Local Manufacter Aspen Spas Of St. Louis, Opinions, Thoughts?

[rwilkerson]

Does anyone have any feedback on this company from a personal perspective?

There is a local manufacturer here called Aspen Spas. I like the idea of dealing with a local manufacturer that will jet the tub as I ask for it to be done (add remove, move, change jets). I haven't found any negative feedback on them. I can get a very nice, seemingly high quality spa in the 8 ft size for what I can get a 7 ft Jacuzzi for. The Aspen Arcadia ES I had spec'd out has 2 two speed 56 frame pumps as well as a single speed 56 frame pump and a circ pump. They use waterway jets and balboa controls, the tub is sprayed with 2# foam and the conections are all exposed for ease of repair, it has a full abs pan on the bottom, wood frame, double sided reflective insulation mounted to the inside of the cabinet panels and under the tub. Warranty is comparable to the big companies.

We have wet tested this tub extensively and it seems to be a great tub but for me there is a perceived quality difference between the Jacuzzi and the Aspen. I can't see it or feel it but I think it for some reason. Crazy I know but I do think that way.

Here is a link. Please give me opinions of the tub as well as the idea of a local company to deal with

http://aspen-spas.com/spas/arcadia

[Dr. Spa]

the tub is sprayed with 2# foam

Paper thin........like wearing a T-shirt in the middle of winter

and the conections are all exposed for ease of repair

And MASSIVE heat LOSS. The additional cost of heating this will almost certainly far exceed the costs of any possible future leak repairs.

[rwilkerson]

the tub is sprayed with 2# foam

Paper thin........like wearing a T-shirt in the middle of winter

and the conections are all exposed for ease of repair

And MASSIVE heat LOSS. The additional cost of heating this will almost certainly far exceed the costs of any possible future leak repairs.

Thanks Dr. Spa, do you think the operating cost would be any worse than any other non-fully foamed tub?

[Dr. Spa]

Depends on the quality of manufacturing. If done right, like Arctic, it works well. If done poorly, you'll pay through the nose to heat it.

[duebel]

the tub is sprayed with 2# foam

Paper thin........like wearing a T-shirt in the middle of winter

Have you actually seen an Aspen Spa or are you making assumptions? I spoke with the owner when I bought mine. He took me back into the factory and showed me the foam used in Aspen Spas. It's a 2# heavyweight size SPF that has an R Factor of about 6 / 1" deep.

and the conections are all exposed for ease of repair

And MASSIVE heat LOSS.

[duebel]

the tub is sprayed with 2# foam

Paper thin........like wearing a T-shirt in the middle of winter

Have you actually seen an Aspen Spa or are you making assumptions? I spoke with the owner when I bought mine. He took me back into the factory and showed me the foam used in Aspen Spas. It's a 2# heavyweight size SPF that has an R Factor of about 6 / 1" deep.

and the conections are all exposed for ease of repair

And MASSIVE heat LOSS.

WOW. That's quite the assumption, too. Bearing in mind that R-values are additive, let's talk about the layers of insulation technology surrounding Aspen Spas: Heavy-weight foam, Arctic cabinet wrap, Insulated Fiberglass, etc all come together to make a thermally sealed environment for the spa so that heat loss is minimized. Compare this to the complete lack of evidence that fully-foamed spas have any superior insulation in side-by-side independent testing and what do you have? Misinformation from old-time salespeople praying on lack of consumer knowledge on the subject of hot tubs and insulation.

So, good luck repairing the controls on your fully-foamed spa when they inevitably break. Send it right back to the manufacturer to have it cut open, repaired and re-foamed. I bet that's really cost-efficient . You'd have to know almost nothing about natural science to purchase a fully-foamed spa after reading anything about Aspen Spas.

[Roger]

WOW. That's quite the assumption, too. Bearing in mind that R-values are additive, let's talk about the layers of insulation technology surrounding Aspen Spas: Heavy-weight foam, Arctic cabinet wrap, Insulated Fiberglass, etc all come together to make a thermally sealed environment for the spa so that heat loss is minimized. Compare this to the complete lack of evidence that fully-foamed spas have any superior insulation in side-by-side independent testing and what do you have? Misinformation from old-time salespeople praying on lack of consumer knowledge on the subject of hot tubs and insulation.

