Bullfrog Spa Pillows

[SuperSoaker72]

Has anyone had any problems with their spa pillows on 2016 Bullfrog Spa.  We purchased our brand new and everything was fine until this spring when we noticed bubbling occurring on the majority of the spa pillows.  When I contacted Bullfrog they said it is not under warranty and that the cause was from the pillow being in the "Gas Zone".  OK  Where else is the spa pillow supposed to be if not in the "Gas Zone".    We use quality chemicals from Leisure Time and we have never over chlorinated our spa.  So I  am stuck with buying new Spa pillows after 1 years worth of use and I have no knowledge as to what to do from stopping it from happening again.   So hopefully someone knows how to rebuild or recoat the old Spa Pillow.   Please let me know your thoughts.

[castletonia]

They are technically correct.  Pillows with most manufacturers don't carry any warranty beyond good when the spa gets delivered.  I have never personally seen Bullfrog pillows, but with most pillows, if they are bubbling or peeling, usually either high sanitizer lever or low pH will cause that.  I have personally seen pillows fade and discolor within 6 months just from the chemicals.

[Spafish3]

I purchased a 2016 Bullfrog last fall and after 9 months our pillows also bubbled and peeled. My spa dealer greatly supported me in trying to get a logical answer from the manufacturer but Bullfrog gave us the same answer you received.  While the gas zone may be the cause, it still doesn't excuse them from a poorly designed pillow where the bromine/chlorine gases can permeate through the foam material and create the bubble under the surface liner of the pillow until it eventually it tears. I noticed that once the liner tears the foam underneath is crumbly. The manual only says to remove the pillows whenever  the water is over sanitized--that is a huge hassle to make sure this is the case on a daily basis to monitor. From a practical standpoint you would have to do without a spa cover all the time to guarantee a no gas zone would be present. Another problem is the foam pillow is attached to a plastic piece that doesn't need to be replaced but the company makes you replace both making each pillow expensive! I decided to work with my spa dealer to get a discount for replacement pillows, but now however I am  leaving the bad ones on (or leave the pillows off altogether with the cover on) and only putting on my replacement pillows whenever the spa is being used.  Even though I like my Bullfrog massage features, I cannot recommend this spa to others until a DURABLE pillow is developed. I would advise them to buy a spa that does not use this type of pillow.

[Dinofreedo]

Thanks Supersoak

[Cusser]

Sounds to me that Bullfrog is being penny wise and pound foolish - and just DUMB, business dumb.  They'll lose more potential future sales due to reluctance to fix this issue for buyers, and at no charge.  Bad recommendations go 100 times farther than good ! 

It's like when Doughboy refused to warranty my 1-month-old above ground pool liner, even though it leaked at the seam, causing a sinkhole/bubble which would've been soon to burst.  Doughboy admitted it was a manufacturing defect and tried to pin it on the installer, the installer's poor paperwork of when he bought it, and I still had the original liner box from Doughboy.  Doughboy wanted me to cut out the bad part, and to cut out the part with the Sharpied manufacturing number and send those to Doughboy for evaluation (even though I sent photos of those), and then Doughboy would evaluate.  So best case scenario through Doughboy would've been a full month.

I basically told Doughboy that I would just post my experience everywhere, and only then did Doughboy agree to send a new liner.  By the way, during this 3-week "discussion", my daughter and I drained the pool, put a patch over both inside and outside surfaces, and stopped the leak; the new liner sits in a closet.

Note that the pool is NOT Doughboy, just I went with Doughboy liner as I was told by the installer that those were the best.  I watched the installer - same guy who installed the pool a dozen years earlier - as he installed it, he did nothing wrong.

[Wozadlo]

Unfortunately almost every spa isn't going to cover that in warranty because it is chemical damage and not a defect. You would want to wait 5-10 minutes maybe before closing your cover after adding chlorine and maintaining your PH level is super important. 

But I would usually work with a customer and at least get them pillows at cost. Or first time free learning curve. But that's totally up to the dealer. 

