Costco Platinum elite spa

[jmendoza17]

We just bought a Platinum II Elite Spa from Costo. It seemed like a bargain and after good research, the pluses seemed to outweigh the minuses. We had a crane service hoist it into our backyard as it was the only way to get it in. A licensed electrician from a Pool service company wired it up. I read the manual thoroughly and set it up.

The problem started right away. The pumps regularly go into an air-lock without rhyme or reason and nothing I do seems to change that. The only fix seems to be to turn off the breaker, let it sit idle for hours and then restart it. Calling Hydrospa is not a good experience so far. They rarely answer the phone and after they did, they told me to loosen the connections and bleed the air from the system. I took the panesl off and tried that, but the problems persists. Plus, I did not pay $4000 for a new spa to be a mechanic five times a week. Hopefully all spas do not require unscrewing panles and bleeding the lines daily.

I think something must be wrong because I can't imagine that Hydrospa has been in business 10 years making lemons. If it was a TV, I would pick it up and bring it back. If it was a lemon auto, I'd have it towed, but its a 1000 lb box that has to be moved by crane. My next step is to call Costco, but I'm hoping to avoid a return and find someone who knows what the heck is wrong with this picture.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

We just bought a Platinum II Elite Spa from Costo. It seemed like a bargain and after good research, the pluses seemed to outweigh the minuses.

I did not pay $4000 for a new spa to be a mechanic five times a week. Hopefully all spas do not require unscrewing panles and bleeding the lines daily.

My next step is to call Costco, but I'm hoping to avoid a return and find someone who knows what the heck is wrong with this picture.

Don't hesitate, Call Costco and see if they'll help.

[beachside]

I recently bought the Plat. II myself, seemed like a good value as I am a DIY'er. There were a few initial issues, some of the side panels were cracked and scuffed from shipment to Costco. I emailed damage pics to Hydrospa, they said they would ship out some replacements, still waiting and they are not responding to my emails. There also was a pinched tube under the center of the spa, I was able to dislodge it ok. The radio didn't work, after inspection I noticed the fuse holder was broke so I replaced it. The spa runs fine so far so I am enjoying it. The jury is still out on the customer service end of this purchase, I wonder about future warranty claims, especially if they are so slow to respond to problems before I even started it up.

I'm still learning the chemical stuff, it seems there are a lot of different ideas out there. I want to keep it staight forward and simple! It would be nice to have a easy test schedule to adhere to, something I can repeat on a daily basis and other tests I can do weekly. I currently set it up with bromine and have a floater with 3 tablets in it. The bromine is 2-3 PPM. The PH is around 7.6. The TA came out at 300 PPM which I believe is high. The water hardness came in around 120 PPM. The spa will be used by me only, about 3-4 times per week(98 degrees). The only additional chem I added was de-foamer. I believe I should shock it once a week, is that accomplished by adding some bromine granuals once a week?

Anything I missed?

Thanks for any insight!

[spatech (the unreal one)]

The jury is still out on the customer service end of this purchase, I wonder about future warranty claims, especially if they are so slow to respond to problems before I even started it up.

The jury returned a verdict, you are the service end of it.

[Silverfish]

Yours is a sample of 1. If you saw more of those spas out there you might think otherwise. The key to owning those is being able to do your own service as you will be the service guy or you'll be hiring someone. If you can take care of it you may have a good expereince but if you judge based on the multitudes out there then your opinion would have more substance behind it. Good luck and I'll knock on wood for you.

vs.

The jury returned a verdict, you are the service end of it.

You seem to have a very self-serving view of statistics.

Let me guess. Salesman?

[spatech (the unreal one)]

You seem to have a very self-serving view of statistics.

Let me guess. Salesman?

So your point is to show I've been consistent in stating that the service end of it will/may be up to the customer? Is that really what you're trying to say?

BTW, no, I'm not a salesman but thanks for asking.

[Silverfish]

So your point is to show I've been consistent in stating that the service end of it will/may be up to the customer? Is that really what you're trying to say?

No, that's not it.

[Tyler]

No, that's not it.

With his title I'm thinking he's a Spa Technician as well as the Moderator of this forum

[spatech (the unreal one)]

No, that's not it.

Then I guess I'll let the riddle pass unsolved.

BTW, I'm not a moderator here. Anyone who has more than 500 posts gets that grand exalted title for whatever reaon here.

[Tyler]

Congratulations. I'm assuming you're a Spa technician?

Then I guess I'll let the riddle pass unsolved.

BTW, I'm not a moderator here. Anyone who has more than 500 posts gets that grand exalted title for whatever reaon here.

