Arctic Spa Owners?

[Jason Collier]

Are you an arctic spa owner? Would you mind sharing what model you purchased, why you picked that model and the cost out the door ...

Thanks,

Jason

[Canadian Kahuna]

Are you an arctic spa owner? Would you mind sharing what model you purchased, why you picked that model and the cost out the door ...

Thanks,

Jason

Purchased the Arctic Spa Cub Designer model. Went with it because of the seating arrangement, comfort of seats, organization of jets, and size best suited my needs. Cost including all local taxes was $9200.00 Cdn, including stairs, cover lifter, railing (think it's called Ez rail or something like that), delivery & set-up, first few months of chemicals, cedar bar (runs along side of tub) with 2 cedar bar stools. No problems at all so far with my tub (bough it in November) and we love it, using it daily.

[turbottt1]

purchased a arctic frontier [ legends series] We picked this model because of the double lounger, plus with our youngest we wanted a tub with a couple of shallow seats for him with jets, it has ind. pumps and controls for each seat, We purchased the lengend because I needed jets for the back of my legs. Funny thing is I use one of the therapy seats and the foot message to stimulate my complete leg. The two biggest reasons we picked a artic tub is because of the dealer who takes care of us and because of their application of insulation they use on their tubs. We paid 9500.00 plus tax which included northern lights, water fall, forever floor, artic ozone,exotic jet package, the best cover out there, lifter, chemicals, setup and del. We've had it aprox. two months and no problems other than a newbie trying to figure out chemicals. hope this helps. steve

Is that $9500 CAD?

[SmilinBare]

Artic Frontier Extreme. Took delivery on 12/28/05.

included Forever Floor, best-quality cover with lifter, Arctic Ozone,6-foot length of double-tiered cedar stairs, freestanding cedar robe tree, waterfall (never use it), Northern Lights (rarely use 'em), delivery, setup, a generous starter kit of BaquaSpa water treatment and an extra Micropure filter cartridge.

$9K including state sales tax.

This tub best fit our physical dimensions (we're both tall) and comfort requirements. We appreciated the laid back no-pressure salespeople who graciously welcomed us back for several wet test afternoons.

I love the tub. The only complaint I still have has to do with how loud the pumps are when I'm OUTSIDE of the tub and INSIDE my house.

[turbottt1]

smilinbare How do you like the steps??? Are the two tier tall enough to comfortable get a normal size person in and out of the tub?????? thanks. steve

[Brulan1]

Artic Frontier Extreme. Took delivery on 12/28/05.

included Forever Floor, best-quality cover with lifter, Arctic Ozone,6-foot length of double-tiered cedar stairs, freestanding cedar robe tree, waterfall (never use it), Northern Lights (rarely use 'em), delivery, setup, a generous starter kit of BaquaSpa water treatment and an extra Micropure filter cartridge.

$9K including state sales tax.

This tub best fit our physical dimensions (we're both tall) and comfort requirements. We appreciated the laid back no-pressure salespeople who graciously welcomed us back for several wet test afternoons.

I love the tub. The only complaint I still have has to do with how loud the pumps are when I'm OUTSIDE of the tub and INSIDE my house.

What did the dealer say about the pumps? Mabye the pump is faulty or mabye that is suppose to be normal. Do both pumps sound loud or just the circulating pump?

[stl-rex]

What did the dealer say about the pumps? Mabye the pump is faulty or mabye that is suppose to be normal. Do both pumps sound loud or just the circulating pump?

Arctic has switched from AO Smith motors/Waterway pump to a different brand of motor that is made in Italy. I've "heard" the new pumps and they are quieter and vibrate less than the AO Smith. They appear to have a higher flow coupled to the same waterway pump. It's a noticeable difference both on noise and flow.

The only noise complaint I have is with the diverters which can make a noticeable gurgling sound. My understanding is Arctic is designing their own to alleviate the problem but the dealer doesn't have an estimated availability at this time.

[SmilinBare]

smilinbare How do you like the steps??? Are the two tier tall enough to comfortable get a normal size person in and out of the tub?????? thanks. steve

Plenty tall enough. AND, in my case, a convenient place to set my drink down while I'm taking the cover off, too.

