danthespaman316

Size #10 1/2" ID, 11/16 OD. Double check this against your heater element but that's what most manufacturers use. If you have a Fastenal store nearby I'd check with them but you can find these o-rings at most large hardware stores. Good luck to you.

Hayward makes a great heater, but I'd contact customer service before I used it all winter. If you do get the go ahead, have your plumber put in a couple of T's with slice or ball valves at the intake and outflow so you can easily switch the heater from one pool to the other. It's much easier to cut off one set of valves and open up the other than it is to remove and connect plumbing every 6 months. However, considering the size and location, I'd suggest using a 110V spa pack (similar to https://www.spaguts.com/SpaGuts-VS-CS-SpaPacks.aspx ) with a 1 HP (Max) pump and an in line cartridge filter. You'll probably have to provide the GFCI plug and cord. Fumes can build up quickly in small enclosed spaces so I'd also suggest an ozone unit to help with chem maintenance. The entire setup will only require 15-20 amps so a dedicated wall outlet should be all you need. And if you're not running the above ground unit at the same time, you should have a line to spare. If your son has noise sensitivities, keep in mind that the pump running inside a shed won't be the quietest thing in the world. You may want to place it inside a closet-like enclosure in the shed and use foam insulation boards to deaden the sound. These things are made to be inside of spa cabinets so they generally require minimal air flow. 30-50 cubic feet should do you for size. Good luck to you guys and let us know what you figure out.

It wont do much good unless you tilt up the tub, remove the subframe, coat all sides and then re-install it. If you don't coat each board entirely, it will likely end up trapping any moisture that gets in. Even then I wouldn't trust Flex Seal to hold up over time. If you're going through all that trouble, replace it with Trex or some other solid core composite decking and you don't have to worry about it ever again.

If it has a plug that fits in a standard wall outlet then it should be 110V, 220V units are hard wired and shouldn't have a plug at all. I say should because you never know what some people will attempt to do to a hot tub. 1.5HP pumps are as much as 110 will push so you normally only see those in a 110 tub. If the plug isn't a GFCI style (see photo) make sure that your outlet or breaker that will be running the tub is a GFCI. Most tubs that are 110 can be converted to 220 which allows you to run the pump and heater at the same time. Wire placement and/or dipswitch settings can be different depending on desired voltage so keep that in mind if do want to wire it in for 220. Good luck to you.

Your main issue with ordering something online is who will take care of you if things go wrong. If the CL tubs are backed by a local store that takes care of warranty work then that wouldn't be a bad option. However, I'd be leery of any company that uses CL as their main form of advertising or local presence. Do an independent search for any reviews on the brand before you buy. As someone mentioned earlier, there are some quality rotomolded hot tubs like Dream Maker that are decently built and normally run under $4500. If you bump your budget by around $1000 you should be able to find something with better quality from a more well known company (Jacuzzi, Calspas, etc.). It would be in their entry level series so you won't have all the bells and whistles but the construction will last. Good luck either way.

Hot Springs and Sundance are probably the 2 best known companies when it comes to overall quality, ease of ownership, longevity and reputation. I'm not personally familiar with Beachcomber so I won't chime in on their work. In my opinion the most important thing is to buy from a local company with a good reputation of taking care of their customers. Regardless of manufacturer, things can go wrong with your tub. Buy from someone you trust will assist you if/when that happens. Good luck.

In general, the spa setup and size dictates the filter size and the filter size dictates the amount of pleating. That filter has 50 sqft of pleated paper which is based on it's overall size and shape. If you could find something in the proper size with 40 sqft of pleating then yes, it should hypothetically allow for better flow. However, it would also clog more quickly and and have a lesser overall lifespan than what you have. I don't know of anything in that size with less pleating. Like I said, the flow from a circ pump won't agitate the water enough to get heavier particles up and past your weir and into the basket. That's what your purge is for and even then you won't get all of it. Units with weir gates are better at trapping floating debris than bobbing weirs so it will also depend on your system. My best advice is to invest in a spa vac, there are a couple of nifty options out there that suck debris up but filter the water back into the tub. Also a decent sized handheld net from any aquarium store will come in handy.

Your filtration pump won't have enough pull to suck floaties off the top of the water or enough power to agitate dirt or grit off the bottom of the tub. It's really just there to turn your water over and generally runs you heat cycles. Your jet pumps should still kick on for purge and filtration twice a day and even then they're unlikely to produce enough agitation to get everything out of your water. The PRB50-IN (white pleats, not blue) is a standard pleated filter and about as high flow as you're going to find. Hope I'm not misunderstanding the problem. Good luck.

It can be done but logistically speaking it'd be a nightmare, and an expensive one at that. You'd have to pour/build a custom masonry pit that exceeds the dimensions of the unit by a minimum of 2' per side to allow access to the side panels and the equipment therein. It would require excellent drainage and/or a sump system. You'd have to frame out deck supports and build removable panels of decking that run at ground level between the edge of the pit and the edge of the swim spa. If you're going to all that trouble and expense, you would be better off purchasing an inground swim spa that has the equipment located away from the unit and simply insulating the equipment housing. As far as noise reduction goes, you could make a portable unit's equipment dang near silent by building a 3' wide solid side walled deck around the entire spa and using foam or acoustic panels to line the inside. Again you'd have to allow for access to the units cabinet panels but it'd be a heck of a lot easier.

Your tub is probably running as it should. Tubs can't cool themselves so if it's hot outside, it will eventually cause the temp to rise in your tub. Drain some water out and replace it with cold from your hose until you get under 100 and see if it starts to heat. If the unit shuts down after getting back to 102 it's fine. Good luck.

