Wishing For A Spa... Advice?

[spamom]

hi there..

glad i found this forum.. need advice.

Looking into the Costco infinity... due to price. Also looking into BJ's spas. the Dorado.

First question.. delivery is to curbside??? what the ..... how do you get it from the curb to the backyard??

Also... do you unpack it while the guy is waiting to check it all out??

I am from NY -Long Island and also concerned with electric bill increase...

What is the deal with the foam vs blankets vs etc.. and whatever..

We cannot afford the 5k+ tubs.. so this looks good. Trying to decide if we should just JUMP!!

Also... any costco buyers out there?? BJ's???

We had a pool in our backyard for 4 years and it died.. so we are looking into this now.

ARe you hottubbers happy out there???

thanks.

[cplarsen]

You can pay now or you can pay later.

Do yourself a favor and at least go look at those better tubs.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

hi there..

glad i found this forum.. need advice.

Looking into the Costco infinity... due to price. Also looking into BJ's spas. the Dorado.

First question.. delivery is to curbside??? what the ..... how do you get it from the curb to the backyard??

You either get family/friends to move it for you or if the trucker has a helper you might be able to entice them to move it for you for a new $100 bill.

Also... do you unpack it while the guy is waiting to check it all out??

He's just delivering it. Short of damage to the outside of the packing he's not going to stick around to see what's inside.

I am from NY -Long Island and also concerned with electric bill increase...

Those spas are not well insulated. I'd say you should expect $100/month added to your bill (depending on where you live and what rate but in general ...) or about $30 MORE per month than an average spa and about $50 more per month than a well insulated spa. You could add to the insulation to improve it but at best you can get it to be so-so IMO.

What is the deal with the foam vs blankets vs etc.. and whatever..

We cannot afford the 5k+ tubs.. so this looks good. Trying to decide if we should just JUMP!!

If you truly only have $5k to spend I'd either look for a good quality used spa (you can get great deals on spas that are only a couple years old nowadays). Another option is to set aside the $5k and add $100 per month to it which is about what the Costco spa would cost you in added energy bills. That way you'll have enough in a year or two to get a good sized quality spa that is fully delivered and has a warranty that will be backed by someone local (if you get the Costco spa, you will be the person servicing it).

Also... any costco buyers out there?? BJ's???

I Love Costco; they have a lot of great items. My wife and I shopped there yesterday. The issue is they sell on price and volume but to get there some of their items have good prices but not great value because the quality isn't there and in this case the service isn't either. This is one such item IMO. The price isn't bad, you're just not saving money. Instead you are spending less and getting less for it.

We had a pool in our backyard for 4 years and it died.. so we are looking into this now.

ARe you hottubbers happy out there???

thanks.

[asharerin]

hi there..

glad i found this forum.. need advice.

Looking into the Costco infinity... due to price. Also looking into BJ's spas. the Dorado.

First question.. delivery is to curbside??? what the ..... how do you get it from the curb to the backyard??

Also... do you unpack it while the guy is waiting to check it all out??

I am from NY -Long Island and also concerned with electric bill increase...

What is the deal with the foam vs blankets vs etc.. and whatever..

We cannot afford the 5k+ tubs.. so this looks good. Trying to decide if we should just JUMP!!

Also... any costco buyers out there?? BJ's???

We had a pool in our backyard for 4 years and it died.. so we are looking into this now.

ARe you hottubbers happy out there???

thanks.

Hi spamom we have also decided on the sunpeak from Costco. It seems from hard data on the east coast you are looking at 300-400kw hours per month for this tub. Check you cost per kw hour to estimate how much it is going to cost you per month. A few members have reported paying as high as 15 cents per kwH which is outrageous. Your electricity may be less if your city owns the electric utility....in Canby oregon we pay 6 cents per kwH which sounds more reasonable.

To get it from the curb to your back yard ask the delivery drivers if they will move it for $100. I cannot believe they will not be willing to do this for that kind of money. If not hand out a few beers and get your neighbors to lend a hand.

