Infinity Spa From Costco... We Love It!

[winszlo]

We've been using our Infinity Columbia spa nearly every day since we bought it online about three months ago from Costco.com... and we love it!

We had to arrange for a crane (to the tune of about $200) to get it up on our deck. And we had to spend another couple hundred for the GFI breaker and wire to hook it up.

Infinity was good about resolving a few minor issues. The unit was delivered with one of the three headrest pillows not attached and it took several back and forth communications to figure out how to get it back on. A few of the jets were hard to turn on and off at first, but with a little help from an Infinity technician, I was able to correct that minor problem as well. Otherwise, the gadget has been working flawlessly. After a bit of trial-and-error and wading through the remarkably inconsistent literature on the subject, we've also figured out how to maintain the chemistry and cleanliness of our spa.

All in all, we have been very pleased with our Costco purchasing experience and I can't imagine how it could have been any smoother -- or the product itself be any better -- if I had purchased it from a major dealer. One factor may be that we live on the north coast of Oregon and many miles from any spa dealers. But still, a few computer clicks and the spa was delivered a few weeks later! And based on several shopping trips to big spa showrooms, the price was very reasonable.

It's early in its life yet, so maybe we'll have a rude awakening down the road, but major brand or not, this unit's components appear to be all from major manufacturers. The motor is GE, the control unit is by Balboa Instruments, etc. I'm no expert, but the overall quality of the construction seems good. Enough insulation and nice, thick fiberglass tub walls. It appears to have added about $20 per month to our electric bill in the cold months of January and February, but we do not have very low temperatures in this part of the world (usually the coldest days are still in the low 30's)... and electricity is cheap here (~ $ .065 per KWH), plus the Columbia is a small tub (200 gallons -- 5' X 7' X 32"). Based on our electricity usage, and assuming an average temperature differential from inside the tub to outside of 60 deg F, I calculate the K value of the insulation to be about equivalent to 1" of urethane foam (.18). That seems reasonable to me. What else do you need? It ain't rocket science!

For us first-time spa owners, it is a wonderful addition to our home. We had no idea what a big difference it would make. No matter what stresses and strains the day has presented, we have repeatedly found that a soak is like taking a little mini-vacation right out our door!

[thestallion]

We've been using our Infinity Columbia spa nearly every day since we bought it online about three months ago from Costco.com... and we love it!

We had to arrange for a crane (to the tune of about $200) to get it up on our deck. And we had to spend another couple hundred for the GFI breaker and wire to hook it up.

Infinity was good about resolving a few minor issues. The unit was delivered with one of the three headrest pillows not attached and it took several back and forth communications to figure out how to get it back on. A few of the jets were hard to turn on and off at first, but with a little help from an Infinity technician, I was able to correct that minor problem as well. Otherwise, the gadget has been working flawlessly. After a bit of trial-and-error and wading through the remarkably inconsistent literature on the subject, we've also figured out how to maintain the chemistry and cleanliness of our spa.

All in all, we have been very pleased with our Costco purchasing experience and I can't imagine how it could have been any smoother -- or the product itself be any better -- if I had purchased it from a major dealer. One factor may be that we live on the north coast of Oregon and many miles from any spa dealers. But still, a few computer clicks and the spa was delivered a few weeks later! And based on several shopping trips to big spa showrooms, the price was very reasonable.

It's early in its life yet, so maybe we'll have a rude awakening down the road, but major brand or not, this unit's components appear to be all from major manufacturers. The motor is GE, the control unit is by Balboa Instruments, etc. I'm no expert, but the overall quality of the construction seems good. Enough insulation and nice, thick fiberglass tub walls. It appears to have added about $20 per month to our electric bill in the cold months of January and February, but we do not have very low temperatures in this part of the world (usually the coldest days are still in the low 30's)... and electricity is cheap here (~ $ .065 per KWH), plus the Columbia is a small tub (200 gallons -- 5' X 7' X 32"). Based on our electricity usage, and assuming an average temperature differential from inside the tub to outside of 60 deg F, I calculate the K value of the insulation to be about equivalent to 1" of urethane foam (.18). That seems reasonable to me. What else do you need? It ain't rocket science!

