20 Questions To Ask Your Dealer

[hottublady]

How do you differentiate between the many spa manufactures and dealers? Here are 20 questions you can ask your dealer that will help you in the buying process...

Costs

1. What does the cost of my spa include? (cover, stairs, chemicals, etc.)

2. Does my installation include delivery and setup?

3. Do I need special plumbing for my hot tub?

4. How much will this spa add to my utility bills?

Warranty & Service

5. What customer service do you offer after the sale?

6. Is the equipment easily accessible for service?

7. What exclusions do you have in your warranty?

8. If I have a warranty problem, does the dealer or manufacturer service the spa?

9. How long have you been carrying this spa brand and why did you decide to carry it?

My Property

10. Are there municipal codes that require an alteration of my property?

11. Do you conduct an in-home site inspection for spa placement?

12. Who is responsible for any damage to the access area in the house or the nighbor's property during the spa's installation?

13. On what type of surface should my spa be placed?

14. What are the electrical requirements for my spa?

Details

15. Can I use pool chemicals in the spa?

16. What safety features come with the spa?

17. How noisy is the spa when it runs full speed with the blower on?

18. Is the equipment UL and NSF approved?

19. What can i expect during freezing and thawing conditions?

20. What type of insulation does the spa have?

Hope this helps you hot tub shoppers!

Hottublady

[Dr. Spa]

Bored, looking to play, and with a desire to simply play devil's advocate..........

1. What does the cost of my spa include? (cover, stairs, chemicals, etc.)

BE SURE to get this in writing on the contract

2. Does my installation include delivery and setup?

See #1 above

3. Do I need special plumbing for my hot tub?

I don't believe I've EVER seen a need for this on a portable spa. Why are we asking this question??

4. How much will this spa add to my utility bills?

This is generally not a question that can be answered. And as we have seen MANY times here on this board, what had been told isn't even close to the fact.

5. What customer service do you offer after the sale?

6. Is the equipment easily accessible for service?

Please define "easy". And, easy compare to what? Is this "easy" to someone that has never worked on this type of spa and generally hasn't a clue as to what their doing. Or is this related to an experienced qualified person with knowledge of this particular brand of spa?

7. What exclusions do you have in your warranty?

Again, this is an area where some dealers have been reported to "leave out" certain things. Others have been misinformed and wrong. READ THE ENTIRE WARRANTY yourself!

8. If I have a warranty problem, does the dealer or manufacturer service the spa?

Interesting question. It may even be more important to ask, "if you happen to no longer exist, how will my spa be fixed under warranty?"

9. How long have you been carrying this spa brand and why did you decide to carry it?

A most excellent question!

10. Are there municipal codes that require an alteration of my property?

No comment. though, you should find out if your local municipality requires and type of permits or fees to install a hot tub.

11. Do you conduct an in-home site inspection for spa placement?

Reasonable.

12. Who is responsible for any damage to the access area in the house or the nighbor's property during the spa's installation?

Ok.

13. On what type of surface should my spa be placed?

Here again, I've seen people on these message boards tell that their dealer said one thing, while the owners manual says another.

14. What are the electrical requirements for my spa?

I would think the dealer would be telling you this.

15. Can I use pool chemicals in the spa?

???? Why ask this? Chemicals are chemicals. If it's the same chemical makeup, why would the packaging matter??

16. What safety features come with the spa?

As I"m not aware of any "optional" safety features, what might someone expect for an answer to this??

17. How noisy is the spa when it runs full speed with the blower on?

OK, this is the one that got me started on this. There is no answer to this until the spa is in place and vibrations and reverberations can be heard and evaluated.

18. Is the equipment UL and NSF approved?

I don't believe there's much of any relevance or importance to NSF. In fact, as I think there's only one or 2 brands that are NSF approved, are YOU posting this to sway shoppers towards your own brand of spa???

19. What can i expect during freezing and thawing conditions?

20. What type of insulation does the spa have?

*sigh* here we go........... this question is totally irrelevant towards anything. The type doesn't matter any where near as much as the QUALITY. the 2 basic types of insulation methods, if done CORRECTLY are about equal in insulating abilities. Either one, done shoddily, will be inferior to the other done right.

