cozypup

I invented it, you can read about it on our site. I have also put in more spas like this than most anybody has. I went to your site but I couldn't find the info on this. Does anyone have a basic diagram I could look at?

Thank you so much for taking the time to send your advice. I'm so glad I asked. This is a great forum! I have a few more questions for you below if you have time- An in-ground model would be really difficult to get rid of if you want to get a new spa in 10 years or so - you'd have to actually disconnect plumbing, dig it out, and who knows what else. Unlike planting a tree or putting in a patio, a hot tub is a mechanical item, and ALL of them - no matter what brand - will eventually fail. Like cars. Also, manufacturers keep coming out with new models, with better jets, more features, etc. (just like cars). If you like the tub, you'll eventually want a new one. If you buy a "portable" one, as the dealer suggests, it will be easier to take out. You can build tubs into decks and patios - if done right, it could blend well enough that you'd probably never know the difference. OK - That makes sense and gives a good reason to reconsider a portable. But, with an in-ground, since only the shell is buried (and the pipes) wouldn't we probably just need to replace the pump/heater/etc or whatever equipment there is - which is all easily accessible and above ground? The tub shell itself should last more than 10 years right? So, the dealer's advice is not bad. Is there any other reason you're considering looking at a different dealership? The dealer was very condescending when we approached him with our questions. He basically said "why would you want to do that? No one does it that way anymore" then ... "Well I'd be happy to sell it to you if you really want it." No, I'm sure there are much nicer spa salesmen out there, so he won't be getting our business. If he had politely given us the reasons you've brought up, we might feel differently. (By the way, are you in the L.A. Area?) 2. As for other options, read through some of the posts here and you'll probably get a pretty good idea of which brands are considered to be the best. Among them are such diverse brands as Marquis, Hot Spring, Dimension One, Sundance, Caldera, Hot Spring, Jacuzzi, Arctic, Catalina, Artesian, and several others. So, all of these are good quality brands? Are there any brands to avoid?

Hello Spa Forum, We are in the process of planning a complete overhaul of our small backyard with a new spa as the centerpiece. We have a landscape contractor working with us but he doesn't have much experience with spas and our family has never owned a spa before. I picture my husband and I enjoying it in the evenings and our son playing in there with his friends during the day. But we do not want just a typical boxy spa sitting on a deck. We prefer a more free-form shape that will integrate better in the space we have. We plan to incorporate it into a fieldstone patio. A custom shaped spa would be perfect but it's cost-prohibitive. Here are my questions: #1 We like the design of the CalSpa DIJ404. We talked to a CalSpa dealer (L.A. area) who tried to talk us out of it and tried to talk us into a "built-in" portable instead. Is our plan really such a bad idea or should we just look for a different dealer? #2 After reading all the complaints about CalSpas poor quality and service on: www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/cal_spas.htm we've started having second thoughts about them and are looking for other options... #3 Is there ANYWHERE to get unbiased consumer ratings about all the different spa companies out there? Why doesn't Consumer Reports rate hot tubs? This is such a huge purchase (and our decision literally will be "set in stone") so we don't want to screw up. #4 How does one "wet test" an in-ground spa before purchase? Please, any advice will be much appreciated!