JerimiahR

If you really wish to use tablets, some manufacturers will allow you to use Brominating Tablets. I still prefer granular Bromine/Chlorine as it's much more measurable (easier to control manually). Bromine Tablets are also acidic, and can lower pH levels in the spa somewhat similar to Chlorine tablets, although not quite as aggressive. If your spa is under warranty, you'll want to consult your owner's manual to see what your manufacturer says about this.

CD Ozone is definitely the way to go. I'm thinking that salesperson must have misspoken. I can't imagine they'd actually take Hot Spring's CD Ozone out of the spa and put a UV unit in it. The UV Ozone systems output less ozone (ppm wise) and don't last nearly as long. Those bulbs effectively need replaced every 18 months or so to maintain effective ozone output. CD Ozone however, not only outputs a higher concentration of ozone, but lasts a lot longer. And CD Ozone is what Hot Spring installs into their 2006 and newer spas in the factory (before they ship). The only thing cheaper about UV Ozone is the initial cost to buy the unit. Since the Hot Spring comes with CD Ozone already, it's a no-brainer.

No problem! Happy soaking!

Sounds like your circulation pump is air locked. This can happen when refilling the spa. (I'd advise next time you fill the spa, put the garden hose down your circulation filter stand pipe when you fill). If you turn the jets on before it trips, the system will run until you shut down the jet pumps, at which point it'll turn off due to no flow through the heater. Three ways to fix the air lock: 1) Sometimes turning power on/off a few times will "burp" the pump. Although this doesn't always work (usually doesn't). Keep in mind, you DO NOT want to turn the breaker on/off like a light switch. You need to give it several seconds delay before each on/off. 2) Go to a hardware store and buy a "Clog Buster" made by Harvey Plumbing. Connect this to your garden hose, slide it down the filter standpipe, then turn on the hose. This little guy will force water down through the plumbing to your circ pump and force the air out. Works well. http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.j...ELAID=247223826 3) You can also get inside the spa and disconnect the vinyl tubing that leads from the circulation pump to the heater. Loosening it on the heater end (loosen clamp, and loosen hose, don't actually physically remove it) will allow water to leak out, creating a siphon and will usually force the air out of the circulation pump. It's best to do this with the power OFF so you the pump doesn't kick in and spray water at you. Once you've let some water out, reconnect the tube/clamp and turn the power on. The other possibility would be that the circulation pump isn't actually running at all, at which point you'll need a new one. See if it's buzzing or making any noise when you turn power on. There is always a possibility that you can damage equipment by turning the power on to the spa while it's empty.

Depending on your climate, I'd want that spa filled, running, and heated before I bought it. Even if they offer to write a contract to fix it, you'd still potentially be moving a spa to your house and setting it up, wiring it, filling it... only to find out they didn't winterize it and have a leak. When buying privately, I prefer to see the spa in operation to make sure it heats, runs, and their patio isn't wet from any leaks. Price wise though, that sounds like a pretty good deal. The Hot Spring Vista is a great spa, and honestly it sells for more than double that in my market brand new. As far as the concrete pad is concerned. Hot Spring actually recommends a 4" reinforced concrete pad for that spa. See page 4 of the following document: 2007 Hot Spring Pre-Delivery Instructions (Foundation, Dimensions, & electrical wiring) http://www.hotspring.com/pdfs/pre_delivery...ctions_2007.pdf You can find the 2007 Hot Spring Owner's Manual here: http://www.hotspring.com/Hot_Tub_Customers...e-delivery.html

From LA Times Article Coleman, from what I've been told by a Maax Spas rep, pulled a fast one on Maax Spas (whom used to make "Coleman" spas) a couple years back. It was sort of fitting then that Coleman's next choice to lease their name to went bankrupt immediately. This is all bad news for the consumer, because "Coleman" is a name lots of folks recognize and therefore trust. But it seems to be that it's being passed around to the highest bidder. It's all very unfortunate, and frankly bothers me as a spa/hot tub professional. What's bad for consumers, and confusion for them all at once, is that all that's consistent is the "Coleman" name. So far as I understand, that's all that must remain the same. Whomever it is making spas under the "Coleman" name, isn't making them FOR Coleman. Therefore, they can make them however they want. So if you owned a Coleman 10 years ago, loved it and want another one, you will NOT be buying the same type/quality of product. It could be better, worse, or the same. I don't think there's any requirement there on Coleman's part. But, who knows that could be written into their lease... although I sorta doubt Coleman specifies any particular specifications or requirements on how the spa should be built. Would be interesting if anyone has info otherwise.