[David Jankowiak]

My bullfrog started peeling after 3 years but it is too expensive to replace them all. Has any thought about cleaning the pillows and coating them with flex seal clear? It is like a rubber coating. I'm thinking about trying it.

[RDspaguy]

It will work for a while. We used to use automotive undercoat, which is basically the same stuff, when refurbishing used tubs. Just let them dry out THOROUGHLY before you spray them.

[chuggers]

Bullfrog Spa pillows are totally sub-standard.  Every night, my husband tubs for therapy, and drops in a tablespoon of shock, after which he let's it run 30 minutes, uncovered.  We've already replaced one pillow, and now, today, we have another casualty.  We drained the spa and are cleaning all the pillows with vinegar & water.  It is 101 outside right now and in one hour, the brand new (3 months old...) is bubbling in several spots.  These spas are not cheap items and they are only as good as their weakest link.  Another commenter is correct.....we would never recommend Bullfrog until they pay attention to this super frequent complaint. 

[Davekro]

On 9/16/2023 at 12:37 PM, chuggers said:

Bullfrog Spa pillows are totally sub-standard.  Every night, my husband tubs for therapy, and drops in a tablespoon of shock, after which he let's it run 30 minutes, uncovered.  We've already replaced one pillow, and now, today, we have another casualty.  We drained the spa and are cleaning all the pillows with vinegar & water.  It is 101 outside right now and in one hour, the brand new (3 months old...) is bubbling in several spots.  These spas are not cheap items and they are only as good as their weakest link.  Another commenter is correct.....we would never recommend Bullfrog until they pay attention to this super frequent complaint. 

@chuggers ,

What year, model, trim level is your Bullfrog? Bullfrog did design changes for the 2023 A Series tubs. This would have been the time to make improvements to the headrest issues, if B'frog cared to. Do you have the ABS plastic around the perimeter of the headrests (Standard headrests), or all one foam material (Premium headrest)? I posted a picture of a 2013 A6L (Standard Trim level) that I looked at when first shopping for a tub, showing discoloration, but no cracks or other deterioration. The second picture is the floor model 2023 A6L (Select) I recently had delivered, showing the Premium headrests.

If you have time, would you be willing to post some pictures of your original deteriorated headrest(s) and the one replacement headrest? If I had the problem you describe and no remedy available from Bullfrog, I'd Google around to see if anybody, for any hot tub, has found a spray on material to re-coat old headrests to make them look better. Not just a surface 'treatment' like Armorall, but an actual coating that would be flexible and hold up to the 'chemical zone' between surface and cover.

Best of Luck, Dave

[CanadianSpaTech]

7 hours ago, Davekro said:

a spray on material to re-coat old headrests to make them look better. Not just a surface 'treatment' like Armorall,

Wet, constant heat, chemicals, ozone.. it's a very harsh environment. Anything you use would likely end up in the water.

Pillows 4-6 years and will likely grey/white sooner. "Premium" or regulars

If using a protectant on the cover use it sparingly and just spray it on a rag and not directly on the cover or it can migrate into the water during rain.

Blog post from Bullfrog suggests:  Regularly clean all hot tub headrests with mild soap, water, and a clean cloth. Monthly, treat headrests using a non petroleum-based conditioning product such as 303 aerospace protectant, or as recommended by your Bullfrog Spas dealer. This will maintain the water resistance and luster of the product.

https://www.bullfrogspas.com/blog/cleaning-protecting-hot-tub-headrests/

 

[Davekro]

2 hours ago, CanadianSpaTech said:

If using a protectant on the cover use it sparingly and just spray it on a rag and not directly on the cover or it can migrate into the water during rain.

