Shaamus

Hi Rhino1, The promotion code you are inquiring about expired on 8/20/2012. We vary our promotions from time to time and typically do not honor old promo codes unless a customer has placed a preliminary order without measurements or we have formally quoted a particular job. I appreciate the opportunity you extended to us to quote your custom spa cover needs. I apologize we are not able to offer the discount you desire. We feel very confident that our current offers ($10 off any spa cover order AND a free gift choice of a spa cover cap, robe or spa cover protection kit with orders over $400) provide great value for people like yourself who are in the market for a spa cover. Thank you again for your consideration. Have a great day.

What's the spa model you are looking to cover? Inground or one of the larger portables from Artesian or Sundance? Most cover manufacturers should be able to do it, but frankly it comes down to what the water span is as we don't usually like to span more than 100" or so to maintain structural integrity. If you have an inground spa and you're covering a bunch of coping but your water span isn't the full 104" then you should be okay with most manufacturers. You'll get charged a long foam charge but they can get you the cover (assuming you are splitting the 96", that is). What's the story with the brick? Is it a brick decking or are you resting the cover on a pile of bricks? I'm sorry I'm having trouble picturing what you are saying. As for the warranty situation illustrated above, the fact that freight isn't included is just how most warranties work, not just for spa covers. It's just expensive to ship spa covers as opposed to your toaster if it breaks. That makes it so much more important to do your homework when selecting a spa cover retailer (online or local store) to make sure that the brand of the cover they are selling fits with your value target for the purchase. As we note on the page that contains the warranty information for the covers we sell, you should consider not making a warranty the primary reason you purchase a spa cover because execution of that warranty costs more than most people realize.

For energy-efficiency, you get more bang for the buck with thicker foam. However, denser foam absorbs less water and you'll end up using the cover longer. A 4x2 2# foam cover has more foam (192 boardfeet per side) than a 6x4 1# foam cover (160 boardfeet per side) but the 6x4-1 is much almost 50% more energy-efficient. It's just going to take on a lot more water as it has more foam and more places in between the beads. Just depends on what you are shopping for.

Why am I not surprised?

I usually don't say anything bad about competitors as most of you know. I think RHTubs, Spa Depot and Hot Tub Works are all great competitors and great places to buy covers from others. But since BeyondNice is being so blatant in self-promotion I feel it's necessary to point out that they sell Prestige spa covers. Though I don't know BeyondNice as a company, I think anyone who googles Prestige will find mixed reviews. Some people like them. Others don't.

There's nothing better for your spa cover's outside vinyl than 303 protectant.

New Poll: Who thinks SPADUDE63 sells Four Winds?

Basically, there isn't enough heat coming from the spa to melt the ice? That's kind of a good thing. Kidding aside, I think you're okay.

"Do not remove this tag under penalty of law." Well, it's been changed to 'this tag not to be removed except by the consumer.' Having grown up in a textile town, I was assured it was OK to rip the tag off, once you owned the item. It's not the same concept. That mattress tag talks about content of the mattress. The warning label on a spa cover is a communication device for describing the abilities as a safety cover.

If you remove the warning, technically it's not a safety cover any more according to the ASTM spec. You get a picky inspector, they're going to tell you it's not an adequate barrier.

That semi-circular handle top looks like the Unicel mold. Of course, only a Caldera dealer could say for sure but I think that may be a Unicel filter. Keep in mind that Unicel and Pleatco do a lot of OEM work.

Honestly, if you're spending that much money you just need to stay away from the blatent over-inflators of price like Thermospas, etc. You're going to get most companies best shot when you spend that much. Just make sure you sit in it and make sure you like it.

The $5000 doesn't include the HDTV from what I've heard. It's basically a buy-in. I don't blame them. Can you imagine what they're paying Phelps?

