spa_newb

Thanks. The dealer we went to had some covers that had a design on the inside so when it was folded up you were looking at something (hawaiin beach image for example).....While it was a creative idea I found it a bit cheesy.....We will stick with something as low profile as possible. One drawback to low profile, that the dealer pointed out, is that after a large snowstorm you may have to shovel out the area under where the low profile cover would rest to give it clearence....Worth it to me.

Will the covermate II fit pretty much every major spa? I want one when we get a spa, either the Covermate II or this new one you refer to, the low profile is so much better than the high ones.

I just came across Dynasty's website and found a local dealer that carries them. The Neptune line looks fantastic (at least on the website). I too am pulled in by the bells and whistles, particularly the LED lit jets. I see some concern here over warranty/quality, so I 'll have to research, but at the very least I'll be paying them a visit to check em out.

Politics in a Hot Tub forum? Talk about scary. Right? I'll refrain from further comment.

Pics?

At a dealer near me, which sells Hot Springs Sundance and affiliated tubs, he said the umbrella is like $800. I was floored. No thanks. This one you found looks quite effective, if you want one though.

my gf and I really liked the black color shells on some of the spas, but were told the lights don't really reflect well off them and are kinda of toned down vs a white or or lighter color which really brings out the lighting at night. So I was curious who out there has what color shell and how your lights look? Pics would be great. FYI our first choice is a silver/platinum color shell.

Yes, after talking to the dealer briefly about chemical costs, I estimated at least $500 per year total expenditure on the spa, which is more than I thought...... I realize spa size, usage, brand, etc will give differing costs, but I thought it would be interesting to see how it breaks down. So anyone else want to share what they are spending to maintain their spa?

Nice job on the homemade lifter. After checking out some more spas, my gf and I both agree we are going to get one with a lifter, but we also both insist on one that is as low profile as possible. The Limelight at the dealer we went to had a low profile one, but the Sundance did not. The dealer seemed to think the covermate II would fit the Sundance. Does anyone know if a Covermate II will fit a Sundance Chelsee?

The thumbnails don't get any larger. How bout some large pics?

I saw one in a dealer and it looked very nice. Sorry that doesn't add much but it looked like a very solid and well built spa, and the lighting system was definitely nice. One complaint that jumped out at me was the display control panel on the front, it was NOT intuitive at all, as I was simply trying to change/dim lights, turn jets on and off, etc and it was confusing, the other spas by Sundance made much more sense. I am sure once you read the manual the Limelight control panel would make sense, but again it was very confusing at first glance. Nice spa though, we will certainly consider a pulse when making our final decision.

I was reading this and thought of the picture above: http://www.spasearch.org/water_maint.php Could this be your problem?

If you had to estimate the amount you spend on your spa each year, what would it be? Please include how much you think you spend on chemicals, filters (and other perishable parts) and electricity. Also please include the type of chemicals you use (chlorine or bromine), size of spa and how often you use it. It would be interesting to see what everyone out there is paying.

The "stainless jets" or "stainless look" are very appealing, is there any benefit other than aesthetics for choosing this over the stock plastic jets?

Went to a dealer today and noticed all the "fall sale" signs and saw some "great deals" on tubs. Is there a time of the year that older models go on sale or that you can get special deals or is most of it a sales gimmick to pretend you are getting a deal, like Jewelry, and it doesn't matter when you buy?

Nice looking cabinet. How bout some pics of the tub lit up at night??

Pics?!??!

I have the artic spa Tundra which is a large tub (2000+ Litres - 7 man) and I think so far I'm around $10- $20 a month but its honestly hard to tell as I have a lot of electronics. It is still fairly warm as well so in a couple of months when winter hits and the temperature dives to the -20 to -40 ranges I'll have a much better idea of how much I'm paying to keep it at 104. So far it is hardly noticable my bill is about the same as before. Cheers Calvin This may sound like a dumb question, but do you have to keep it at 104 all the time? Like how feasible is to keep the tub at 100 (or even less like 95) and then turn it up an hour before you want to get in?

She is called SWMBO She Who Must Be Obeyed. IE. "Great news, SWMBO said I can buy this new toy." Your happiness is dependent upon SWMBO's approval. And anyone who lets themselves into a scenario like that is entirely at fault for being a pushover. Best to nip that in the bud immediately! Hopefully that isn't the case for Stuart...

This brings up a semi related question. If you live in a winter climate (northeast), where sometimes we get very harsh snow and cold, is it advisable to put something over your tub and cover in anticipation of a bad storm? In other words, say I have a tub and a cover that is tightly snapped on, is it ok to also throw a tarp over the whole thing in the case that we have snow or freezing rain coming? Is it a good idea? Bad?

You could always do what I did and that is let the wife design it, that way it cannot be wrong Funny, but believe it or not, I'm the one with an eye for that stuff, and she could care less. LOL You can say I am lucky to have found such a woman! ps: your landscaping and deck setup on your tub is really nice looking!

I'd get the permits. If you go to sell later and plan to leave the tub it could cause headaches.

Please post some photos of it lit up at night too. Thanks.

Thanks. I assume this must go in at install time, since it goes under the tub!

Incredible. Is the umbrella an accessory made specigically for the tub?