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JimKW

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Everything posted by JimKW

  1. The only times I truly wet tested the actual hot tub I was buying is when I bought used. It's very hard to find the exact unit you want filled and running. At the Sundance/Jacuzzi dealer they had me wet testing tubs that were not even close to what I was thinking about buying. It was a waste of time. It's one of the reasons I ended up not buying there. I did not wet test the CalSpa that I bought, just sat in it dry. I find that I float in it if I keep the water level high. When I keep the water level a little low, it's fine for me, but my wife still floats. She does not use it very much anyway so it's fine. She didn't use the two we had before either. I get in mine most every day. Only days I miss is when it's raining pretty hard. Can't wait to get in it when it's really snowing!
  2. Definitely not D1. I would have considered that a brand to buy.
  3. I can't remember their brand, but it was a company recently bought by Jacuzzi. Have you looked at Artesian? That's another brand you can get close to Columbus. I wanted to look at Marquise, but not dealer in the area.
  4. I live in Sunbury, OH just north of Columbus. I just bought a new CalSpa from Leisure Spa Backyard Living. I looked at Artesian down in Pataskala, Sundance and Jacuzzi at All Season Spas, the various brands at Scioto Valley and Rainbow Spas. I liked the priced and the layout of the CalSpa at Leisure Spa, but they do not give you the opportunity to wet test. In the past I have owned a Hot Springs and a Sundance Optima. I really wanted a lounge seat and that's what I got with the CalSpa 751L. My wife does float in the Hot Tub, but it fits me fine and I'm 5'8" inches tall and my wife is 5'3". I like dealing with the people at All Season Spas much better than Scioto Valley. I have not had the CalSpa long enough to really say I recommend it over Hot Springs and/or Sundance, but so far I like it quite a bit and have not had any problems with it other than the Blue Tooth is cutting out. They are replacing the whole Blue Tooth unit before the end of the month. Mary is nice to deal with at Leisure Spa and she may setup a wet test if you told her you would not buy it without wet testing. I really like the people at Rainbow Spas too, but did not care for their line of Hot Tubs that much.
  5. Plan to wet test the Artesian Island spa tomorrow morning.
  6. In the past I have owned a Hot Springs (in the early 90's) and a Sundance Optima more recently, around 2010 - 2014) . I have looked at Hydropools, Sundance, Jacuzzi, Hot Springs, Bull Frog, Cal Spa and today Artesian. Seems like whichever one I looked at last is the one I'm ready to buy. I've pretty much narrowed it down to a Sundance Bristol for just under $7k, a Sundance Hamilton for 7350, the Artesian Island Spa Antiqua for anywhere from $7200 to $7995 depending on options the Artesian South Sea Standard Class 735L for $6500 or the Cal Spa Santa Fe 751L for $6900. All are close to 7 foot models that have a lounge seat and good foot massages. These are the two things we really want. Any feedback would greatly be appreciated. Thanks in advance, Jim.
  7. Just asking to know what to build for setting a new tub on. I think the answer is 5', but just double checking. Where I want to put it would actually be a little closer than that so I might have to move the paving stone patio out a little further. Have not found a tub or started adding to the patio yet, so I'm still in good shape. Really don't want to have to move the box.
  8. I recently sold my Sundance Optima due to remodeling and it was just bigger than I needed. I'm looking to replace it in the not too distant future. The only brands I look for are: Sundance, Hot Springs, Caldera, Dimension 1 (never seen on around here), Jacuzzi and Marquis (also none around here). My list is built totally from being on this site for the past three years. I'm looking for used smaller hot tubs and they are harder to find than the larger ones. Kind of kicking mysefl in the butt now for selling the Optima. Never buy without wet testing whether new or used!
  9. It was a 2004 in very good condition and I sold it for $2200. Had new heater, brand new filter and new pump. Was going to need a cover in the near future, maybe a year. Looking at what I can find used now I kind of wish I would have kept it, but since I'm the only one that used it I am looking for a smaller tub. I think the guy who bought it paid $300 or $350 to have it moved. I think he was going about 30 miles and it was going from a flat surface to another flat surface.
  10. I think that's a very good hot tub at a very good price. It's a big tub though, so I would definitely hire a professional to move it. I think I paid about $300 to have mine moved (an older Optima) about three years ago. The guy who just bought it from me also hired professionals to move it.
  11. I will be in the market for a Hot Tub in the near future. I just sold a Sundance Optima and owned a Hot Springs several years ago. Sold the Optima because it took up too much room and I found I was the only one using it and heating 500 gallons of water for one person seemed unnecessary. Only brands i will consider: Hot Springs (also make Caldera) Sundance Jacuzzi (same company as Sundance is what I heard from the salesman) Marquis (never really seen one, but based on reading this board for years now) Dimension One (same comment as Marquis) If I were to buy a new one right now I would probably get the Caldera 3 person one. Can not remember the model name. I will try to find a good used one though. Seems like the smaller used ones are kind of hard to find. I think people have a tendency to buy too big, sell it and then buy a smaller one and keep it.
  12. I don't know the brand of composite decking that I used for the small deck I have leading down to my paver stone patio. But the stuff is solid not hollow core and it's stong for decking and pretty heavy. Everything you can't see is PT pine though. I bought he composite decking at Home Depot and I think it only comes in tan and light grey. I have the light grey.