[HydroSpa Supervisor]

I recently bought the Plat. II myself, seemed like a good value as I am a DIY'er. There were a few initial issues, some of the side panels were cracked and scuffed from shipment to Costco. I emailed damage pics to Hydrospa, they said they would ship out some replacements, still waiting and they are not responding to my emails. There also was a pinched tube under the center of the spa, I was able to dislodge it ok. The radio didn't work, after inspection I noticed the fuse holder was broke so I replaced it. The spa runs fine so far so I am enjoying it. The jury is still out on the customer service end of this purchase, I wonder about future warranty claims, especially if they are so slow to respond to problems before I even started it up.

I'm still learning the chemical stuff, it seems there are a lot of different ideas out there. I want to keep it staight forward and simple! It would be nice to have a easy test schedule to adhere to, something I can repeat on a daily basis and other tests I can do weekly. I currently set it up with bromine and have a floater with 3 tablets in it. The bromine is 2-3 PPM. The PH is around 7.6. The TA came out at 300 PPM which I believe is high. The water hardness came in around 120 PPM. The spa will be used by me only, about 3-4 times per week(98 degrees). The only additional chem I added was de-foamer. I believe I should shock it once a week, is that accomplished by adding some bromine granuals once a week?

Anything I missed?

Thanks for any insight!

Hi Beachside. Actually there is a product out there called "Shock" sold by Leisure Time.

[HydroSpa Supervisor]

The jury returned a verdict, you are the service end of it.

That's funny you say that actually. On a day to day basis I get more complaints from customers about there small little dealers and the horrible service they receive from them than about anything else. Some people fall through the cracks at Hydro Spa but that is also why we are expanding our Customer Service department... So that doesn't happen.

Between the 8,000 2005 (Platinum 1) spas we sold last year and now the almost 10,000 2010 (Platinum 2) spas this year we have a very low percentage of true "spa problems". Most of the issues come from shipping (i.e. Broken panels, kinked hoses, a broken plumbing manifold, trapped hoses, etc.) The Balboa HS200/M7 spa pack is practically infallable. The Costco juggernaut and her people love the spa so much that we will continue to sell the Platinum series through 2007 as well. Might even see a newer Platinum.

[IknewIwasright]

That's funny you say that actually. On a day to day basis I get more complaints from customers about there small little dealers and the horrible service they receive from them than about anything else. Some people fall through the cracks at Hydro Spa but that is also why we are expanding our Customer Service department... So that doesn't happen.

Between the 8,000 2005 (Platinum 1) spas we sold last year and now the almost 10,000 2010 (Platinum 2) spas this year we have a very low percentage of true "spa problems". Most of the issues come from shipping (i.e. Broken panels, kinked hoses, a broken plumbing manifold, trapped hoses, etc.) The Balboa HS200/M7 spa pack is practically infallable. The Costco juggernaut and her people love the spa so much that we will continue to sell the Platinum series through 2007 as well. Might even see a newer Platinum.

How dare you come on this forum and speak the truth about Costco spas. Don't you know there are folks on here whose very livelyhood is threatend by large customer orientated stores with good products who would have us all believe that we have been sucked into the hype and do not have the ability to see things quite as clearly as they do.

[Tyler]

I don't see Platinum II model listed on the Costco website. How much is the spa selling for? Is there an online brochure anywhere?

[HydroSpa Supervisor]

I honestly do not know what the Platinum II is selling for but you can go to www.elitespas.com and check out what's on the site.

I can't help speaking the truth about the Platinum Spas. I know I'm wrong and should probably be drawn and quartered but I couldn't help it. Being apart of the Costco team that helps the Platinum owners I feel I had to take the chance.

To all of you who own either the Platinum 1 or 2... Good Choice! If you are ever in need of service though. Just call the 1-800 number on the manual and we'd be more than happy to help. We have service companies all over the U.S. and Canada that will take care of any warranty issue that may arise. After all, our customer service team strives to be the best. With out customer service we know our company would fall out.

[IknewIwasright]

I honestly do not know what the Platinum II is selling for but you can go to www.elitespas.com and check out what's on the site.

I can't help speaking the truth about the Platinum Spas. I know I'm wrong and should probably be drawn and quartered but I couldn't help it. Being apart of the Costco team that helps the Platinum owners I feel I had to take the chance.

To all of you who own either the Platinum 1 or 2... Good Choice! If you are ever in need of service though. Just call the 1-800 number on the manual and we'd be more than happy to help. We have service companies all over the U.S. and Canada that will take care of any warranty issue that may arise. After all, our customer service team strives to be the best. With out customer service we know our company would fall out.

One year and still running smoothly. No self serving dealer in sight. Life is good.

[Tyler]

I honestly do not know what the Platinum II is selling for but you can go to www.elitespas.com and check out what's on the site.

I can't help speaking the truth about the Platinum Spas. I know I'm wrong and should probably be drawn and quartered but I couldn't help it. Being apart of the Costco team that helps the Platinum owners I feel I had to take the chance.

