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Nah, I'm kidding - it's just snake oil. If you pull out that red "HotStick" and replace it with a straight pipe, your tub will still heat up at the same slow and energy-inefficient rate because the actual source of the heat is the pump itself. Dreammaker spas was actually acquired by another company (Jacuzzi's parent company), these days all new models contain a true 1kW/4kW heater - they did away with the "HotStick" years ago. Even their cheapest budget grade "EZ Spa" which used to contain only a hotstick now contains a conventional 1kW heater.

The one thing that is a must is access for future service. Imagine you purchase a new car and then go ahead and weld the hood shut! Sounds crazy but that is exactly what you are doing when you buy a Spa and sink it in, unless you provide removable access panels. With today’s Spas you will need to access to the front of the Spa and all the sides. The reality is you may require a plumbing or lighting repair that is only accessible from the side of the Spa, not the front. So just in case you do have a problem, you need access to all sides of the Spa. Spa manufacturers do not reimburse dealers for the cost for accessing the hot tub in the unlikely event of a service repair. So to save you any access charges, it is smart to pre-plan and build removable access panels around your Spa. If you sink the spa all the way in the deck...How are you getting in? Will you get down on your hands and knees and crawl in (fun in snow) because if you try and just step down into the spa from a standing position you will slip and fall and hurt yourself. If it is night time and the pumps are running you can't see where to step. If you look at the spa below... How are you going to fix it and think about how you would get in...in winter and the snow is higher than the spa.

I'm not a fan or Master Spa. In reality,it's their business practice of letting one large dealer with questionable sales tactics run amock amongst it's brick and mortar dealers. This dealer runs the traveling road show, and many have seen, offer "Today Only" pricing (that's a significant mark down from a made up, highly inflated price) which is really the normal price of the spa, promise the customer anything to close the sale and then they disappear. The delivery isn't by the dealer, it's by a contracted delivery company who is required to just get the tub to the customer. You get absolutely 0 dealer support if you buy at a Spa show run by these thieves. Master Spa corporate does nothing to discourage these practices and it's a smack in the face to legitimate Master Spa dealers. They are not bad tubs, like any tub, you can get really good ones or really crappy ones. One is much better off buying from a reputable dealer, whether it's a Master, Hot Springs, Marquis, Artesian, Sundance, Jacuzzi, etc.

Turns out I inadvertently put the controller in setup mode and assigned the pump 3 button to flip screen. All fixed and done. Thanks.

It worked out fine with a small heater from Menards. :)

We don't take away the packaging either. No place to put it on the truck and if you try and strap it down on the trailer it will be all over the road. If you have a trailer with 8 spas on it for delivery that day the amount of packaging is unmanageable. If you ordered a spa in Feb. and got it in May you are a VERY lucky person. Most mfg's are 6 mths minimum and there is no way to confirm that. With all the supply chain issues the industry is having target dates are moving targets...sometimes they are off by days and sometimes months. Just the way it is right now. You have to take some heat here as well IMO. In the amount of time it took for you to write your post you could have easily found out what they are all about. If you did a tiny bit of research before buying you would know that the dealer and their reputation are well above price and brand and should be vetted before buying. We say it hear almost daily. I understand you feel had and it happens but it could have easily been avoided. You have your spa while most are waiting and hopefully this will all be a distant memory soon. Now relax buttercup and enjoy your spa.

...and from the pump shedding heat

I agree. Never buy from a show or "tent sale", regardless of brand. As for Masters spas, they sell spas to dealers, not individuals. Their arrangement with their dealers is pretty standard for the industry. They make them on an assembly line in a factory. With covid shutdowns, supply problems from their suppliers covid shutdowns, and problems finding employees since they are making more from unemployment than if they went to work, they likely have no idea themselves when a given spa will be built. Like everyone else, they are doing what they can. I think that blaming them for the mistakes of some salesman is uncalled for, and going online to try to damage their reputation is just low. If I lied to someone about your work then they went online bad-mouthing you for not living up to my lies, would you find it fair? I think you should be happy you got yours so fast, as others are stuck waiting until November. Suck it up, buttercup! There is more going on in the world than your backyard oasis.

Check/test the fuses first (the large ones that say SC25 or SC30 on them) If you can access the pumps backside there is a dust cover dead center at the back of the motor. Remove the cover and you will see a slot in the shaft of the motor where you can place a flat head screwdriver in and try and see if it turns freely or if it is stuck/seized.

I'm trying to wrap my head around what you want to do. Are you saying that you want to hang the shell from the deck? If so, that's a bad idea. The skirt of the tub cannot support the weight of the tub, let alone the weight of the tub and the water. You do have to properly support the base of the tub. An Optima is about 900 lbs dry and over 4,000 lbs filled and without bathers. While the shell itself is supposed to be self supporting, the skirt is not. I would build a platform for the tub with 2x10 or 2x12 joists on 12" centers supported frequently with 4x4 or 6x6 posts set in concrete. Then 5/4 decking to sit the tub on. Then you can build the deck around the tub to give that recessed feel. Make sure all sides of the tub are accessible for service. Sundance recommends a 4" reinforced concrete base or wood equivalent built to support the wet weight of the tub. another option would be to build a level frame on the ground of 2x8 in a grid pattern, something like what @CanadianSpaTechposted for another poster. Then build your normal deck around the tub. It will be less expensive, considering the price and availability of lumber right now but depending on your deck design, might be too low.

Last one I was at took 3 full days running non stop to go from 53 degrees up to 94 and wouldn't go higher until it warmed up above freezing. They are 3 season spas IMO and hey LOTS of folks that's all they want. Next step above an inflatable spa one step below a spa with BALBOA controls...lol. Looking at you @RDspaguy

There is the key. Try that thing in a Tahoe winter and it will be a block of ice by Christmas. Even in a Missouri winter they can't keep up with loss. In my experience, both the cavitation heater and the heat reclamation system are laughable in the places I have worked (St.Louis, Boulder, Tahoe). I have installed real heaters on many over the years. I do not recommend them.