolted to hold everything in place. How thick at pad would I need, at the thinest part? 3) Gravel. Building a wooden frame and filling with gravel. Is this approach OK for larger tubs or only smaller one. How thick a layer would I need at the thinest part? I woud appreciate any feedback.

I'm shopping for a hot tub and came across a 2008 Sundance Maxxus floormodel. The dealer said it's been at a few different stores but never filled with any water. They are asking $10900 for it, plus another $300 to install the new Clear Ray UV system (it currently comes with ozone). Is this a good price? Should I be concerned that a 2008 model has been sitting around for that long unsold? It is a bigger tub than many people can fit in a yard. The dealer says the warranty starts the day I buy it, so it's like a 2013. The cost for their 2012 Aspen floor model is $12700. Thanks for inputs.