Nfuego

I wish I could help you more, but I've only had mine for 2 weeks... But, I sure would like to hear the answers you requested as well! I never thought about asking the questions that you did before my purchase....but definitely great questions...

Sounds to me like the LA salesman just did a better sell. Tell the guy he's getting 5 HP and the other guy is only offering 2.5 HP but they will both feel good. As a guy we say.....argggggg 5 is better!! Deceptive is what that is and good salesmanship! Nothing more. Absolutely not... Some folks just read what they want to read....don't they?

Waterbear, I'm ANGRY! LOL! I thought I had completely decided what I should buy...the ColorQ... Now, you have given me a choice that is half the price! Thanks a lot, pal! GRIN! Seriously, I really appreciate your time and advice!

I agree 100%. I think the funniest salesperson was the Hot Springs saleswoman. Admittedly, we went in to the store leary because my wife had called the day before and the woman was very short answered...kind of gruff... But, while we were looking, she saw that we had pamphlets from Caldera and LA Spas. She started saying how BAD Caldera Spas were AFTER admitting that the same people made Caldera that make Hot Springs. She never said anything about the LA Spas. She said that the company had tried to get her to sell Caldera in her showroom, but she refused. I'm sure the truth is, she couldn't sell Caldera because someone else in town was already selling Caldera when Hot Springs bought them out. We were considering a Caldera because of the size. The salespeople at the dealership I bought my LA Spa from actually was telling me things that discounted what I thought was so much better about the LA Spa OVER the Caldera! The LA Spa has 2 - 5 HP pumps. The Caldera had a 1 1/2 and a 2 or a 2 and a 2.5. Instead of bashing Caldera, he explained that both would be sufficient and enjoyable. What a concept!

Thanks very much for your reply waterbear... I really appreciate your opinion. Can you give me a short run-through on how a test kit like the Taylor you mention works? What learning curve is there for a novice? Is it all based on color? Do you have to be EXACT with measurements?

If this truly becomes an issue for me later and I find that cartridges would be a financial benefit, I am sure you could make your own converter using PVC Size Converters from Lowes.

That maybe so, and perhaps I dont have to wash the filters weekly, the dealer who set up the spa said I dont have to wash filters that often. But all I keep reading on this forum is people having problems with water chemistry and various types of goo etc. I have not any water chemistry issues apart from a high PH in the first week. Once this was brought under control my spa has been easy to maintain with no water quality issues. That suits me fine a few extra washes and no water chemistry problems = more time to relax in the clean spa. I can't comprehend why people think tossing 3 cloth items in a washing machine and pushing "Gentle" is so difficult.

That is also the only thing I would like different on my HEET. I have found on this forum that quite a few people post negative comments about La Spas. However I dont think any of those people own a La Spa. We find the hydropherapy is excellent in our spa. In my opinion some of the more expensive makes are no better and sometimes worse than my spa. There are lots of companies to buy spas from and as long as people are happy with their choice that is all that should matter. There was a comment about low quality jets, are Waterway a low quality manufacturer then? As for tips I run the filter cycle twice a day for half an hour, I clean the filters more often than my dealer and the manual says, I also check my water daily, as yet I have had no water quality issues. Nfuego Most importantly keep enjoying your spa. Thanks Stuart... As I stated in here, one of the biggest reasons for my purchase was the dealer. They are the best in town. I figured if the best dealer and most helpful dealer that provides the best service in town sells LA Spas, that was enough for me. So far so good...and NO...there has been no lack of enjoyment...even in this heatwave! I also run the filter cycle twice daily for 30 minutes and have been cleaning the filters often. Thanks for your comments!

The reason is they are a low quality spa that is overpriced. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy your spa and have years of trouble free service. And there we run into the major problem of this forum... Sales Ego, Ownership Ego, whatever you want to call it. No example or reason of your opinion. Just cutting down a purchase with no experience or reason for doing so. I looked at a LOT of spas and read a lot of forums and have found NO ONE that actually owns a LA SPA model that has any MAJOR complaints. When we were shopping, we would take in our brochures from one store or the mail to each place we were looking. When a salesperson looked at what we were looking at and started bashing this company or that company, they made my mind up immediately! I don't need to do business with someone that has to bash another model to make theirs look good.

Thanks DJS. We really liked everything about the LA Spas models...all of them actually. I'm really surprised they aren't more popular on this board. But, I don't really care if they are popular or not! I just want something that is worth my purchase...and from what I have experienced so far, I don't think I could be happier with any other brand. If you have any tips or comments, please let me know! Do you have the Ultimate Water Management system or the ozonator? I didn't get either one...

