halfshell

Just FYI - My 2006 Nordic Crown XL maintains the set temp perfectly. I've checked and double checked the water temp with several different thermometers it's always exactly what the digital display on the tub reads. I wouldn't be too happy with a 2-3 degree F difference between the set temp/digital readout and the actual water temp.

I'm happy to report that Christmas was our 3 year anniversary with our Nordic Crown XL and we've been extremely pleased with it. We still use it frequently and have not had one single issue with it. It maintains water temp perfectly and water maintenance is a breeze. Thanks to the materials used for the shell and cabinet, it still looks brand new. I'll probably replace the cover in the spring with something a little better/thicker and it uses a bit more electricity than I think it should but after 3 years, I would eagerly recommend one to someone looking for a reasonably priced tub!

Whoa there fellas. I don't have a problem with Trigger's post about Nordics' lack of insulation/energy efficiency and don't see why anyone else would either. I was the one that pointed out our Nordic uses more electricity than I'd like just so anyone considering buying one based on my (and other's) glowing review wouldn't be caught by surprise. We are going on our third winter season (our favorite for soaking!) and I'm hoping to find the time to try out some insulation options.

Ok...just 1 month shy of 2 years with the Nordic Crown XL and I'm happy to report it still works and looks as good as first day. No service issues at all since we got it, water maintenance is a breeze and it maintains the set temp perfectly. Couldn't be more satisfied with the purchase and I'd recommend one to anyone looking for a round tub. The only downside is that it does use a bit more energy than I'd like but I haven't added any insulation to the cabinet despite plans to do so. For the price we paid and the enjoyment we get out of it, I've been willing to deal with the few extra $ it costs to run it.

Never had anything like that happen with my Nordic XL. You're right, the manual is almost worthless. Try pressing and holding the light button until "4" shows up on the display. Then press the light button again. If that doesn't work, call the factory (number should be in the manual) and ask someone there. I called them once and got immediate help. Good luck,

Can't go by dollar figures for your power consumption since the amount everyone pays for electricity varies wildly. It sounds to me like you live in an area with high rates but I can only assume that since you didn't put your location in your profile. How much do you pay for a kWh of electricity? That tub could be using anywhere from 10 to 25 kWh per day, especially in the colder months. You'll hear lots of people here tell you that the Infinity spas are not well insulation and use a lot of power. They may be right. My spa which is not very well insulated uses about 12-14 kWh/day in the coldest months. I pay $0.19 per kWh so that costs me about $75 month in Winter.

I feel the same. If they ask, no offense here either but we did buy our tub to enjoy it with friends and family. LOL at your "excuse". I'm sure it'll work!

About the same "guesstimate" on elec. usage here. Maybe a bit more in the coldest months. I don't have a circ pump though. Keep the temp at 102 in the Winter.

Yes. Standard 06 model cover. Insulates very well but seams on cover material showing signs of wear and stress from moving cover around. Nordic said they would warranty the wear but I have to take all apart and ship them the worn part (or my dealer would ship it).

Just wanted to report that we just passed the 1 year mark with our Nordic tub and have had no problems whatsoever! Water holds perfect temp, pump runs and sounds like new, shell material is amazing (like new with no maintenance despite several tub parties) and the cabinet also looks like new. Water maintenance has been a breeze as well - especially once I got a routine going and stopped micromanaging the chemicals. After hearing about the problems some other new tub owners have reported, I told my wife, "we made a good choice and we've probably been a little lucky too!" The only negatives are a slightly higher electric usage than I anticipated (not too bad) and some cover wear that happened during the first few months before I fabricated a cover shelf/holder. I'd happily recommend a Nordic to anyone looking for a simple, fun and reliable (and very affordable!) tub.

WOW - I couldn't even imagine getting ino 115 degree water. 104 is about all I can handle. I think the biggest question right now is...Can a softub even generate enough heat to get the water to 115? Since it uses thermal transfer from the pump motor and not a dedicated heater, I wonder if it's even possible. Even if the board controls could be overriden, I doubt the water could get that warm - especially during the colder times of the year. Good luck with your quest for really hot water!