Before you sign the freight bill make sure the tub is unwrapped and inspect for any damage/missing parts. Make sure everything is documented. If it is not to your liking simply refuse delivery and sign nothing. Don't fret too much Costco takes care of its members so give custy service a call if you are unsure of anything.

We are going to invest in a thermal blanket to save as much energy as possible. If your electric rates are high it might also pay to invest in a top quality spa cover.

Oh and if you decide on this purchase make sure to checkout my other thread on how to get 5% cashback on this tub. That is $150 you can give to the drivers to place it for you. I would also checkout more energy efficient tubs to get a comparison since you guys have cold weather and high energy costs on the east coast.

[spamom]

asharerin,

thanks for the info...

i am curious... (need to know, acutally)

what made you decide to go with the Costco ...originally you were against it from your previous post and going with a regular tub dealer... so what made you pick this one.

thanks.

[asharerin]

asharerin,

thanks for the info...

i am curious... (need to know, acutally)

what made you decide to go with the Costco ...originally you were against it from your previous post and going with a regular tub dealer... so what made you pick this one.

thanks.

We decided to purchase the sunpeak from Costco as we will be returning it in a few years for a refund when it needs its first big repair not covered under warranty. Also electricity is very cheap in our city (its actually only 5 cents per kwh flat rate) and it never gets too cold in the Portland area.

Now we are trying to find the best deal on getting a 220V circuit installed. So far the bids have been in excess of $1k. This extra cost blows the deal as we would be in the tub $4-$4.5k and from there we can go a Tiger River Bengal 110/220 convertible for $1k more and make it up on resale. 5-6 y.o. Bengals are going for ~ $3.5k in Portland. We have a few more local electricians coming out this week so we will know by this weekend.

[Dennnis]

You can pay the driver extra to bring it into your back yard.

I did this and because I have every thing clear and plywood on the grass to push it over they had no problems.

The delivery guy had two wooden furniture movers, I also had purchased two of them so with four of them under the spa they were able to push in the yard upto the slab. They also unwraped it it put it down in place and gave me time to look it over.

Start off the the right foot with a big hellow, glade your here, have a drink, etc. add a little cash and you should be all set.

Good luck

[spamom]

Thank you for the reply

I have very little patch grass in the backyard.(trying to grow it this season...just added seed)

Do we need to get plywood? or will the wooden movers be ok??

It is not that far from our backyard opening to the spot we want it.

can we put in straight onto dirt?? we don;t have slab of concrete in the backyard

Also.. if you don;t mind... how much did you give the drivers? Did they tell you the price? or did you offer the amount first?? New at this.

And of course... how do you like your tub?? Are the jets strong?? Is it comfortable?? How long have you had it? Have you noticed much of an increase in your electric bill??

i think i really want to make the jump!!

thanks again.

[spamom]

one more question - how does the insulation look..

we are on long island ny.

thanks

[Biz]

hi there..

glad i found this forum.. need advice.

Looking into the Costco infinity... due to price. Also looking into BJ's spas. the Dorado.

First question.. delivery is to curbside??? what the ..... how do you get it from the curb to the backyard??

Also... do you unpack it while the guy is waiting to check it all out??

I am from NY -Long Island and also concerned with electric bill increase...

We are looking at the Infinity Sunpeak Spa from Costco too and also are concerned about electric costs. We live about 300 miles north of Long Island, so it's even colder up here. People in our area with other brand hot tubs indicate they pay about $40 extra in electric bills during the winter. We pay 13 cents per kilowatt hour. I have not been able to locate anyone in this area who has a Sun Peak Tub though.

What is the deal with the foam vs blankets vs etc.. and whatever..

We cannot afford the 5k+ tubs.. so this looks good. Trying to decide if we should just JUMP!!

