bart6453
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Posts posted by bart6453
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Don't worry about it.
A taylor test kit is the least of customs worries.
I can virtually guarantee you will not have any trouble.
And if you do...so what....oh my GOD!!! I accidentally bought a kit over the internet and didnt know it was a restricted item in Canada.
Good luck..you will be fine.
All right Bart, no worries. I will buy the kit and bring it back in my luggage. Did a quick search for pool supplies near where I will be in Massachusetts and came up with this; Leslies Swimming Pool Supplies. They have a kit that looks like a Taylor knock-off. Or maybe it's just a re-branding.
Take a look -> http://www.lesliespool.com/browse/Home/Wat...:400000/I/81330
Looks like rebranding to me....in the meantime I came up with a great story.
You can say you have OCD about pools, and when you travel you always bring your own kit with to test the water before you get in....just put a few drops of water in your mixing tubes to make it look like you used it.
Who can argue with that??? Funny...I just made myself laugh!
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Don't worry about it.
A taylor test kit is the least of customs worries.
I can virtually guarantee you will not have any trouble.
And if you do...so what....oh my GOD!!! I accidentally bought a kit over the internet and didnt know it was a restricted item in Canada.
Good luck..you will be fine.
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I wet-tested one of the shallower Jacuzzi's and the water did not cover my shoulders, so a wet test is a must. I ended up getting a J355. I honestly don't use the waterfall too often because I think it cools the water down.
I'm hoping to wet test them when we get closer to a decision (hopefully sooner than later!) but unfortunately, getting any tub that's over 34" high will simply not fit.
As for what two people have mentioned about the waterfall being over-rated, I think that it's a small perk, since I like the sound of running water - even without the jets being on. So while it's not a make-or-break feature, I'm just curious to see what others think.
well...thats the bad part...the jets have to be on for the waterfall to work.
Anyways....I like my Jacuzzi..good luck and keep us posted!
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Taylor has a single master distributor in Canada who marks up the product cost. Buying the product in Boston and bringing it over is your best bet. The lowest online price for the Taylor K-2006 I know of is here, but I don't think they will ship to Canada.
Found out its the customs cost of bringing it over the border as its a controlled substance, well at least some part of it is.
What I'm wondering is should I a) place the kit in a checked bag or
take the liquids out and put them into a ziplock bag. As a whole kit in a luggage and being a controlled substance they may not like it. Broken out and placed in the clear plastic bag with my toothpaste might go easier, provided they are not over the allotted 100ml x 10 (1 Litre) liquid maximum. I will see if I can find the details on all liquids.
thanks,
Greg
Why don't you just ship them ups??? No need to tell them what's in there.
I would guess they will x-ray the package and then send it to customs, then I get to pay a whopping bill just to get my package which I've already paid for the contents.
They do look in packages right, otherwise the drug traffickers would be all over this.. if it's too easy there is a reason...
You seriously think they are gonna xray your package?
How the drug thing works is much, much simpler.....they have dogs that randomly run through the UPS distribution points stiffing all the packages going on the trucks that day. When a dog hits on it, then they take a closer look. Typically this is the responsibility of your local law enforcement to do at the distribution warehouse in your locale.
I used to get absinthe and other things via USPS certified all the time.....yes....I even had to go to the post office and sign for them.....nerve wracking...but never a problem.
I wouldnt worry at all.
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Taylor has a single master distributor in Canada who marks up the product cost. Buying the product in Boston and bringing it over is your best bet. The lowest online price for the Taylor K-2006 I know of is here, but I don't think they will ship to Canada.
Found out its the customs cost of bringing it over the border as its a controlled substance, well at least some part of it is.
What I'm wondering is should I a) place the kit in a checked bag or
take the liquids out and put them into a ziplock bag. As a whole kit in a luggage and being a controlled substance they may not like it. Broken out and placed in the clear plastic bag with my toothpaste might go easier, provided they are not over the allotted 100ml x 10 (1 Litre) liquid maximum. I will see if I can find the details on all liquids.
thanks,
Greg
Why don't you just ship them ups??? No need to tell them what's in there.
