Two Winters With A Tiger River Bengal

[lparsons]

Now that we are nearly through the more severe portion of the winter of 08-09, I thought this would be a good time to reflect on our Tiger River Bengal, which my wife and I bought in Upstate New York in the fall of 2007.

Overall, we love our tub. I would say it was a good choice for the money. I really love the lounge seat, and she really loves the deep seat. We bought the 220V model. I am 6'3", she is 6' and we can each easily sit in any position including the lounge and be very comfortable.

Biggest surprise: probably the time and cost involved in getting our house ready for it. We set it up outside, so we had concrete poured for it. It is frustratingly difficult to find a reliable concrete guy, the one recommended by the hot tub dealer wasn't reliable but did a good job once he came and poured the slab. Also the electric was costly, we hired a professional for that of course. Our house was wired at 100amp so we had to increase our house electrical service to 200amp to be able to run the tub, and then get the custom wiring done as well.

Biggest let-down with the tub: Two minor things. First, the clips that normally hold down the cover are terrible. A 40mph wind will flip the cover and toss it into the next yard if only the regular clips are holding it down, so get the hurricane straps unless you like your neighbors. Second, there is no drain valve on the tub, only the two drain outlets which each have a cap. However, it is nearly impossible to get the caps tight enough again after removing them to keep water from draining out on its own. Solution is to go to your favorite home improvement store and get external ball valves for those, they are the same size as garden hoses.

My tips for the manufacturer: The big LED light is nice but the location isn't great. If someone is sitting on the cool-down seat they eclipse the light. I would have put it at the end of the lounge (where your feet go when you are in the lounge). I would also suggest wrapping the foam parts of the cover in something to prevent it from becoming water-logged (and weighing a ton!).

Overall, this tub is probably the best thing we've bought since our house itself. By the way, when the tub is completely unwrapped and empty, it fits through a standard exterior door (on its side, of course). This was handy for us to get it to where we wanted to place it.

[Trigger]

Now that we are nearly through the more severe portion of the winter of 08-09, I thought this would be a good time to reflect on our Tiger River Bengal, which my wife and I bought in Upstate New York in the fall of 2007.

Overall, we love our tub. I would say it was a good choice for the money. I really love the lounge seat, and she really loves the deep seat. We bought the 220V model. I am 6'3", she is 6' and we can each easily sit in any position including the lounge and be very comfortable.

Biggest surprise: probably the time and cost involved in getting our house ready for it. We set it up outside, so we had concrete poured for it. It is frustratingly difficult to find a reliable concrete guy, the one recommended by the hot tub dealer wasn't reliable but did a good job once he came and poured the slab. Also the electric was costly, we hired a professional for that of course. Our house was wired at 100amp so we had to increase our house electrical service to 200amp to be able to run the tub, and then get the custom wiring done as well.

Biggest let-down with the tub: Two minor things. First, the clips that normally hold down the cover are terrible. A 40mph wind will flip the cover and toss it into the next yard if only the regular clips are holding it down, so get the hurricane straps unless you like your neighbors. Second, there is no drain valve on the tub, only the two drain outlets which each have a cap. However, it is nearly impossible to get the caps tight enough again after removing them to keep water from draining out on its own. Solution is to go to your favorite home improvement store and get external ball valves for those, they are the same size as garden hoses.

My tips for the manufacturer: The big LED light is nice but the location isn't great. If someone is sitting on the cool-down seat they eclipse the light. I would have put it at the end of the lounge (where your feet go when you are in the lounge). I would also suggest wrapping the foam parts of the cover in something to prevent it from becoming water-logged (and weighing a ton!).

Overall, this tub is probably the best thing we've bought since our house itself. By the way, when the tub is completely unwrapped and empty, it fits through a standard exterior door (on its side, of course). This was handy for us to get it to where we wanted to place it.