Hello Spamom: We too are looking into the Infinity Sunpeak from Costco for about $3,000.00. We do not have $6,000 to invest in a higher quality spa, so it's either the Sunpeak or no spa at all. We made a similiar decision about 6 years ago. We purchased a Hyundai Santa FE SUV for several thousand less than the Toyota Highlander. People told us we were making a mistake cuz the Hyundai models are not as reliable as Toyota. Well 6 years later, and we are very glad we saved the money. The Santa Fe has been very reliable overall. Like the Infinity SunPeak, at the time it did not have much of a track record, but due to budget reasons, we either had to choose the Santa Fe or no SUV at all. We feel that either the Sun Peak will be a good deal at $3,000 and we will end up saving thousands of dollars again, or that it will be a lemon, and we will have wasted several thousand. Whichever way you choose though, you either waste money if the Sunpeak is a lemon or you waste money, if you choose a $6,000 tub, and the SunPeak turns out to be very reliable.

Also... any costco buyers out there?? BJ's???

We had a pool in our backyard for 4 years and it died.. so we are looking into this now.

ARe you hottubbers happy out there???

thanks.

[/color]

[IL Parrothead]

spamom, you can't really put it on dirt.

Concrete slab, brick pavers, reinforced wooden deck or crushed stone, but not dirt.

[In The Bubble]

spamom, you can't really put it on dirt.

Concrete slab, brick pavers, reinforced wooden deck or crushed stone, but not dirt.

Spamom..... Spatech hit the nail(s) on the head. Read the forums, there're lots of good info out there. Yes, you can go with a less expensive model but at what price? You sound like you still have a lot of questions. Elec, slab, etc. ALL which you'll have to address and pay for long before the tub gets placed.

And like Parrothead said, not on dirt. Slab...pavers etc but you need good support to protect your investment.

Take your time, you're gonna love tubbin' but it does require a lot of planning.

[cplarsen]

Jeez, just not going to listen…

Look, you had a pool that died after only four years and now you're going to jump on the first hot tub you see. What do you think is going to happen next?

And another thing, the driver might help move it. He also might just dump it in your driveway and leave. Then what?

You really need to go back to square one and do a little research. You need to prepare the site, plan electrical, and a host of other things. This isn't like going to buy a refrigerator.

[spamom]

Jeez, just not going to listen…

Look, you had a pool that died after only four years and now you're going to jump on the first hot tub you see. What do you think is going to happen next?

And another thing, the driver might help move it. He also might just dump it in your driveway and leave. Then what?

You really need to go back to square one and do a little research. You need to prepare the site, plan electrical, and a host of other things. This isn't like going to buy a refrigerator.

NO, I AM NOT GOING TO LISTEN TO YOU!!

i am looking for info from people who have used this spa... not someone who "thinks" they know everything - which sounds a lot like YOU!!

#1 My pool came with the house that we bought 4 years ago... i have no idea (nor do i care )of how old it actually was. it was already old... we knew that.

#2 The drivers as many have stated will move the tub..

#3 this is exactly like buying a refrigerator.... you check out makes, models, get some info... and then buy.....

My husband is an electrician with a carpenter/maintenance background.... and i too have an auto maintenance/mechanical background....very handy people we are just new to tubs...

NOT THE WORLD..

What is YOUR problem...

if you don;t like Costco... or Infinity... fine, you stated that.... NOW EXIT..

So others can talk and exchange info.... both good and bad..

You sound like a very frustrated sales person... go sell a tub or something!!!

As to Parrothead or others - why not dirt??

[In The Bubble]

Jeez, just not going to listen…

Look, you had a pool that died after only four years and now you're going to jump on the first hot tub you see. What do you think is going to happen next?

And another thing, the driver might help move it. He also might just dump it in your driveway and leave. Then what?

You really need to go back to square one and do a little research. You need to prepare the site, plan electrical, and a host of other things. This isn't like going to buy a refrigerator.

NO, I AM NOT GOING TO LISTEN TO YOU!!

i am looking for info from people who have used this spa... not someone who "thinks" they know everything - which sounds a lot like YOU!!

#1 My pool came with the house that we bought 4 years ago... i have no idea (nor do i care )of how old it actually was. it was already old... we knew that.

#2 The drivers as many have stated will move the tub..

#3 this is exactly like buying a refrigerator.... you check out makes, models, get some info... and then buy.....

