billhill
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Posts posted by billhill
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Hi everyone, new spa buyer...soon
I'm looking at a Sundance cameo, Jacuzzi 375 and another dealer pushing Coast. Help
I heard that Jacuzzi gives a stronger water massage 50/50 (water/air) compared to 70/30 with all others ? I'm in pretty cold...Montreal, is one better insulated ? seems that Sundance has a good warranty. I'm getting ready for the famous wet test, any help and recommendations would be appreciated, seems like its very hard to get objective reviews, comparisons etc on hot tubs. I am thrilled I found this forum, looking forward to reading lots of topics
Thanks
MJ
Always wet test, and make sure to sit in every seat.........even the cool down (beat seat). I was hung up on jets and pumps and what not. Just recently wet tested D1 (amore bay), Artesian Dove Canyon and Jacuzzi J-365 and can honestly say that the Jacuzzi felt the best. The amore just didn't fit, the artesian (with one pump per seat) almost blew me out of the seat and I'm a pretty big guy. The jet power felt like needles after about ten minutes. The Jacuzzi felt real nice..........not over powering with the jets and the tub was plenty deep. The price at around 8K was a few thousand cheaper than the amore and piper glen i thought i wanted. I liked the step into the jacuzzi as I didn't feel like i was going to bust my ass getting in and out of the tub. It also is one of the few tubs that you can actually get a grip on the top as you get in and out. You'll see what I mean when you wet test. A lot of the other members would probably agree with me when I say the only objectivity you should rely on is your own. Wet testing is key in my opinion.
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Considering buying a Jacuzzi J365 spa and have a few questions.
First off. Is there anyone on the forum that owns one and do they like it. Opinions are also welcome.
Second. If I have it recessed in the deck about 6 inches does this still allow for access to the compartment. The set up I would have would result in the front part of the tub (i.e where control panel is) being right up against a 2 x 6. The remaing sides would have full access.
Thanks in advance.
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Need some help with this one! I have been trying to decide between Arctic Tundra, Marquis Epic, Sundance Optima and now D1 Sarena! I just found a Serena that is a floor model dating back to 2003! The dealer told me that all warranties are still new on the tub and the cost would be $10800! This still sounds high for a tub that is 6 years old and a first run production model! Any suggestions and or thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Thanks
While a very nice tub.....IMO still high. 5-7 grand. Any water ever been in it?
sounds kind of high. I looked at an 08 amore bay for 11K. even though the warranty on the sarena will be honored it is probably more likely to be tested. If it is 6 years old it must've had water in it already.
I'm finding that a lot of dealers are desperate to make a sale with the economy in the state that it's in.
I 'm still not ready to purchase. I'm finding that there are numerous other dealers in my area. Shop around before you buy is my recommendation. I'm a firm believer in not falling prey to a knee jerk purchase I might regret. For a grand or two more you could purchase a brand new top of the line spa. also wet test. mine on the amore changed my mind.
Have any opinions on the marquis line? That has been a close second all along!
just looked at their site................at 450 gallons and a seven seater the epic only has two pumps?? I've wet tested a few spas (not the marquis so I shouldn't judge) and wasn't thrilled with some of the pump arrangements. the larger tubs with fewer pumps use diverters to regulate the amount of water being moved around the spa. Therefore you sacrafice the jet outputs if you have a few guests in the tub with you. It sounds like you would if you were looking at the sarena.
I'm in the same boat as you, looking to purchase but still undecided. Lately I've been looking at Artesians. I've got a quote for an 09 Piper Glen for 12.5K.
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was it a good site???....................totally kidding
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to put in in perspective, the average suv weighs around 4300 pounds with the weight displaced across four tires each with a foot print of..........say 1 square foot per tire. thats over one thousand pounds exerted per square foot.
the average tub is 8 x 8 or a foot print of 64 square feet. at 6000 pounds that comes to just under one hundred pounds exerted per square foot assuming the load is equally displaced over the whole pad.
considering that some driveways and patios for that matter are 4-6 inches and your pad is reinforced twice over (rebar and fiber mesh)............i don't think you should have any problem. I've heard of people putting their tubs on tamped pea gravel, large pavers and if you buy into it....................plastic pads your local dealer will sell you at a cheap price
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Need some help with this one! I have been trying to decide between Arctic Tundra, Marquis Epic, Sundance Optima and now D1 Sarena! I just found a Serena that is a floor model dating back to 2003! The dealer told me that all warranties are still new on the tub and the cost would be $10800! This still sounds high for a tub that is 6 years old and a first run production model! Any suggestions and or thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Thanks
While a very nice tub.....IMO still high. 5-7 grand. Any water ever been in it?
sounds kind of high. I looked at an 08 amore bay for 11K. even though the warranty on the sarena will be honored it is probably more likely to be tested. If it is 6 years old it must've had water in it already.
