Stinkles

Hi guys, Recently my (arctic fox with Onzen) tub has gone from not requiring much attention to getting very dirty, very quickly and the filters have been dying faster - I use those foam batting ones - the first lasted about five months no problem, the last two have died after about a month. I've emptied, scrubbed, dried and refilled. Green scaling appeared on the filter plastic, and on the sides as a slight "tidemark." I opened the spa door to inspect the Onzen dial and found everything was fine - except for some slight pooling of water on the floor of the inside of the tub on the right hand side. The water is slight, but brown and rusty looking. Should I be concerned? Also, can someone list what their setup from clean, fresh water is, with regards to chemicals? Do people add anything? Everything?

Thank you, I see what you mean - the Onzen guide should either refer to the owner manual or incorporate those sections of the owner manual for convenience. I"ve passed your suggestion on. For your other question, if your dealer cannot help then please call the Onzen support line between 08:00 and 16:30 MDT, or email the support center 24/7 (phone number and email address are on page 6 in your Onzen manual). My update on my Spa and Arctic service: Most people fret that they'll get a spa and never use it. I have used mine almost every night since I got it. Part of that frequency is its situation right off the deck. It's easy to get to. The other part is that I am using it for therapy on a wrecked back. The water quality in Onzen is just incredible. I love the ceynote/gin clarity as well as the way it makes my skin feel afterwards. As to Arctic, you can probably tell from his posts here that Tom is a pretty good indicator of how seriously the company takes its customers. Every question I've had has been answered immediately - they even sent me the "missing" digital water tester. If you're on the fence about an Arctic spa, I would say go ahead and jump in. Best purchase I've made in years.

Please PM me with the part you found confusing. We can make improvements on the next printing. Basically I just think that in the Onzen User Guide Start Up page 3, Step 3 should include simple instructions, with graphic (wavy lines button) on how you actually start a Filtration Cycle. It should also recommend how long after starting cycle you should test for pH. It should also note that low calcium is normal in Onzen and explain what to do about that (I still don't know).

Well, I actually just figured out my (Arctic Fox) Onzen system wasn't really on. You have to activate it with a somewhat odd key combo. It was basically just circulating the salt water mixture for a couple of days. Blame it on me not reading the manual properly, but it is a bit confusing. The digital meter I thought came with it (only because the instruction manual kind of indicates it does) does not in fact come with it. However, I found all this out because Apollo has really responsive customer service. "Suzy" called personally AND emailed and answered my query. End result however is glorious, sparkling clear water that makes your skin feel better. And hopefully, next to no maintenance. All my wife's organic-granola friends approve of it too. Waiting to see the first month's power bill.... And I agree with the poster above. I can see the graphics on the control panel date as I soak. I wish they were just a panel.

I got a Fox - it basically fit the exact spot we had and looked nice. Bought it for $5k out the door with Onzen, delivery, forever floor, one set of stairs and the second-to-basic jetting system. Had it installed ($900 of electrical work later :-( thanks to our lousy existing wiring) for about a week and love it - but I gotta tell you, the instructions, while perfectly written in plain english are a little confusing for a non-spa owner. It looks like w were supposed to get a digital water meter for chemical balance - but it's missing from the package. Part of my initial confusion was the simplicity of the device. Install it, fill it, add salt and wait. It takes about three pages of manual to describe that fact. I would love for someone with an Onzen system to describe the idiot's guide to the first couple of weeks. Mine still appears to be very low on Calcium (which to me sounds counter-intuitive...). So far customer service is great - but you have to get past the sales guys to get there - and I still have no clue why I had to drive to Renton to give them a sample of tap water... Oh and one more note - one of the reasons I chose this brand was the responses from (Tom?) the Arctic guy on this very forum while researching. He just seemed like he worked for a company that genuinely gave a hoot how their customers felt.