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I have a Jacuzzi J-325.
It is a nice tub, we have really enjoyed it. We had a Circ pump issue right away but this was fixed quickly and no other problems. (to be fair, the circ pump dying is just luck of the draw, so I am hesitant to even mention it)
If the waterfall is your deciding option, I would think long and hard. We NEVER use the waterfall, it's just too noisy. The only time it is on is when we are entertaining and then our guests want it on for about 30 seconds until they realize you can't hear anyone in the tub.
If I had to do it all over again, i would most certainly purchase the very same tub that I did.
Hope this helps.
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I've heard mixed opinions on this... just curious.......
I shock when my combined chlorine approaches 1ppm....Which by the way is almost never...only after a big party and lots of tub usage.
I keep my free chlorine between 1ppm to 5ppm at all times.
I have found the day of the week has no bearing on the needs of my water.
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Good evening,
As the former Director of Purchasing for DM Industries, Ltd (1998-2008) I am sad to say that the carcas has been picked clean as the Maax Spas team has swooped in with a midnight/successful bid to acquire the inventories (both finished and raw), the molds, brand name, and intellectual properties of Vita Spa.
While nothing has been officially announced, all employees were given the bad news at the once proud Opa Locka factory headquarters last Friday. No current employees were to be carried over to Maax Coleman. All that remains is a skeleton crew disassembling production lines that once built as many as 80 spas a day back in 2005.
Visiting the facility this morning was like visiting a terminally ill old friend. The shock and sad realization that years of hard work were nullified all that was now left was to await the convoy trucks that will carry away the remains of the dearly departed. The few remaining former coworkers, pain etched on their faces, have nowhere to go. For many, this was their life.
It can be interesting with how hopeful many are with the respect of the spa industry. It is almost a "Say it ain't so Joe" mentality. Guys, with all due respect, the crash of the housing market combined with spa industry giveaways made to both the consumer and especially to the dealers led to the complete implosion of the market.
Let me explain. As the former Purchasing Director for Vita Spa, (I loved my job and miss it dearly) I saw first hand what happens year after year when you finance dealers for 4-6 months with free product.
Most spa companies just don't have resources to bankroll these dealers, who would misuse that generosity so much so that your Accounts Receivable people spent days and nights trying to get paid while your suppliers end up becoming unwitting partners in the same unfortunate process.
Gents, 2005 is over! It's a Walmart world with record unemployment, reduced or non existent disposable income and consumers living in fear of losing the jobs they have. For the market to return, it is my humble opinion that the following changes must take place:
1. Eliminate the "Early Buy" program throughout the market
2. The industry must consolidate itself. There are too many manufactures hanging on by a thread.
3. Reduce the warranty on pumps, shells and electronics. The manufacturer of the materials refuses to absorb those inevitable losses that come with natural life ending failure(s), why should the spa maker?
4. The industry needs oversight to qualify who can and cannot become a dealer. Just because you can become a dealer, doesn't me you are qualified to become one! Many dealers out there are technically unqualified or unwilling to work beyond the sale.
5. The industry did itself a huge disservice by selling to the Costco's of the world. The lure of solid payment/cashflow is offset by the loopholes afforded to consumers who can excercise "Buyer's Remorse" at the drop of a hat.
If you do not have the margins built in to cover repairs, complaints and returns you will get eaten alive.
The manufacturer(s), like Hydro Spa, who chose to unwisely enter this market failed to have a basic, solid product that's easy to operate, service and padded with the right margins. They undercut the market and got what they deserved.
In the end, I can only hope that the market reminds itself of the definition of insanity....which is doing the same things wrong, over and over, and somehow expecting a positive/different result.
Respectfully,
John Cioffi
Excellent post.
In many cases you can change the names and descriptions of the products and it will ring true for many manufacturing segments of our economy. Cars, motorcycles, electronics....etc.
Our country will forever be changed by the events of the last year.
The economy was growing with money that was not there.