  13. Currently I don't own a Hot Tub, but I have owned a Hot Springs and I've owned a Sundance. I would deifinitely buy either one of them again when I get another Hot Tub. I sold my Sundance Optima because we were having a roof put over the patio and it took up too much of the space under the roof. I plan to extend the patio and get a much smaller Hot Tub hopefully before next winter. As far as floating you are in a tub that is too deep for you. That is why you should always wet test any tub you are interested in buying. Siting in one without water is a waste of time. In my Optima I would float in the main seat when I had it filled a little too high. If I kept the water just over the highest jets I was fine. I'm pretty sure I want my next one to have a lounge type seat, but I have not yet wet tested any of them. I have looked at brand new Hot Springs, Caldera, Sundance (no smaller ones in stock though) and Jacuzzi. I doubt if I will buy brand new though. I will just keep looking until the right one comes up for sale. I almost always buy big ticket items used, but stick with the top of the line brands. Been driving used Volvos since 1985 and now have an 06 BMW 330xi and an 03 4Runner Limited V8. Probably got all three of them for what it would have cost for any one of them if I bought it new.
  14. That Trex marks fairly easily. I would still put plywood down on roll it over the plywood on the part of the deck that will be exposed. When I was a kid (long time ago and before pvc) my Dad owned a Cleaning Plant and I would watch him move really heavy equipment using just 3 or 4 pipes. Don't know exactly how he would get the equipment up on the pipes, but I can remember him rolling it off one pipe and moving it to the front. I've used that method several times to move heavy stuff, but never moved my hot tub. If I would have ever had to, that would have been the method I would use.
  15. I found that I was the only one using the Hot Tub and we were having a roof put over the patio where the Hot Tub sat so I sold it. It was a 2004 Sundance Optima in near perfect condition. I would sit in it by myself frequently in colder weather and wonder why I was paying to heat so much water for just me. But the bottom line is I enjoyed it and will want another Hot Tub sometime before the weather turns cold again. Not sure what to get though. I know the top four brands are Hot Springs, Sundance, Marquis and Dimension One. Locally we only have Sundance and Hot Springs dealers though. Any suggestions on smaller Hot Tubs? I will most likely look for a used one.
  16. I guess I just don't understand the desire to listen to music while sitting in the hot tub. I have great sound systems in my cars and a very good system in the family room. But I like the quiet when I'm sitting in the hot tub. Most of the time I don't even run the jets because of the noise. I like to lay back and look at the stars and enjoy peace and quiet. I have outdoor remote wireless speakers on the patio that can play the same music as my home system. I can also play my mp3 player through them. I've used them once.
  17. Maybe he can't find his thread becasue of all the crap on this board. It's a shame that this board gets hit so bad with spam. The Water Chemistry board does not get near as much. What you are saying makes sense, the tub water is actually 102, but it thinks it's more than that.
  18. I just looked at my manual and OH does means the tub thinks it is overheated. Solution says to 1. Reduce thermostat setting. 2. Reduce skimming/heating cycle length. Even with heater off water temperature can increase from prolonged pump operation. I guess mine is a 2004 or older. The Owner's Manual I have is dated 2003 on the back. The guy I bought it off of said it was a 2005, but maybe that's just the year he bought it. Not a big deal to me since it's in great shape and works great. I have changed the heater in mine due to a leak and it was not that hard to do, but not sure that is your problem. I would try resetting all the cycles and see what that does. I find the manual a little hard to understand on how to do it though to be honest. The manual seems to focus more on ones that have an Audio System and mine does not. If I can help you understand how to do the settings let me know and I will do my best.
  19. I have a 2005 Optima so it's probably the same basic hot tub you have. The Circ pump running all the time is normal in Standard vs Economy mode, but it can be set to not run all the time. I don't know what the OH means, but here in Ohio we would answer IO. Sorry, but couldn't pass that up. I had some strange displays on mine the other day and I just turned off the circuit breaker and back on and it went to normal display. You can set how often the hot tub automatically circulates and for how long. Mine comes on at 8:00 am and pm and at Noon each day and stays on for about 20 minutes. The 8:00 ones just run the one pump and Noon runs both. Look at the Owners manual for instructions on how to set everything. If you don't have one I'm sure you can find it online. Mine does pump fairly hot water for a short time, but not so hot you can not touch it so not sure what the deal is on that.
  20. I am not an expert at all, but how are your filters? When mine starts using chlorine I just change the water and clean or replace the filters, which is about every three months, four at the most. But I have never used chlorine any where near the rate you are using it. Wish I could be more help.
  21. My gut feel it that showing your house for sale with the Hot Tub will help you sell the house. When people talk about houses they looked at they will remember yours as the one with the Hot Tub. They may or may not want it, but still makes your house have something that other do not have. When I bought my Hot Tub it was from a couple that sold it before the house went on the market. They were moving from Ohio to Texas and the house they werer buying had a pool and a Hot Tub so they didn't want to move it.
  22. I'm not one for rolling in the snow, but my kids did when we lived in Colorado. One time we went to Mount Princeton where they have hot springs that run into a cold water stream. You find a spot and sit in the hot water coming out of the ground. Some are actually too hot. Well we went there with my son who was a teenager at the time. It was snowing pretty hard and he got out of the hot water and went and laid down in the cold water stream and then back to the hot water. Makes me shiver thinking about it. They also have two swimming pools fed by the hot water springs. One is much warmer that the other and you kind of switch between the two of them. My wife still swears that those hot springs cured her Arthritis.
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