Like others have pointed out, you can ONLY use kWh to analyze and compare electric usage - either from one period to another or between tubs. The cost per kWh varies wildly from region to region and even time of day in some places. Here in CT I pay about $0.19 per kWh. When I got my Nordic tub in December of 2006, I started keeping track of our electric bills. I figured the tub accounted for an increase of about 15-16 kWh per day. In a 30 day month, that's about 450 kWh or about $85!!! If the spa industry uses $0.08/kWh as their basis for computing electrical costs per month, then - even in the coldest months - it would be about $36/month for me. That's right where my salesman said I'd be - $30-40 month. When I got my first few electric bills after having the tub for a while, I almost choked but then realized the actual electric usage is about where it "should" be. In your case, it appears you're using an additional 25 kwh/day since you added the tub. To me, that's a lot. That would cost me about $150/month! Since Nordic tubs are not known for having the best insulation, I'm going to try to add something to the cabinet over the next few weeks in preparation for our New England winter.

I finally got around to taking some pics this afternoon of our backyard/patio/hot tub area here in Connecticut. Our friends call it "Party Central". My wife and I put a lot of work into the house and yard since we bought the place 5 years ago and the tub was our reward. The tub is a Nordic Crown XL that we bought last December and love. It's been very reliable and fun to own. We've had our share of tub parties and had as many as 6 people in at one time. The deck under the tub is just a 12 x 12 Trex-decked platform that is "floating" on some concrete blocks bedded into compacted soil. It was made with the proper support for the weight of the tub and since it's not connected to the house, there was no need for deep concrete footings. Some additional landscaping will take place at the back of the tub deck to dress things up there next spring. The gazebo over the tub was purchased from Target. It's very heavy duty and is bolted to the deck. We wanted something to keep the sun off the tub in the Summer and it's been great. I'll take the canvas top off in the Winter but plan on leaving the frame in place. The colorful side panels on the gazebo are something my wife made to replace the boring, bland netting that came with the gazebo. We both wanted something that offered a little privacy and I particularly wanted to use colors that were sort of tropical and reminded me of very colorful hot air balloons. The railing/cover holder at the back of the gazebo is something I designed and had fabricated by a local metal shop. It's a multi-function piece that offers some safety since the back of the platform is about 2' off the ground and serves as a really nice cover support and holder. My wife wanted something that she could slide the folded cover onto when she went in the tub alone so the top bar of the railing is the same height as the top of the tub. I put the L-shaped supports on the back to store the cover completely out of the way when needed. It really works better than I planned and solved the problem of finding a decent cover lifter that fits the Crown XL. (BTW - I searched and never found one.) For the musical entertainment, there are 7 speakers placed around the tub and patio area including 2 rock speakers, 2 speakers in the gazebo (mounted to the vertical posts and hidden by the dark purple panels in the corners!) and 1 rock subwoofer right next to the tub platform. All of this is powered by a 600 watt system located in the attached garage. I was able to plan for this when we built the patio and retaining wall and all the speaker wires are in conduit buried around the yard and patio. Luckily for me, my neighbors don't mind the music, even when it gets cranking. Lots of low voltage lighting completes the scene at night. Hope you enjoy the pics as much as we enjoy our oasis.

They MAY be doing something different for insulation but I'm certain that my 06 Crown XL is not "well insulated". It's alright but definitely could be better.

I have an 06 model. They may have improved on the insulation for 07 but I also have the closed cell foam sprayed all over the bottom of the shell. If it's not FULL foam or if there's no additional cabinet insulation, then it's probably the same. The cover probably is the most important aspect of insulation. I know mine works well because snow doesn't melt off it so it must be doing a good job of insulating. I heard that the bubble type thermo blankets don't do much but the foam ones do. Keep us updated on your new tub and try to track the electricity usage by kWh per month - before and after.