Roger has listed the differences between the Sovereign II and the "Classic Sovereign" or Sovereign I. This is entirely different than the "Phase 1" and "Phase 2" Sovereigns. There was a mid year revision in all the Hot Spring Spas during the year of 2009. This revision changed the following items: 1) Front controls removed and new control panel placed on bar top. New Controls are entirely digital, allow for change of display language, shows current & set temperatures, and allows for more features to install on the spa. 2) LED Bar Top lights added to water feature, diverter controls, and cup-holder/speaker positions. 3) Additional aesthetic molding added to seats around jets. 4) New Hot Spring logo added to face of spa, which illuminates when spa is on and heated. 5) Other changes.. To make it overly simple: Phase 1 Sovereign is identical to the 2008 Sovereign, but was manufactured in 2009. Phase 2 Sovereign is the new updated 2009 product. "Classic" Sovereign is a budget option to purchase a "Sovereign" in the 90's style white interior, single moto-massage, no ozone, tile trim interior.

Nice! Happy soaking!

This is a lesson all of us in sales can learn from. I'm certainly not the best of them, but I've had several customers buy hot tubs from me, and outright say that they chose to buy from our company specifically because we chose to teach them about our spas, rather than bash our competitors. Ultimately, the customer wants to hear why your brand is best for them. Not why everything else is "worthless".

Can't say I've seen anyone quite this exuberant about the Grit Gitter, but I do sell quite a few of them. LOL

Congratulations! Hot Spring makes an awesome hot tub. The Jetsetter is my favorite model too. We sell quite a few of them here in Montana. Fantastic couples spa. Sounds like you got a very good deal on the price too!

I'd shim it and make it all level and even. If you chance 'reforming' the spa, you also chance causing structural damage to the spa (including the shell part that you sit in).

I've actually seen that spa pictured online somewhere before. Just ridiculous. I can only imagine that thing has horrible jet pressure. Or, if it has good pressure, it must be an absolutely massive energy hog to power enough pumps to push that much water. I'm only seeing 3 intakes, plus the filter. So it should only have two jet pumps in there. Either they are beastly, or the jet pressure is poor (that or you have to shut down a lot of zones). LOL Look at the tiny filter skimmer too. I'm not even going to try to figure out why it has so many buttons on the control panel either...

I imagine you'd have to find some marine grade paint. Something perhaps used for boat hulls. Otherwise, being under water, the chems, heat, etc... would definitely ruin any typical paint. First though, might want to look into how/why those black jets turned white. How old?

It's actually a benefit, and very normal for Hot Spring specifically. As a standard, each jet pump in the hot tub needs to have more than one (at least 2) places it can pull water from in order to supply pressure to it's jets. In average hot tubs, you usually have one filter. That means even with only one jet pump, you have one intake down in the foot well of the spa pulling in unfiltered water. So in a large Hot Spring (with 2 jet pumps), you'll have 5 filters. Two filters/intakes for each jet pump, and the last filter is dedicated to the 24 hour circulation pump for the spa. That little guy silently circulates water for continuous filteration, as well as feeds the heating element. This feature not only saves money (by not cycling the large jet pump on/off throughout the day), but also saves on a lot of wear and tear for the jet pump.

If you have a Hot Spring dealer nearby, I really like the Tiger River Sumatran as a 3-4 person sized spa. You can probably get one for very close to the same price, and overall have a more efficient spa. A more direct comparison would be the Tiger River Bengal, which also has a lounge seat like the Burlington has. Generally though, Sundance is one of the better manufacturers.

LOL Too bad YouTube is down right now. I can't watch the movie. Kudos to Strong for trying... something. Let's face it though, this has already been tried and retired. Even Hot Spring many years ago tried a plastic cover that joined together in the center, and hasn't touched the idea for a long time. I had a chance to see one of those old Hot Spot Round models with that hard plastic lid on it recently. Not only was it a heavy little beast, but the joint in the middle did not inspire confidence. But that was an old spa.. not a brand new plastic lid that just got molded.

Sounds like it's 1996 or older. Only about 97/98 and newer had the digital type controls (LED Display and push buttons.)

