bobm Posted June 8, 2009 Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 i was wondering if anyone has done a comparison of the 2 types of hottubs. these 2 seem to be on my list of hottubs to purchase. not sure which one would be the better choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobm Posted June 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 i was wondering if anyone has done a comparison of the 2 types of hottubs. these 2 seem to be on my list of hottubs to purchase. not sure which one would be the better choice. i guess no one owns a hydropool... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuBaDuB Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 i was wondering if anyone has done a comparison of the 2 types of hottubs. these 2 seem to be on my list of hottubs to purchase. not sure which one would be the better choice. i guess no one owns a hydropool... I don't, but looked at them when shopping around...wasn't all that keen on the insulation. I believe it's two separate layers of "thermal blanket". Not exactly sure how effective these "blankets" are compared to rigid foam used in most spas. Maybe they are fine, but for the high price I didn't want to take a chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medicineman Posted June 11, 2009 Report Share Posted June 11, 2009 All I know is that Hydropool's main selling feature "the self cleaning floor" can't continue to work over time. What happens to the sand (debris) on the bottom of your spa that gets trapped in the "channels" under the spa floor. I really don't think the pump pulls all of the sand through and back up through the filters. Unless a Hydropool person can tell me better... Arctic has had their issues over the years, but the theory makes sense. Listen to both pitches and let your common sense be the judge. Hydropool does not have as much market penetration as Arctic, but they are no slouch. Don't listen to the "blankets" guy as he obviously has not been under an Arctic. And no, I don't work for either company...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuBaDuB Posted June 11, 2009 Report Share Posted June 11, 2009 All I know is that Hydropool's main selling feature "the self cleaning floor" can't continue to work over time. What happens to the sand (debris) on the bottom of your spa that gets trapped in the "channels" under the spa floor. I really don't think the pump pulls all of the sand through and back up through the filters. Unless a Hydropool person can tell me better... Arctic has had their issues over the years, but the theory makes sense. Listen to both pitches and let your common sense be the judge. Hydropool does not have as much market penetration as Arctic, but they are no slouch. Don't listen to the "blankets" guy as he obviously has not been under an Arctic. And no, I don't work for either company...... FYI, "blankets guy" was talking about the Hydropool...I happen to own an Arctic and yes I have been under it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobm Posted June 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2009 All I know is that Hydropool's main selling feature "the self cleaning floor" can't continue to work over time. What happens to the sand (debris) on the bottom of your spa that gets trapped in the "channels" under the spa floor. I really don't think the pump pulls all of the sand through and back up through the filters. Unless a Hydropool person can tell me better... Arctic has had their issues over the years, but the theory makes sense. Listen to both pitches and let your common sense be the judge. Hydropool does not have as much market penetration as Arctic, but they are no slouch. Don't listen to the "blankets" guy as he obviously has not been under an Arctic. And no, I don't work for either company...... FYI, "blankets guy" was talking about the Hydropool...I happen to own an Arctic and yes I have been under it. i didnt see any real problems with the hydropools floor design ,i went on youtube to watch how they install the blanket,seems reasonable that it would give good insulation with the pump giving off heat etc.still have to do a wet test though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Posted June 12, 2009 Report Share Posted June 12, 2009 i didnt see any real problems with the hydropools floor design ,i went on youtube to watch how they install the blanket,seems reasonable that it would give good insulation with the pump giving off heat etc.still have to do a wet test though. It's amazing to me how many people understand the pump giving off heat for insulation theory and yet don't understand that the pumps run for only 4 hours and give off heat. Leaving 20 hours without the heat source, what then? The insulation design theory is fine, but no magic pill. As long as there is suffiecient insulation and it is as close to sealed to the elements as possible it will work good enough. But if a sales pitch has lead you to make your desicion based on it being better than any other insulation design, your missing the boat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Water Boy Posted June 12, 2009 Report Share Posted June 12, 2009 i didnt see any real problems with the hydropools floor design ,i went on youtube to watch how they install the blanket,seems reasonable that it would give good insulation with the pump giving off heat etc.still have to do a wet test though. It's amazing to me how many people understand the pump giving off heat for insulation theory and yet don't understand that the pumps run for only 4 hours and give off heat. Leaving 20 hours without the heat source, what then? The insulation design theory is fine, but no magic pill. As long as there is suffiecient insulation and it is as close to sealed to the elements as possible it will work good enough. But if a sales pitch has lead you to make your desicion based on it being better than any other insulation design, your missing the boat. Not that it is a huge deal, but you can run the pump to filter 8 hours per day if you would like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Posted June 12, 2009 Report Share Posted June 12, 2009 Not that it is a huge deal, but you can run the pump to filter 8 hours per day if you would like. Or you could let the pump run all day and have that insulating advantage over any tub. But it hardly seems effiecient to run the pump for longer than it needs to be run to create a higher R-Factor. Premature pump failure comes to mind, not to mention a heater heats water way more efficient than a pump. But a pump moves water way more efficient than a heater! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Water Boy Posted June 12, 2009 Report Share Posted June 12, 2009 Not that it is a huge deal, but you can run the pump to filter 8 hours per day if you would like. Or you could let the pump run all day and have that insulating advantage over any tub. But it hardly seems effiecient to run the pump for longer than it needs to be run to create a higher R-Factor. Premature pump failure comes to mind, not to mention a heater heats water way more efficient than a pump. But a pump moves water way more efficient than a heater! Raj, Bro, people dont run the heater 8 hrs a day to heat the spa. I prefer having my spa filter four times a day for two hour intervals, and that has nothing to do with heating the spa. Its all about filtration for me, and keeping the spa clean. Whats your deal with anti Arctic lately. You have been awfully testy against Arctic lately evety time the dreaded "A" word gets brought up. Just curious what your beef is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Posted June 12, 2009 Report Share Posted June 12, 2009 Not that it is a huge deal, but you can run the pump to filter 8 hours per day if you would like. Or you could let the pump run all day and have that insulating advantage over any tub. But it hardly seems effiecient to run the pump for longer than it needs to be run to create a higher R-Factor. Premature pump failure comes to mind, not to mention a heater heats water way more efficient than a pump. But a pump moves water way more efficient than a heater! Raj, Bro, people dont run the heater 8 hrs a day to heat the spa. I prefer having my spa filter four times a day for two hour intervals, and that has nothing to do with heating the spa. Its all about filtration for me, and keeping the spa clean. Whats your deal with anti Arctic lately. You have been awfully testy against Arctic lately evety time the dreaded "A" word gets brought up. Just curious what your beef is. Arctic is in my top 3. I just need to remind it of it's place, makes me feel good. And we all know it's about the warm fuzzys, even for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobm Posted June 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2009 i looked up hydro pool on the list of hot tubs that were energy efficient in california and low and behold artic spas are not even on the list but hydropools had decent ratings.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Posted June 14, 2009 Report Share Posted June 14, 2009 i looked up hydro pool on the list of hot tubs that were energy efficient in california and low and behold artic spas are not even on the list but hydropools had decent ratings.. You mean the self reported list the CEC has? Because if you do it's meaningless to self report. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UK Arctic Dealer Posted June 14, 2009 Report Share Posted June 14, 2009 i looked up hydro pool on the list of hot tubs that were energy efficient in california and low and behold artic spas are not even on the list but hydropools had decent ratings.. bobm, Arctic Spas are listed under Blue Falls Manufacturing on the CEC website and the Spa R Value is 28 as opposed to Hydropool's rating of just 19. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobm Posted June 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2009 yes you are right about the cec rating for artic spas under blue falls thanks. with regards to sand harming the motors on the h.p.,my understanding is that pools use this system to filter their water,and dont have any issues. also i have read that artic pumps heat up too much due to the high r value as there is no ventilation in hot weather.or you have to physically remove the panels i guess it will come down to which one has the best feel when in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spatech (the unreal one) Posted June 14, 2009 Report Share Posted June 14, 2009 i looked up hydro pool on the list of hot tubs that were energy efficient in california and low and behold artic spas are not even on the list but hydropools had decent ratings.. bobm, Arctic Spas are listed under Blue Falls Manufacturing on the CEC website and the Spa R Value is 28 as opposed to Hydropool's rating of just 19. Those R ratings are pretty meaningless on that list. Everyone self reports and not everyone measures the R value the same way 9or self reports accurately either). How else do you explain one spa company having R ratings of 6 while another has 30 yet they both pass with similar results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobm Posted June 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2009 i looked up hydro pool on the list of hot tubs that were energy efficient in california and low and behold artic spas are not even on the list but hydropools had decent ratings.. bobm, Arctic Spas are listed under Blue Falls Manufacturing on the CEC website and the Spa R Value is 28 as opposed to Hydropool's rating of just 19. Those R ratings are pretty meaningless on that list. Everyone self reports and not everyone measures the R value the same way 9or self reports accurately either). How else do you explain one spa company having R ratings of 6 while another has 30 yet they both pass with similar results. i did think that it was wierd with those r values. the whole buisiness of trying to pick one hot tub over another is very confussing it seems that it is almost underhanded. it is peeing me off.. when you buy a car or house,even a camera or cell phone the companys dont all brag about being the best in the world lets just leave that to the fast food restaurants.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UK Arctic Dealer Posted June 16, 2009 Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 i looked up hydro pool on the list of hot tubs that were energy efficient in california and low and behold artic spas are not even on the list but hydropools had decent ratings.. bobm, Arctic Spas are listed under Blue Falls Manufacturing on the CEC website and the Spa R Value is 28 as opposed to Hydropool's rating of just 19. Those R ratings are pretty meaningless on that list. Everyone self reports and not everyone measures the R value the same way 9or self reports accurately either). How else do you explain one spa company having R ratings of 6 while another has 30 yet they both pass with similar results. Spatech, I have only recently come across the CEC website and being in the UK i know very little about the reports on tubs. Have the CEC carried out the tests or is this done "in-house" by the manufacturers? Also can tubs that are not on the list sell in California or must you be on the list? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