What did the dealer say about the pumps? Mabye the pump is faulty or mabye that is suppose to be normal. Do both pumps sound loud or just the circulating pump?

Back In February, as I recall, I put in a call-for-service to the Arctic dealer about the noise with the INTENTION of setting up an appointment for the following week when I could stay home and meet the service tech. Because one of our coldest weekends was on its way, the service manager INSISTED he have his tech stop by that same day I called because the tech was going to be in my area. Being the easy going guy that I am (AND a former service manbager for an HVAC company) I gave in and let him come when I wasn't home. He called me from my hot tub and said it was operating fine. I remain unsatisfied and have put up with it until I can open the thing up myself, run the various pumps in different combinations and do some diagnosis on my own. The weather is warming, here, so I'm hoping to tackle it in the next week or so and THEN put in ANOTHER service call and, THIS TIME, insist on a "seasoned" Arctic technician.

It seems to be noisy both on temperature boost AND filter cycle. It's NOT going to be a good situation when warmer weather shows up and we've got the windows open. I'll be expecting "comments" from my neighbors, too.

[Brulan1]

Back In February, as I recall, I put in a call-for-service to the Arctic dealer about the noise with the INTENTION of setting up an appointment for the following week when I could stay home and meet the service tech. Because one of our coldest weekends was on its way, the service manager INSISTED he have his tech stop by that same day I called because the tech was going to be in my area. Being the easy going guy that I am (AND a former service manbager for an HVAC company) I gave in and let him come when I wasn't home. He called me from my hot tub and said it was operating fine. I remain unsatisfied and have put up with it until I can open the thing up myself, run the various pumps in different combinations and do some diagnosis on my own. The weather is warming, here, so I'm hoping to tackle it in the next week or so and THEN put in ANOTHER service call and, THIS TIME, insist on a "seasoned" Arctic technician.

It seems to be noisy both on temperature boost AND filter cycle. It's NOT going to be a good situation when warmer weather shows up and we've got the windows open. I'll be expecting "comments" from my neighbors, too.

I hope your problem is fixed. Does one of your diverters on the Artic spa make a vacuum noise too like it is sucking air?

[SmilinBare]

Does one of your diverters on the Artic spa make a vacuum noise too like it is sucking air?

Both of them will if you crank them overly handtight in one direction. So I just back off on 'em a bit.

[SmilinBare]

It's NOT going to be a good situation when warmer weather shows up and we've got the windows open. I'll be expecting "comments" from my neighbors, too.

Well, summer came...and went. And in late-June I finally got around to pulling off the access panels and having a good look around under the tub. I couldn't find ANYthing that seemed askew. Along about mid-July, I realized that I wasn't "hearing" the tub and it dawned on me that I had simply needed time to adjust to the new sounds out in my yard. For the record, none of my neighbors has EVER commented on noise coming from the spa.

Also for the record...a reader of this board who works for the Arctic home office e-mailed me in September '06 because he had never heard back from me about my noise complaint and was following up.

I would highly recommend the Arctic spa line to anyone WITH the caveat that, like with any spa, YOU GOTTA WET TEST IT FOR YOURSELF!

[wesj53]

My wife and I recently purchased a 2006 Tundra Legend SE series and will take delivery in about 2 weeks.

We thoroughly researched spas for about 2 months before making our choice from both a manufacturing perspective but also from a comfort one, wet testing about a dozen models from different mfgs. You can read my specific reasons for why we picked an Arctic on my thread, Arctic Is My Choice. The bottom line reasons why we went with them - quality of construction, Heatlock system, air therapy, the variety of seats in the Tundra, and the overall unique design of this unit, different from any other in the market. Our meto-Chicago dealer is owned by Arctic; therefore they will go out of business if Arctic goes out of business!