People bought a house for $100,000.....made payments for 2 years and owed $98,000....had it re-appraised for $150,000.....borrowed that amount on the re-finance......so they had $52,000 to burn. Their lifestyle was raised to that level for a few years while their $52,000 was being slowly eaten away to pay the payments on their new cars, trucks, hot tubs, etc....
some did this twice, some three times.....but when the day came that their homes value dropped....and they could not re-finance.....they were up a creek without a paddle.
They had payments that their monthly income could not support, including the now huge payment they made on their house.....and everything imploded!
Robbing Peter to pay Paul is never sustainable in the long term.
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So...when you are not planning on using your tub for a couple of days, what temp do you turn your tub down to?
I am looking to conserve some energy during the Minnesota winter...
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Thanks. I needed to hear that. I'm located in Edina (yes, mock away).
Edina??? Must be rough...sorry couldn't resist!
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Excited, worried, anxious, scared, giddy and concerned all at once.
Excited because I've always loved hot tubs ad wanted one
Worried because I hope I'm not in over my head with all the upkeep.
Anxious because I made my own paver pad and hope its up to the task. In fact, I went overboard with 7 inches or so of class five fill and did my best to level that thing as much as possible.
Scared because I love to research items before buying, and this time my wife and I just took the plunge. We bought a model similar to our friends who've had excellent service and operation thus far (and its a Calspa which seems to be the hated brand here, adding to my concern).
Giddy because its almost winter here in Minnesota and I've never been hot tubing outdoors, let alone in the falling snow!
Concerned because, well, despite reading just about every post ever listed on this site, I still feel like I'm in for some kind of "surprise."
I SO HOPE THIS ALL WORKS OUT AND I LOVE IT. Now, I just need to get that electrician scheduled in the next day or so...
Minnesota....so am I .....and tubbing in the winter is THE BEST! Where abouts are you located??? I am in South Central Minnesota.
Seriously don't worry a bit! Everything will be fine, your paver base is gonna work great...no worries.
The upkeep is very minimal, take Nitro's advice and it's super easy with minimal fuss. Just splurge on a good test kit and you are good to go!
Congrat's enjoy your tub!
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Thanks for all the reply's. I received my Taylor K2006 test kit. Here are my initial results:
FC: 5.6
CC: .2
TA: 70 ppm
CH: 200 ppm
PH: 7.6
CYA: 42 ppm
It looks as though I have to use 1/2 ounce of Chlorine daily to keep the Chlorine level at 3ppm. The water is clear but after we turn the jets off the water looks cloudy and eventually becomes clear. We are also seeing a white line on the inner shell at the water level.
Glad you are getting things rolling with a good kit.
What type of chlorine are you using??? Bleach or Dichlor?
If you are using Dichlor, your CYA will continue to rise, which is undesirable. You may want to stop where you are at with stabilized chlorine(dichlor) and switch to an unstabilized chlorie (bleach, lithium).
Other than that your TA may be a bit high if you ask me, look at lowering it 10-20ppm and your PH will more readily stabilize at 7.5.
Also I would consider adding borates if you have not already done so, it makes the water feel nice and further stabilizes your PH drift.
I can't help you with the white line, I don't know what that could be, but someone on here will have some advice on that one.
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Ask your dealer what he would advise. I have to believe that he's delivered tubs in freezing weather before, and should know enough to blow all the lines clean before he ships it to you. If he doesn't, then I would have to wonder what kind of dealer you are buying from.
I called them too yesterday and they did say they blow out the lines but I always worry that they are just saying things to make me feel better. At least if it does have a problem I can point back to them and say you guys said it would be fine!
Thanks for the advice everybody. It should arrive in the next hour or two.
Temperatures in the upper 20's will not provide a hard freeze that is required for breaking pipes. You'd need sustained temps below 20 degrees or an overnight temp below 10 to 12 degrees to be dangerous. If you are nervous, go to Home Depot and buy an inexpensive 1500 watt fan heater.
John
+1 on that...living in Minnesota and being used to sudden freezes this time of year...I wouldnt worry about it at all.
My entire crop of onions that was on the patio (btw...very sensitive to freezing during the initial curing) during our 3 day cold snap where it got to about 18-20 F overnight and didnt get over 35 during the day...and they all survived.