I spell checked :-)... I thought you were a writer? You got a spelling error in your question #12......nighbor's

Also, I've always felt these "lists of questions" a little irresponsible unless you really go into each one and discuss the possible different answers and what they might mean................. ok, I'll put the pitch fork away and hide my pointed tail back in my pants.

[hottublady]

Bored, looking to play, and with a desire to simply play devil's advocate..........ok, I'll put the pitch fork away and hide my pointed tail back in my pants.

Dr. Spa,

I never said I was a writer I said I was a researcher. I don't sell or work for any spa manufactures I work for Spasearch magazine. I think spas are wonderful and that everyone should own one due to the major health benefits. I just posted this to help individuals who are shopping. This exact questionnaire was posted in our magazine. I would like to thank you for your input, as all of those are valid points. -Hottublady

[darkproject2]

thanks for the info hottublady, would be a good start for any new hot tub owwners

I saw you are quite new to the site, somne people on this forum are way too negative and critical on other members posts. The behaviour is really not a good way to encourage new forum members to stay and continue to post.

spell checking, really who gives a toss if there is a few spelling mistakes.. its a web forum

[Trigger]

I'd also add

Who will be delivering my spa and when. Are they insured?

I'd also get a full and clear explanation on payment. How much down, is it refundable, when final payment is due, and by what means (check, cash, CC cashiers check etc).

Will the delivery team set up the spa?

Will they remove and take away all packing?

Will I receive all my options upong delivery (O3, lifter steps). Will the delivery team install all this?

Will the dealer provide orientation? When? Where( here at the store or on site?)

What manitence routine does the manufactuer recomend?

are there any other accersories, or items that I would need to operate and enjoy the spa?

[hottublady]

I'd also add

Who will be delivering my spa and when. Are they insured?

I'd also get a full and clear explanation on payment. How much down, is it refundable, when final payment is due, and by what means (check, cash, CC cashiers check etc).

Will the delivery team set up the spa?

Will they remove and take away all packing?

Will I receive all my options upong delivery (O3, lifter steps). Will the delivery team install all this?

Will the dealer provide orientation? When? Where( here at the store or on site?)

What manitence routine does the manufactuer recomend?

are there any other accersories, or items that I would need to operate and enjoy the spa?

Trigger,

This is WONDERFUL information! I think that is what that questionnaire was missing=) Thank you for the input as it will be extremely helpful to potential buyers/shoppers.

Thanks again,

Hottublady

[spatech (the unreal one)]

6. Is the equipment easily accessible for service?

Hope this helps you hot tub shoppers!

Hottublady

There is some good stuff there but it's still a draft. I'd change this one to:

6. Which side(s) need to be left accessible for the equipment.

[hottublady]

There is some good stuff there but it's still a draft. I'd change this one to:

6. Which side(s) need to be left accessible for the equipment.

Spatech,

You are absolutely right! Because some spas require more than one side because of music systems ect.. I really believe that my magazine is really missing input from a spa technician's stand-point. If you don't mind me asking, what is the major complaint you here from customers? And what is the most common thing customers have issues with, as this would be more than beneficial to know for my research. Thanks so much!-Hottublady

[Tyler]

Great job hottublady. Some of you are a little tough on her.

[pmj]

Another related to accessibility..

How much measured clearance space is needed in between house and accessibility panel?

What kind of coverlifters are available and can I try each one to see what feels best? (especially for small people)

What's the easiest water testing kit to use?

when we got our spa I was convinced that water chemitry was rocket science. Now that the initial 2 month period of adjustments are virtually over I can relax a bit more..it ain't rocket science, thankfully)

[Tom]

I spell checked :-)... I thought you were a writer? You got a spelling error in your question #12......

Hey, Doc, ease up! I AM a professional writer and I like to slip in the occasional typo. Editors and proofreaders need to feel useful.