I'm finding that a lot of dealers are desperate to make a sale with the economy in the state that it's in.
I 'm still not ready to purchase. I'm finding that there are numerous other dealers in my area. Shop around before you buy is my recommendation. I'm a firm believer in not falling prey to a knee jerk purchase I might regret. For a grand or two more you could purchase a brand new top of the line spa. also wet test. mine on the amore changed my mind.
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The only times I ever turn on the lights are (1) as a courtesy for a guest so they can see their way in/out of the tub (once they're situated comfortably I turn the lights off) and (2) if a guest wants to see all the horns and whistles that my tub has. I seldom use the jets, either. Only use 'em when I'm sore after a workout or long bike ride. I prefer to sit out in the tub, quietly, under a moonlit sky due in part (I suspect) to my early-on experiences of hot springs soaks after a long day of backpacking.
ah yes a good hot springs soak.
If you ever go to yellowstone national park there is a place called the boiling river on the North West side of the Park. There is a hot spring that empties into a cold river via a 3 foot waterfall. Someone constructed a stone grotto right under the waterfall. You can alternate from hot to cold by wading a couple feet in different directions.
Now that was a soak to remember.
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That makes sense... does that tend to be an expensive fix?
Not sure about the fix. I do not own a tub yet so maybe someone else could help out with cost of repairs.
But the ones I did wet test had say 2-3 pumps for 6-7 seats. Basically the seats would share a pump. When you divert all the water to one seat by adjusting the valve you would lose water pressure at the other seat.
If one of your pumps is shot then I guess that could get costly???
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Are we going to have to learn to be polite and take turns?? I've got my new (to me) spa up and running, but the jets only work on one seat at a time, which will definitely take away from our enjoyment if there's more than one person in there!
It's an old California Cooperage and the jets are adjusted using a black plastic knob on the top edge of the inside of the tub.
Any thoughts on what might cause a problem like that?
Thanks!
One pump mabye, with a diverter type control............just a hunch. I've been looking at new artesians that have one pump per seat.
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I'm in Jersey and just experienced this same thing. The ad read over 120 spas. Should have known when I showed up and the parking lot was less than half full.
We went in and it seemed as if the salesmen outnumbered the potential buyers. Some of the spas looked OK but not really what I was looking for. We were out of there in less than 20 minutes.
The rep said he was from Michigan or something. I was apprehensive about dealing with someone who wasn't local.
What are they? Traveling salesmen?
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Well, I was wrong. In my previous post, in this thread, I said that there was $30.00 worth of pipe in a cover lifter, I just made one and there is $11.00 worth of pipe in it! The total cost of my home made cover lifter was $20.00, a far cry from the $200.00 that was quoted to me at the home show for a lifter that looks just like mine. Quite a mark up!
I made it out of two 10 ft sticks of 3/4" flexible electrical conduit, it is the kind that can be bent with a conduit bender.
I bent them into squarish U shapes, the middle of the U is the same width as my hot tub. I connected the U's together with a conduit coupler on one side and a 4 ft piece of 1" PVC conduit on the other side. The metal conduit slides inside of the PVC and acts as a bushing to prevent wear on the cover.
My tub is on a concrete slab, I didn't want to drill holes in it so I attached one end of the square hoop to a 4 ft 2x6 with 1" conduit hangers, they are big enough to allow the 3/4" metal conduit to pivot when the cover is lifted.
To prevent the cover from flopping over when opened, I made two 4 ft chain stops. I attached one end of each to the lifter with stainless steel hose clamps and the other end of the chain is attached to the wooden spa skirt with 1 1/2" vinyl deck screws.
Total time to put this together was about 45 minutes.
Dave
Here are some photos:
Nice job. can you run liquidtight across the ground like that. I would get crap for that from my inspector.
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Water boy could you give us the interior measurement from inside bottom to top. because I always thought that the 39" was exterior & with all that space underneath inside. Im gonna guess 30" interior. the Posting being a tall guy like myself would be way more comfortable with a truly deep tub where they are in a properly seated position than sitting basically on the floor with their knees basically tucked to their chest. Many tub makers have their seats basically on the floor & Bullfrog is the worst for that.
preach on pathfinder.............
that's the way i felt in most of the tubs i dry sat. I suppose that wouldn't be too bad if it were one or two people in the tub.........but if you fill the seats (even if its just the four corner seats) its got to get a little cramped, no?. the tub manufacturers always state the number of people it sits. to me that looks like a four seater. maybe six comfortably.