Your tub with the cover on is not gonna freeze in temps like that....if it does the water is just gonna be slush, and not hard....seriously....don't worry.
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I have to say as far as trashing the competition goes......my old man always used to say....EVERY KNOCK, IS A BOOST!
I work in sales and absolutely hate when a salesperson trashes the competition, I feel like they are trying to hide their own inferiority.
While I believe in my business (motorcycles) that WE are the only ones with a motorcycle worth 3 squirts of pee.....and I wouldn't be caught dead on anyone else's motorcycle....I never tell customers that.
It's all about integrity and professionalism, bad salespeople say bad things.
Frankly, if your competition sucked that bad....you wouldn't consider them competition.
I walked into a D1 dealer and told him the different hot tubs we were looking at so he could keep it apples to apples, I had a soft spot for the Jacuzzi because of how deep it was and for some reason I just like it....needless to say, he went on to tell me how crappy the Jacuzzi was, but never really told me why the D1 was wonderful. He went on for 10 minutes about how they invented this and that....finally I interrupted him after he told me this guys name who now works for D1 who invented the jet pumps back in the 60's. I just couldn't take it anymore, and got kind of pissy with him, being that he was lying to me. Shared the information about the vietnam river patrol boats powered by Jacuzzi water pumps...and anyways....I went and bought the Jacuzzi.
I hate trashing the competition! Damn amateurs!
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Well, mine works great. Of course I DID pay extra close attention to those instructional videos. Otherwise, you gave me an interesting idea what with Thanksgiving coming up; I wonder how it would be in getting giblet grit out of the bottom of my turkey pan....?
Happy and thorough cleaning no matter your choice. For me I'm sticking with my Grit Gitter ("GG") -- which I now call "Gigi" like a French spa maid!
I appreciate your enthusiasm, but are you okay?
You didn't take too many oxycontin or something did you?
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I also liked mine for the first month or so. It them started to fall apart & "mis-fire" with almost every use. I have found that an 4 dollar OXO Turkey Baster not only works better, but lasts longer too. I did make the mistake of buying a black one the first time, but the white ones age better and never mark.
On a final note with the Grit-Gitter, I ended up glueing in the mesh filter which helped for the longest. My bulb started fitting very loose. All the parts started to fade & dry crack pretty quickly too. I have a thread about it somewhere around.
Glad to hear you are having better luck!
I have one, it's junk....the turkey baster sounds like a much better idea.
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My advice would be to do some serious educating of yourself on this site.
As far as I know, there is no magic equipment to sanitize water.
You will be needing additional supplies as well as a good test kit. (i.e. a dropper/reagent type, take a pass on the test strips) I use the taylor I-care home kit. Taylor also has a #2006 (I think) kit that has a bit better of a set up for testing sanitizer levels.
You are going to need to decide on what type of sanitation you want to do, I for one am not a fan of bromine, but that's just because of the smell.
You will find that the information on this forum is many times better than the spa store has.....thank God!
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I just bought an Arctic Summit and had originally planned to do a poured concrete pad as a base. The dealer was adamant however that this is totally unnecessary with this brand of
tub, and suggested a gravel screening base only that has been tempered down....dig to a 6" depth and then screen. Does this sound right to all you guys that know about these
things? My husband thinks that when we want to put our Gazebo/Pergola up next spring that it might cause a problem for this kind of pad....we would have to dig down about 4 feet
(cause of frost line) to secure the posts of the privacy structure.... Digging in such close proximity to the base could cause a shift he supposes...but neither of us really know.
I would go for the concrete pad, it is more stable, lasts longer, and does not track gravel into your tub.
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Sorry to hear that, Tom. You don't have to leave the forum though!
Dave
Good luck buddy.....sorry to see you go!
Don't be a stranger....I am sure you still have some great insight left in ya!
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Here is the latest update on my 5 year old Marquis Reward Spa. It is now the middle of October. My tub has been unusable for the last three months. Marquis agreed to pay half the cost of the pump, but no labor.