We too wanted jets for all parts of the body and this one has it; from the neck to the feet and everything in between including hips, thighs, and calves. Also, the Orca whirlpool jet is tremendously powerful. But the Arctics are not cheap as all will confirm. Ours cost $12500 but we have literally every feature on the unit (except for cedar accessories) including DELUXE Northern Lights with backlit waterfall, Peak Ozone, Forever Floor, Exotic jet package with stainless covers and 5" cover. Actually, when we compared it to other units with SIMILAR features, the cost was about in line. Examples: the HS Grandee was $13k; the Artesian Piper Glen at $10,500 (our second choice); and the Sundance Optima at $9700 but all with a lot less jets and other features mentioned. So we splurged! We hope that we have made the right decision.

p.s. I will confirm what sti-rex said about the pumps. For 2006, Arctic is using a new pump from Italy. They are supposed to be the best in the industry; not only quiet, but also completely sealed so that water cannot enter the chamber and cause damage to the interior. Thereby, only the pump seals have to be replaced when worn; not the entire pump. When we wet tested the unit, we didn't think the Tundra was any more noisy than any other unit we were in. I can't comment on the divertor problem. obviously. And as far as filtration, I am planning on programming the filter cycles when no one is home during the day and also before going to bed at night so the low speed of pump one I don't think will be a problem. But time will tell on some of these issues. Hot tubs are like getting married; you never know until you lived with them!

[Altazi]

My wife and I recently purchased a 2006 Tundra Legend SE series and will take delivery in about 2 weeks.

We thoroughly researched spas for about 2 months before making our choice from both a manufacturing perspective but also from a comfort one, wet testing about a dozen models from different mfgs. You can read my specific reasons for why we picked an Arctic on my thread, Arctic Is My Choice. The bottom line reasons why we went with them - quality of construction, Heatlock system, air therapy, the variety of seats in the Tundra, and the overall unique design of this unit, different from any other in the market. Our meto-Chicago dealer is owned by Arctic; therefore they will go out of business if Arctic goes out of business!

We too wanted jets for all parts of the body and this one has it; from the neck to the feet and everything in between including hips, thighs, and calves. Also, the Orca whirlpool jet is tremendously powerful. But the Arctics are not cheap as all will confirm. Ours cost $12500 but we have literally every feature on the unit (except for cedar accessories) including DELUXE Northern Lights with backlit waterfall, Peak Ozone, Forever Floor, Exotic jet package with stainless covers and 5" cover. Actually, when we compared it to other units with SIMILAR features, the cost was about in line. Examples: the HS Grandee was $13k; the Artesian Piper Glen at $10,500 (our second choice); and the Sundance Optima at $9700 but all with a lot less jets and other features mentioned. So we splurged! We hope that we have made the right decision.

p.s. I will confirm what sti-rex said about the pumps. For 2006, Arctic is using a new pump from Italy. They are supposed to be the best in the industry; not only quiet, but also completely sealed so that water cannot enter the chamber and cause damage to the interior. Thereby, only the pump seals have to be replaced when worn; not the entire pump. When we wet tested the unit, we didn't think the Tundra was any more noisy than any other unit we were in. I can't comment on the divertor problem. obviously. And as far as filtration, I am planning on programming the filter cycles when no one is home during the day and also before going to bed at night so the low speed of pump one I don't think will be a problem. But time will tell on some of these issues. Hot tubs are like getting married; you never know until you lived with them!

Hi Wes,

I can't wait to hear about your delivery, set-up, and first use! You and your wife must be getting very excited.

Tom from Arctic Spas sent me some introductory information on the new Arctic Spas pump motors, made in Italy. The old motors had slots in the end so the motor's cooling fan could suck air through the inside of the motor; if the air contained moisture, the moisture was also sucked into the motor. This is like many other spa pump motors. The new motors are sealed, and the case has heatsink fins on it. The cooling fan blows air over the OUTSIDE of the motor. There are other differences, as well - larger bearings, improved electrical, etc.

The new motor is sealed to IP-55, which means "Ingress Protection"; the first digit indicates protection against solid objects - level 5 means protection against dust deposits (dust proof); the second digit indicates protection against liquids - level 5 means protection against jets of water from any angle (jet proof).

As a reference, some of NASA's totally sealed motors are rated IP-68, the highest level of ingress protection; level 6 indicates total protection against dust deposits (dust tight); level 8 indicates protection against immersion for an indefinite period.

