Features Worth Paying For?

[Aric]

Ok, I owned a Coleman spa for well over 5 years at my last house. It was a great spa (purchased around 99). It was a Horizon 455.

Anyway, now I'm in a new home, sold the spa with the old home and am just starting to shop for a spa. Some things have changed since 99.

I was a bit sticker shocked at the prices of Hot Springs spas. Ones I figured would be in the $5,000 to $6,000 price range were close to $9,000 on sale (with MSRP claims of $11,000.) Ouch.

There was something that really sounded great though... they claim you can remove their filter elements and just clean them in the dishwasher. No more power washing them in the back yard. That's awesome.

I also noticed they had drains in the bottom unlike my Coleman which had drains on the side, meaning that there was always a few inches of water in the bottom you had to bail out before cleaning the tub.

Anyway, are these amazing features, or are these standard in all tubs these days? I just started shopping and Hot Springs was my first stop.

Thanks.

[Roger]

Ok, I owned a Coleman spa for well over 5 years at my last house. It was a great spa (purchased around 99). It was a Horizon 455.

Anyway, now I'm in a new home, sold the spa with the old home and am just starting to shop for a spa. Some things have changed since 99.

I was a bit sticker shocked at the prices of Hot Springs spas. Ones I figured would be in the $5,000 to $6,000 price range were close to $9,000 on sale (with MSRP claims of $11,000.) Ouch.

There was something that really sounded great though... they claim you can remove their filter elements and just clean them in the dishwasher. No more power washing them in the back yard. That's awesome.

I also noticed they had drains in the bottom unlike my Coleman which had drains on the side, meaning that there was always a few inches of water in the bottom you had to bail out before cleaning the tub.

Anyway, are these amazing features, or are these standard in all tubs these days? I just started shopping and Hot Springs was my first stop.

Thanks.

In my mind a bottom drain is very important, but alot of brands have them. I always wash my filter in the dishwasher, this is not an exclusive to HS deal, minus soap this can be quick and easy, but they need to be soaked overnight in filter cleaner a couple times a year in order to break up the crud a bit more.

More important than those things I would look for "solid manufacturer reputation", "comfort on your backside and in your wallet". Dealer backing and the brands reliability record first. HS has all that but there are several other dealers that also follow in those lines. 7-9 grand is the going rate for a good quality brand. A value brand can be had for 4-6 grand also if that is what you would like. And several of them have proven there value, but you will not get the same fit and finish or longevity the less you pay.

[Chas]

washing regular filter elements in a dishwasher is not recommended. The "Tri-X" filter elements are unique.

[Tom]

washing regular filter elements in a dishwasher is not recommended. Brand X filter elements are unique.

There you go, plugging your Unique Selling Proposition! Perhaps you don't recommend the practice because you want to promote your product as special?

However, this site seems to recommend using a dishwasher. It looks like they're just talking about generic filters.

The bottom drain seems to be fairly common now.

Have a good weekend

Tom

[Richs100]

washing regular filter elements in a dishwasher is not recommended. The "Tri-X" filter elements are unique.

I'm not sure about that Chas. I regularly washed my old Prodigy filters in the dishwasher and didn't notice any problems with them. My friend who has a Master Spa has always done the same with his and hasn't had any problems either. (not sure what kind of filters he has, though)

What problems have you heard this could cause?

Rich

[Aric]

I'm not sure about that Chas. I regularly washed my old Prodigy filters in the dishwasher and didn't notice any problems with them. My friend who has a Master Spa has always done the same with his and hasn't had any problems either. (not sure what kind of filters he has, though)

What problems have you heard this could cause?

Rich

If you put your filter in your dishwasher, what do you put in with it for cleanser?

(Wished I'd heard about the dishwasher method 7 years ago when I first became a spa owner!)

[flibotte]

I just power wash mine, takes like 2 min, seems to do the trick just fine for me. I usually soak it in filter cleaner for a few hours first.