For us first-time spa owners, it is a wonderful addition to our home. We had no idea what a big difference it would make. No matter what stresses and strains the day has presented, we have repeatedly found that a soak is like taking a little mini-vacation right out our door!

Congratulations ....The cost of crane and hook up would be the same as a dealer would have been, so your cost is the same....what did the tub run you....Is it a 110 spa?

[Dr. Spa]

this is tough to resist............

Based on our electricity usage, and assuming an average temperature differential from inside the tub to outside of 60 deg F, I calculate the K value of the insulation to be about equivalent to 1" of urethane foam (.18). That seems reasonable to me.

R value is the reciprocal of the K value. This puts the insulating value of your spa at R-5.5 (PU foam by the way has an arguable R value of 7.5 per inch). R-5.5? Bud, that's ABSOLUTELY AWFUL! A house is insulated to a minimum of R-12, and the temperature differential (from inside the house to outside) is around 35 degrees LESS than a spa.

[JudyLa]

Congratulations on your purchase. Dr. Spa do you ever have anything positive to say? I have yet to see it.

[Dr. Spa]

Science and facts are neither positive nor negative. However, my post was quite positive! I am positive everything I posted is positively true.

[Pathfinder]

I could be wrong, but it sounds like a well pitched ad for Costco. It really does, who gives a spa review that sounds like something out of a brochure. This review was also posted on another forum from out of nowhere. Threads like this make me suspicious. If I am wrong congrats on your spa!!!

[104 Degrees]

After a bit of trial-and-error and wading through the remarkably inconsistent literature on the subject, we've also figured out how to maintain the chemistry and cleanliness of our spa.

For us first-time spa owners,

it sounds like people are not interested in a spa when they read about the "itch" . how do you maintain your spa?

[spatech (the unreal one)]

Congratulations on your purchase. Dr. Spa do you ever have anything positive to say? I have yet to see it.

Having been on this site for a few years I would say Dr Spa is both one of the most unbiased and more knowledgeable people on this site. He is very data driven and was obviously filling in the blanks on a statement that was part incomplete and part incorrect.

You are new and may have gotten a different impression but in this case it is inaccurate.

[winszlo]

In response to "The Stallion": Thanks. The tub cost $3200 including shipping. It is 220V with a 50amp breaker. It has a single GE pump supposedly 6hp... seems quite adequate for the 31 jets (which, of course can be shut down individually for increased power at the open ones). It has a 4kw heater which seems to be also sufficient -- raises the temp about 8 or 9 degrees per hour on a chilly day (30-40 degsF).

In response to "Dr. Spa": You have a good point. Now that I think about it, it might be nice to have more insulation. I just checked with my local hardware store and I'm going to pick up a roll of R-11 (for $44.39) which will be more than enough to triple the R-value of the unit. Installing will be pretty easy since all the side panels are easily removed. Thanks for the inspiration. I made a more precise measurement of the R value by watching the temperature drop over a period of hours and came up with an R of more like 6.5 -- still, well below the R-12 you point out is usually considered suitable for a home. Though, I should point out that even if I triple the R value, the amount of money I will save in electricity works out to less than $90 per year for me. That certainly makes it worth putting in the insulation (with a pay-back of about 6 months), but, if the only reason for buying a more expensive tub is that it is better insulated (and I realize there may be other reasons), then the pay-back on the additional $1000 to $2000 that I believe I've saved by going the Costco route, would require more like 10 to 20 years -- not worth it for the insulation alone.

