JerimiahR

You may be able to accomplish this through an economy mode setting on your spa. I'd refer you to your owner's manual on that one. However, depending on where you're at in California, keep in mind that disabling the hot tub's ability to heat for periods of time can be bad in cold climates during the winter. If you're in a perpetually warm area, you won't have to worry about this.

Totally agree with Dan The Spa Man. Sounds like a good chance the heater relay board is no longer functioning. Sometimes it's fairly obvious as you'll see electrical burns on it if it shorts out. However, that's not always the case. Test the heater to see if it's receiving power as was suggested above. If it's not receiving 220V then your board is more than likely out.

I'm not sure I'd call this a "common requirement for most manufacturers". I can't say I've seen a written requirement for this in any of the warranties I've ever read. Now, does it make sense to allow easy access? Absolutely. But I can't recall a single situation where Hot Spring has ever invalidated a warranty on a spa because it wasn't easy to get too. I could see a manufacturer saying they'll only pay for the actual repair, and not movement of the spa, but not invalidating the entire warranty.

Sundance and Hot Spring are both very good spa brands. I don't think you'd be completely mistaken going either way. However, I definitely lean towards Hot Spring over all. Of course, I also sell Hot Spring competitively against a local Sundance dealer. But, from personal experience as well as customer feedback, Hot Spring I think is overall the better buy when it comes to total quality, reliability, and energy efficiency. This is my opinion, based on experience, so don't go asking me for charts and graphs. There's a lot to say about your dealer though. If you honestly feel more comfortable with the Hot Spring dealer, I'd say that should weigh somewhat heavily in your buying decision. Ultimately, any assistance you need in the future is going to come from the dealer you bought the spa from. The other great option with the 2010 Aria is the new ACE Salt Water Sanitizing System. You don't have to add this system when you first buy (you can add it later). But it's a great option for being able to use soft water, and have an automated sanitizing system working for you.

1) It appears to be a restriction device to reduce flow of ozone gas. 2) The smaller the hole, the more you can restrict gas flow. This could also help in a sense. The smaller the "gas bubbles" the greater overall surface area you get on the many ozone gas bubbles that are introduced to the water. The greater the surface area, the more oxidation you get. As for the 1/4" tubing, that's pretty much the standard size for ozone systems in hot tubs. I've seen restrictions put into ozone lines to reduce the flow simply to please customers. I've heard of people claiming the ozone bubbles make too much noise. Put a restriction in, gas flow is reduced, and you get less bubbling noise. To be honest, what makes me most curious is not the restriction point, but the fact that they have 2 check valves in the same line. Sort of a redundant setup. I can only assume they put two in so that they don't get a service call if a single check valve fails.

As a Hot Spring dealer, I'm actually very excited about the new Hot Spot product line this year. With 4 completely new and updated models, I think it's going to provide us a much better product for the price range they are in. The Hot Spot models have always been a VERY reliable product for us, even with their budget oriented position. Correction: I do have to make a correction from what ps558 stated. The Hot Spot models don't use the exact same control system as the Hot Spring line. ps558 is correct in that they do use a different top side control, but they also use a different internal control board. This isn't bad, however, I feel it's important that folks are not inadvertently misled with incorrect information.

The pneumatic tires may not be the problem everyone claims. All depends on landscape. We deliver spas daily with the Spa Dolly system, which uses pneumatic tires on it's cart. It works extremely well in most applications. However, our cart sits MUCH lower to the ground. It's a lot easier to get the spa onto the cart, and then off of it. In fact, it sits low enough that you can lift up a spa (which is flat on the ground) and just stand it up onto the cart. (Set the cart beside it, then lift one side and stand it up). With the cart you've depicted, I highly doubt that will be possible. That cart is pretty darn tall. If those are 10" tires, I'm going to guess the whole thing is 13"-14" tall based on the picture. You'd have to lift the spa onto it. Won't be able to stand the spa up on edge on it. You'd have to simply pick the whole spa up and set it down on that cart. With the proper equipment, a large spa can be delivered by 2-3 guys in most cases (without carrying the spa at all). But, this is one of those numerous reasons why folks should buy from a local dealer.

Hot Spring just released a new Salt based Chlorine Generating system for their new 2010 Hot Spring models (it's a proprietary system). Pretty unique system as it uses some new diamond technology. Seems pretty promising to be quite honest. We've got a few in the field already, and so far folks are liking them. We've also had an employee using one for a while now and it has worked amazingly well. Just put one into our showroom a couple weeks ago, have had test soakers, and have yet to add any chlorine to it. Looks crystal clear still. We're pretty excited about the implications of a good salt chlorine system being available now.