Regards,

Altazi

[wesj53]

As always Altazi, your technical background makes you much more effective in explaining some of the engineering aspects of spa components better than I. Thanks for that info; I found it very interesting and easy enough for a sales guy like me to understand! We are getting excited for delivery but I may have to postpone it a week since it's been raining so much in Chicago that my new roof isn't up yet.

[Roger]

As always Altazi, your technical background makes you much more effective in explaining some of the engineering aspects of spa components better than I. Thanks for that info; I found it very interesting and easy enough for a sales guy like me to understand! We are getting excited for delivery but I may have to postpone it a week since it's been raining so much in Chicago that my new roof isn't up yet.

Roof????? Your going to miss the stars!! Maybe there is no stars in Chicago?

[wesj53]

Roof????? Your going to miss the stars!! Maybe there is no stars in Chicago?

Very funny, Roger! Yes, compared to northern MN, we have no stars in Chi-town. But we should see some here in our west suburban area (about 30 miles from downtown); albeit slightly "bleached out" vs the clear definition you rural folks enjoy! Re: roof - no not over the spa, but rather our house which I wanted to complete before the brand new hot tub is delivered and installed.

[turbottt1]

Roger Were just called a country bumpkin???? That was great! I've got to find my way off the floor and back into the chair!!!!! Don't feel bad I took it the same way. Dang we like seeing the stars at night so much that I had the wife take the roooooof off the outhouse. [ Thats bathroon to you urban folks!!!!!] Just kidding folks. Thanks for the laugh.

[wesj53]

Roger Were just called a country bumpkin???? That was great! I've got to find my way off the floor and back into the chair!!!!! Don't feel bad I took it the same way. Dang we like seeing the stars at night so much that I had the wife take the roooooof off the outhouse. [ Thats bathroon to you urban folks!!!!!] Just kidding folks. Thanks for the laugh.

You know turbott, if I took this site seriously 100% of the time, I would think you ARE an absolute idiot (especially the way you wrote your post). But since I don't, I'll just consider that we're all having fun back and forth. I am impressed though, that you have mental telepathy and know exactly how Roger "took" my comments. Oh, one more thing, why don't you allow Roger to respond back to me? I think he's a big enough boy that he doesn't need you to answer for him! Also just kidding, folks!

[Chas]

Tom from Arctic Spas sent me some introductory information on the new Arctic Spas pump motors, made in Italy. The old motors had slots in the end so the motor's cooling fan could suck air through the inside of the motor; if the air contained moisture, the moisture was also sucked into the motor. This is like many other spa pump motors. The new motors are sealed, and the case has heatsink fins on it. The cooling fan blows air over the OUTSIDE of the motor. There are other differences, as well - larger bearings, improved electrical, etc.

HotSpring uses this type of motor on the tubs which get sent to Europe and other parts of the globe. I don't know the specs on them - the IP number.

I haven't seen any problems with dust or moisture infiltration in the decades I have been working on these things - with one notable exception: if the pump seal begins to leak, you will loose the bearing on the end of the motor. I don't know if that happens often enough to warrant giving up the hot air being recycled as HotSpring does it or not. I also don't know if the bearings would last any longer on a sealed motor under the same circumstances. But day-to-day the open motors sure seem to do just fine.

My opinion, and this is nothing more than that, would be that having the airflow actually moving through the windings and rotor would do a better job of keeping the important parts of the motor cool. Also, with an open motor, the windings can cool off faster once the motor stops. The heat does not have to conduct to the frame, and then the heat sink and then to the ambient air.

[Roger]

You know turbott, if I took this site seriously 100% of the time, I would think you ARE an absolute idiot (especially the way you wrote your post). But since I don't, I'll just consider that we're all having fun back and forth. I am impressed though, that you have mental telepathy and know exactly how Roger "took" my comments. Oh, one more thing, why don't you allow Roger to respond back to me? I think he's a big enough boy that he doesn't need you to answer for him! Also just kidding, folks!