(This joke was made by Robert Heinlein in one of his earlier SF novels and has probably been around forever. While the occasional editor has made a mess of my work, most have improved it either directly or indirectly.)

Hotublady, I like the idea of the list.

[Jim_The_Jim]

How do you differentiate between the many spa manufactures and dealers? Here are 20 questions you can ask your dealer that will help you in the buying process...

Hope this helps you hot tub shoppers!

Hottublady

These are all excellent questions, but the most important is to get a LONG list of customers to contact. And

to really take a look at the product, not the sales pitch. Look at the construction, and talk with a lot of INDEPENDENT repair people.

You cannot use pool chlorine in any hot tub, so that question is not used for evaluation.

If you live in a cold climate the freeze issue is very important.

Shopping list for your hot tub search.

1/ Look for hot tubs that are easier to repair. As the hot tub ages, you do not want to spend extra money on labor, especially on leaks. The equipment should be spread out so one component is not in the way of removing the other. All of the side panels should be removable, and the hot tub should not be filled with dense foam to interfere with repairs. (Don't buy a luxury car and fill the hood full of foam!). The smaller tubing needs support with foam to keep it from shaking and leaking, so some foam support is needed. The standard design from 27 years ago is to stuff the cabinet with foam, then place the equipment in a box in front of the hot tub. This is not only a poor design for repairs, it is bad in terms of heat build up on the pumps and the plumbing has multiple concessions in design. It is much better to allow air space around the equipment. If you place the equipment in a large container as in a thermal pane hot tub, the heat is dissipated and the equipment is easy to access. If you have a leak in the plumbing, buried in the foam, in a fully foamed hot tub, it is very expensive to fix. How do you find it?

2/ Look for hot tubs with standard parts. There are several companies that make readily available high quality parts. The word "EXCLUSIVE", means just what it says. You are excluded from buying parts from other suppliers. If they have exclusive parts that you like, check around to see how much they cost to replace. I certainly would not pay $500 for a heater manifold. Most all the major brands have some ridiculous prices on parts. All of the manufacturers of hot tubs use outside manufacturers for the various parts. If they buy enough parts, then they can have the parts "bastardized" so that they cannot be replaced with the standard part. There is no difference in quality between "exclusive" parts and non-exclusive. In most cases the non exclusive parts are stronger. One large company places the motor frame on the pump on a 45 degree angle, so that you can't even replace it with a better brand of motor. You are stuck with an inferior part and "pay through the nose" for it.

3/ Look for hot tubs that are fully insulated and not fully foamed. A fully foamed hot tub is not, by any stretch of science, the most energy efficient hot tub. Spas that capture the heat from the equipment and keep cold air off the components and plumbing are efficient. A fully insulated hot tub has foam on the shell, warm air chamber, and the walls of the cabinet have foam boards. The cabinet is closed with no vents that allow cold air to enter the cabinet except by vacuum. DAIT Click Here

4/ Look for hot tubs with acrylic backed by vinyl ester bonding resin and hand rolled fiberglass with glass cloth or chop. This is the shell with the most history for strength, reparability, and beauty. (When something better comes along I'll be the first to let you know.) The cheaper hot tubs will use a composite of Acrylic and ABS, or another plastic and ABS with no structural fiberglass. Then the cabinet is stuffed with structural foam to hold it up. This is a cause of many problems that result in expensive repairs and more expense to heat the water.

5/ Look for quality electronics. Right now Gecko makes the best (in my experience) and Balboa is very good. The safest is to use steel boxes. If you put a 50 amp or a 60 amp sub panel in your home, you would never pass code if the panel was made of plastic for fire reasons. Steel is by far best container for electrical panels and control boxes. Aluminum is OK but not as safe as steel. (We have always used steel, and in 10 years we have had three boxes with electrical arcing. You could not even see the evidence of it until the box was opened. Then you saw all the black and melted parts. This can happen in any control box. You do not want any power junctions exposed outside of a metal housing. This stops the possibilities of fire.)