So, good luck repairing the controls on your fully-foamed spa when they inevitably break. Send it right back to the manufacturer to have it cut open, repaired and re-foamed. I bet that's really cost-efficient . You'd have to know almost nothing about natural science to purchase a fully-foamed spa after reading anything about Aspen Spas.

Wait. Doc said if done right it can work. But whats funny is we know full foam works and there are very very few leaks which those not full foaming use as their scare tactic. And we never know if non full foam works. We do know it's cheaper and we do know there is 1 or 2 manufacturers that know how to make it almost as good as full foam.

[CuzzinOlaf]

There is an Aspen dealer near where I live and we looked at their tubs. There was practically no insulation when we pulled the side panel off. The kicker for us was the construction of the tub. We had a mouse problem with our old tub and the Aspen had over a 1 inch gap in two of the four corners of the tub. This was an obvious construction issue because you were able to feel the threads of the corner screws when you stuck your fingers under the corners. The dealer said they have a woodshop on site and could fix but that wasn't good enough for me. I say if they didn't build it right the first time then why would I want to buy it? We bought a Hot Spot soon after.

[duebel]

WOW. That's quite the assumption, too. Bearing in mind that R-values are additive, let's talk about the layers of insulation technology surrounding Aspen Spas: Heavy-weight foam, Arctic cabinet wrap, Insulated Fiberglass, etc all come together to make a thermally sealed environment for the spa so that heat loss is minimized. Compare this to the complete lack of evidence that fully-foamed spas have any superior insulation in side-by-side independent testing and what do you have? Misinformation from old-time salespeople praying on lack of consumer knowledge on the subject of hot tubs and insulation.

So, good luck repairing the controls on your fully-foamed spa when they inevitably break. Send it right back to the manufacturer to have it cut open, repaired and re-foamed. I bet that's really cost-efficient . You'd have to know almost nothing about natural science to purchase a fully-foamed spa after reading anything about Aspen Spas.

Wait. Doc said if done right it can work. But whats funny is we know full foam works and there are very very few leaks which those not full foaming use as their scare tactic. And we never know if non full foam works. We do know it's cheaper and we do know there is 1 or 2 manufacturers that know how to make it almost as good as full foam.

You need some schooling in natural science, sir:

Full-foam is just a process left over from antiquity manufacturing processes. In fact, foam cannot physically recover and use waste heat. Neither can foam conduct heat better than free ... air. The Aspen Spas insulation system makes use of a thermal barrier (heat sealed), generated by waste heat rejected from the motors and pumps, in an enclosed air cavity around the tub. It is physically superior to a full-foam system which simply insulates the tub directly.

Now, back to cost-efficiency:

Air is 1341 times less expensive to heat than water. What doesn't conduct heat are the layers of aluminum and other insulation trapping hot air beneath your Aspen Spa. And if you are heating the air to form an air barrier to stop the super high watt density or BTU's per cubic foot of water, you will automatically save energy, even if you only have 3/8 of an inch of wood and no thermal foil and no foam insulation at all. As stated previously, Aspen Spas have much more thermal sealing than this.

So, have fun with your boring, old low-rent fully-foamed spas. Aspen Spas are scientifically designed to be more efficient.

[duebel]

<p>

There is an Aspen dealer near where I live and we looked at their tubs.  There was practically no insulation when we pulled the side panel off.  The kicker for us was the construction of the tub.  We had a mouse problem with our old tub and the Aspen had over a 1 inch gap in two of the four corners of the tub.  This was an obvious construction issue because you were able to feel the threads of the corner screws when you stuck your fingers under the corners.  The dealer said they have a woodshop on site and could fix but that wasn't good enough for me.  I say if they didn't build it right the first time then why would I want to buy it?  We bought a Hot Spot soon after.

[Dr. Spa]

Jimmy?

[Roger]

WOW. That's quite the assumption, too. Bearing in mind that R-values are additive, let's talk about the layers of insulation technology surrounding Aspen Spas: Heavy-weight foam, Arctic cabinet wrap, Insulated Fiberglass, etc all come together to make a thermally sealed environment for the spa so that heat loss is minimized. Compare this to the complete lack of evidence that fully-foamed spas have any superior insulation in side-by-side independent testing and what do you have? Misinformation from old-time salespeople praying on lack of consumer knowledge on the subject of hot tubs and insulation.

So, good luck repairing the controls on your fully-foamed spa when they inevitably break. Send it right back to the manufacturer to have it cut open, repaired and re-foamed. I bet that's really cost-efficient . You'd have to know almost nothing about natural science to purchase a fully-foamed spa after reading anything about Aspen Spas.

