dlynn

I have never needed spa down, so I can't help you.

The photo has to be on the web. Copy the web address of the photo by right clicking on the photo then select properties. In the properties box will be the web ULR for that photo. Paste that ULR into your message then select the ULR you just pasted and click on the Photo icon on the toolbar. Like this: Photo of the new Platinum III (right click on this photo and look at the properties)

You can use the tub with high ph. Wait a day and check it again, before you try spa down, it may go down a little.

They are not the same as the Sterling Leisure Prestine. The Prestine has some features the PlatinumII does not have, but the shell, jets, pumps, and electrical are all the same. The Prestine has sweep 90 plumbing, metal frame (not wood), and better insulation. For the money the PlatinumII is one of the best buys on the market. And the electrical warranty is 2 years on both tubs. It is so hard to measure power use of the tub. My power bill one month was $16 less than the year before (I didn't have the tub last year). The next month my power bill was $19 more than the year before. There are other factors that effect power usage. I don't think I saved power by getting a tub one month and used more the next because I had the tub. The net effect has not been much yet even with a cold month last month. I did add extra insulation to my tub. I am sure my usage will go up more in the winter.

Why are you so down on Hydro Spa that you keep repeating info you have already apoligized for being wrong about. You continue to repeat the BBB thing when you have already apoligized to this board for mixing them up with someone else. They don't have a bad BBB rating. They are a much larger Spa company than your Arctic Spa company and have been making spas lots longer and sold lots more spas. Go talk up your spa instead of cutting everybody elses. You have a great spa, go talk about it.

Renew is a Non-Clorine Shock (MPS). Normaly you use it once a week at the rate of 3 TBS per 250 Gal of Water. Some people use MPS daily, but it is an Oxidizer not a Sanatizer and is designed to be used as a Shock. You Oxidize once a week to burn off lotions and gunk. You Sanatize daily.

The Platinum III apears to be a version of the Desire by Hydro-Spa. It does have the foil bubble wrap insullation just under the siding, I added that to my Platinum II already. I like the new colors. Looks like a great buy. I wonder if the price will go up.

Do not use Bleach in a Hot Tub. It may void your warranty. Most mfg warn against using bleach. If you get any bleach on the surface it may damage the spa liner or cover. Beach only contains about 6% clorine compared to 62% for Dichlor. Bleach was not made for Spas and Dichlor was. I would recommend using the non-clorine shock, MPS. You shock the tub to Oxidize and burn up lotions and other gunk. If you shock with Clorine you may have to wait to get the levels down to a safe level to use the tub, sometimes 1-2 days. Clorine is a sanatizer but will oxidize at high levels, problem is you need those lower levels to use the tub. Spa maintance seems confusing whether using Clorine or Bromine but after a couple a months you will figure it out. By the way Bromine is no more difficult to learn than Clorine and it is less maintance once everything is set up.

Here is the new Platinum III tub.

Your local HotSprings or Keys Dealer would be responsible for service on a spa purchased from Costco. I purchased my spa from Costco and saved a lot of money for the price paid. I know service is an issue but I have checked with some of our local spa dealers and they want the service business. When they do warrenty service they get paid just the same no matter where you bought your spa from. The new in store Spa should be arriving at Costco any time now, you may want to watch for it, I havn't heard who will be making it this year but the Hydro-Spa model sold last year was an excellent buy for the money. I have heard that Sundance will be doing road shows at Costco soon as well.

Did you get the gap all the way around the cabinet top or just below the controls? I stuffed fiberglass insulation up there all the way around the top from the inside. With the bubble blanket on the water does the bottom of your cover still have water drops on it when you open it?

I considered adding the foam board but the plumming is kind of in the way, so I elected to add the Reflective bubble insulation and I have been pleased with the results. I am sure you could add some type by moving the manifolds a little.

I own a Platinum Elite spa made by Hydro-Spa for Costco. It is much better than I expected for the price, the jets are strong, the construction is sound and everything seems to work great. I really like my foot dome jets and neck jets. I believe the Hydro-Spa branded spas are better insulated than mine, I have added extra insulation. Good Luck.

I don't think any concrete job is any more level than 1/4 inch. I wouldn't worry about it. It would be no different on the shell than a 1/4 inch slope and most concrete has a slight slope for drainage.