In response to "Pathfinder": As to your suspicions, no, I'm not a shill for Costco -- though I guess my post does sound like ad-speak! Sorry, I really do feel good about the purchase and I thought I'd share that. I had found some useful info on this forum when I was shopping several months ago, so I thought it was appropriate to come back with my experiences. The other post that you found on another forum was one I had left thinking it was this forum and that my log-in had expired or something. I had forgotten where I had gotten the help and a search led me to the other forum. After I had posted there, I discovered my mistake.

In response to "104 Degrees": Well, like I say, the literature on spa chemistry seems surprisingly inconsistent and contradictory. Most information that is readily available is trying to sell one particular brand or another and therefore tends to indicate the need for all sorts of things that don't really appear to be necessary. I had gleaned from all this at first that having the ozone-ator along with a mineral infuser (the "Nature 2 purifier" in our case) meant that I didn't have to use any other sanitizer -- that I just had to maintain a proper pH level. I soon found that was not correct. I was emptying and re-filling the tub about every week! One problem I had was that the pH test strips were not giving me accurate readings! I purchased another tester that uses drops of dye solution and found that it gave me different results -- when the strips told me the pH was low, the drops indicated it was high! By trial-and-error, I decided the drops were more accurate and that I had been adjusting the pH way too high by believing the strips. Further reading also began to make it apparent that the claim that the Nature 2 stick and the ozone-ator were sufficient to maintain water purity by themselves was not correct -- that some other purifier was needed. I finally broke down and bought some chlorinating powder and have found that by throwing in a tablespoon or two every day or two to bring the chlorine level up to only about .5 or 1 part per million makes all the difference. The water stays clear and clean and there is virtually no odor or dis-comfort. I also run the filtration cycle more when we're using the tub more. When left on its own, the filter runs four hours a day, but a simple push of the button starts another two-hour cycle if needed.

[104 Degrees]

In response to "104 Degrees": Well, like I say, the literature on spa chemistry seems surprisingly inconsistent and contradictory. Most information that is readily available is trying to sell one particular brand or another and therefore tends to indicate the need for all sorts of things that don't really appear to be necessary. I had gleaned from all this at first that having the ozone-ator along with a mineral infuser (the "Nature 2 purifier" in our case) meant that I didn't have to use any other sanitizer -- that I just had to maintain a proper pH level. I soon found that was not correct. I was emptying and re-filling the tub about every week! One problem I had was that the pH test strips were not giving me accurate readings! I purchased another tester that uses drops of dye solution and found that it gave me different results -- when the strips told me the pH was low, the drops indicated it was high! By trial-and-error, I decided the drops were more accurate and that I had been adjusting the pH way too high by believing the strips. Further reading also began to make it apparent that the claim that the Nature 2 stick and the ozone-ator were sufficient to maintain water purity by themselves was not correct -- that some other purifier was needed. I finally broke down and bought some chlorinating powder and have found that by throwing in a tablespoon or two every day or two to bring the chlorine level up to only about .5 or 1 part per million makes all the difference. The water stays clear and clean and there is virtually no odor or dis-comfort. I also run the filtration cycle more when we're using the tub more. When left on its own, the filter runs four hours a day, but a simple push of the button starts another two-hour cycle if needed.

Thank you. What test kit did you get? Where did you get the Chlorine? Why is it different then "Dichlor" that most use?

Congratulations On your spa. May your water be at the set temp everytime you soak

104

[Jake the dog man]

Congrats & Welcome to the Forum!

Sounds like you are going about it all right & nicely. Though sometimes it seems like it, you don't need to be a chemist or millionaire to own a hottub. I find I don't run my hottub enough, I'd rather just sit in the hot water. Everyone is different. Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry.

Again, Welcome!

[pdx_soaker]

My Infinity Discovery spa is arriving on Wednesday. It will take a while to get it all set up, but I will be posting a full report.

[Tim Miser]

I could be wrong, but it sounds like a well pitched ad for Costco. It really does, who gives a spa review that sounds like something out of a brochure. This review was also posted on another forum from out of nowhere. Threads like this make me suspicious. If I am wrong congrats on your spa!!!