It's a little confusing when you read their site. If they are selling genuine Unicel, those are good prices as they are just a shade over standard wholesale price. However, if you read their fine print it says they will ship you either Unicel or their private labeled brand. Unicel cartridges usually have royal blue tops and bottoms and their core is white PVC with round holes. Their pictures don't look like Unicel cartridges. From the pictures I have no idea what to tell you on quality. It could be the best filter you ever buy or it might not be. We struggled with this as a company. Do we sell a branded filter that people know and trust or do we save a ton of money and go white box private label? We decided to stick with the branded. You could buy one and report back what you get! Inquiring minds want to know!

Would you mind pointing us in the direction of that information stating 100% seals are not required? If that's the case, I'm wondering why we dropped 30k on our sealer. Seriously though, there is a manufacturer that actually puts holes in the film before it's sealed. Personally after doing this for over 25 years, I think they're nuts.

Caldera doesn't make filters. footie is correct.

As for my competitors, I think RHTubs and Hot Tub Works sell very nice covers and are good companies to deal with. No need to name names on the less than stellar guys, but those firms are actual companies that are in business with employees, etc. Spa Depot is a solid company as well.

Unfortunately like Doc said, a determined individual will always persist when it comes to a spa cover.

Where did you read/hear about the Cal Spa involvement?

IMHO, any spa manufacturing company not willing to put their contact information including their address or phone number on ANY of their resources carries a huge red flag. Their address and phone number weren't even printed in their owner's manual. Where that tub is made is the least of your issues with this company (and it's a big one). They don't appear to want to be contacted.

How would you describe the capabilities of the person/animal/entity you are trying to keep out? The standard locks are basically designed against small children.

what Doc said... SpaDepot's vendor builds a nice cover for them. The sealing is by hand-held wand which isn't as good as some, but overall they make a respectable cover. Prestige makes Cover Guy's covers (as well as a lot of bargain sellers on eBay, BeyondNice, Poolandspa.com and Discount Spa Covers). Their standard film is 2mil. Their vinyl is 25oz. from Pielles. I can tell you from my experiences with TCG, they probably aren't asking Prestige to upgrade those specs.

We don't sell them, so I can't say for sure but I think there is a product by Byron Originals called the Butler Spa Attendant that will slip under the spa so you don't have to screw it in. It's a combo system that starts as a handrail but it has add-ons. A small table is one of the add-ons. That said, we've sold a ton of Spa Caddy units over the years and haven't had a single complaint from anyone saying they've pulled out. I think the bracket takes 6-8 screws.

Keep in mind that we'll sell you as much 303 as you want to buy. But I have to say that in the over 20 years of producing spa covers and recommending it, we have found no reason to say it is good for the underside of the cover. As for the mildew, there is nothing in 303 that kills mildew or kills the food source for mildew which is really the only way you're going to prevent mildew. Will using it "seal pores"? Maybe, it is a conditioning dressing product. But do you know how often you're going to have to reapply that with all the chlorine/bromine/MPS/ozone/etc? Mildew is an organism. If you have it, it's because you need to clean your cover and probably bump the sanitizer in your tub. Nothing against the guys at SpaDepot as I honestly think they do a really nice job. I think we all want to be like those guys when we grow up. But, as a cover manufacturer going back to 1983 and recommending 303 since the late 1980's, I can't in good conscience say I believe the way the prevent mildew is to put 303 on the underside of the cover. Will it hurt anything? Of course not. And like I said, we'll sell it to you by the gallon if you want it. I just don't want people to confuse a nice side effect use of 303 with what is really needed to take care of mildew. Keep the sanitizer level up. Remove the cover at least every couple weeks and wipe it down with a cleaning product. If you get mildew, use a mild bleach and water solution to kill it. You're going to get it inside the zipper panels so check there every month or so. The covers are easy to unzip and check. http://www.303products.com/shop303/index.cfm/category/154/303-patio-furniture-protectant-to-extend-the-life-of-your-spa-cover.cfm Here is what the maker of the stuff says it does for spa covers. By the way, Patio Furniture Protectant is the exact same formula of Aerospace Protectant. Just different packaging.

Those turned out well. Nice job.