[Roger]

I just power wash mine, takes like 2 min, seems to do the trick just fine for me. I usually soak it in filter cleaner for a few hours first.

After I soak mine in filter cleaner I used to power wash mine. But I liked to spend a bit more time getting between the pleats, more like 10 minutes.

I put 3-4 of them in the dishwasher at a time and don't use nothing for soap. Couple times a year is all.

[Aric]

But I liked to spend a bit more time getting between the pleats, more like 10 minutes.

Yeah, when I power washed mine it was a 10 or 15 minute job, which is why the dishwasher option sounds so nice.

[lindal]

I just cleaned my filter for the first time. Our water pressure is awful. So, I spent at least 10 minutes trying to get in the pleats.

This diswasher idea sounds great. I will be trying it out in a few weeks.

Thanks for this great information.

[floridaspaman]

I just cleaned my filter for the first time. Our water pressure is awful. So, I spent at least 10 minutes trying to get in the pleats.

This diswasher idea sounds great. I will be trying it out in a few weeks.

Thanks for this great information.

It is not recommended to clean ordinary filters in the dishwasher but if you have done it and it's ok well then I guess it's ok. The Tri'x filters by Hot Springs can be placed in any one of their spas not just the ones that come with them. Talk to the dealer you will just have to pay the difference in filter costs.

You can also use a 5 gallon bucket filled 3/4 full and add 1 quart of white vinegar to the water and soak each filter overnight in the same solution and it will break up any mineral deposits on the filter instead of using filter cleaner.

[waterbear]

If you acid wash a filter before you remove the organics from it you will cause them to harden into a cement like substance and that will effectively ruin the filter. Real TSP (which is not available in many states such as Florida because of the phosphate ban) or automatic dishwasher detergent (which is mostly TSP--they haven't found a good substitute for it in this application) is the best thing to soak them in to remove organics. 1 cup of REAL TSP or automatic dishwasher detergent like Cascade or Electrosol to every 5 gallons of water and soak overnight. If there are any calcium deposits after soaking then you can acid wash to remove them but acid washing tends to shorten the life of the polyester material that most carts are made of. Unicel, which is one of the largest manufacturers of OEM and replacement filters recommends this on their website. This only applies if you are using chlorine or bromine. If you are using biguanide (Baqua, SoftSoak, Revacil, etc.) then you need to use one of the proprietary cleaners compatible with this sanitizer.

[Curious]

Ok, I owned a Coleman spa for well over 5 years at my last house. It was a great spa (purchased around 99). It was a Horizon 455.

Anyway, now I'm in a new home, sold the spa with the old home and am just starting to shop for a spa. Some things have changed since 99.

I was a bit sticker shocked at the prices of Hot Springs spas. Ones I figured would be in the $5,000 to $6,000 price range were close to $9,000 on sale (with MSRP claims of $11,000.) Ouch.

There was something that really sounded great though... they claim you can remove their filter elements and just clean them in the dishwasher. No more power washing them in the back yard. That's awesome.

I also noticed they had drains in the bottom unlike my Coleman which had drains on the side, meaning that there was always a few inches of water in the bottom you had to bail out before cleaning the tub.

Anyway, are these amazing features, or are these standard in all tubs these days? I just started shopping and Hot Springs was my first stop.

Thanks.

So are you considering Coleman tub again?

[Aric]

So are you considering Coleman tub again?

Yes, I would consider a Coleman again.

I'm considering the following:

Hot Springs, Coleman, Caldera, D1, Jacuzzi, Marquis, Sundance and Arctic Spas.

Separately I'm also looking at CostCo, Sams Club, Walmart, etc. however, probably would not go with any of these just using them to identify what differences are worth paying for and what you can still get with a discount spa. I will say, in Phoenix Arizona, insulation is not a large issue.

I've only been to the Hot Springs and Coleman dealers so far (my goal is one dealer every weekend.) I don't plan on rushing. And I'll finish with wet tests once I've narrowed down the field.