My husband is an electrician with a carpenter/maintenance background.... and i too have an auto maintenance/mechanical background....very handy people we are just new to tubs...

NOT THE WORLD..

What is YOUR problem...

if you don;t like Costco... or Infinity... fine, you stated that.... NOW EXIT..

So others can talk and exchange info.... both good and bad..

You sound like a very frustrated sales person... go sell a tub or something!!!

As to Parrothead or others - why not dirt??

Ooookayyyy...Treading carefully.

Dirt moves. Frost heaves, etc. Rocks get pushed up, etc. You need a solid support to protect this investment.

[Roger]

Jeez, just not going to listen…

Look, you had a pool that died after only four years and now you're going to jump on the first hot tub you see. What do you think is going to happen next?

And another thing, the driver might help move it. He also might just dump it in your driveway and leave. Then what?

You really need to go back to square one and do a little research. You need to prepare the site, plan electrical, and a host of other things. This isn't like going to buy a refrigerator.

NO, I AM NOT GOING TO LISTEN TO YOU!!

i am looking for info from people who have used this spa... not someone who "thinks" they know everything - which sounds a lot like YOU!!

#1 My pool came with the house that we bought 4 years ago... i have no idea (nor do i care )of how old it actually was. it was already old... we knew that.

#2 The drivers as many have stated will move the tub..

#3 this is exactly like buying a refrigerator.... you check out makes, models, get some info... and then buy.....

My husband is an electrician with a carpenter/maintenance background.... and i too have an auto maintenance/mechanical background....very handy people we are just new to tubs...

NOT THE WORLD..

What is YOUR problem...

if you don;t like Costco... or Infinity... fine, you stated that.... NOW EXIT..

So others can talk and exchange info.... both good and bad..

You sound like a very frustrated sales person... go sell a tub or something!!!

As to Parrothead or others - why not dirt??

I apoligize for CP but he has alot of experience here and with tubs in general. I understand his frustration also as the advice that steers you towords a box store tub comes from owners with less than a year and in most cases only a couple months experience with these cookie cutter tubs sold at Costco for a 1000 dollar mark up. While there could be more than a 1000 dollar mark up at a dealer it is also not a 2500 dollar spa to begin with and the experience from dealers or repair guys like myself doesn't seem to mean much to Costco buyers dead set on buying what they think is the same spa as a dealer for 3-4 grand less. And we can tell potential buyers over and over again that it is nothing more than what it is, a inexpensive, throw away tub with very little dealer backing, no record of reliability or longevity, that you may or may not get more than 5 years of ownership out of. While the top brands have a great dealer supported warranty, a proven record for reliability and ongevity and will last for 15 years or more with very little trouble. And people just don't seem to care.

It's not a bad purchase but it is also not the same and if there is value in it you won't know for 6-7 years. If it's garbage in 3 it's a terrible deal. If it's junk in 5 it's a what it is worth. If it lasts for 7-8 years it was a good deal. And you will be amazed how fast the years go by.

Dirt base no good, void warranty, crack shell, twist frame make tub leak and mud hole form around tub.

[spamom]

In the Bubble -

thank you for your info.... we don't have "frost heaves" here on long island and we also don't have any rock coming up either... i understand both, due to having a friend who lives in VT where major "frost heaves" lives... i remember laughing at all the signs to watch for them... like they were deer or something and then i learned what they were.... and yes.. they are a problem.

Roger -

I do get your answer and i truly do understand it, and where you & cp are coming from.

But - you also need to understand others' viewpoints AND pocketbooks. Yes, you can warn people gently.... but RESPECTFULLY.

I liked Sandi's anaolgy of the boats she has owned. ANd i will take it once step further -

Why do some people buy Hyundai's.... when there ARE BMW's..... cost maybe???

Why do people buy USED cars .... when they can buy NEW??..... cost maybe??