LOL........I did not take it as being called a country bumpkin, but if I did I still would of enjoyed it. I was not insulted at all Wes. I grew up in Seattle and then MPLS-STPL And it was a very hard decision to choose Northern Minnesota when my kids were born and before they started school. But after we made the commitment to move up here, turns out it was probably one of the best decisions me and my wife ever made together. It shows in my kids more than anything, I have a 19 year old son in college to become a conservation officer, he owns 4 guns and 13 fishing rods, he hunts and fishes in every second of his free time. He has tried booze and is does not interest him, he has not tried any drugs (so he tells me) but I believe him, and he says he is not interested. He has only the peer pressure at school that the other outdoors type folks bring to him regarding who caught the most fish or who shot the most groose. IMO this beats hangin at the mall, or cruisin the streets waiting for the trouble to find you. He called me this morning to say "Dad there's 3 inches of snow on the ground and it's still snowing hard, maybe I should come home this weekend and we should get the ice house ready" well it may be a bit early for that but I appreciate his enthusiasm (spelling) Now I'm not sure how he would of turned out if we would of chose to stay in the big city but, I do know I could of done worse with the first one and I have a feeling the second one will also turn out to be an outdoorsman. And that beats a pusher or a pimp anyday. Now I am not saying that the big city makes nothing but pushers and pimps but I am saying this way up north lifestyle was a very good decision for me. And heck with global warming and all I may own prime property soon. Besides, haven't you ever heard anyone call Duluth little Chicago!!

And your right I am a big boy, I deal with loggers and can handle them just fine. But I have lost a few and the wifey says at 210 I am a bit skinny. And we all know what age does to height 6'4" to 6'3" and I am not 50 yet. But I may have been stretchin the 6'4" from 6'3.5" Or..............maybe I was measuring my hair and theres none of that left!

Sorry just got off the phone with a son I miss alot and had to vent here....thanks. Can't believe my new cover got lost in trucking someplace Doc!!! It's been signed for but not by me or my employees...dangit. Maybe the truck got lost with all these woods and it gets so darn dark at night

And I was trying to be funny with the Chicago and stars comment, I think wes understood. We saw Northern Lights last weekend that were not as good as they can get, but they were very active.

[wesj53]

Hey Roger - enjoyed your response. We're on the same page. You know, the TONE of written correspondence including emails can be misinterpreted very easily, but when folks totally fail to understand the meaning of messages is very frustrating to this poster. I try to be precise in what I write, but there are still people who fail to read and understand properly. Maybe it's an indictment of our public school system!

My comments absolutely did not mean to insult people living in rural areas; rather it was a compliment to those who have beautifully dark, clear skies to watch the stars go by. In fact, I hate when city folk ridicule people who live in small town America. I always defend that lifestyle by pointing out that a normal day in the life of someone in the city is not that much different than someone living in the country. Wake up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, relax, go to bed,,, over and over. Plus, we do have the big city problems you mentioned + never ending traffic, which I am totally sick of. So, in fact, I am somewhat envious of you! How turbott confused my post is beyond me. As a property owner in northern WI (Rhinelander), I wish I could spend more time there during the course of the year. Unfortunately, I have to pay for college bills myself and toys like hot tubs! Fortunately, one is thru Purdue and my last 2 are at in-state schools which is saving me a bundle of $$$. I too miss them immensely and once my oldest takes his air traffic control job (stationed at Miami International), my wife and I will be true empty nesters for nine months of the year.

I always enjoy your posts as I find them quite educational. Keep up the good work and best wishes to your family. Sounds like you have a good one!

[Jim_The_Jim]

Hi Wes,

I can't wait to hear about your delivery, set-up, and first use! You and your wife must be getting very excited.

Tom from Arctic Spas sent me some introductory information on the new Arctic Spas pump motors, made in Italy. The old motors had slots in the end so the motor's cooling fan could suck air through the inside of the motor; if the air contained moisture, the moisture was also sucked into the motor. This is like many other spa pump motors. The new motors are sealed, and the case has heatsink fins on it. The cooling fan blows air over the OUTSIDE of the motor. There are other differences, as well - larger bearings, improved electrical, etc.

The new motor is sealed to IP-55, which means "Ingress Protection"; the first digit indicates protection against solid objects - level 5 means protection against dust deposits (dust proof); the second digit indicates protection against liquids - level 5 means protection against jets of water from any angle (jet proof).