Definitely not the first we've heard of these troubles with eBay based hot tub sellers.

It's actually not that complicated. A very high excess of energy, including UV from the sun (in the upper atmosphere) or UV lamp or high energy electrons from a corona discharge device (I oversimplified by just calling it a spark) can split an oxygen gas molecule, O2, into atomic oxygen radicals, 2O•, and one of these can combine with an oxygen gas molecule to form ozone, O3. The process with CD is a little different than with UV though the net effect is similar as I described. In the case of UV, it's a more literal split of oxygen gas by absorbing a UV photon that is of high enough energy to split the two oxygen atoms apart. With CD a plasma is formed where electrons of high-energy (produced from locally high voltage gradients) knock the oxygen molecule with sufficient energy to split it. Chemistry was one of my favorite classes back in school.

Ask your dealer to fill one of the small ones for you to sit in. They're probably willing to do so if they have the model in stock you'd like to test out. It's hard to guess what model the next customer is going to want to test soak, so most dealers usually have a few models filled and running in order to show how they operate, etc. Just ask them if they can fill the model you want to sit in. Worst case scenario, they give you a flat out "No" and you've got part of your answer to the question, "Which dealer should I do business with." My guess is, if the dealer is able to fill it, they're probably willing to do so. As far as the spa brands, all of those are substantial manufacturers. Personally based on my experience, and on the criteria you listed, I'd rank them this way.. 1) Hot Spring 2) Sundance 3) D1

Must of them have a glowing look when they are operating. If it is over a year old its probably shot Depends on the type of ozone. Not all of them are shot after a year (CD-Cell for instance). If it's UV or CD-Chip type those usually are about a year or so. There are specialty ozone test kits you can use to see if you have adequate ozone output. http://www.waterquality.net/en/spa-ozone-detection/

I have to agree. If you were told a 1yr warranty by a Hot Spring dealer, it was probably a Solana or Hot Spot model. The actual Hot Spring models carry a 7 year shell surface warranty, and 5 years on the rest of the spa (excluding LED lights). As far as the Acrylic versus Poly shells. Acrylic is probably the most common at this point (there's differences in how this is backed, ABS or Fiberglass for instance). Poly isn't as common, however the Hot Spring makers just released two Hot Spot models which use a poly shell material. It's pretty hardy stuff though, just isn't molded as much as Acrylic seats are. Three more points of advice as you shop: 1) Ignore HP ratings on pumps, it really means little to nothing in truth. 2) Just because a spa is made in a cold climate, doesn't automatically mean it's efficient or well insulated. Hot Spring is arguably the (or one of the) most efficient spas made, and it's made in Southern California. So where it's made doesn't necessarily mean anything. 3) Read the actual warranty from the manufacturer. Lifetime doesn't mean all inclusive, or that they pay for everything either. Educate yourself on what the manufacturer actually says.

Great setup! Congratulations on your hot tub purchase. May it serve you and your family well for many yeas to come.

Sounds like your electrician either needs a serious update on Code, or something more. GFCI breakers are required. Plus, GFCI breakers really only trip for a couple reasons: 1) Improper wiring or electrical short (causing power to ground) or 2) Bad GFCI breaker. 3) Pulling to much amperage through the breaker. So if this electrician is getting call backs for "nuisance" trips, there's probably something wrong with the wiring. Make sure the wire size is correct for 60amp service. Not only from the disconnect to the spa, but also from the main power source to the disconnect. If the wire for instance is too small, pushing 60 amps through it could cause a electrical/fire hazard.

Great recommendation Rick. ksand, If you're looking specifically for a triangle shaped spa, the makers of Hot Spring have a model line called Solana. Particularly their "TX" model would suit your needs. It's fairly inexpensive, has two seats, is triangle shaped, and has a great rotary (think firm/pulsating feel) style foot jet for your feet. This particular model also has a moto massage jet which is normally only found on Hot Spring models.