I don't agree, they pointed out the extra cost and installation needed that Costco didn't provide and also spoke about a problem with the tub and how they had to deal with the manufacturer to correct the problem. Hardly sounds like a brochure to me. I guess you can read into it what you want to read into it.

-Tim

[Pathfinder]

It appears winzlo is the real deal. So congrats on your spa.

Tim, It very easy to type up an post with massive pluses then throw in a couple negs to not arouse suspicion and make it seem legit. You ve only been here a short time if you stick around you will know what I mean.

[104 Degrees]

chlorinating powder

Thank you. What test kit did you get? Where did you get the Chlorine? Why is it different then "Dichlor" that most use?

Congratulations On your spa. May your water be at the set temp everytime you soak

104

Nothing???

[Roger]

It is very nice to see all these people introduced to the tubbing world with the inexpensive options out there from Costco and other mass merchants. Allows for the industry to flourish instead of die. I am a bit concerned that these mass merchant purchasers will get a bad taste in there mouths 5-6 years down the road thinking that all tubs are disposable in just that short time but at 3-4 grand each these cookie cutter made for the mass tubs will allow the consumer to have 2-3 to get the 15-20 years a 8-9 thousand dollar tub lasts. So maybe they will stay in the tubbing world. For the consumer if they don't stay in after 5-6 years at least they are not trying to sell a tub that has another 10 years or better life expectancy.

[winszlo]

chlorinating powder

Thank you. What test kit did you get? Where did you get the Chlorine? Why is it different then "Dichlor" that most use?

Congratulations On your spa. May your water be at the set temp everytime you soak

104

Nothing???

Sorry, I don't get on here to write every day.

I originally got a bottle of "Aquacheck" test strips from Infinity that test for Biguanide, total alkalinity, and pH. I used these, along with some "Sea Klear Spa" pH increaser and pH reducer to maintain what I thought was a balanced pH level. I had been told that since I had an ozone-ator and a mineral infuser, I wouldn't need any other sanitizer besides a "non-chlorine shock" (which didn't do any good). As I say, the water did not stay clean and I found it necessary to empty and re-fill the tub about every week. After some more reading and considering, I decided to look for some form of chlorine sanitizer which I found at a nearby hardware store. They carried hth brand "Chlorinating Sanitizer" which contains 47.6% Calcium Hypochlorite. While I was at the store, I also purchased an hth test kit which uses a little bottle of "OTO" drops to test for chlorine (or bromine). The kit also included a little bottle of "Phenol Red" to test for pH. I discovered, as I said, that the pH readings with the drops did not agree with the strips and I eventually decided that the strips were wrong. Adding a tablespoon or two of the Chlorinating Sanitizer after using the tub at the end of the day -- usually preceded by a pH check and balance, if necessary -- seems to be doing the trick. I haven't had to empty the tub for the past month and a half and it appears to be nice and clean!

What is "DiChlor"? Any other suggestions?

Thanks.

[104 Degrees]

chlorinating powder

Thank you. What test kit did you get? Where did you get the Chlorine? Why is it different then "Dichlor" that most use?

Congratulations On your spa. May your water be at the set temp everytime you soak

104

Nothing???

Sorry, I don't get on here to write every day.

I originally got a bottle of "Aquacheck" test strips from Infinity that test for Biguanide, total alkalinity, and pH. I used these, along with some "Sea Klear Spa" pH increaser and pH reducer to maintain what I thought was a balanced pH level. I had been told that since I had an ozone-ator and a mineral infuser, I wouldn't need any other sanitizer besides a "non-chlorine shock" (which didn't do any good). As I say, the water did not stay clean and I found it necessary to empty and re-fill the tub about every week. After some more reading and considering, I decided to look for some form of chlorine sanitizer which I found at a nearby hardware store. They carried hth brand "Chlorinating Sanitizer" which contains 47.6% Calcium Hypochlorite. While I was at the store, I also purchased an hth test kit which uses a little bottle of "OTO" drops to test for chlorine (or bromine). The kit also included a little bottle of "Phenol Red" to test for pH. I discovered, as I said, that the pH readings with the drops did not agree with the strips and I eventually decided that the strips were wrong. Adding a tablespoon or two of the Chlorinating Sanitizer after using the tub at the end of the day -- usually preceded by a pH check and balance, if necessary -- seems to be doing the trick. I haven't had to empty the tub for the past month and a half and it appears to be nice and clean!

