cremevette

The water was checked at the pool shop yesterday, and the levels were right on. I did back off the floater to one opening and I'm not wheezing since I came in. The test strip still shows okay levels. I think until I get the test kit, I'll have the pool guy check it. It only takes a minute and I'm going past every day. Also, the water hardness is right on, but I know there's stuff to put in there to make the water silky smooth. Is that stuff any good or not?

HAHAH, I'm about to go get in the tub right now. Will take your advice on the test kit. Today I'm going to use the strip. I backed off the bromine yesterday to see how the ozone handles things. I know I still need to keep a good level in there, though. The one thing I'm not crazy about is my lungs getting a bit tight from inhaling the bromine fumes. I had to hit the inhaler the last two nights to breathe comfortably and go to sleep. Anyone else know of this problem?

Thanks, Gman! I actually had second thoughts about getting in and started reading the Water Chemistry section. I realized it was a big NO NO to get in there! I took a water sample to a pool/spa shop and the TA levels were astronomical. I followed their directions, took in another sample this a.m. and it's about 90% there. That was close enough to get in. Ahhhhh!!!!! It's wonderful! I can't believe the difference in tubs in the last twenty years. And I'm also glad I didn't get a lounge. This model - 2006 Sundance Bahia - has seats that slope nicely, and the foot jets are perfect. I found myself nearly lounging anyway. I feel like a million bucks, which is how I remember years ago feeling after I'd get out. Tonight I'm going in after dark. Can't wait! The pool/spa shop will test whenever I take in a sample, no charge. So I'm going to take in a sample in a week and make sure I'm doing things correctly. It really does seem pretty simple, though!

Shipping day came on Saturday, and for anyone in the Pittsburgh area looking to transport a spa, I couldn't recommend Wickstone Spa & Sandblasting enough! Shawn and his electrician moved the spa, put it in place on my deck, and did the electrical quickly and efficiently. I followed the Sundance manual start-up pretty much to a tee, and inherited a bunch of chemicals. My memory is foggy. I left the slow-dissolving bromine floater in for a few hours, tested, and removed it. Is the floater designed to stay in full time? Also, I checked for pH, hardness, and alkalinity. The hardness is fine, the pH is high, and alkalinity is high. I put pH down in the tub, according to the directions, and it barely budged. I guess keep adding until it comes in line, right? With the levels out of whack, is it still okay to use the tub? It would be nice to give the tub a test soak!

"And if you are at all handy with a wrench and a screwdriver you could do what I have done." One more thing ... Jim, I think you might be right. I knocked off a wall light switch this past weekend, and replaced it myself. Lots of caution, lots of paying attention how it came apart, some advice from the helpful man at the hardware store, and I had it put back together myself in no time. Small project, but a big confidence booster. My dad was proud.

Got a bit of a surprise with the 2002 Marquis Mirage. It looked brand new and the owner reported he had never needed to make a repair. Two deal breakers for me though. One is that it's at 31" which is small in my opinion. They state it holds six people, but I don't know where. It's got a lounge, two buckets, and a step/cooling off bench. It didn't look much bigger than a garden tub to me at 210 gallons. I think it's a step down from what I used to have. Second deal breaker was the wood cabinet. It would be going from a sun room to my outdoor deck, and I remember taking care of the cedar yearly. I think I'll give synthetic a try. The Sundance Bahia owner emailed me that he wants to be flexible on the price. That's good news. It's very high on my list. Jim, thanks for the advice on the cover. From the looks of it, I'd give it a couple more years. An Arctic Cub owner is available to look at his tub today. I haven't heard such good reviews on them here, but I suppose it's worth a look. What do you all think of the 2007 reliability? And finally got an email from the owner of a Jacuzzi a couple hours way (yikes). It was "fully operational when it was loaded onto the truck for delivery a few weeks ago." I don't think that one is worth further investigation even at the $1900 asking price! I'm pretty much falling into the "buy a premium used 5 years and under" mode, especially with people knowing they'll have to come down with their prices in this economy.

Excellent points! I saw my first round tub yesterday and thought "less may be more!" My early 90s spa maybe had a couple jets in each seat. No TV, no music, nothing elaborate. Guess what? I slept like a baby when I got out of it. The only things I hated was the lounge, the bubblers, and the floating pillows. I don't remember missing not having 80 jets. I went to look at the Sundance over the weekend. It made the '06 Hot Springs that I missed out on look brand new. The straps were torn on the cover, the cover was dirty, and it had been kept on a slope. I'm sure there had to be times when the water was sloshing over one side. Yet, it looks to be in very good condition. People are quick to point out the warranty, but it's hard getting through to them that it's a crap shoot for me because the warranty will not carry over. I have a couple more to look at soon, but may go back to him with an offer I know he's not going to like. I have a good professional hauler lined up. Unfortunately it will have to go on its side to get placed on my deck. I believe there's a 5' gap between posts in the deck, and I don't see a way around tipping it. Also, with wet weather coming in I hope I didn't miss my chance, as it would have to go through areas of grass.

I forgot one important piece of info ... I'm a 48 yo woman, so I don't have many "handy" skills. I think at this point I'm going to stick with searching for that good used spa. There is a local Sundance, and a Jacuzzi that is a couple hours away.

I'm having a hard time deciding which way to go with the purchase of a spa. I've looked at new and used, premium brand and eBay types. It seems I have four routes to go: 1. new from a dealer with warranty with a hefty pricetag, 2. new from eBay or Walmart with warranty and questionable service and longevity, 3. used premium brand such as Hot Springs or Sundance with no warranty and mid-range price, 4. buy an older one and roll the dice. I looked at two used. One was a Hot Springs, 5 years old, which looked immaculately cared for. The Moto Massage had some issues with the range it flexed, but otherwise it looked brand new. He was asking $4K and got $3.9K for it. I had offered $3K. Also missed out on a 2 year old tub (forget name) that went for $2.5K. And finally, I looked at a 5 year old Sundance yesterday that the seller is firm on $3K. It looked in nearly new condition except for the cover. Like everyone, I'd like to keep the price down, which is why I was leaning toward the good used, but the lack of warranty with a shell makes me pause. I should add this isn't my first go-around with a spa. I had one 15 years ago, so I know the +/- of them. They've changed a lot in the years. Thoughts and suggestions please?