I had a tiger river Caspain, and like you, for the money thought it was a great quality and value. I also put a huricane strap on it (From Robert's hot tubs), not because of the wind, but the Huricane strap allowed me to open and close the cover without having to fuss with the back clips (I was always forgetting to unsnap them).

Here' my old tub with the straps:

http://www.rhtubs.com/store/hurricane-strap.htm

[JohnInSJ]

2nd winter with my TR Caspian... in wimpy San Jose we don't need hurricane straps... still trouble free and loving it. Been almost too hot out this week to use it. Almost.

[carpenterpi]

2nd winter with my TR Caspian... in wimpy San Jose we don't need hurricane straps... still trouble free and loving it. Been almost too hot out this week to use it. Almost.

Kind of cold here in Colorado

[JKM]

Second, there is no drain valve on the tub, only the two drain outlets which each have a cap. However, it is nearly impossible to get the caps tight enough again after removing them to keep water from draining out on its own. Solution is to go to your favorite home improvement store and get external ball valves for those, they are the same size as garden hoses.

My Hot Spring did the same thing until I went to a hardware store and got some garden hose gaskets. Now they are watertight.

-Joel

[Jake the dog man]

Second, there is no drain valve on the tub, only the two drain outlets which each have a cap. However, it is nearly impossible to get the caps tight enough again after removing them to keep water from draining out on its own. Solution is to go to your favorite home improvement store and get external ball valves for those, they are the same size as garden hoses.

There are actually already small on/off valves on the drains. I actually normally only use 1 when I drain the tub, but it does have 2. They are tucked up in an awkward position, but they do work well. I normally don't even use my caps and I have never seen them leak, therefore the caps sealing shouldn't matter.

I've never had a problem with my strap clips, but I have seen metal replacements somewhere. I have a cover valet, so the straps on the far side don't need hooked each time, because that side can't be lifted.

We love our Tiger River, which was bought in August 07 too.

[Nat]

Thank you for the feedback. We too bought a Tiger River Bengal in November 2007. We live near Washington, DC (in Northern Virginia), so the climate is a little milder. Bought the 120 volt model to prevent having to upgrade our electrical. I did the wiring myself, so that cost was about $60 for the wire and breaker.

Impressions: We LOVE out tub (first hot tub we ever owned). The size is just right for two people, and we are tall.

I have had no problems with the cover coming off in high winds (40 MPH have been experienced a few times). Ours does have a shut-off valve on the main tub drain (there is only a stubby "handle", easy to miss). There is no valve on the plumbing drain. Neither of them leak from their caps. We had the dealer install ours on three 6 X 6 pressure treated "railroad ties" and that works fine and there again, did not cost much ($300 for delivery and set-up)

We were concerned that the tub may not stay warm, or maintain temperature, when we are using it because the heater does not run when the (single speed) jet pump is on, because the tub is on a 20-amp 120 volt curcuit. This has been no problem, whatsoever, because the temperature drops about 2 - 3 degrees, at most, in the winter during our soak, which lasts about 20 minutes, or so. In fact, I think it keeps us from getting overheated. We set it at 101 degrees, unless we get a cold snap (we then bump it up a degree), in the winter. In the summer we keep it as low as it will go!

You do have to plan ahead when draining and filling, because it takes between 24 - 36 hours to get the tub up to temperature (it only has a 1,500 watt heater), depending on the season.

I estimate the electricity cost to be about $40 per month, average throughout the year, based on 10 cents/KW-hr. I did add extra insulation in the motor compartment and I use a heavy comforter on top of the cover to keep in a little extra heat, that gets removed when it rains.

I think Watkins products (Tiger River and Hot Springs) are made VERY well, and I am so glad we did not go with the Costco whatever they sell (my wife prevented that mistake!)

P.S., we paid about $6,800 (I think), including the $300 delivery/set-up. What did yours run, if you don't mind sharing that info.

--Nate

Now that we are nearly through the more severe portion of the winter of 08-09, I thought this would be a good time to reflect on our Tiger River Bengal, which my wife and I bought in Upstate New York in the fall of 2007.

