Jake the dog man

I'd like to 2nd your concern of people on the board being far too concerned with testing & chemical levels every day or two. I have been called out a few times on the boards for taking a more relaxed stance. I even earned a "warning point" for not towing the line and bursting someone's bubble. I don't come around much anymore due to the climate created by many (and all the pop ups!). After a season or so... all the testing & micro levels don't mean much. I have now owned 3 tubs, over 25 years, with very few problems... NONE chemical related. Maybe I'm just lucky. I own my tub to relax... not to give me another chore or full time job. Use the KISS principle. Happy Tubbing!

If you are sure the new pad is perfectly level & flat... I'd 2nd the just fill it method.

Chlorine gets my vote for all the same reasons. I have used Chlorine for 30+ years and never understand why people think anything could be easier. My water is cleaner/clearer then just about any I have seen.

30 minutes 4-6 days a week, less in the summer.

At most I sometimes rinse in the shower if I've been sweating or dirty, but normally I just slide in the evening before bed. You will drive yourself crazy if you obsess too much about water care. My first few months were tough... until I relaxed on it.

I honestly feel that people would do better just starting with a basic chlorine program and only get into all the other stuff on an "as needed" basis. People may mean well, but most people can own a hot tub for years without ever needing much more then chlorine, some test strips & a good dealer.

We chose a light color, pearl I believe, because I like seeing the dirt to vac out. That being said, thats a good reason to hate it too!

TRUE... it is basically a temporary fix, but it is often a temporary problem. As Roger said, those things normally lead to foaming, so cutting them out should help. I think that new tubs foam more until things break in too. Good Luck!

A small amount of defoamer, in a small spray bottle.

Chlorine

Chlorine is much easier then Bromine. Ever thought about switching over?

Two things kinda quick; When being used in 120 mode, it will only heat in circulation mode, NOT when the jets are running. The circulation pump is very quiet & barely moves water when running. On my 2008 you can just make out some turbulence in the center of the still surface. Good Luck & keep us posted!

What about just going with a wooden hot tub? We went smaller then we wanted to make sure we even wanted a hot tub. We love our "lounge-less" tub... but we plan replacing in a few years with a no frills cedar tub that is 4' or 5' deep. We are also all tall ( & wide!) but we prefer the deeper hot water over a few more jets. Do some research... give the idea a chance. I'm looking forward to replacing ours in a few more years.

Yes, they still sell them. We love ours, bought for the Hottub 3 or 4 years ago, but also can go anywhere else (picnics, camping, etc).

Actually seeing as someone else brought it up... when compared side by side... Bullfrog shouldn't even be in the running. As of 4 years ago I would have considered a Softtub before Bullfrog. The things that look good now become the headaches later. IMHO, if you are at all serious about a hottub, you should just avoid the Yugo of hottubs.

We love ours outside, with a Sunbrella Hottub Umbrella, when needed. We use ours 3-6 times a week, less in the summer. In the rain, in the snow, anytime. It is 8ft from our door, so shoveling takes 5 minutes. We love watching the stars & shooting stars at night. If you cover it, make it reversible or retractable. You may very well regret an enclosure.

It will not take any more effort to keep it running in the winter than in the summer. We actually use ours more in the winter than the summer. Adding the chems each time you use it or once a week will be fine. During snow storms, I keep up with shoveling a path to the hot tub more then the front door! You also should always keep an eye open that it is actually keeping the water warm because you do not want it freezing while you are away/not using. Hot tubs are designed to be filled with water & used, not drained for the winter or summer and sit empty. Good Luck & Welcome to Tubbing!

Great! Thank you for getting back so fast. I'm leaving sunday on a 3 week business trip and my wife/children do not mess with it much. Thanks again. Jake

I have finally decided to put my hot tub in summer mode. It is a 2007 Tiger River Sumatran. When we bought it I played with the summer mode, but decided not to use it. I now cannot remember how to get it there, I cannot find the original manual and the limited online references have been tried & do not work. Any useful suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jake

Ok, I see that now. I also use the summer mode, but haven't yet this year. Good Luck!

I have found all the tubs I have owned, all Hot Springs, heat a few degrees hotter then the setting. Try lowering the setting to 100 and see if the water is actually 103/104. My current Tiger River seems to always run 2/3 degrees hotter. I don't think it is a big deal.

I tried the Grit Gitter and loved it for a few months, but it didn't age well. I am also not going to drag a shop vac out every time I need a few small pieces of stuff removed. I have the Pool & Spa VAC, which is one of the large stick wand type ones (about $45 at my local guy), it works OK. I still keep a basic Turkey Baster near by, which always works while sitting in the tub. If I could only own one of them, I'd make it the turkey baster.

I don't think bromine takes any more time or testing than chlorine. If you are going to go without testing your water as you suggest then bromine would be more effective as bromimines are an effective sanitizer while chloramines are not. When done properly both 3 step bromine and dichlor/bleach are effective and easy. It is only personal preference as to which is better. All spa owners should try them both so they know which fits there needs. Either way to have a safe, ballanced tub you will have to spend 1 minute a day testing and balancing your water. That dosent keep me from relaxin but it does keep me from itching and scratching. Point well taken. I also just found the bromine treatment too cumbersome, so I only use the chlorine now except to shock as needed. I also haven't used my Taylor Kit for years, as I find the strips much easier, maybe that is also experience too. I have owned tubs for over 25 years, so I am done with busy work. I know of so many people who are afraid of the water maintenance stuff they hear & read, or they would likely join the hot tub owner community. I just feel that good old trusty chlorine gets over looked because of all the "new" methods. You rarely hear of people having trouble with a chlorine program once they get going. Meanwhile, it seems post after post of issues with other types. Best of luck with whatever program works for you best!

... OR... You could just drain the tub, refill & use Chlorine. Far fewer people have skin issues with chlorine and there is none of this constant testing and adding of this and that. If you're too busy buying chemicals & testing your water every day... when does the relaxation come in? Good luck!

Wow. You are comparing any Hotspring tub to a Bullfrog? Talk about Apples vs Oranges. I have owned 3 Hotsprings in the past 25 years, with next to no issues. I have never met anyone that has bought a Bullfrog and doesn’t regret it within a few months. I have nothing to do with the hot tub industry, so I have nothing to gain or lose. Don’t let 1 knucklehead salesman make up your mind. The fittings were barely an issue years ago, but some ambulance chasing lawyer had them all changed over to prevent even the possibility. Once you even see the Bullfrog, let alone wet test, you will see it can barely be considered a hot tub, but closer to a disposable child’s toy.