I don't see very many posts on here regarding LA Spas Hot Tubs, so I thought I would post my experience. We live in Springfield, Illinois. Pleasure Pool and Spa is the dealer for LA Spas in town. They were our first choice of where to buy a spa when we started looking because we used to live near their store and had an above ground pool. I used to go there to have them test my pool water and recommend chemicals for me. The people that work there are very helpful. With that said, we nearly decided we were purchasing from them before we even looked at any tubs. When we first started looking, we visited the store and found a model by the name of HEET. We considered buying that floor model, but when the time came, it had sold. So, we started looking at other retailers and brands. We visited at Caldera Dealer and really liked one of their models because it was smaller. We were putting our hot tub inside an existing screened in deck on the back of our house. We had an existing doorway that was 36" wide and the Caldera was only 35 inches tall compared to most other models that were 36 inches tall. When I saw that I wouldn't have to take apart my deck, I really wanted that model. It was a lot cheaper, too...and was sold from an unincorporated section of Springfield that did not charge the extra 1.75% tax that was charged in the rest of the city...Hey, money is money! It didn't have some of the features we really wanted...some of the frilly things. We then looked at some other brands. I don't remember all of them, but we looked at Hot Springs and PDC Spas and a couple of other brands. We really liked the Hot Springs and the PDC, although the PDC has external pumps with a large wooden cover which we thought would take up way too much room on our deck because we would have still needed to add a step for my wife (She's short). We also looked at a lot of other brands online. We got new brochures in the mail nearly every day. We wanted to make sure we bought something that could be serviced locally in Springfield, Illinois. I didn't want to wait for someone to drive from Peoria or Decatur which kept us from considering a Master Spa. So, we ended up right back at Pleasure Pool and Spa and sat down to crunch some numbers. We decided on the Oasis model. It is 9" smaller than the HEET, but still has the same number of seats. Some leg room is lost and the half seat is not included, but this seemed to be the best choice for us. Size was an issue because of the enclosed deck area. We went in asking for a price quote. We upgraded to the two - 5HP pump system with 52 jets instead of the 31. We wanted the air blower, 2 waterfalls (backlit), 4 light package with the different colored lights, standard shell and cabinet...no stereo or tv (we have them out on the deck already). We walked out with a sales receipt. We bought it right then and there. $8000 out the door...which is high, but I thought pretty reasonable. They ordered it and installed it about 3 weeks later. We've had it for two weeks. Aside from the water problems I have described in another post, our experience has been very good. We've had a couple little issues. One of the diverters popped off. It sure puts on a display when that happens! It is amazing how much water is pushed through a hot tub! I had to put plumbers tape on the threads and screw the diverter back on. Our control pad for the on/off buttons for the pumps, lights, air blower, temp settings has a crack over the #2 pump on/off button. We called our dealer and they are ordering a new cover and will come out and replace it. When they do that, I am going to tell them about the diverter popping off so, if it ever needs replaced, they will know it was a problem from the beginning...and hopefully would cover that fix if needed. All in all, we are very pleased with the hot tub. We really like the filter system and being able to toss the filters in the washing machine instead of replacing cartridges. I have read on here that some people have had to replace the filters after a couple of washes. I have not had that experience. We have had to wash them at least 9 times in 2 weeks (recommended washings every other day in the first weeks of setting up) because of the swimsuit suds problem we had. We toss them in the washing machine ALONE on a delicate cycle wash with a little bleach. We are very happy that we upgraded to the 52 jets instead of the 31. I don't really think going from 52 to 59 (and 3 pumps) would be worth the money, but I may be wrong. The seat in the 52 jet system that has about 20 jets to itself is incredible. The lounger is very comfortable. I wish I could turn off the two jets for your hands when in the lounger...other than that, everything is great. The waterfalls and backlighting is very nice. The other corner seat that has a raised seat is a bit too short for me. I can't put my back against the jets and my shoulders under the shell at the same time, but this all works out well for us. I am 6' and my wife is 4' 11". She has an inflatable booster seat to use in the other seats and I mostly use the lounger and corner seat that has all the jets anyway. I can't think of anything else to write...if anyone has comments or questions, I'd be happy to discuss!

Just a quick note to all that have viewed this topic. I re-entered the hot tub last night after 4 days of working on the water chemical levels. All is well today. No skin problems. I was amazed how the levels of chlorine dove off after a 30 minute soak. I know now to check the chemicals after using.

Spawning from this post yesterday: www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=8269 The topic of Electronic Water Testers was discussed...and I being the newbie that already has had problems with my water...and problems reading those silly test strips, would like to know who uses an electronic water tester. If you do, do you like it? Is it difficult to use? Is it quick and painless? I see that they need cartridges of some sort. Are they expensive? What type of you use? I am looking at: LaMotte ColorQ Pro 7 and have been recommended LaMotte Pocket Colorimeter 4A Are the refills approx. the same overall cost? Do they work similar? Opinions?