That's not a very good comparison. Bernie Madoff outright defrauded people. This isn't an issue of spending more to get quality. In fact, some folks gave Mr. Madoff their savings money, others gave him millions. They all input different amounts of capital and got nothing for it. This was a case of being lied to and defrauded, not sold a lesser product. That might be a better example to use when you're relating to the eBay hot tub sellers that people keep coming to these forums and posting about how they've given up their cash and never received anything. The old adage that you get what you pay for, has nothing to do with fraudulent schemers like Mr. Madoff. It's all about spending the money on quality, so that you truly get your money's worth. If you buy cheap, you'll get cheap. If you buy quality/higher end, that's also what you'll get. This adage has been around for a very long time, and it hasn't stuck around simply because it's cliche. If anything, your Bernie Madoff example goes more toward choosing who you deal with wisely. This guy had a great story (like every hot tub company tells), however a good story doesn't always mean good things. This is a perfect example why so many folks choose security (Hot Spring, Sundance, etc). These are companies which are proven to be safe, where as the come and go companies dealing with Costco aren't the safe long term bet. I'm not insinuating buying at Costco is a fraud risk, because obviously Costco refunds you if you're unhappy. But hopefully you understand my point. Now, as to your Toyota example in another thread. Could Watkins potentially have a recall in the future? Sure, anything is possible. But a company like Toyota stands behind their product, issues the recall, and pulls through everything just fine. However, when the small time company has a major recall issue, there's substantial risk of bankruptcy by comparison. So again, it's all about choosing your support network wisely. Again, you get what you pay for... (As a side note: I drive a Toyota which is not in the numerous recalls. At the same time, I'm planning to invest in a new Toyota vehicle in the next year, regardless of the recalls. Why? Because Toyota is a solid, reliable product, regardless of an occasional snafu).

It's good to hear feed back like yours. Out of curiosity, you said you will have had 3 spas from Costco so far. Can I ask how long a time period this has been? I only ask because the average ownership in my market (with the Hot Spring brand at least) is between 15-20 years in most cases. Granted we get folks who trade-in earlier than that to get newer/updated products. But I've got quite a few customers with 20-22yr old Hot Spring spas that just will not trade-in for new until their existing spa absolutely kicks the bucket.

Yes, I'm fully aware Costco has a 100% money back guarantee on everything they sell. That doesn't necessarily help with the customer's wasted time with tech support, self installation, etc. For some folks, that return policy makes it a safe trial (for example Bobs Gone Coatal). For many other folks, they want to make sure they're getting one of the best hot tubs available, not just the cheapest. And they want it all handled for them, rather than setting things up for themselves, or doing service/repairs by themselves if something goes wrong later. We all know that you often times get what you pay for. If you pay for an inexpensive hot tub, that's what you'll get. If you pay for a high quality hot tub, that's what you'll get. It's all about what a consumer wants to have though. That's why Costco sells hot tubs, because some folks just want hot water. My points are every bit as valid as your technical comparative points in the eyes of many customers. My way of describing the difference I think appeals to the common sense side of folks, rather than drowning them in so much technical speak that they wish they'd never looked at hot tubs. I'm sorry you disagree, but that's perfectly within your rights. I'd ask you however, not to make statements toward me about how my opinion and professional view is a "waste of bandwidth". I appreciate you bringing up the fact that Watkins (Hot Spring) formerly sold a single spa model through Costco. It's actually a great point, because they no longer do so. I'm going to leave it at that though, because I don't come to these forums to argue with folks. There's too much to life for that kind of thing.

No worries about being a shill for Costco. I shop our local Costco nearly on a weekly basis. Costco is one of my favorite places. However, hot tubs at Costco are an entirely different story. What's important to remember, is that because of Costco's buying power they have the ability to tell a manufacturer what to make. For example, they can say, "Build a 7' x 7' x 36" hot tub, with color LED lights, water fall, 2 jet pumps, each @ 3HP a piece, with a AM/FM/CD player, heavy cover, and an ozone system... and price it at $3,799." This inherently causes problems at the manufacturing end of things. Now, if XYZ Spa Makers wants to sell a spa at Costco, they have to put everything in it that Costco wants, and sell it for Costco's price. Inherently, this forces the manufacturer to look for ways to save money. This means less expensive components, less insulation, cheaper ozone units, cheaper CD players, etc etc. Now, that being said, this first requires a manufacturer who's willing to cut those corners. Most of the major players in the hot tub industry are not willing to cheapen their products, just to sell them through Costco. So inherently, you don't generally find major brands sold THROUGH Costco. A good analogy or comparison would go something like this. Costco goes to Hyundai and says, "We want you to make ABCD model car, and sell it for 1/2 of the price you ask for it at your dealers." Now, I don't have anything against Hyundai. However, generally speaking they are not the luxury car manufacturer (they aren't known for high end). So take a company that's known for making inexpensive cars, and then telling them to make them cheaper so they can sell through Costco. Or, imagine if Costco started selling really inexpensive cars, but you've never, ever heard of the manufacturer/car company. So here's the deal: If a person wants to buy a hot tub from Costco, all the power to you. It'll make hot water, and it's going to feel great. Hot Tubs are awesome, and they help a lot of families come together and have fun, relax, socialize, get back together, etc. They also help a lot of folks with pain relief and other medical type problems (arthritis, spinal issues, muscle pain, etc). A Costco spa inherently won't have the long life expectancy, won't have the local dealer support, great technical assistance you get from most major hot tub companies, nor the energy efficiency we've all come to expect from a great hot tub. However, if you buy from a local hot tub dealer, it'll cost you more money. You'll get a spa that's typically made with higher quality components (read, more efficient, reliable, longer lasting, less maintenance), will provide local support for future issues or questions, warranty support at home, and backed by a company that can afford to put money into innovation and research/development. All of this ultimately means you'll still get that great hot water experience, but it'll be more restful long term, and you'll likely be keeping the same spa for 10+ years. In conclusion, here's what you have to decide. Do you want to drive the Costco car that's made by an unknown car maker, or something made by one of the big players that's been around a long time (Chevy, Toyota, Ford, Subaru, etc). There's nothing inherently wrong with driving a less expensive car, or even a non-name car for analogy sake. However, we just can't expect the same returns from a Hyundai (again nothing against this company) as we would normally expect from a Honda Accord for example.