So my Marquis Spa dealer comes out to put on the pump. Calls me after he puts the pump on, tells me not to turn it on since he will be out "tomorrow" to check for leaks. Tomorrow comes and assuming he came while I was at work, I fill the spa at 8pm. Next day, looked fine at 8:00 a.m.. Checked the spa at 3:00 p.m. and all the water was drained out of the spa.
Please help me by taking this spa off my hands. I feel like I have big gob of plastic holding my deck down. I'm almost ready to put this thing out by the curb.
"I agree, with the trouble I've had, a good company would attempt to work out something. One sale lost because of my bad experience would make the pump look cheap to Marquis. It's like an old business statistic that says that one lost customer tells 20 other people, and they tell 20 other people. That ends up being a lot of bad publicity."I have been in business for 10 years and have always told my clients, If you are happy go tell your friends and family, If you are not happy come tell me.
Ouch...that's just a bad day.
hope you get things figured out....one question though......do you have power issues???? Like being the last house on your circuit?
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"The check is in the mail"?
"My wife took the checkbook to the store"?
"I'm waiting for delivery of new checks as I ran out"?
I'm sure there's some...............other............. excuses?
I would pay them with the exact amount of delay that they honored you with.
That's great that you got your tub!!!!! good for you! Now time to relax and enjoy.
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2:05 empty driveway??? "No Glacier Cory". The guy did call Around 11 am. asking "what color cover did you order?" O well see what shakes down here!!!
I can hear it already....
"we got your tub in but when we were uncrating it for delivery this morning we realized it was the wrong one with the wrong cover.....now we have to return this one and get the right one coming....damn manufacturer, really it's not our fault, the problem is out of our control"
good luck
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From the original thred starter: "This is ridiculous!!! 1 month late on delivery. Then no show on new dev. date!!". So it is beyond reasonable.
But yes, the speculation on what happened to the money is just speculation. In this economy, though... could well prove out to be the case.
If the orig poster paid w/ credit card.... contact them soon!
I misread the post at first and changed my previous response when I saw the "month late" part. Hopefully all gets ironed out ASAP.
Talked to keith and things are as clear as mud!!! 3 hours until latest delivery time. Should be here with crane truck to place on rear deck. Fingers crossed and trying to remain positive. Thanks to all for the outlet of frustration. Any bets on whether or not this happens for me TODAY??????
I bet no....but I am in a bad mood overshadowed by the economy.
better judgment would say you will get your tub.
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I can see it already.....the dealer used this months sales to pay last months invoices.
They are on credit hold with the company, and waiting for some more business to come through the door with deposits to pay for your tub.....purely grasping at straws theory....but still possible.
I have seen it before.....good luck....I bet your money is gone already.
It it's true, you will totally be left holding the bag.
This is how consumers get burnt during bankruptcy proceedings, and why it is so important to know the people you do business with.
Anyone Ever Replaced The Potentiometer On A Hot Spring Control Head?
in Portable Hot Tubs & Spas
Posted
I have not replaced one specifically...but I can tell you it will be a piece of cake.
Do you have a solder station? If not, get one for $10 at radio shack, get the lowest wattage you can find. (since you probably wont be using this every day, don't worry about the quality....by the time you need it again you wont be able to find it anyways.)
Also, get some desoldering braid. It is just braided copper mesh in a roll....you put it over the back side of the board where the old contacts are soldered, and then heat the solder through the braid....the braid will soak up the solder. You may have to do it 4-5 times per connection. Then clean up the board, making sure the holes are clear.
Put the new unit in and solder the connections....I would do one and wait for 5 minutes....and in fact....do the same for desoldering. maybe have a small fan nearby so when you are done desoldering/soldering you can put it in front of the fan to cool it. I have clip on heatsinks that keep things cool, but if you take your time you don't need to buy them.
Good luck...this is super simple and seriously a 5 minute job.
Let me know if you have any questions or need some help.
Just remember rule #1...KEEP THE PARTS COOL!
Oh..and by the way....you are right on track with mouser...they are great, just get it from there.