To all of you who own either the Platinum 1 or 2... Good Choice! If you are ever in need of service though. Just call the 1-800 number on the manual and we'd be more than happy to help. We have service companies all over the U.S. and Canada that will take care of any warranty issue that may arise. After all, our customer service team strives to be the best. With out customer service we know our company would fall out.

Looks like a nice spa. I've heard some comments concerning the lack of insulation materials. Perhaps this is not accurate information. Can you elaborate on the type of insulation used? I'm assuming it's not a full foamed spa? The website listed the insulation as "Shell foam insulation and Foam barrier". Maybe you can explain what this means.

[madbare]

Chalk up another happy owner. I got mine a month ago and finally got around to installing it last week and did the first dip last night. Everything is working as it should be and we really love the tub. The jets are nice and powerfull and having a stereo is awesome. Does anybody know where you can buy more of the Aromatherapy beads? I did not see them on the website. It is yet to be determined how the heating bill will be as I live in the mountains at 9000 feet and can get quite cold here in the winter. The tub itself has a thin layer of foam on it and the cabinet has styrofoam inserts on the panels. When I opened the panel last night, it was very warm inside. Looks like worse case, it would be easy to add some additional insulation to the spa.

Steve

[flibotte]

It's true the insulation is not good on these tubs. There was a post a few months back from someone who added insulation to his and saw his electric bill drop quite a bit. I also think getting a better cover would be a good step.

[as2240]

i hope you ppl arent serious with buying tubs from costco!!! have fun with any service thats needed or any warranty issues!!!

[IknewIwasright]

i hope you ppl arent serious with buying tubs from costco!!! have fun with any service thats needed or any warranty issues!!!

Its a good thing you jumped in with that contribution. I don't know how this forum would have survived without the 500th comment from in industry person about how ignorant we are. Priceless addition.

[New NW tub owner]

I honestly do not know what the Platinum II is selling for but you can go to www.elitespas.com and check out what's on the site.

I can't help speaking the truth about the Platinum Spas. I know I'm wrong and should probably be drawn and quartered but I couldn't help it. Being apart of the Costco team that helps the Platinum owners I feel I had to take the chance.

To all of you who own either the Platinum 1 or 2... Good Choice! If you are ever in need of service though. Just call the 1-800 number on the manual and we'd be more than happy to help. We have service companies all over the U.S. and Canada that will take care of any warranty issue that may arise. After all, our customer service team strives to be the best. With out customer service we know our company would fall out.

We just got the Platinum II and it is awesome. The jets are powerful and controllable. The computerized controls are very slick. The light is cool with the different changes in color and tone that it does. It seems to be well-insulated but I haven't gotten the electric bill yet. The shell is insulated with some sort of foam stuff and there is also styrofoam inserts in the panel sides. Most of the heat loss on hot tubs is through the top anyway, so I doubt that the shell insulation makes much difference as long as the shell/ground contact is minimized and the shell is insulated. A relative with a different hot tub says that the best thing is to get a floating bubble-sheet cover insert cut to fit for the inside of the tub in addition to the cover over the top. We'll get one of those soon.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

Most of the heat loss on hot tubs is through the top anyway,

That is a common thought and while it's true that the cover is extrmely important the side insulation is equally important. You will lose a ton of heat out the sides as well as the top if the spa is not well insulated. So, you need a well fit well insulated cover AND you need proper insulation on the siding, either full foam or a well sealed proplery thermopane insulation barier (which I would wonder about in this case but you can always look at add here).

[New NW tub owner]

That is a common thought and while it's true that the cover is extrmely important the side insulation is equally important. You will lose a ton of heat out the sides as well as the top if the spa is not well insulated. So, you need a well fit well insulated cover AND you need proper insulation on the siding, either full foam or a well sealed proplery thermopane insulation barier (which I would wonder about in this case but you can always look at add here).

By far the biggest heat loss in any hot tub occurs when the warm water evaporates and then condenses against the underside of the cover and drops back down into the spa. A thicker cover will reduce this heat loss but the best method of minimizing it is to also use a floating plastic barrier on the water surface. Even with that, however, most of the heat loss is from the top. Heat loss from the insulated sides is much less, although still significant.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

By far the biggest heat loss in any hot tub occurs when the warm water evaporates and then condenses against the underside of the cover and drops back down into the spa. A thicker cover will reduce this heat loss but the best method of minimizing it is to also use a floating plastic barrier on the water surface. Even with that, however, most of the heat loss is from the top. Heat loss from the insulated sides is much less, although still significant.

You are right BUT my point is that if you do have a very good cover but then have poorly insulated sides then you can pat yourself on the back for that nice cover all you want but your bill will still skyrocket from the poorly insulated sides!!!!! There are many cheaply made spas that are poorly insulated (I'm speaking generally, not about one specific brand) and if you get a better cover it'll help stop the high rising in that direction but you're still doomed to big bills.