tony

Coffee just about every morning.

What's the manufacture year of your spa? There might be a page in the manual, toward the back, that shows details for jumper settings on the PC Board. On the 09 it's jumper #7 Just to clarify a little, JP9 #7, jumper on is 60 amp logic, jumper off is 50 amp.

The 2002 Optima dimensions are listed at 7'7'" x 7'7". I don't know the dry weight, but a new Optima weighs 855 lbs and I cannot imagine it being that different than an 02. If you would like me to measure my 02 Optima, I will. Mine is a wood cabinet which has a lip that the shell sits on which is different than the composite cabinet.

The leak issues you hear about refer to somewhere in the mid 1990s when the state of CA regs forced a change in the glue. There were a series of spas built with severe leak problems. Most spas were replaced. This is a very old problem and nothing to be concerned about with a 2006 model. The Altamar is a great spa and is one of the top of the line Sundance spas. $2500 is certainly worth a shot.

Well, the money ultimately flowed to the same manufacturer, so I guess everybody is happy now.

A set of pillows with inserts will run about $200 for a 2003 Optima. If they are original, they will need replacing. A set should last 3-4 years. If there is no ozone or if the ozonator is not working, I personally would just eliminate it. If you feel you really want to replace an ozonator, I would purchase the Sundance models as they work with the icons on the topside controller where another manufacturer's may not. I am not sure if the 03 Optima still used the rotating jets or if they have the bearingless jets. The therapy seat will definitely have them but the other seats may not. Both are fine, but the bearingless jets will most likely never have to be replaced. If the jets are the rotating type, they swap out in a second and are easy and inexpensive to replace.

I am also one who does not use an ozonator. I removed it about four years ago and have not looked back since. I do not find that it saved any on chemicals, but did a number on pillows and my blanket.

You do not need the Frog floating system to use bromine/silver cartridge in your spa. You can purchase the regular Frog cartridge (or the LiesureTime cartridge which is made by the Frog people), install it in your filter and use any bromine system you like whether it be a floater, two part or Brilliance. It allows you to keep a lower bromine level.

Hello, I have learned that when restoring panels it is best to use wood stains used for fences since the oils in the protect, then use a water sealer. I agree. If the panels are original, they are most likely either redwood or cedar. Penetrating stains work well.

I've owned my spa just over seven years and still use it just about every day.

There should be a wood frame that supports the shell. The cabinet panels and corners attach to the frame. Wood parts are available from Sundance for most of their spas. Not sure about your particular model, but you can check with any Sundance dealer. A spa generally just sits on a concrete slab.

Though Hot Spring spas do a very nice job of filtering, it is misleading to state that those spas without five filters are average. There are high end spas with, arguably, more advanced filtration that use only one filter. Hot Spring spas do it one way. Another manufacturer may do it a different way. Who does it best can certainly be up for debate.

You can purchase a wood/deck cleaner at Home Depot. There are many available. They do a good job prepping the wood for stain.

The winter issues have to do with thoroughly rinsing the filter after soaking. It works best with a pressure nozzle on a hose generally done outside. Rinsing it under the kitchen sink or in the bathtub does not do nearly as good a job. Failure to rinse properly will cause soap suds in the spa.

I have found that if I use a spa plumbing cleaner such as Swirl Away or Spa System Flush, the spinning jets loose any stickiness and operate much more freely. Of course you do this only just before changing your water.

To add to Nitro's response, Renew is buffered non chlorine shock. Buffered means pH neutral. Because it is buffered, you need to add twice the product of a non buffered non chlorine shock. That is why it seems you add so much Renew. An alternative to Renew is bleach. It is not for everyone, but its slightly high pH counters the low pH of bromine and will work as well as non chlorine shock.

I agree. Bleach is chlorine, plain and simple. Keep your pH in line as with any other sanitizer and you'll be fine.

Look under the skirt of a Jacuzzi and a Sundance. You would be hard pressed to tell the difference.