I have added insulation to mine, I did not check the power usage before adding the insulation, last month my power bill was $18 more than last year during the same period, it said on the bill the average daily temp in Sep was 2 degrees colder than last year (I do not know how much that colder temp affected the bill). The coldest night I remember last month was 39, most nights were in the 40's. The added insulation was just fiberglass insulation poked in up under where the shell goes over the cabinet. With the added insulation the inside cabinet temp never dropped below 80 in all of Sep with an average low night time temp inside the cabinet of 84 (avg high inside temp 103). I have a wireless temp transmitter inside, got it at Walmart for $13. On Sep 30, I added that metalic reflective insulation on 3 of the 4 outer walls just under the siding, outside the styrofoam panels, my inside cabinet temp hasn't dropped below 99 since then, with the average low night time temp inside the cabinet of 101 (avg high inside temp 111). I plan to finish the rest as soon as I can get to it. The metalic reflective insulation comes in rolls, it is only about 1/4 inch thick but has a high equivalant R value because it reflects heat. It has reflective film on both sides with a bubble pad between. It is totally air tight so you need to leave some vented areas for the motors. I just left about a quarter inch gap at the bottem of the two corners where the motors are and only put the insulation on the top half under those corner panels. I still have one side lift to do. I bought it at Home Depot. It comes in 2' wide rolls 10' long, it takes 4 rolls to cover the entire outside of the cabinet. I just removed the panels stapled it on and put the panels back on. On the center panels I overlapped it so I could fold it up and down and gain access easier, I just stapled the top and bottom and let the panels hold it in place. To see it go to the Home Depot web site and search for Reflectix. The reason I first stuffed the insulation up under the lip of the shell is because there is about a half inch gap there where the heat can escape. I can tell that the added insulation has really helped, the heater light almost never comes on when I am in the tub, and it use to come on everytime before adding the insulation. I will be interested in my next power bill.

I have added insulation to mine, I did not check the power usage before adding the insulation, last month my power bill was $18 more than last year during the same period, it said on the bill the average temp in Sep was 2 degrees colder than last year (I do not know how much that colder temp affected the bill). The coldest night I remember last month was 39, most nights were in the 40's. The added insulation was just poked in up under where the shell goes over the cabinet. With the added insulation the inside cabinet temp never dropped below 80 in all of Sep with an average low night time temp inside the cabinet of 84 (avg high inside temp 103). On Sep 30, I added that metalic refelective insulation on 3/4 of the outer walls just under the siding, outside the styrofoam panels, my inside cabinet temp hasn't dropped below 99 since adding, with the average low night time temp inside the cabinet of 101 (avg high inside temp 111). I plan to finish the rest as soon as I can get to it.

There is already a hole about 15" round in the center of the base to provide access to the foot jets, so they will not have to make a hole to gain access. I would recommend draining the tub until the leak is found. You might be able to drain the tub, tip it on its side and see the leak without waiting for them. Thru the hole in the bottem you can see the conections to all four foot jets. I would call HydroSpa and tell them the guy said he couldn't come back for 4 weeks and tell them you already waited 4 weeks and you want them to see if they can find someone that can come sooner. And, I am sure Costco will take it back if they can't fix it, they are good about that.

When you buy a Costco Spa you are not paying for a Dealer, I knew that when I bought my spa. Hydro-Spa does honor thier warranty, but you are on your own to figure out how to run the thing and to arrange with Hydro-Spa to get service when needed. But with that said, I only paid $3999 and don't expect the service I would from a spa costing $7000. But Hydro-Spa is no small spa company, they have been making spas longer than any other major spa mfg. except Jacuzzi. (Since 1975) And they have a good product. Yes, they make cheaper models for the big box stores but so does Hot Springs, you can get one of those online at Costco to. Hydro-Spa claims to be the 5th largest spa maker and sells spas all over the world.

I wasn't going to post on this site again because there are so many bashers here, but I think your comment here is misleading. Most of the people on this site are only interested in bashing this spa and trying to get the owners to return it to Costco and buy their favorite brand instead of helping them. I have found their ranting has little merit and most do not have a clue what they are talking about when it comes to this spa. It is one of the best spa values available on the market. (that will bring them out) There is only one control for the blower and it is on the control panel it is either on or off. (all air jets on or all air jets off) The individual air controls turn air mixture to the water jets for the different seats, they are not related to the blower. There is one air control that I thought wasn't working on mine until I read the manual and realized why, it only controls the air to the two foot jets on that side. The seat it is located by is controlled with the air control for another seat. If you think this might be the one not working on yours, try this. Turn on pump 2, switch the water diverter valve all the way to either side (this gives you more pressure for the test, the foot jets work with the diverter turned either way, but have more pressure when diverted one way or the other). Turn off all air valves, then turn on the valve you thought did not work. Watch the foot jets and see if it turned on air to those two jets. Hope that helps. The air valve for the seat by that foot control valve is the same one as the middle seat across from the filters. Adding some insulation does help. I found that the top of the cabinet where the shell goes over the outer walls is not insulated and all the heat can escape there, I stuffed some insulation in there and it made a lot of difference. I am also in the process of adding metalic thermal refelective insulation under my wall panels. I have already raised the minimum inside cabinet temp to 99 degrees at night from 80 before adding the insulation, and that is with night temps in the high 30's and low 40's at night. I have only added the thermal insulation on one of the 4 sides so far, plan to do the rest tomorrow. I can read the inside spa cabinet temp inside the house from a wireless transmitter inside the cabinet of my spa, (got it at Walmart for $13) it keeps track of the high and low temp and shows the current temp. (the high temps are around 117 when the motors are running)

I bought one on e-bay that you fill with water, but no one really uses it. It gets blown around in the water when the jets are on, even with no air in it. It will sink when the water is still. I have not seen sand filled booster seats.