make_shift Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 i have a hydropool 638 that is 11 years old, run it seasonally on and off (not really the spa's fault) we are still with the original heater-balboa, original pumps (which I have refurbished myself a few times) - the self cleaning system works well and the beauty is the draining feature where you can drain the tub using the pump from the spa. I know all the in's and outs of this tub and when I hear my local store tell me it's time to get a new one, which is almost double the price what I paid for myn...I will keep myn. The plumbing is nice, the only complaint I have is that they should have used a floor that was resistant to animals/insects, myn has no floor, it was open foam only, so mice got in one year and made a hell of a mess. but now, I have added the genesis generator, and replaced a bunch of the jets (they're all standard off the shelf) and the piping is still very solid in it. the only problem I had when starting it up this spring was that the skimmer to the 3" hose had a leak, so I did a partial drain, cemented the pipe and went on. I have also added some insulation where I removed chunks of foam and have added some pink 1/2"rigid insulation foam and plywood on the floor. The dealers are good, the service (that is not factory, ie:when your warranty expires) is kind of crappy, and expensive imo. But since I have this one all set up the way I want, you can't pry it from my hands. People around here are surprised I still have an 11year old tub...not sure if that's hydropool or spas in general...hope that helped. It also uses very little electricity, I think on average, it's about 40 bucks every 1.5/2 months, which is peanuts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobm Posted June 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 i have a hydropool 638 that is 11 years old, run it seasonally on and off (not really the spa's fault) we are still with the original heater-balboa, original pumps (which I have refurbished myself a few times) - the self cleaning system works well and the beauty is the draining feature where you can drain the tub using the pump from the spa. I know all the in's and outs of this tub and when I hear my local store tell me it's time to get a new one, which is almost double the price what I paid for myn...I will keep myn. The plumbing is nice, the only complaint I have is that they should have used a floor that was resistant to animals/insects, myn has no floor, it was open foam only, so mice got in one year and made a hell of a mess. but now, I have added the genesis generator, and replaced a bunch of the jets (they're all standard off the shelf) and the piping is still very solid in it. the only problem I had when starting it up this spring was that the skimmer to the 3" hose had a leak, so I did a partial drain, cemented the pipe and went on. I have also added some insulation where I removed chunks of foam and have added some pink 1/2"rigid insulation foam and plywood on the floor. The dealers are good, the service (that is not factory, ie:when your warranty expires) is kind of crappy, and expensive imo. But since I have this one all set up the way I want, you can't pry it from my hands. People around here are surprised I still have an 11year old tub...not sure if that's hydropool or spas in general...hope that helped. It also uses very little electricity, I think on average, it's about 40 bucks every 1.5/2 months, which is peanuts thanks for all the replies,i have exhausted myself over the last 2 months ,wet tests etc and have made a decision on getting the hydropool 725... its down to which dealership will give me the best price.and service. i will definetly be around after buying to share my thoughts on this whole process of buying and looking.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulmn Posted July 1, 2009 Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 i have a hydropool 638 that is 11 years old, run it seasonally on and off (not really the spa's fault) we are still with the original heater-balboa, original pumps (which I have refurbished myself a few times) - the self cleaning system works well and the beauty is the draining feature where you can drain the tub using the pump from the spa. I know all the in's and outs of this tub and when I hear my local store tell me it's time to get a new one, which is almost double the price what I paid for myn...I will keep myn. The plumbing is nice, the only complaint I have is that they should have used a floor that was resistant to animals/insects, myn has no floor, it was open foam only, so mice got in one year and made a hell of a mess. but now, I have added the genesis generator, and replaced a bunch of the jets (they're all standard off the shelf) and the piping is still very solid in it. the only problem I had when starting it up this spring was that the skimmer to the 3" hose had a leak, so I did a partial drain, cemented the pipe and went on. I have also added some insulation where I removed chunks of foam and have added some pink 1/2"rigid insulation foam and plywood on the floor. The dealers are good, the service (that is not factory, ie:when your warranty expires) is kind of crappy, and expensive imo. But since I have this one all set up the way I want, you can't pry it from my hands. People around here are surprised I still have an 11year old tub...not sure if that's hydropool or spas in general...hope that helped. It also uses very little electricity, I think on average, it's about 40 bucks every 1.5/2 months, which is peanuts thanks for all the replies,i have exhausted myself over the last 2 months ,wet tests etc and have made a decision on getting the hydropool 725... its down to which dealership will give me the best price.and service. i will definetly be around after buying to share my thoughts on this whole process of buying and looking.. I think you've made a very wise choice. Good luck with your new tub! Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobm Posted July 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 i think so also,one thing i had a hard time figuring out was the size,not even so much how many people you want in at the same time.but being able to move around in it ,say arms and legs .i found the smaller ones were better on price,but on the cramped side.for getting a bit of exercise on the arms and legs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.