What is "DiChlor"? Any other suggestions?

Thanks.

Thanks. Dichlor Chlorine.

[poolyeti]

Dichlor Chlorine.

Winszlo,

More precisely, dichlor is short for dichloroisocyanuric acid. It is a stabilised chlorinating agent, which means that it is chlorine with an additive that keeps it from being broken down by the sun and from turning into gas and evaporating from the tub or pool. It sounds great on paper, but in practice, unless you're draining and refilling about every 3 months, adding any kind of stabilised chlorine keeps on putting stabiliser into your water. The only way to reduce stabiliser (or cyanuric acid, or CYA, as it's commonly referred to in this forum) levels is to replace water. The more stabiliser present, the less effective the chlorine will be, and the higher your chlorine residual had to be in order to really do anything.

However, there will probably be a torrent or replies now, b/c I'm one of the few people on this forum who don't worship CYA

[Dr. Spa]

Dichlor = Sodium dichloro-s-triazinetriane

stabiliser = stabilizer

[winszlo]

I'm surprised that there is so much disagreement about what I think should be pretty straightforward data. Isn't it just a question of keeping a big bowl of warm water safe and clean for people to get in? Or do conditions and usage and water composition vary so widely from place to place that different methods are called for?

For a guy like me who just wants to have nice, clean water in his spa and doesn't need to pursue an advanced degree in water chemistry, what is recommended? Should I be using "Dichlor"? Is it better than the Calcium Hypochlorite I've been using?

I also didn't get a response from Dr. Spa on my reply about insulation. I'll quote part of it here:

"I'm going to pick up a roll of R-11 (for $44.39) which will be more than enough to triple the R-value of the unit. Installing will be pretty easy since all the side panels are easily removed. Thanks for the inspiration. I made a more precise measurement of the R value by watching the temperature drop over a period of hours and came up with an R of more like 6.5 -- still, well below the R-12 you point out is usually considered suitable for a home. Though, I should point out that even if I triple the R value, the amount of money I will save in electricity works out to less than $90 per year for me. That certainly makes it worth putting in the insulation (with a pay-back of about 6 months), but, if the only reason for buying a more expensive tub is that it is better insulated (and I realize there may be other reasons), then the pay-back on the additional $1000 to $2000 that I believe I've saved by going the Costco route, would require more like 10 to 20 years -- not worth it for the insulation alone."

I'm curious what the actual R value works out to be on a major-brand tub? What are your thoughts about adding insulation? Anybody?

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

I'm surprised that there is so much disagreement about what I think should be pretty straightforward data. Isn't it just a question of keeping a big bowl of warm water safe and clean for people to get in? Or do conditions and usage and water composition vary so widely from place to place that different methods are called for?

For a guy like me who just wants to have nice, clean water in his spa and doesn't need to pursue an advanced degree in water chemistry, what is recommended? Should I be using "Dichlor"? Is it better than the Calcium Hypochlorite I've been using?