6/ Look for hot tubs that have good clean plumbing. If the pump can put out 200 gallons per minute and it is running at 150, there is something wrong with the design. If a diverter valve is used, make sure it is NOT the first thing the pump hits in the plumbing path. If the diverter valve is the first plumbing part after the pump, then the hot tub is poorly plumbed. I call this "diverter first" plumbing. Look for few turns in the main plumbing. A poorly installed diverter valve means that people have to wait their turn for the jets. The diverter valve is similar to driving you car with the brakes on, in which the engine works harder to do less work. If you cannot run all the jets at full pressure at the same time, then the hot tub has a diverter valve, restricting the flow.

7/ Look for bypass filtering with check valves on the main jet pumps. This insures proper water flow to the jets. It also follows the ANSI standards for safety. (The worse design is the no bypass plumbing on hot tub pumps because it limits the water flow and as the filters get dirty, the jet pressure drops. These hot tubs have weak jet pressure to begin with and water diverters.)

8/ Look for pumps that are mounted to reduce noise. We use rubber mounting pads, solid 2 x 4 frames and lag screws to hold the pumps solid and get rid of "sounding boards" (thin plywood or plastic). Listen to the pumps running on high with all the equipment going. If you can't have a conversation, don't buy it. All you should hear is water!

9/ The length of a warranty on the hot tub should not be the primary reason for buying. Warranties are hidden "insurance policies" that you are paying for. It is built into the price of the hot tub. For instance, our least expensive hot tubs have a one year parts and labor warranty for a reason. It is to make them affordable. Our high end hot tubs have 5 years parts and labor. The same brand of components, same shell construction, same plumbing parts brands. ( When I hear a salesperson say: "we put our money where our mouth is". They mean "we put your money in our pockets and manipulate the interpretation".)

10/ Look for reasonable prices. A one horsepower (1.65 hp), one speed jet pump hot tub with no air jets (air injection) being sold for $6000 is a rip off. Look for the features per dollar of the hot tub as well as design and construction materials. Do not purchase any hot tub that you do not understand about the equipment being used. Find out the real HP, motor size, brand of motor, brand of electronics and jets.

11/ Avoid hot tubs that use a tiny 24 hour circulation pump that produces less than 18 GPM. (Unless of course you want to buy scum balls, scum bags, scum bug, extra shock and water clarifiers, and enzyme treatments to help get the scum out of the water.)

12/ Don't be "sold" on a hot tub by a salesman. If you feel pressure and manipulation, get up and walk out. The deal they have now that is so good, may be even better tomorrow. Research the products and take some "salt" with you so you can take everything as they say with "a grain of salt". Make your decision to purchase at a later time based on knowledge. ( There is a company that goes around with trailers and RV's with a sign on the trailer saying "LIQUIDATION SALE". The hot tubs they sell are lacking in cold weather insulation, not fully finished, and are being sold for about $1000 more than a comparable hot tub. They say if you don't buy now, you will miss out on the best deal. They also don't take care of the customers. They are unethical. This is the epitome of high pressure sales.) If you go to a home show, you need to know about hot tubs and prices before you go, otherwise, you most likely will be taken advantage of. HOME SHOW WISDOM CLICK HERE

13/ Buy hot tubs that are ANSI/NSPI(Click here) conforming. The largest manufacturer of portable hot tubs does not follow these engineering design rules. These rules are their to protect consumers and are not subject to interpretation.

14/ At the present time, there are no valid rewards or awards in the possession of any hot tub company. Do not fall prey to awards that are paid for advertising. Do not fall for the Consumer's Digest logo used on brochures, because that too is paid advertising. Do not fall for the NSPI awards to the hot tub company that gives the most money to the organization. Do not fall prey to "Star Ratings on Pool and Spa" it is paid advertising. The hot tub industry is full of tricks to play with the uninformed consumer. The more out of date and rich the company is, it seems the more money they have. That is only because hot tub shoppers do not know anything about hot tubs. All of the advertising on earth cannot change a poorly designed products engineering.

[John Karna]

Question # 22

Are your tubs ETL certified?