Blog post from Bullfrog suggests:  Regularly clean all hot tub headrests with mild soap, water, and a clean cloth. Monthly, treat headrests using a non petroleum-based conditioning product such as 303 aerospace protectant, or as recommended by your Bullfrog Spas dealer. This will maintain the water resistance and luster of the product.

https://www.bullfrogspas.com/blog/cleaning-protecting-hot-tub-headrests/

 

@CanadianSpaTech , Huge thank you for the Bullfrog link on their recommendation on how to help extend the life of headrests! I would have never thought of 303 for the headrests. Actually, I never thought about any protectant for them. Starting out with a new hot tub, I'm glad to know there is something I can do to help the headrests maintain their surface look better for longer. I've had 303 on hand for many years, but actually using it does not pop into my head until I start to see some diminishing of the surfaces it's designed to protect. What a concept to use 303 from new to protect those materials and surfaces... before they start showing weathering! With the investment in this Bullfrog, at least for now ;o), I am motivated to use it on the cover, the headrests and the side panels. I was just wondering if 303 was also good to use on the Acrylic top surface. I quickly found the answer from 303 is "Do not use on acrylics."  

I see the recommendation for leaving cover off/open for at least 30-mins after adding Shock treatment. That seems very clear. But what about when you add a small amounts of chlorine bleach (1/4 oz - 2 oz) or Muriatic Acid 20% (1/4 oz - 2 oz) to adjust your PH (by say 0.1 to 0.4) & Bromine levels ( by say 1-4 ppm). Do these smaller doses create enough off gassing to warrant keeping the cover entirely off or one half open, for 1-2 mins, 3-5 mins, +/- 10 mins or more? I'd like to err on the side of caution to let the water have time to off gas in these smaller dose situations, but if in 1-2 mins no more off gassing will happen (with Acid or Bleach), then it would be easiest to close the top and not need to remember to come back in 'X' minutes to close the cover. That would usually mean I forget for longer and I pay to heat the air! ;o)

 

[CanadianSpaTech]

12 hours ago, CanadianSpaTech said:

Wet, constant heat, chemicals, ozone.. it's a very harsh environment. Anything you use would likely end up in the water.

303 on pillows... If you are ok with bathing in it then go for it.

If you are going to use any protectant on any surface.. 

12 hours ago, CanadianSpaTech said:

If using a protectant on the cover use it sparingly and just spray it on a rag and not directly on the cover or it can migrate into the water during rain.

 

9 hours ago, Davekro said:

I see the recommendation for leaving cover off/open for at least 30-mins after adding Shock treatment. That seems very clear.

Cover half open for 1 full 15 min cycle is my norm. If shocking with a heavy dose to clear a cloudy spa then longer.

As for adding chemicals after each use... I tend to wait until the next day if I don't want to go back out to close it up... and I never do...lol. 

When you open your cover don't breath in. Give it a few seconds to off gas before sticking your nose in there otherwise you might get a nose full of chemical and ozone. No fun getting a nose full of chemicals. 

Reality is most covers have a 3-5 year lifespan.. pillows... 4-6. Like heater elements, pump seals and the tires on your car they are wear items and will need to be replaced at some point.

 

JMO

 

[Davekro]

10 hours ago, CanadianSpaTech said:

303 on pillows... If you are ok with bathing in it then go for it.

If you are going to use any protectant on any surface.. 

 

Cover half open for 1 full 15 min cycle is my norm. If shocking with a heavy dose to clear a cloudy spa then longer.

As for adding chemicals after each use... I tend to wait until the next day if I don't want to go back out to close it up... and I never do...lol. 

When you open your cover don't breath in. Give it a few seconds to off gas before sticking your nose in there otherwise you might get a nose full of chemical and ozone. No fun getting a nose full of chemicals. 

Reality is most covers have a 3-5 year lifespan.. pillows... 4-6. Like heater elements, pump seals and the tires on your car they are wear items and will need to be replaced at some point.

JMO

 

IMHO, since I'm already ok bathing in Bromine, the misc. tiny amounts of stuff that our bodies shed or exude that the sanitizer and filter have not nullified or caught yet, I'm ok possibly bathing in a bit of 303 residue that may enter the tub's water. I get that things have a useful lifespan, but with a bit of occasional light cleaning and UV protectant a few times or more per year, the cover can at least have a better looking appearance and probably help it last to the longer end of it's useful life range. M a y b e  303 can partially stave off ozone and chemical impacts a bit. If Bullfrog suggests it, maybe so.

Thanks for the saying to be conscious when opening the cover, so as not to inhale the ozone cloud!