dexter7701

Hi Everyone... Just had my Hotspot SX delivered and installed yesterday. Got it with all the bells and whistles, ozonator, circ pump, cover lifter, etc. It looks great and the delivery and setup was superb. No damage to the tub, no leaks and everything works as it is supposed to. Call me "Happy, Happy". Now for the care questions: 1) They gave me a years worth of free chemicals. A silver Ionizer stick (will receive one every three months), SpaGuard oxidizer enhanced shock, and silk balance. Since it is only 285 gallons, the instructions were one cap full of shock, and 3 ounces of silk balance per week. That's all, no other chemicals. Just clean the filter once a week and then add the chemicals. Is this all I need to do? The tub will be used by two of us most nights for about 30 minutes. 2) The setup guy told me to keep the vinyl cover clean to make it last. My tub is under a lot of pecan trees and during the late summer, they sprinkle "sap" everywhere and make everything "sticky". Also, during pecan season, the pecans drop like crazy as well as leaves and their little pod twigs. He told me that saddle soap works well, but I don't think it will help with the sticky sap problem. I found a product called "303 Aerospace Protectant" to be used on vinyl, etc. and specifically mentioned spa covers. Is this a good product and do any of you use it? It has great online reviews. 3) It came with a "scum sponge". Do these work and how often do you have to buy a new one? 4) The setup guy also told me to buy a "magic eraser" to remove any marks or buildup on the outer part of the acrylic shell. Not the abrasive one, just the original "magic eraser". Is this okay, or, do you guys have a better way? Any other maintenance hints will be welcome... Thanks

Spa Savant, The TX was really too small and when the wife said it was too claustrophobic for her it was definitely out. So we bought the SX since it's 6'x6' footprint would fit the space we have for a spa without crowding out all other uses for the remaining patio space. To quote the wife, "I don't want the spa to be the main focal point of our outside living area". Guess who wins that argument? In fact, we are now arguing about exactly where on the patio to place the spa and still maximize the use of the remaining patio space. The actual extra cost of the SX versus the TX is actually very small. Where the price increased was in the extras I felt we needed because of the larger spa. At 285 gallons versus the SX's 140, I thought the silentflow circ pump became a necessity, and, since we are in our 60's, the larger size and height of the SX also required the cover lifter and the steps. The dealer was really great and recognized our budget, so he lowered his price on these extras to make the sale. We are both happy with the SX and hope that it will be great addition to our outdoor lifestyle. Just as a side note, we both really liked the better Jetsetter model, but at 7' long and over $8,000 is just didn't meet our requirements. Just wondering. Does anybody out there own an SX model? We are both in our 60's with some arthritis and back issues and bought this spa not only for relaxation, but mainly for hydrotherapy. We realize that this model is at the lower end of the Hotspring line, but with our budget and space constraints we felt that this was the biggest bang for our bucks. Also, I can't say enough about this dealer and they have rave reviews for both sales and service.

Markee, Thanks for the information on the Marquis, but the closest dealer to me here 35 miles southwest of Ft. Worth is in Oklahoma, which is way to far away. I'm smart enough to know that with this kind of purchase I am better off buying from a local dealer with a good reputation. Basically my two best options were a Hotspring dealer or a Sundance dealer. I was really impressed with the Hotspring dealer and I think I got a great price on the Hot Spot SX with all the bells and whistles. Just waiting for it to come in and be installed, which should be in about another 3 to 4 weeks.

Guess I'll reply to my own question... Went to my Hotspring dealer this afternoon to look at the Hotspot TX model in his showroom. Nice small 2 person tub, but it really is too small as, I'm guessing, are most corner triangular tubs. Wife and I tested it and our feet were together in foot well. That and she said she felt really closed in and would not be comfortable in it. Looked at the top of the line Jetsetter, but it was really too expensive for our use and it was a foot too long for our patio space. We settled on the Hotspot SX model. Big enough for 3 or 4 if one uses the cool down seat and really nice for when it is just the two of us. It fits the patio at a perfect 6' x 6' especially the way the corners are rounded. The dealer was really great and worked with us on the price. Being older, in our 60's, I didn't want to spend a lot of time maintaining the tub, so I bought the Everfresh filter system and the continuous Silentflow 5000 circulation options. Also got a Covercradle II coverlifter and matching stairs. I think I got a great price, with all options installed, delivery, setup and a 1 year of free chemicals including the Silk required by the Everfresh system. Total $5800 + tax. I think that was a very fair price and the dealer is really great to work with. Call me happy, happy. Can hardly wait for the install, since we wanted the Pearl/Expresso it has be ordered and we should have it in 4 weeks or a little less. Any comments pro or con on this would surely be welcomed.

Hi, I've had a large square spa before, but now I need to purchase a small 2 person spa because of limited patio space. My patio is 16 ft wide by 13 ft deep and is rounded at the outside corners. A triangular corner type spa seems ideal as they are usually a 5'8" x 5"8" triangle shape and one of the rounded corners will fit into the radius curve at the end of my patio. I've only seen two models that seem to be a perfect fit. One is a HotSprings Hot Spot model TX and the other is a Sundance series 680 Tacoma. They are very similar in almost every way. The price from the Hotsprings dealer for the Hot Spot TX is $4,895 and includes the optional Hotsprings Everfresh Water Care System (I hate having to continually battle water balancing problems as where I live the water is hard and full of minerals), one year of all necessary chemicals, locking cover, and, delivery and setup. The price from the Sundance dealer for the series 680 Tacoma is $5,995 plus some shipping charges since the dealer normally doesn't carry this model, and, from what I can tell the cover is an extra cost. My Hotsprings dealer is the largest and most respected dealer in the DFW area and has a location much closer to me than the Sundance dealer. I'm leaning towards the Hot Spot TX because of price as I just don't think that the Sundance model is that much better for over an extra $1,000 plus more for shipping and a cover. Just wondering what some of your feedback is as to my decision. Also, wondering if I should add the optional SilentFlo 5000 constant circulation pump to this Hot Spot TX. My dealer says that he will do it at his cost, but in a small tub like the TX (140 gallons), he says that it's really overkill and I should save my money. I asked him about the efficiency of the standard pump keeping the spa clean and hot and he says that the Wavemaster 4000 in this small a spa is more than adequate, using the proper settings, and is relatively quiet because of the cabinet insulation and the insulated cover. Looking forward to hearing any thoughts..... thanks in advance...