I don't know if its a sales pitch but more than a few dealers said i've got to go bigger than a 7 footer
what tub do you own and do you like it?
pro and cons?
thanks
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You should also take a look at the Arctic Spas Tundra. The Tundra is 39" tall, but i has a seat that is very deep. It measures at about 27-28" to the water line. The good thing about the Tundra is that it has seats that aren’t as deep, so shorter people can still sit in the spa. It won a award a few years back based on it's design. Let me know if you have any questions, but here is a pic of what it looks like!
Yeah.............I thought about looking at these.
Arctic Spas website linked me to two dealers within 30 miles of me (In New Jersey). The one location is selling car rims (some kind of exotic auto place).........I guess they went out of business.
The other is selling skiing/snow-boarding equipment.
I think I'd prefer to deal with a straight up spa dealer.
thanks for the response though......I appreciate it.
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I just measured one of Clearwaters, the big tubs, the ones that are 41 1/2 inches from floor to toprail, most the seats are around 30-31 inches deep from the footwell to where the water line is. The deep seat is 25-26 inches to the water line, you could have the water level a bit higher if you do not have the tub full of people, which will raise it up anyway. Different seats will sit you differently because the way they are designed. The seats in the corners will allow you to sit deeper in the water. Many shorter (under 5'6") people have problems with these seats because they sit very deep, so they use a booster or choose a different seat.
thanks
that my dilemma. what i think is a perfect fit my girlfriend says she'll need the booster or a snorkel
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Are the tub dimensions given on manufacturer websites the height of the cabinet or the depth of the water when filled.
While I'm at it. If someone owns a Artesian Piper Glen could they measure the water line to the bottom of the seat in all four corners. I don't want to waste my time if it is too shallow. I'm thinking 26" would do me just about right. A deep footwell would be nice too.
thanks
That is cabinet dimensions listed on web sites. If it say a tub is 36 inches deep, from the footwell to proper operating level is about 30 inches. Some spas have really deep seats and lounges that just about go to the bottom of the spa. I am six foot and fit nice in my 36 inch deep spa in the lounge and deep seat.
Your best bet is to sit in a couple without water
thanks.
i am 6'-3' and am finding it hard to find a spa that fits. I dry sat a few and unfortunately the ones with the deep seats usually have a shallow foot well. this leaves me feeling like i'm in a cannonball position unless i stretch my legs to the other side of the footwell.
not sure if the person across from me would like that too much.
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Are the tub dimensions given on manufacturer websites the height of the cabinet or the depth of the water when filled.
While I'm at it. If someone owns a Artesian Piper Glen could they measure the water line to the bottom of the seat in all four corners. I don't want to waste my time if it is too shallow. I'm thinking 26" would do me just about right. A deep footwell would be nice too.
thanks
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I'm getting cold feet about making a decision so i'm going to hot springs tonight to try out the Vanguard. Anyone have any experience with this tub?
I feel your pain. I'v been looking for about a month and a half now at all different brands
Sunrise, PDC, Dynasty, Jacuzzi, Dimension One, Hotsprings, Leisure Bay, Clearwater and read about a few others. Its amazing how some feel just right and the others don't. I wet tested an D1 amore bay and a dynasty eagle so far. The D1's seem to be highly touted on this forum and others, while Dynasties got a bad rap. I can honestly say that I thought the Dynasty to be a better fit. Deeper and cheaper. Wasn't crazy about the water displacement from the jets though.
Long term thoughts, I could not answer that question.
I plan on checking out the Artesian piper glen next.
I did dry sit a hotsprings. The back rests (moto jets I think) felt kinda flimsy and the fit just didn't seem right (for me anyway). Felt like I was sitting on the floor with my knees in up in my chest. The moto jets look like a nice feature on the website however.
I would say take your time in your choice of tub and wet test all that you might be interested in. Take everything that your salesman tells you with a grain of salt. I've had some be overly pushy and some let me walk right out the door without even confronting me. Like you I'm tentative about buying a tub right now. The allore of floor model 2008's and the urge to soak keeps pulling me right back in.
Good luck. Be sure to post how the Hotsprings wet test went
whoops didn't see your last post
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I'm getting cold feet about making a decision so i'm going to hot springs tonight to try out the Vanguard. Anyone have any experience with this tub?
I feel your pain. I'v been looking for about a month and a half now at all different brands
Sunrise, PDC, Dynasty, Jacuzzi, Dimension One, Hotsprings, Leisure Bay, Clearwater and read about a few others. Its amazing how some feel just right and the others don't. I wet tested an D1 amore bay and a dynasty eagle so far. The D1's seem to be highly touted on this forum and others, while Dynasties got a bad rap. I can honestly say that I thought the Dynasty to be a better fit. Deeper and cheaper. Wasn't crazy about the water displacement from the jets though.
Long term thoughts, I could not answer that question.
I plan on checking out the Artesian piper glen next.