Overall, we love our tub. I would say it was a good choice for the money. I really love the lounge seat, and she really loves the deep seat. We bought the 220V model. I am 6'3", she is 6' and we can each easily sit in any position including the lounge and be very comfortable.

Biggest surprise: probably the time and cost involved in getting our house ready for it. We set it up outside, so we had concrete poured for it. It is frustratingly difficult to find a reliable concrete guy, the one recommended by the hot tub dealer wasn't reliable but did a good job once he came and poured the slab. Also the electric was costly, we hired a professional for that of course. Our house was wired at 100amp so we had to increase our house electrical service to 200amp to be able to run the tub, and then get the custom wiring done as well.

Biggest let-down with the tub: Two minor things. First, the clips that normally hold down the cover are terrible. A 40mph wind will flip the cover and toss it into the next yard if only the regular clips are holding it down, so get the hurricane straps unless you like your neighbors. Second, there is no drain valve on the tub, only the two drain outlets which each have a cap. However, it is nearly impossible to get the caps tight enough again after removing them to keep water from draining out on its own. Solution is to go to your favorite home improvement store and get external ball valves for those, they are the same size as garden hoses.

My tips for the manufacturer: The big LED light is nice but the location isn't great. If someone is sitting on the cool-down seat they eclipse the light. I would have put it at the end of the lounge (where your feet go when you are in the lounge). I would also suggest wrapping the foam parts of the cover in something to prevent it from becoming water-logged (and weighing a ton!).

Overall, this tub is probably the best thing we've bought since our house itself. By the way, when the tub is completely unwrapped and empty, it fits through a standard exterior door (on its side, of course). This was handy for us to get it to where we wanted to place it.

[lparsons]

Bought the 120 volt model to prevent having to upgrade our electrical. I did the wiring myself, so that cost was about $60 for the wire and breaker.

I don't think our house had enough amperage coming in to run the 120V model anyways, and in Upstate New York we appreciate having heat and jets at the same time (especially in the winter)

I have had no problems with the cover coming off in high winds (40 MPH have been experienced a few times)

The first year we had it, we experienced a few storms with winds in excess of 50mph, which was enough to flip the cover off the tub (and drop leaves in the water). Of course over time the cover gets water-logged and much more difficult to flip...

You do have to plan ahead when draining and filling, because it takes between 24 - 36 hours to get the tub up to temperature (it only has a 1,500 watt heater), depending on the season.

If memory serves me correct that is a trait of the 120V vs 220V model. Even in near-freezing weather outside I can fill our tub and have it ready in less than 24hours.

P.S., we paid about $6,800 (I think), including the $300 delivery/set-up. What did yours run, if you don't mind sharing that info.

I honestly don't remember off the top of my head what we paid. I think we were in that range, but the delivery, set-up, chemicals, steps, and cover lifter were all included.

There are actually already small on/off valves on the drains. I actually normally only use 1 when I drain the tub, but it does have 2. They are tucked up in an awkward position, but they do work well. I normally don't even use my caps and I have never seen them leak, therefore the caps sealing shouldn't matter.

I wonder if perhaps our tub was shipped with the valves open then? Because I have never seen or adjusted any valves. The only thing I've had available for draining is the cap on the drain.

My Hot Spring did the same thing until I went to a hardware store and got some garden hose gaskets. Now they are watertight.

I think the Sovereign was the HS model we looked at when we were still shopping.

I also put a huricane strap on it (From Robert's hot tubs), not because of the wind, but the Huricane strap allowed me to open and close the cover without having to fuss with the back clips

I did a set of two hurricane straps for our tub, because our tub is on top of a gulley and I didn't want to have to pull out climbing gear to retrieve our cover. I don't remember who I bought them from but they are great. The screw holes for the hurricane straps matched up perfectly with the original clips, so I put them in place there to keep the tub looking "stock".