Wait. Doc said if done right it can work. But whats funny is we know full foam works and there are very very few leaks which those not full foaming use as their scare tactic. And we never know if non full foam works. We do know it's cheaper and we do know there is 1 or 2 manufacturers that know how to make it almost as good as full foam.

You need some schooling in natural science, sir:

Full-foam is just a process left over from antiquity manufacturing processes. In fact, foam cannot physically recover and use waste heat. Neither can foam conduct heat better than free ... air. The Aspen Spas insulation system makes use of a thermal barrier (heat sealed), generated by waste heat rejected from the motors and pumps, in an enclosed air cavity around the tub. It is physically superior to a full-foam system which simply insulates the tub directly.

Now, back to cost-efficiency:

Air is 1341 times less expensive to heat than water. What doesn't conduct heat are the layers of aluminum and other insulation trapping hot air beneath your Aspen Spa. And if you are heating the air to form an air barrier to stop the super high watt density or BTU's per cubic foot of water, you will automatically save energy, even if you only have 3/8 of an inch of wood and no thermal foil and no foam insulation at all. As stated previously, Aspen Spas have much more thermal sealing than this.

So, have fun with your boring, old low-rent fully-foamed spas. Aspen Spas are scientifically designed to be more efficient.

Rather than school me maybe you should look at the entire picture. Lets just talk about one point in your post, Heating the air with the pump waste heat. First off it is warmth not heat. If it was heat your pumps would burn out. Second if it filters for 4 hours of the day that means that 20 hours of the day or the majority your warmth source is non existent so.......yep schooling tells me heat loss.

[TheWizardOfSpas]

I know that I am digging up a topic from 6 years ago, but I have now had a few customers over the past few years note that they're concerned our hot tubs' insulation are "like wearing a T-shirt in the middle of winter" (they all use that exact same phrase!) and I just had to find out where this came from. 

At first I thought it was competitors from local retailer locations but after digging online I found this forum- A forum I was a part of many many years back.  Having forgotten my original username and password, I rejoined just to address this specific issue once and for all.

If you have not put it together yet then Yes- I work for Aspen Spas, a hot tub manufacturer in St. Louis, MO.  I previously worked retail for over 15 years and I understand that in this industry, the dissemination of information is most often it is too sales-oriented, based in negativity, flat out dishonest, or rooted in hiding flaws in one area by creating a narrative in another area that is befitting to a specific brand. 

Now that I no longer work for independent retailers and now work for this manufacturer, I have the benefit of seeing exactly how a spa is made, why the spa is built the way it is, the construction process, techniques used, material quality, etc. and I am confident that my understanding of this industry as a whole is more qualified than at any point in which I was in retail.  Therefor, I am only here to address this issue, as to further shed knowledge and data to those inquiring, and not point-counterpoint which brand is best, recount sales techniques, etc.

We use a light application 2lb closed cell foam on the backside of the shell.  We use d2w biodegradable 2-sided radiant/reflective barrier (5mil) material on the entire base of the fully recycled ABS plastic pan base as well as the recycled cabinet.  The 2lb closed cell foam is also sprayed between the frame and the shell to completely seal the in cabin.  We do not have a vent on our tub.  

We had our tubs tested in the same controlled environment that every major brand out there has (in which the grades are "pass" or "didn't pass"), and our kWh/d ratio is well under 7/day, at 102F running temp with ambient temps at 55F.   This was on a larger tub- not on our small or smallest models, as we want an honest and transparent exchange of information during the buying process.  Simply put- Our tubs are at the very least comparable in efficiency to any major brand on the market today.  

However, if all of this information does not put your mind at ease, we offer the ability for any tub we manufacture to be double-wrapped in our reflective barrier material to further increase efficiency.  

Finally- I have not discussed R-Value at any point, as that is a statistic we feel is flawed.  R-Value is only as good as the weakest point of insulation, and there are some many factors that go into how well a spa performs.  The only real number that matters is efficiency in terms of kWh. 

I am open to discussing anything regarding my brand with any member of this forum that may have questions, now or in the future.  I ask that you are respectful and open to a transparent exchange of information.  If you prefer a more private discussion, please feel free to email me at sales@aspen-spas.com.

I hope that this clarifies any confusion on the matter at hand.  Thank you all for reading, for your time, and good luck moving forward.