So when i am looking for a used Cabrio.... because i want that car... but can't afford a new one..should i be told i am an idiot?? fo not buying NEW?? do i know i get a better warranty new? yes. do i know that it will last longer new? yes... Would i love the New shiny new one? YES.... but i can't . And after owning a new car years ago, and watching it depreciating right out of the showroom, and paying more insurance for new, and crying when my car got dented or scratched by some idiot... i learned that used has major merits.... if shopped for carefully.....and smartly.. there is blue book to help me with cost... there is both myself and my husband to work on the car and there is Chilton's to help me learn about the guts of my new used vehicle.... and then i am set. I love my '95 Cabrio especially when the sun shines cause i have a convertable!!! and it IS the only one i can afford... right now. P.S.... i have had it 3 years so far and it's great!!!!! VW rocks.

SO, back to spas... We all know this spa does not compare to a 15,000 spa.... no one has said that...(i don't think) they just want the hyndai,....or cabrio!! and want to hear from THOSE owners - info....

and they are probably handy people who want to save money too...

nothing wrong with that!!!

thanks again for your info.....

[Roger]

Roger -

I do get your answer and i truly do understand it, and where you & cp are coming from.

So when i am looking for a used Cabrio....

thanks again for your info.....

I'll be waiting in my driveway at 4:00PM with a bottle of wine

[waterboy]

As another option if you are on a tight budget look into a used hot tub sold by a reputable company that buys used spas from people and reconditions them and warranties them. You could probably get a quality 2004 or 2005 spa that comes with a 3 to 6 month warranty. In our area there is a company that does this. if something is to go wrong with your spa it will occur sooner than later - ie leak, blow pump etc.

As to why not dirt the main issue is differential settlement. You do nor want your spa to settle unevenly as this will possibly mean no water to the filter or uneven loading that could crack the shell. Remove at least 6" of "dirt" (preferably a foot) and replace with a compacted crushed limestone roadbase etc. There is a number of threads on this forum regarding site prep. Concrete is still the best option and does not cost a lot more.

Good luck. If you go the used route wet test a spa by the same company as the shells usually do not change much.

[cplarsen]

Sorry spamom, I assumed you had just gone through the cheap above ground pool experience from beginning to end. How was I to know it came with the house? But you should learn from it.

All I really saying is look before you leap, and I've read not much good on the Costco experience on these forums. Other than that they'll take it back, if you can get it there.

Why don't you try the used market? Sounds like you and your husband are handy, so it'll be right up your alley. That's what I did, btw. Picked up a ten year old D1 Arena that goes for $7,000 new for $1,200. Works fine and will probably run for another ten. Might need some parts at some point, but those are relatively cheap.

So again, look around. I'd submit you are always better off buying quality, even if used, rather than shopping on price alone.

[waterboy]

Sorry spamom, I assumed you had just gone through the cheap above ground pool experience from beginning to end. How was I to know it came with the house? But you should learn from it.

All I really saying is look before you leap, and I've read not much good on the Costco experience on these forums. Other than that they'll take it back, if you can get it there.

Why don't you try the used market? Sounds like you and your husband are handy, so it'll be right up your alley. That's what I did, btw. Picked up a ten year old D1 Arena that goes for $7,000 new for $1,200. Works fine and will probably run for another ten. Might need some parts at some point, but those are relatively cheap.

So again, look around. I'd submit you are always better off buying quality, even if used, rather than shopping on price alone.

Great minds think alike or our minds are just "used" . BTW my mind is 3 minutes quicker

[cplarsen]

Would you believe the board ate my first post and I got a 403 error?

Didn't think so.

Oh well, forgot to mention craigslist anyway. Go take a look spamom, see what treasures you can find.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

Great minds think alike or our minds are just "used" . BTW my mind is 3 minutes quicker

C'mon, you guys are a week and a half late. I suggested a used spa as a good alternative to a big box store lower quality spa in my April 7th reply. Where were you guys then?

[In The Bubble]

Great minds think alike or our minds are just "used" . BTW my mind is 3 minutes quicker

C'mon, you guys are a week and a half late. I suggested a used spa as a good alternative to a big box store lower quality spa in my April 7th reply. Where were you guys then?

Anyway spamom, wecome to the fold. Keep us abreast of how things go as we all learn from each others stories, trials, tribulations, success and problems.