And I thought Dr Spa was a good guy, I guess everone here is just a basher. If you don't think my spa is worth 3999 and that it is a piece of junk, have your opinion. And you 5 or 6 regulars here have fun bashing all the visitors to your site. I am out of here. Bye have fun.

You can't just heat it up in a few minutes, it takes quite a while to raise the temp just 4-5 degrees maybe an hour depending on the tub. I would leave it set where you use it and you will enjoy it more. A tub full of cold water is not good for much. If it costs to much to operate you can add more insulation to the inside of the Cabinet walls or get a thicker cover.

I am not an expert, I am only quoting what I have read about the use of Ozone with Bromine. There are many sources which recommend cutting Bromine to 1 ppm when used in conjuction with Ozone, they also recommend a weekly Shock treatment. I want to learn the correct methods, so if this process is not correct I need to change what I am doing. My tub has a 24 hour ozone circulation system 30 gpm. Should I be using more than 1 ppm of Bromine and a weekly shock? I have found several sites that recommend this method.

PlatinumII Elite Hot Tub (A stripped down basic tub for only $3999 available only at Costco) It only has these stripped down basic tub features. 87"x87"x37" 900 lbs. dry weight. Full one piece ABS base with high density foam insulation on the bottom. Starry Night Blue Fiberglass shell with a 10 year surface warranty. Molded Neck pillow seat with shoulder and neck jets. Molded foot dome with 4 Volcano foot jets. Cromed Jets, 65 total Jets. Three seats have lower leg jets. Four seats have upper leg air jets. Seats for short and tall people. Six seats have differnet combinations of back jets. Solid wood frame construction with a Lifetime structural warranty. 1 high speed 56 frame motor with 220 gpm pump. 1 two speed 56 frame motor with 220 gpm pump. 1 30 gpm circulation pump operates 24 hours per day. 1 Air blower system. Molded drink holder tray over the filter compartment. 5 Jet Air mix control valves and 1 diverter valve. Manifold plumbing system with a Lifetime warranty. 2 50 sq foot Filters with 24 Hour Crystal-Clear Filtration 100 SQ Foot System. Balboa Electronic Elite Control System. 240 Volt 50 Amp system with 240 Volt Heater 4kW. 2 year electrical system warranty. Ultra-Pure Ozone System operates 24 hours per day. Four Comfort Design Pillows. Deluxe Cover 5"x 3" Tapered Foam Construction with Child Proof Safety Locks. Custom Cover lifter included for easy cover removal. Waterfall with seperate flow control. Aromatherapy system. Waterproof CD/AM/FM/Weather In.Tune Stereo System by Aeware. Topside Stereo Control Panel. Sub Woofer speaker system in the cabinet. Pop Up Speakers in two corners. Muti-Color LED lighting system with multiple color settings and rotating color settings. 7 total seats with 6 Jeted seats. Outer walls lined with thermal pane Foam panels. High density Foam sprayed on underside of shell. Each jet is individually clamped with its own flexable tubing coming from a water manifold. Maintenance free ABS cedar colored cabinet. 2 year parts and labor warranty on eveything else. Made by Hydro-Spa exclusivly for COSTCO. Hydro-Spa has only had 1 complaint of 14 in the past 3 years which has not been resolved to BBB satisfaction. They are not a member of the fee for rating BBB. Hydro-Spa has been making Hot tubs since 1975, over 30 years and has sold Hundreds of Thousands of spas. They claim to be the worlds largest supplier of spa parts and accessories. Lifetime satisfaction guarantee, return it any time for a full refund if not completly satisfied. You can not compare this tub to any major brand tub because it is a "stripped down basic spa". (because first timer says so) so only compare it to other $3999 tubs please. See this stripped down thing at elitespas.com or at a Costco near you. Look for the new PlatinumIII coming soon. Now what features would we add if it were customizable like the other $3999 tubs we are comparing it to. I ought to get a job at Costco. PS There is no dealer support, no color choices, and you arrange for your own setup and delivery. You also must work with Hydro-Spa over the phone to arrange for warrenty service.

I do not know the chemistry of how it works, just repeating what I have read in my research. I believe you can reduce the ppm level of clorine when combined with ozone but the amount of chemicals saved is not as much as with bromine because the ozone destroys some of the clorine. I found some research links that explained the chemistry and the amount of chemicals you use with ozone here at this site when I was looking for info but I do not remember where they were. I know a lot of regular posters here use clorine and like it, so I am sure you will get some more help as they get a chance to respond. My sister uses clorine in her spa and likes it better than bromine. Bromine is the only method I have used and I like it. Check out rhtubs.com it has a lot of technical info about the subject.