Sweetwater was always Sundance's product. It was the more cost effective spa sold by Sundance. I believe Sundance now calls the Sweetwater spas the 780 series. IMO, ozone does the most damage to pillows. It pumps 24/7 and builds up under the cover. Bromine tabs in a floater can do the same thing. A floating blanket that sits on the water can help extend the life of everything plastic above the water line.

Hi Tony, Let me explain my set up briefly. 450 gallon Jacuzzi with ozonator with restrictor removed by tech when original clogged. I'm using Chlorox method, but got into it late so the CYA is a little high. I have learned a lot from reading here, for example I now have no trouble getting my TA down without effecting PH! Have used test strips forever but wanted to have better control. Got this ColorQ PRO 7-PLUS Professional Hand-Held Water Analyzer and really like it. Here is the problem. When I measure CC it's from 0.93 to 2.05. I have shocked with chlorine and non chlorine methods with no relief. It's almost like the CC measurement is random. For example I shocked to 12ppm with Chlorox and the following night CC measured 1.4. The makers of the tester have sent me new reagents but the problem is the same. It must be something I'm doing wrong. Waddya think? http://www.lamotte.com/pages/pool/colorqs.html Edit: Wait... my CYA is like 100 so the Chlorine is not as effective. Does this mean I need to shock to even higher levels like 20ppm? High CYA could quite possibly affect your CC measurement. 0.93 to 2.05 is very minimal. I would not worry too much about it. I like to use a maintenance dose of non chlorine shock on a weekly basis. I use 2 tablespoons of the non buffered type. The nice thing about MPS is if you add too little, it will oxidize what it can. If you add too much, it waits for something to do its work on. You can't screw it up. When you shock with chlorine, you must hit the required level to have it work. Then you must wait for the level to drop to use the spa. The advantage, though, is superchlorination of the spa.

I think it is the other way around...meaning you can go from chlorine to bromine but NOT from bromine to chlorine without doing a drain as quoting from Nitro. Correct, you can switch to Bromine from Chlorine, by just adding Bromine reserve. However, you can't switch to Chlorine from Bromine, because any Chlorine you add to the tub, will "recharge" the Bromine. Which BTW, is what you want to do in a Bromine tub. Bleach is actually a good product to shock your bromine tub. Its pH is higher both dichlor and MPS which will help with the very low pH of bromine.

I am on my second set of pillows for my seven year old Sundance spa. The first set lasted two years, the second set is just now starting to go. Three things come to mind as to why pillows deteriorate prematurely...ozone, high sanitizer levels and closing the cover right after shocking. If you want factory replacements, there are a couple of sites online that will probably be less money than your dealer. Shepnell.com is one that comes to mind. You could use one of the generic portable type found almost everywhere, but they just hang over the edge. I don't know of any aftermarket pillows that attach to a Sundance spa. FWIW, Sundance has been part of Jacuzzi since 1998.

Bleach is not a good cleaner of filters. Filter cleaner, TSP or Cascade is better at removing oils and soaps from the pleats. Bleach is fine as a sanitizer in a spa. As was mentioned, it is chlorine like any other form, and at the proper level (like any sanitizer) will not harm your filters in the spa.

Shocking is the process of eliminating combined chlorine. It is accomplished by either adding enough chlorine to reach "breakpoint chlorination" or by adding non chlorine shock. As Nitro mentioned, if you keep up with a good chlorine regiment, you may not have to shock and this is the best situation. If CC does form, then shocking is the only way to eliminate it and if you shock with chlorine, you need to add enough to reach breakpoint (10 times CC level). Failure to do this may give you cloudy water and/or a "chlorine" smell to the water. A weekly "maintenance shock" with either chlorine or non chlorine shock is a good insurance policy if you don't want to always check for CC...otherwise shock as needed when CC is present. The sooner you shock, the less product needed.

IMO, the Optima is the better spa. My dealer sells both HotSprings and Sundance. To me, side by side, there is no comparison. Personally, I do not like the Moto Massage and I do not like the number of filters used in the HotSprings spas. That being said, the Vanguard is a well built spa and if I were to purchase a HotSpring spa, it would be this model. I would not be concerned about service being in house or contracted out as long as they have a history of being thorough and timely.