Thanks very much SugarBear. I went to that website and was surprised to see the ColorQ PRO 7 Water Analyzer, Complete Kit - was reasonable. I assumed it would be very expensive... Before I jump the gun and purchase this item, has anyone else used the ColorQ Pro 7?

Just a note...the "Stabilizer" I use must be another bottle of chemical that I have called "Alkalinity Plus"...

We had a new Spa installed on July 25th... The store we bought the spa from is very reputable and is usually very helpful. Their instructions, along with several people's comments about how easy it is to care for a spa had me a bit lax on water conditioning right off the bat... We used the spa the 25th, 26th, 27th (just my wife and I), then on the 28th we had friends over for some lunch and cold drinks before heading to a baseball game that afternoon. Our friends swim suits quickly filled the hot tub with soap bubbles... We washed the filters that day. The 29th, we had my wife's parents over and the hot tub got used a lot again. We washed the filters again. But, because of my lack of knowledge and instruction, I didn't really mess with the chemicals TOO much for a couple days...the water was a bit cloudy at this point... I came down with Folliculitis after using the hot tub Wednesday night (Aug 1) and then sitting in my swimsuit on our deck and watching a baseball game. I went to the Dr. on Friday, started taking some steroids and antibiotic and am getting better now. In my start up chemical package, I was given: Ph Up Ph Minus Liquid chlorine SeaQuest All Activator Some spray for Foam Bottle of Clear When the water became cloudy, I started TRYING to remedy the problem. I knew the PH was high. I knew the chlorine was LOW. Stabilizer was low. The instructions told me to add 3 oz of chlorine per week, wait 30 minutes and add Activator. I did this in the morning and would come home from work to NO chlorine. I'd do it again. In the morning, no chlorine. I finally got impatient and just started adding 4 or 5 oz of chlorine and activator...no help...I kept it up putting more and more in there until I got the chlorine levels HIGH...this took a couple days. I'm HOPING that this will kill whatever caused my outbreak. They have been high now for about 3 days. My PH was High, so I lowered it...maybe too far...and will adjust again. I have read on here about wiping down all the surfaces with high chlorinated water and will do that. In you folks opinion, is my tub going to be ok to get back into? Should I drain it? I also have a question about the test strips...given the list of chemicals I have at this point, what is my stabilizer? My test strips show that "test", but I have no idea what it is...and the installers said to kind of ignore that one. Also, speaking of the test strips...the oranges and reds of the PH test are baffling to me...maybe I have a orange/red bit of color blindness or something, but I was wondering if anyone here uses and trusts any particular ELECTRONIC tester for the water? I would much rather have a digital readout telling me that my PH is 7.4 rather than hoping that orange felt looks pretty much like the little box on the bottle, when I can't really tell if it looks 7.4 or 8.2!!! If you do like an electronic PH tester, is there one that will test all the chemicals for a hot tub (one that isn't $500)...??? Thank you everyone for providing so much helpful information in this forum. You really go out of your way to help complete strangers.

Thanks very much for your reply. AT least you expained a couple of the extra options that I have and honestly didn't understand. We are going to test it Thursday evening and then make some decisions!

I have been looking at hot tubs for a while and have decided to go ahead and make the plunge and buy one in a month or so... The most reputable dealer that I know of in the Springfield, Illinois area sells LA Spas. I was quite surprised they are not mentioned on here very much. After reading this post: http://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=2459 I at least knew they were a decent brand, and went down to the store and looked at a couple. They have a HEET model in the showroom that had most things that we are looking for. The price isn't outrageous, but I would like to post their price on here and see what everyone thinks. Fisrt Timer has the following options on the one he bought: 63 Jets 3 5HP Pumps Lighting Package Ultimate Water Management System Stainless Jet Rings Neck Jets Cover Lifter Wood Steps Neck Jets and he paid $8200 out the door. What I am looking at is 32 Jets/58 Ports (don't really know what this means!) 2 5 HP Pumps Aqua Clean Filtration System (Not the Ultimate Water Management System...don't know the difference yet) Spa Cover (I'm sure I can get the lifter added in for free) Two Collar Seats w/neck and shoulder jets Air Blower Injector System 24 LED Light (no lights around the top/outside of the unit) Two waterfall neck massagers Plastic Steps They have a price sheet stating: MSRP 9937 Sale Price 7596 In Stock Floor Model 6999 At this price, my out the door price would be about $7500. Included delivery and setup. They are a local dealer that services their own stuff. I have used them before when I had an above ground pool. They are probably the most helpful salespeople I have ever used. The salesman said that we could come back next week sometime (we opted for Thursday) for a test soak. He also said the owner would be willing to negotiate the price. My wife is younger...31. I am 41. We have a 15 year old son (my son...her stepson). My wife and I both have arthritis fairly bad. She goes to the healthclub to sit in a hot tub sometimes, but states that the jets are not what she is interested in as much as the heat. That is one reason I am not so worried about the lower jet count. What are your opinions?