As a reference, some of NASA's totally sealed motors are rated IP-68, the highest level of ingress protection; level 6 indicates total protection against dust deposits (dust tight); level 8 indicates protection against immersion for an indefinite period.

Regards,

Altazi

The real reason is that you can't sell any open frame motor in most of Europe. If there is any moisture in any motor it is because of moisture inside the spa. Where could that possible come from if the cabinet is closed and dry? I like the idea of the cooling fins, but I also like the idea of having air blowing inside the motor for cooling. These types of motors rely totally on the outside frame for cooling. If the windings are sealed in plastic and the laminated metals are sealed, then why?

It is a European thing to have sealed motors. If you look at the WaterWay Catalog you will see that the European motors are sealed, but the US ones are not. It is some sort of unusual thing with Europe CE and local regs. I guess they have a lot of leaking spas or jetted bathtubs.

I have seen old Hayward pump motors sitting out side running for 12 years continuously no stop in all weather conditions. These were not rated for outside use at all. The tops of all spa pump motors are closed and the bottoms are open for venting and cooling.

It would be interesting to see the longevity of these motors.

http://www.soundclick.com/pro/view/02/defa...m?bandID=587749

[Roger]

Hey Roger - enjoyed your response. We're on the same page. You know, the TONE of written correspondence including emails can be misinterpreted very easily, but when folks totally fail to understand the meaning of messages is very frustrating to this poster. I try to be precise in what I write, but there are still people who fail to read and understand properly. Maybe it's an indictment of our public school system!

My comments absolutely did not mean to insult people living in rural areas; rather it was a compliment to those who have beautifully dark, clear skies to watch the stars go by. In fact, I hate when city folk ridicule people who live in small town America. I always defend that lifestyle by pointing out that a normal day in the life of someone in the city is not that much different than someone living in the country. Wake up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, relax, go to bed,,, over and over. Plus, we do have the big city problems you mentioned + never ending traffic, which I am totally sick of. So, in fact, I am somewhat envious of you! How turbott confused my post is beyond me. As a property owner in northern WI (Rhinelander), I wish I could spend more time there during the course of the year. Unfortunately, I have to pay for college bills myself and toys like hot tubs! Fortunately, one is thru Purdue and my last 2 are at in-state schools which is saving me a bundle of $$$. I too miss them immensely and once my oldest takes his air traffic control job (stationed at Miami International), my wife and I will be true empty nesters for nine months of the year.

I always enjoy your posts as I find them quite educational. Keep up the good work and best wishes to your family. Sounds like you have a good one!

Air traffic control huh, that's funny as one of my best buds has been doing that since the strike. He now is some kind of way up there supervisor down in FL, lives Naples works in the major city just north can't remember the name. And my youngest is thinking or pursuing that.

Your right about the posts being missinterpretid, but hey, alot do take it way more serious than it truely should be. We have opinions and it's easier to make them clash on a web forum than it is in person, for some people. I have a reputation for stating what's on my mind even in person rather than avoid contraversy.

We camp with some friends in the Lac-veau-Desear (spelling) region of upper WS lower Mi and in the Iron River area, but not down your dirrection. With all of Northern Minnesota out our back door it's hard to find enough time to explore even just a smidjin of it.

[Trigger]

<snip>

...Air traffic control huh, that's funny as one of my best buds has been doing that since the strike. He now is some kind of way up there supervisor down in FL, lives Naples works in the major city just north can't remember the name...

Ft Myers.

[Yob2kanobe]

I bought the Arctic Frontier Legend Extreme, and took delivery on in September 2006.

I ordered the spa with every conciveable option including the beautiful Cedar cabinet, Forever Floor, Arctic Ozone, cedar stairs, waterfall , Northern Lights, upgraded SS jets, iPod W/Auquatremor, (AWESOME SOUND), also I had the Genesis Bromine generator installed (Carefree sanitation!) delivery, setup, chemicals and extra filters,,

paid like $13,000 for it all total. definatly worth it to me.

The sales pitch said the electric cost would be only $8/mo. instead it is around $13/mo. big deal.

I love the tub. No noisy pumps here either, I musta got the newer version.

Sold on Arctic!