I did dry sit a hotsprings. The back rests (moto jets I think) felt kinda flimsy and the fit just didn't seem right (for me anyway). Felt like I was sitting on the floor with my knees in up in my chest. The moto jets look like a nice feature on the website however.
I would say take your time in your choice of tub and wet test all that you might be interested in. Take everything that your salesman tells you with a grain of salt. I've had some be overly pushy and some let me walk right out the door without even confronting me. Like you I'm tentative about buying a tub right now. The allore of floor model 2008's and the urge to soak keeps pulling me right back in.
Good luck. Be sure to post how the Hotsprings wet test went
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I think I may have narrowed it down to these two tubs.
I like the Artesian PG due to the number of pumps and the footwell massager. I like the fact that each major seat has its own pump. I'm kinda leaning for fullfoam and like the recognition it got by way of the consumers digest award. I pray that's an unbiased rating.
but
the Clearwater TS has the dual lounger and arm rests and seems to be a few inches deeper. The depth is paramount for me. I also understand this spa can be made saltwater if I choose to do so.
I dry sat the clearwater and it felt pretty good. The artesian is next on my list. After that I push for a wet test.
Does anyone own one (2008/2009) or the other. If so how much and do you regret buying it for any reason.
thanks
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Didn't say i always agree, and the picture of the bullfrog has a lot of wasted seating to the left side, one whoole empty wall.
Depends on the model of the spa I guess. In this set up I agree the Sundance seems much more spacious.
Agree. That bullfrog layout would be nice if you mounted a flat screen over the top of the filter
.Just saw a clearwater (monte carlo i believe) with a similar layout. i walked right past it in the showroom.
Looks like you crank your neck while trying to hold a conversation with the person next to you.
At least with the corner seating you could look the person in the eye while playing footsies.
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I've been doing a lot of shopping for a new spa and have been focusing primarily on comfort, jets etc.
As of late I've been reading about the chemistry, filtration, water quality etc.
I've heard of converting swimming pools to saltwater which cuts back on the upkeep.
First off..........is it possible in a spa? If so could you elaborate on what spa it was done on (brand and what it cost)
Thanks
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Crap! Forgot to ask.
Does that mean the adirondack seat is the only low seat or are all the corner seats just as low?
I've wet tested a few other tubs that seemed as if the water was up to my belly button. I prefer the feel of the water right up to the adams apple.
Most of the manufacturers list a depth. It would be nice to find info on seat depth. Maybe another thread.
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I paid $15,800 taxes included for my Piper. Included tub, upgraded LEDs, covermate 3 lift, stereo and remote, gfci, chems, step, delivery and setup. I am in the west end of Nepean, Ontario, Canada.
Was that dealer's retail prices, or was there tax involved? I'm curious as to how this would compare with US prices.
The dealer had the tub on for $14500 which included the cover,lift,step,chems,gfci and delivery/setup. The stereo option, which included two pop-up speakers and two external speakers was an additional $2000. They had a no-tax promo in effect and saved me the extra $700 by paying by check instead of credit.
Seemed to be a good price - I love the tub!
I had priced out an Arctic spa as well that was going to be another $1000 above the Piper Glen, but it didn't fit me as well and it didn't have as many features and functions that my tub has.
Very happy customer!
I'm guessing I could pick up an 08 floor model (less the stereo) for about 10K in the New York City area.
Does that sound about right?
Anyone?
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There's not alot of posts on this site about Artesian brand spas. Is there any reason for that? Is the quality relatively comparable to the top brands, like Hot Spring?
Also, does anyone have any feedback on Artesian's Island line of spas?
I'm currently looking at a Artesian Antigua (the 52 jet version). Does anyone have any recent price quotes from dealers for this spa? I'm trying to figure out what is a fair price for this model.
Sorry - didn't actually answer your question!
I looked at my brochures, and the Captiva (which I think is the same price as the Antigua) I had quoted for $10,200 with 52 jets, cover and lift, steps, delivery, chemicals, gfci, circ pump, waterfall and led lights.
Hope this helps!
How much for the piper glen if you don't mind me asking.
I'm a big guy 6'3"-235#'s.
Do you think I would have a problem with the fit. I feel like I'm having trouble with other tubs.
Do the jets really work you over (I really need power in the jets)
Do you have any major complaints about the tub.
Feedback appreciated.
Thanks
Breaker Tripping
in Portable Hot Tubs & Spas
Posted
try replacing the breaker with one rated for 60 amp
the #6 wire............I think...........is rated for 75 amps
also, some spas can be altered slightly to allow for operation of the pumps on high with the heater on simultaneously.
Not sure about your spa...........but the Jacuzzi can be wired for 50 amp (heater off when pump on high) or in the manner I described above.
call your dealer..............they should be your primary contact.............then an electrician.
good luck