Often times it will be time that will fix this problem. With the Biguanide sanitzer in your Baqua Spa, the fastest way to deplete it is through using the hot tub. However, if your levels are really high it may not be the most comfortable experience. You might try opening the cover and letting it get some good sun light, and run your jets. Can see if this helps it to lower a little faster. Be sure to rinse your filter our or at least check it. The biguanide systems seem to collect more stuff in your filter, so if you over did it you'll want to keep an eye on the filter and make sure it doesn't plug up with shtuff. At least this has been my experience with the Soft Soak product (which is a competitive brand similar to Baqua Spa). EDIT: By the way. Were they able to give you an idea of how much sanitizer was actually in it? Like a ppm (part per million) count? I'm just wondering if it really would be much easier to drain it depending on how high it really is.

*Sarcasm* Just to let you know, every spa made out there is about to be discontinued in the future, at an unspecified date. So don't buy anything. As a matter of fact, don't buy anything at all, even DVD players, cars, they'll all become discontinued models in the future. *End Sarcasm* Seriously though, why does this rumor persist, and why do people use it in some vain hope of keeping people from buying a good product? I bought a 42" Hitachi Plasma TV over a year ago which was an end of year "Discontinued/Clearance" model, and it's HD picture on my Digital/HD broadcast stations is fantastic. Love watching TV and movies with it. Truth: Tiger River Spas have been around quite a while, and are made by the leading hot tub manufacturer in today's market. Watkins Manufacturing makes the Hot Spring Spa line, which is extremely similar to the Tiger River model line. Tiger River Spas are very well insulated, very energy efficient, and quite reliable. They are backed by Masco Corporation (Behr Paints, Kraft Maid Cabinets, Delta Faucets, etc). Because they are a publicly traded company, all their warranties are backed by financial support which the manufacturer is required to permanently set aside in case you ever need warranty work. This means even if the whole company was blown off the face of the earth, you'd still get warranty coverage. Whether the Tiger River model line is around for 3 more years, or 20 years, makes no difference to the quality of the product you're buying TODAY, nor how long you'll enjoy it. Sit in the hot tub, try it out. If you think the Bengal is a good option, buy it and enjoy it with your family. Hot tubs are a great way to relax, enjoy friends and family, and escape from all the stresses that life throws at us. In my personal opinion: If Watkins is going to discontinue the Tiger River model line, I'd buy a new Tiger River before they did. Simply because I feel they are a better made spa than about anything else out there. I like how they are built, how they're insulated, and how they operate mechanically.

The next two things I'd look at would be: 1) Check Water Level to ensure the water is high enough to spill into the skimmer where the filter sits. 2) Below the filter bay, is a suction fitting mounting on the side wall. Check it and make sure it does not have excessive build up on it. This suction fitting normally has a white cloth like screen over it to help keep larger particles from passing through it. Make sure it doesn't have calcium build up, body oil buildup, hair, etc plugging it's ability to suck water.

You should be able to get those directly from a local Hot Spring dealer. I'd imagine you've tried that? Or if not, you might try contacting technical support through Watkins Manufacturing here in the United States. Worst case, there are several spa parts websites online. Not sure if they ship to the UK or not though.

A Planisphere!! So you can determine the constellations while sitting in the tub. That way you can soak, relax, check out the stars, and act like you know what you're talking about.

As far as the Nature 2 cartridge goes, to be honest, almost all the Ag+ cartridges I see get that white build up at the bottom of them. I think it has to do with the beads inside the cartridge. As that silver dissolves into the water, those beads generally get a more white appearance than the gray/metallic look when they are new. The white build up from my experience, is always at the bottom portion of the cartridge, suggesting to me it's building up as the beads degrade. I would think if it was simply calcium build up, that you'd find it over more of the cartridge than just the bottom, since there are plenty of fins/textured areas for it to build up on the upper half. Calcium when it builds up usually turns somewhat hard/brittle. As to your circ pump filter, it will always be dirtier than the rest since it operates 24/7. However, that's an anomaly for me. Was your spa ever left with a low water level at some point? Such that the top part of that filter was perhaps above water level for any reason?

Can't go wrong with either of those brands. Both are made by Watkins Manufacturing (who makes Hot Spring Spas). Great customer support, and backed by Masco Corporation (Behr Paints, Delta Faucets, Kraft Maid Cabinets, etc). As a Hot Spring dealer, I also sell the Tiger River model line. They are a great product. Basically the same spa as a Hot Spring, minus a couple features (no-bypass filtration, ozone, color changing lights). Very efficient, very reliable hot tubs to be sure. I don't sell the Caldera line, however they are equipped very similar to the Hot Spring line these days, so efficiency and reliability should be darn near the same. If you've heard great things about that particular hot tub dealer, you can't go wrong with Caldera or Tiger River. Good luck!