JimKW

I had to replace the pump motor on my Sundance Optima so I drained the tub and put in the new pump. When I refilled I put the chlorine with dichlor in, but I accidently put in 4 ounces instead of 4 teaspoons. Now my chlorine count is 12.5. I know it will go down over time, but is there a way to lower it? I don't want to use it with it that high. Wife is ticked off at me, and I'm a little ticked at myself for not reading more carefully. Knew what I did right after I did it too.

I bought a 2005 Sundance Optima for $2,000. Paid to have it delivered and paid an electrician to hook it up. Total cost less than $3,000 in March of this year. I feel as if I came as close to stealing it that you can come. I kept shopping until I found a deal I could not pass up. Had to buy it fast too becuase it was such a good deal. Luckily it was all set up for use and my wife and I water tested it, listened to why the guy was selling it (he was moving out of state) and bought it right on the spot. Two others were coming to look at it right after me so there was no time to think it over. Pretty sure the guy priced it too low and I was lucky enough to be the first one to look at it.

OK guys just to prove I do pay attention. I just took my readings again and I am now holding chlorine. Here are my current readings: Free Chlorine: 2.0 ppm - Combined Chlorine 0.0 ppm - Total Chlorine: 2.0 ppm - pH: 7.6 - Hardness: 175 ppm - Alkalinity: 100 ppm - CYA: ~60 ppm I will run out of the Reagent to test CYA in one more reading so I ordered a bigger bottle from Taylor. Two .75 oz bottles do not last very long. Last night I just used a test strip and the Chlorine looked just a little on the low side so I added about an oz of Clorox bleach. I am going to add another oz right now and see what my reading is tomorrow. My hot tub is 483 gallons. Chem Geek when you say 5 fluid ounces of 6% bleach how many gallon tub are you talking about? Since we are very rarely using the tub this time of year I figure I am safe just putting in an oz or two at a time and then reading the next day. It's pretty hard to get in a hot tub when it's 90+ degrees outside. I prefer going out on the boat and jumping into the lake to be honest.

Thanks for the response. I'm not saying I won't ever switch to the limited use of dichlor method, but I am new at this and want to stick with what the dealers are saying for the time being. I put 1/2 oz of the chlorine with dichlor in yesterday morning and the level was still good this evening. So it's finally not losing the chlorine like it was. I think the difference is the first time I filled it at the end of March we were using it every day sometimes multiple times a day so adding chlorine was expected. This time, since we are next to never using it, I didn't expect to put chlorine in as often. So exactly what do you use to add chlorine if I don't use the product with dichlor I get from the dealer? I do have the Taylor k-2006 drop test kit. I use it, but I also use test strips for a quick reading. I find the strips fine for chlorine and PH. The kit does not give you much of the liquid you need to test cya and I am almost out of it. Any recommendations on where to get replacement chemicals? Like I said I am new at this and trying to learn. Thanks again, Jim

I test it and add chlorine as needed and then wait 12-24 hours before retesting. After shocking it on Friday it has held the chlorine level a little better. I am not going to start using bleach in mine. I may at some later date, but I was fine with this method before and I should be fine again. I know people on this forum think that's wrong, but the place where I bought the hot tub says this is the way to go and not to worry about the CYA in a hot tub, that is for pools.

You should consider used hot tubs. You can get great deals. But I know used is not for everybody and those of us who buy used have to count on people buying new ones.

My current water readings are as follows: - Free Chlorine: 1.5 ppm - Combined Chlorine .5 ppm - Total Chlorine: 2.0 ppm - pH: 7.5 - Hardness: 200 ppm - Alkalinity: 100 ppm - CYA: ~50 ppm That is after putting in 1+ oz of chlorine this morning which should have had my level sky high. Especially since I put in 1/2 oz last night. Oh yea and we have not been using the spa at all and the cover has been on. The guy at the place where I buy my stuff said it's not uncommon to lose chlorine right after a refill and to just keep putting it in and to not let it get down to zero. So I just put another 1/2 oz in. He said it should stablize and get back to where it was before.

I have this 2005 Sundance Optima for about four months now. When I got it I filled it and was fine by just adding about 1/4 to 1/2 oz of Chlorine with Dichlor after each use or about every 3rd day if we weren't using the tub regularly. Well about a week ago the water got real cloudy and the chorine level was low. So I changed the water. I noticed the heater was leaking a little so I put a new heater and a new filter on it with the water change. I put about 2-3 oz of the Dichlor in when I filled it and the the chlorine level was pretty high at first. I also had to add something to raise the Calcium Hardness. It was at 75 and I raised it to 175. Now my chlorine level keeps going back to none. I added about 1/4 oz last night and it was right where it is supposed to be. 3 hours later it was low and this morning gone. I put a full ounce in this morning and will check it again when I get home tonight.

Thanks. I went ahead and paid the $312 and replaced the heater while the tub was empty. It's back up to normal temp and running. Did not feel like waiting for something that would take a week to get just to save 100 bucks. I tried and tried to find it cheaper here in Ohio, but no luck.