I also didn't get a response from Dr. Spa on my reply about insulation. I'll quote part of it here:

"I'm going to pick up a roll of R-11 (for $44.39) which will be more than enough to triple the R-value of the unit. Installing will be pretty easy since all the side panels are easily removed. Thanks for the inspiration. I made a more precise measurement of the R value by watching the temperature drop over a period of hours and came up with an R of more like 6.5 -- still, well below the R-12 you point out is usually considered suitable for a home. Though, I should point out that even if I triple the R value, the amount of money I will save in electricity works out to less than $90 per year for me. That certainly makes it worth putting in the insulation (with a pay-back of about 6 months), but, if the only reason for buying a more expensive tub is that it is better insulated (and I realize there may be other reasons), then the pay-back on the additional $1000 to $2000 that I believe I've saved by going the Costco route, would require more like 10 to 20 years -- not worth it for the insulation alone."

I'm curious what the actual R value works out to be on a major-brand tub? What are your thoughts about adding insulation? Anybody?

First, water does vary from area to area and spa use does play a roll in water maintenance so different methods are called for. Much is talked about in the water chemistry forum. To answer your question, Sodium di-chlor is more widley used in hot tubs. It is closer to PH neutral so reccommended by spa manufactures. It will raise you CYA levels over time. If you are doing water changes frequently enough it should not effect you. Some people have issues with it, and if it gets to high it will make it so the chlorine does not work as well. Calcium hypochlorite adds calcium to the tub each time you use it and is very high on the PH scale. This can cause issues, if you have hard water to start with and don't adjust the PH, you will have a terrible scale issue. Many manufactures will void the warrenty if this is used because of those issues.

We would suggest that you do not use "roll"/fiberglass" insulation in the tub. No manufacture uses this becasue it is not the right kind of insulation. It will get wet and be worthless and attract all kinds of bugs and critters. Use a foil backed homesote(sp?) or something that will tolerate a damp/wet envirornment. Clearwater spas R value is 20 using a 1 1/2 inch piece of this foil homesote on walls and floor. I don't know about others, there are very specific tests they have to do to be able to publish actual R Values. There are many others issues related to a costco/ major brand tub, but I am sure you have read them. If you are happy with your tub that is what matters. Just don't knock the dealers, we are not out to rip people off. If you add the cost of all these little things you have to do to make it the same as a big brand, the cost of the labor to do it, the better warrenty and service, you can see where the couple of thousand you saved comes from. I think thats all that the people in the forum are trying to tell you.

[kengorman]

Now that I think about it, it might be nice to have more insulation. I just checked with my local hardware store and I'm going to pick up a roll of R-11 (for $44.39) which will be more than enough to triple the R-value of the unit. Installing will be pretty easy since all the side panels are easily removed. Thanks for the inspiration.

Hi Winszlo,

I, too, purchased an Infinity Spa and decided to add insulation. I posted a little while back with some pics if you're interested. The posting is here.

Congratulations on your purchase and enjoy your spa.

HTH,

Ken

[Jammer]

Hello!

Just adding my two cents here...I just received and installed the Columbia Spa from Costco as well, and I am very pleased. This is my 3rd tub, most recently downsizing from a Coast Nassau. This little unit is perfectly adequate for what I need. I too added some batt insulation to the enclosure, mainly to dampen noise. I found that even with the original spray on insulation that the tub heats up and maintains temperature well as is.

One issue I had was the smell from the first fill. It smelt like I was sitting in a vat of paint thinner, so I did a drain and refill after the first couple of days. I would recommend that people don't bother heating the first batch of water, so it can run a while and remove some of the PVC glue and resin smell first.

Second issue...refill it through the filter like it advises to do so in the manual. I should know this by now, but alas, I didn't do it the last time, so I found that the tub would not heat. I guess there was enough of an air lock to trip the flow sensor into shutting off the element. Ended up checking fuses etc before realizing the problem. The fix is to drain it and refill it properly.

Also, I have found the trick to chemical balancing is to keep it simple! I just use a floating bromine dispensor set low. Use baking soda and muriatic acid to control ph. Drain it once a month. (or whatever your use level dictates.) If the chemicals get way off, just drain it rather than adding "up" then "down" back and forth....

Hope you all are enjoying your tubs!!

JMR