Congratulations on your new hot tub purchase! I think you made the right choice. Not only does it sound like the Mallorca is liked more by your wife, but is honestly made by the leading hot tub manufacturer. It's made by the same folks who manufacture Hot Spring Spas. The Mallorca is a great find. I sold that model to a gentleman who had a broken foot (had 2-3 surgeries to repair it if I recall correctly). The lounge seat in it was just awesome for him. Not only did it elevate his legs a bit (which his doctor recommended), but the three little foot jets for each foot was exactly what he needed. Happy Soaking!!

Interesting...

Sounds like Strong Evolution tub. It's a perimeter insulated tub. The cavity is supposed to be empty - same principle as an Arctic. You know that, Jeremiah. So how "very, very honest" is that? The Strong has 1-1/2" to 2" of insulation in the access panels, and two to four inches elsewhere. This info has also been posted here elsewhere. Why do you believe it's necessary to send a pot-shot FUD bullet disguised as being helpful? Why not rely on selling your Hotspring products on their own merits and value proposition, and trust in thier superiority and your value-add as a dealer to win you the business? LOL Wow, easy there. To be very honest, I don't see the type of "insulation" I described as insulation. In a cold climate like Montana, you don't skimp on insulation in your house, or anywhere else. So why do so in a hot tub that's meant to keep water at 102 degrees all the time? On warm nights our over night temperatures are in the teens, and can easily get -20F depending on weather conditions or location. As a Hot Spring dealer, not all of my spas are insulated like the Hot Spring models. We sell 5 model lines, and it's not all the exact same insulation. That being said, our staff member was shocked by how little insulation had been provided in this particular spa. I don't know which brand it was, but it's one more problem with buying from Costco (among many). I'm not trying to beat up on anybody. However, I think a person needs to know all the details about a product before they purchase it sight unseen. The perimeter insulation idea, is about the same as claiming the sheet rock in your walls provides for insulation of your house. I'd much rather fill the cavity in the walls of my home (as would County Building Codes). So why would I do any different with a hot tub? Also keep in mind, insulation costs money. Anyone who's ever built a home knows the more insulation you put in, the more expensive it gets. This is how many hot tub manufacturers can save money. It's also why the builder who built my home didn't exceed Code Requirements for exterior wall insulation, because he was out for an inexpensive build with a good profit. It's why the windows in my home are generic, poorly insulated dual-pane glass and I can feel a dramatic air temperature different when I stand beside them. So before you try attacking my integrity, accept the fact that not everyone considers an empty void to be proper insulation. And by the way, one of the so called "superiority" points of the Hot Spring brand is how heavily insulated they are. It's one of the reasons Hot Spring is immensely popular across the entire state of Montana. It's cold here in the winter.

Granted I sell Hot Spring and therefore work with them daily, but I really can't think of any real negatives. If there are any, I'm probably blinded by my love for them. Maybe it's like being "in love", you just don't see the other person's faults. That being said, Happy Valentines day to all you married folks. Happy Soaking! Congratulations making your decision, and getting through the buying process.

Which small town in Montana are you in, if you don't mind my asking? Maybe I can help you out. I'm in Bozeman, MT. To be very, very honest. One of our staff members here in Bozeman just had a neighbor who took delivery of a Costco hot tub recently. He couldn't help but visit the neighbor and help them out as the spa was delivered to their drive way. So he helped them get it to the backyard and started. He said the internal cavity of the spa was basically empty, and essentially just had a 1/2 to 3/4 inch foam insulation on the cabinet of the spa.