Mr Solo

I know they are checking mine, I got a PG&E bill yesterday for $395, up from $304 the month before. And I have my spa set on the most economical setting it has.

I leave my Sundance Spa in the economy mode and it only runs the heater a half an hour twice a day when it does it's cleaning cycle. I have found that I like taking a spa everyday when I get home from work so I set my cleaning cycle to come on a half an hour before I get home so it's always at the temperature I want when I get in. If I decide to take a spa at another time I just put it back in the normal setting so the heater comes on and then change it back when I'm through. When I mounted my cover I made sure I put the locks about an inch below where they suggested and my cover fits very tight to the tub and doesn't lose that much heat. If I open my tub between heating cycles it's only lost a few degrees from where I want it. I don't know how much money I save doing this, but my PG&E bills can run $450 a month in the summer, so every little bit helps.

Is your spa still under warranty? If I were you I'd call the service department and have them come out and fix it.

I like having the light on at night it if there are people in it, it gives the spa a nice glow. By myself I usually just soak in the dark.

I'd drain it and clean/replace the filter and call spa dealerships that are close and start asking for prices. I bought a Sundance spa a few years ago and they still come out for free.

I would start by draining and refilling it and dialing in your Alkalinity and pH. I would also clean your filter as who knows how long it's been in there or what has been going on in your spa before you got it. I would also have a spa tech check it over and make sure everything is alright, and maybe see about replacing the LCD panel, as that will be very useful.

I own a Sundance Spa and there is a ball valve inside the shell that you have to open before the water can drain. You will need to have the handle inline with the pipe for it to be open. Mine had all that information in the owners manual.

Have you checked to see if the ball valve that drains the spa is fully closed?

When I bought my spa I was told to use as little chemical as I could. I remember him telling me "less is more", and I have never put two cups of anything into my spa. After you get your spa back to normal, buy a Taylor test kit and only add chemicals when needed, and then as little as you can for the desired adjustment.

I live in California and my spa is in a partially closed off area that is covered, so I wasn't even thinking about using anti-freeze. I just turned off the power and drained it, as that cut all the costs of power and chemicals since nobody is using it this time of year. Thanks, I checked it out and it gave me a few good ideas about what to do while the spa is drained. It's just a hassle checking and adding chemicals when it's not being used.

I've ordered things for my spa online and it was hit or miss. The last time I did it there was a good price on the product that I could have bought from my local dealership that is only a few miles away. After waiting for two weeks I called the online place to inquire where my chemicals were and was informed it would be another week or so because they were on back order. So I drove to my local dealership and bought the chemicals I was running out of for only a few dollars more and got it that day. Now I just get my supplies from my dealership because they are not that much more expensive and have the product on site so I don't have to wait a week or so. It also doesn't hurt that buying the supplies from them builds a rapport with the dealership personal.

I've decided to drain my spa until the weather warms up. No sense paying to keep it heated and running the circulation pump 24/7 if no one is using it. Is there anything I need to consider before doing this, or anything I need to do to prevent any damage because of doing this? My only concern so far is thinking that slugs might crawl into the jet orifices. What do you experienced spa owners recommend?

My son just turned six last month and he has been taking spas with me for over a year and enjoys the water between 99-100 degrees. I only let him in the spa when I'm in it with him, and we only take a twenty minute spa. I use the twenty minute pump timer to let us know when the time is up, and so far everything has worked out fine. I tried bringing the temperature up just a little, but he gets out and sits on the edge if the spas goes above 101 degrees. He knows how to swim, but I always keep the cover locked on the spa whenever it's not being used or monitored.

I would expect to pay more than that. The parts could come closer to $400, plus labor costs. I had a friend of mine do mine and it was closer to $700. Nice name Solo.

I had a "QCA Moonstone +3" once. With my "+4 Vorpal Sword of Slaying" and my "+8 Leather Bracers of Agility", I really kicked some serious Orc butt. But then the DungeonMaster said I was too high level and took it away. Sorry. I couldn't resist. I've not heard of QCA though. I'd like a little of what you're smoking..............

I just goggled spa pumps and got this. http://www.spaguts.com/SpaPumps.aspx?pumpb...CFR7KYAodXgm4AA

Hmmm.....I would imagine most spas would be pretty quiet without the pump running Not if you invite your buddy's over after an all you can eat Mexican food buffet......

The circulation pump on my 14 month Sundance spa was making a funny noise so I called their service center and they told me that all the pumps were covered for five years, parts and labor. They came out the next day when I was at work and fixed it. I never got a bill or note telling me what was wrong, just the spa running when I got home and whisper quite. I hope they make it right for you.

I have a five year old son and use the plastic locks and straps every time I'm not in the spa, and I always lock them. If they are locked you can't get the cover off unless you rip the hardware out of the spa sides. If these locks aren't enough to keep your family out of it when your not there then your family needs to learn the rules, as any lock you have on it may someday not be locked and the consequences of that could be deadly. My son knows not to even go near that spa when I'm not around. You can never truly rely on fool proofing a pool or spa, so make sure that everyone knows what is, and is not allowed.

In California I don't get snow so that's not a concern. I have mine protected by two sides of my house and the other two sides are open. It gives it a nice wind break and a little privacy. I have a roof over the top, so I kind of have the best of both worlds. Where we lived before, our hot tub was in a raised deck under the stars and surrounded by Redwood trees and no neighbors. That was pretty nice, even in the rain. I loved looking up at shooting stars in a Redwood grove, but living back in town and having a semi-protected spa isn't too bad either. I vote for making the wife happy.........

I think the exception would be to ask the people with less than attractive figures (see photo from Google below) to keep their suits on, but the hard bodies I'd let make their own choice.

Take the water out, be very careful and have a lot of strong friends over to help. Have plenty of beer on hand for after the move. Good Luck!

I thought Jim da Jim said Costco spas were the best? I was almost going to turn in my Sundance spa for one of them.

He started at an early age..............

I agree, if your going to buy a hot tub, at least get some value by buying a Sundance Spa instead of a cheap Costco tub.