The units I'm talking about are self-contained. All of the equipment is located within the unit's cabinet. They're purchased, delivered and set up as 1 packaged unit. It's literally a giant hot tub with specialized swim jets (see picture). The wrap keeps noise from getting outside the cabinet, full foam keeps it from echoing throughout the tub. If you go with something like an Endless Pool which is typically configured closer to an inground pool build, I assume that you can locate the equipment up to 30ish feet away from the unit. However, you would have to build some sort of housing around the equipment to deaden noise to the equivalency of a "portable" swim spa. Seeing one first hand would be your best bet.

Mineral sanitizers aren't made for that size of spa. The sheet that come with those things will state that they're for tubs up to around 400-500 gallons. Even then, you'd need to know the number of bodies in it on a given day to be able to add the proper amount of Oxi to activate the sanitizer. If you need/want to drop some knowledge on the landlord, show him that sheet. As everyone else has already stated, chlorine is the only way to go for that tub. Especially when you consider that you have no control/knowledge of the amount that people who use it or what kind of crap they might be bringing into the water with them (lotions, hair products, etc.) Good luck to you.

If you've ever been in a hot tub that's running 2 x 5+HP pumps, it sounds like that. Insulation wrap on the cabinet panels will deaden some of the noise, full foam insulation will also help immensely. When you're in the tub, the sound of the current will drown out most of the pump noise regardless. Keep in mind that big bodies of water like that take a lot of time to heat up so don't expect to swim in 82 degree water @ 6:00 and soak in 102 degree water at 9:00. We sell Calspas and I think they're a good tub for the price when it comes to swim spas. Not the best, but definitely worth a look. Most major metros have a dealer. The insulation wrap comes standard but the full foam is an option that would be worth it for your needs. Catalina also made a good swim spa but I haven't laid eyes on a new one for the better part of a decade and don't believe they offer full foam. Regardless, try to find something that offers a circulation pump that also runs your tub's heating function as it will greatly reduce your energy cost come winter. Good luck to you and the wife.

I probably prefer the SD's filtration system. Replacing the UV bulb will run you $75/yr compared to the $100/5 yrs to replace a CD ozone unit. It's all a wash when you account for the shorter lifespan of pillows and covers due to CD ozone deterioration. So feel free to pick either side, they both have their merits. Regardless of brand preference, you're not fitting 4 adults comfortably in the Vanguard unless you're counting the step/cooldown seat and I'm not a fan of the Moto Massage. So I'd boil it down to my trust in the dealer and whether or not I think the better jetting (bigger jets, more action) and filtration on the Chelsee is worth $1000 over the Pulse. I'd say yes to the latter, but again, I'm partial to SD in this particular debate. That being said, Sundance and Hot Springs are the upper echelon of tubs because of the quality of everything they use. They're both very easy to own and efficient to run. You really can't go wrong with any of those three options. Calspas are good tubs but are a little more about the bells and whistles than overall craftsmanship. I could take or leave Caldera. Pricing seems right for California. Good luck to you.

Almost everything on there is dependent upon where you're located. Real estate costs, bills, etc. are all going to vary so much from area to area. Likewise good sales months will vary but figure spring and fall as your key quarters. A lot of the other stuff is based on your competition. The amount of inventory you need is dependent upon how much direct competition you have. If you're the only game in town, stock floor models only and order the rest to keep your overhead low. If there are plenty of places to choose from you may want to stock some extra tubs to please the gotta have it now crowd. Flooring split depends on inventory Likewise with hours, you have to keep up with the Jones'. 10-6 are good hours in most places. Your busy times are when your customers aren't working (noon, after 5:00 and weekends). Get what you can afford with at least 2000 sqft. Split will depend on if you're doing retail/service/repair and how much you intend to stock. If you do anythg 4-6 tubs minimum on the floor with one wet model, preferably an non lounger because it's important to sit in a lounger unit to check size. Which is difficult when a unit has 350 gallons of water in it. Buy tubs outright if you can, finance them via your vendor or your bank if you can't. Have your own tech, it's important to service what you sell. It's beneficial that they're not a dumpster fire on the sales floor but that's secondary to technical knowledge and ability. Get a spa dolly trailer for moves and deliveries. Most tubs require 2 guys if you have the right equipment. Hire a crew if you can afford it, otherwise do it yourself with your tech. It's a good look to be doing grunt work as an owner, makes people think you're willing to do anything to make them happy. You can recommend contractors for electrical and concrete but maintain that you are in no way responsible for their work. You're not a GC so don't subcontract, you don't want their screw up to fall on your head and you have no control over when they decide to get flaky. Don't ask for compensation from contractors, it makes you look like a schmuck. Instead treat them right and let them refer sales to you in kind. It's a contractor's responsibility to know your areas codes for distances from utilities, don't get involved and don't answer that question if you don't know. As far as accessories go, if you don't show it, you won't sell it. Stock whatever you intend on selling. Chems, lifts and steps are a must, everything else is optional. Don't sell anything you don't intend to work on when it breaks. Good luck.

I would double check the hardness on your tub. Too soft or hard of water can easily cause the symptoms you're describing. If the film/residue is chalky I'd guess you're too hard, if it's slimy you're to soft. I generally prefer my water on the higher side of acceptable, it tends to be less problematic. If you're hardness is good, excessive body care products like lotion or hair pucky could be the culprit. That crap will wreck a tubs water pretty quickly and clarifier has a hard time consolidating oils. Hope this helps and good luck.