On the Used Sundance Optima I bought a few months ago the heater is dripping water right onto the motor. I went to the dealer and he says I need to replace the entire heater. New heater costs $312. I can get the same heater online for a little less than $200. I have the tub drained right now, but plan on refilling tonight. Do I have to have it drained to replace the heater? Has anybody ever repaired the heater? Leak seem to be right around the seam. Is there a good and reputable place to buy online? This is where I found the heater for under $200: http://spaandpoolsource.com/sundancesmartheater2000.aspx Thanks

How much alcohol you drinking?

Sounds like a great price for you. Sounds like they are giving you a deal. If you know the people and they are being honest with you, buy it.

Wow I just read this thread and it's like nobody want to answer your quesiton. What I think the original poster that mentioned rebar was saying is that you outline the area where you are putting the gravel with landscape timbers. You drill holes in the landscape timbers and drive rebar through the holes and into the ground to keep the landscape timbers in place. I have done this in the past myself and it works. For not much more money I would finsh off the area with paving bricks instead of just having my tub sit on gravel. I have seven inches of gravel with brick pavers under mine. An 8' x 8' paving stone area should not cost near as much as pouring concrete. If you make the area big enough you also have a nice area to walk on around the hot tub. Just my $.02.

Before buying a used Sundance the four brands I was looking at were Dimension1, Marquis, Hot Springs and Sundance. I'm sure there are other really good brand names, but just based on reading here and other places that was the list I narrowed it down to. I never really looked at D1 or Marquis though, because there were no local dealers. Buy a used one can save quite a bit of money for a top of the line Hot Tub. But I am a person that never buys a brand new car, where some would only buy new.

Seems to me you are pretty much going from one extreme to another when choosing between Master Spa and Hot Springs. Can't you find some other top brands like Sundance, Dimension 1 or Marquis? When I was looking those are the four brands I had kind of narrowed it down to, but there are no D1 or Marquis dealers very close to me so I never even looked at them.

About a month ago I bought a 2003 Sundance Optima for $2,000 in fantastic shape. I think I got a steal, but I think $5,900 (at least in US Dollars) is too high for a used hot tub. I did see mine running and my wife and I actually wet tested it at the guys house. Costs me another ~$1,000 to have it moved and have the electric hookup done.

I just recently bought a used Optima (2003 model) and could not be more pleased with it. Not sure how the older one compares with new though. I was starting to look at new ones because the decent used ones were so expensive, it seemed better to just buy new. Then I found this one in perfect condition for $2,000 and jumped on it as fast as I could. We did wet test before buying though.

I put 8 oz of Calcium Chloride that I got from the spa supply store in night before last. When I tested my water last night, everything was fine except for the Chlorine level. The hardness is now at 150 ppm, but my FC was 0. I added 2/3 oz of chlorine and it went up to about 5.5 and the CC was 1.5. That was kind of high, but I tested it about an hour after putting it in. Half an hour later I got in so that probably lowered the chlorine to an acceptable level. I have found that the test strips are pretty accurate for reading the chlorine level, the alkalinity and the PH when comparing the numbers to what I'm getting with the test kit. But the test kit is great once you get used to using it and you can test things that are not on the strips. It's kind of rewarding when you get everything at the ideal level.

Thank you. When I did my first test on Sunday it was at 60, then after adding some chemicals to adjust Chlorine, PH and TA it went up to 100 and my last test after adding some Spa Up and Spa Shock it was back down to 70.

I bought the K-2006 Taylor Drop Test Kit and have been working on getting everything perfect. I am at work right now and don't really remember the numbers, but I got everything within the Ideal range except the Hardness. It's a little on the low side and was wondering if that will cause any problems and should I put something in (book says Calcium Chloride 77%) to raise the level?

I just had the exact same question. Nice to have a website I can come to and get an answer immediately!

Good move and sounds like a good deal.

The movers I used charged me $275. Well worth it, but the Optima is a big tub. I hear people say how they don't like the hump, but that's what we (my wife and I) really like about it. 99% of the time is just my wife or just me in it. Sometimes the two of us, but on Easter we had three Grandkids my son and his wife in there with us. So the bigger size does come in handy occasionally.

I just bought a 2003 Sundance Optima for $2,000 and think I got a steal because it is like new. I had to spend another ~$1,000 for the electricain and the guys who moved it, but the whole package for under $3,000 was well worth it.

I considered doing mine myself and after watching the guy I hired do it, I am fairly certain I could have done it. But I hired a company that does work for two of the local spa dealers. I think the piece of mind I have when my Grandkids, my kids, my wife and I get in the Hot Tub is worth the $698 he charged me. The idea of a 220V circuit and water was just a combination that I did NOT like as a DIY project. I am saving a ton of money building my own privacy fence around my yard though. That is something I feel comfortable with as a DIY project.