Sun Peak Spa - Costco

[spatech (the unreal one)]

What if that tub at 3 times the cost lasted for 20 years and the inexpensive one started to become no longer cost effective to repair in 6?

That is a huge factor not realized enough by many.

Many spa deliveries include hauling away old spas and we both know the average age of a Hot Spring, D1, etc. that has met its demise versus the average age of some of the lesser quality spas that the homeowner asks to be taken away when the new spa is installed (I'd say 14-20 on the one side and 5-9 on the other side).

[deepchillie]

"What if that tub at 3 times the cost lasted for 20 years" Think of what you are saying! So you watch your 20 year old TV? No, you buy a new one with the plasma in it. Do you drive your 20 year old truck every day? No, you trade it in and get one with leather, a CD player and air bags. In 10 years your "life time investment tub" will be out dated and you will want to get a new one. This same theory can be applied to women too

[spatech (the unreal one)]

"What if that tub at 3 times the cost lasted for 20 years" Think of what you are saying! So you watch your 20 year old TV? No, you buy a new one with the plasma in it. Do you drive your 20 year old truck every day? No, you trade it in and get one with leather, a CD player and air bags. In 10 years your "life time investment tub" will be out dated and you will want to get a new one. This same theory can be applied to women too

-I still use my 10 year old TV in my bedroom because it works. I half wish it would crap out so I could get a new one but it won't and I'm too practical to just swap it out. TVs and spas are very diffferent animlas.

-I'd rather trade in my truck at 10 or 15 years than send it to the junkyard. Actually, I'll still drive it (it's only 10 really) till it dies. Cars and spas aren't a great comparison but it'sa natural one to try to use.

-People continue to use spas that are 15 years old when they know it still works fine, heats fine and is well insulated. It won't look so nice maybe and it won't have a waterfall but it isn't exactly a throw away item. Even if someone gets tired of it, they change hands and continue with someone who is happy to have a well built spa still operating.

-My wife's warranty went out long ago. I could trade her in for another but it would be costly and eventually that one wouldn't be new either so I stick with the one I have knowing she'll be running fine for another 40 or so.

[biggz]

"What if that tub at 3 times the cost lasted for 20 years" Think of what you are saying! So you watch your 20 year old TV? No, you buy a new one with the plasma in it. Do you drive your 20 year old truck every day? No, you trade it in and get one with leather, a CD player and air bags. In 10 years your "life time investment tub" will be out dated and you will want to get a new one. This same theory can be applied to women too

-I still use my 10 year old TV in my bedroom because it works. I half wish it would crap out so I could get a new one but it won't and I'm too practical to just swap it out. TVs and spas are very diffferent animlas.

-I'd rather trade in my truck at 10 or 15 years than send it to the junkyard. Actually, I'll still drive it (it's only 10 really) till it dies. Cars and spas aren't a great comparison but it'sa natural one to try to use.

-People continue to use spas that are 15 years old when they know it still works fine, heats fine and is well insulated. It won't look so nice maybe and it won't have a waterfall but it isn't exactly a throw away item. Even if someone gets tired of it, they change hands and continue with someone who is happy to have a well built spa still operating.

-My wife's warranty went out long ago. I could trade her in for another but it would be costly and eventually that one wouldn't be new either so I stick with the one I have knowing she'll be running fine for another 40 or so.

You are talking about the tub right?

[Roger]

-My wife's warranty went out long ago. I could trade her in for another but it would be costly and eventually that one wouldn't be new either so I stick with the one I have knowing she'll be running fine for another 40 or so.

Roger<-------- No wife....No Tub......

Shut up ST!!!!!!!

[nebulous]

We should have an entire forum for the cost vs. value debate. This thread isn't it. If anyone wants to comment on things related to the Sun Peak that would be great. It would be a shame if this thread turned into the last one. But seriously... You can return wives? Here I was afraid of marriage!

[stonepowerhouse]

I also purchased the Infinity 6-person spa from Costco. We finally got it hooked up this past weekend. My question is - all we received was a small 5x7 light blue generic handbook, did anyone actually get a owners manual. Also, they refer to the chemical kit, did anyone get any chemicals with their spa?

My spa runs continuously, I have reset the cycle to 8, but it still runs all the time even with the mode set to "EC". Any help would be appreciated. What can I set the cycle to so it won't run all the time?

Thanks

I think your problem may be that you set it to run for 8 hours in Economy Mode... change it to F2 and EC... that is what I set mine at and it works like a charm.

I received no Chem kit, did receive the light blue booklet, and here are the instructions for the Balboa Controls:

(note, in order to read them during the day I need to put a T-shirt over my head and the controls to assimilate darkness and then they are visible!)

To change between these modes press the temp button then the light button:

EC- Economy mode- only heats at filter cycle

SL- Sleep mode- keeps low heat for freeze protection

ST- Standard Mode- keeps full temp all the time

To change these press the Temp button then the Jets button closest to the display screen.

F2-F8: Filtration Cycles- how many times the spa filters per 12 hour cycle.

FC: Constant Filtration Mode- filters all the time, will not shut off

Note: A single filtration cycle can last up to 2 hours.

It would have been so simple for Infinity to include a piece of paper with these instructions... I had to get them from Infinity like they were the Pope's secret code handed down through Opus Dei...

[stonepowerhouse]

As a fellow do-it-yourselfer, I greatly appreciate all the pictures. You did a great job. I'd love to see it running and at night. A part of me is jealous that you got a spa you'll really enjoy at a price that is enjoyable too. Please keep us updated.

My intent was not to bad mouth but I can see how it came across that way.

My question though I think is valid; You have a nice house, car, you buy quality items for that house and car, you have a nice watch... but when it comes to the spa a lot of people will sell themselves short.

If you are buying lets say a stove and you find two, they both have four burners and many of the same features. One cost $750 and one is $250. I think the average consumer would question the quality of the lower cost one, but when it comes to spas most do not. I do not understand that.

I'll try to explain, but based on your name and comments so far, I think your mind is set to believe what you want to believe... It is possible that the difference in cost is the result of higher mark-ups and middleman costs. If the stove was sold by X company for $200 and Costco bought 10,000 units and marked them up 17%, they would sell for a lot less than the same stove sold to a distributor and then sold again to a retail shop and if both parties mark it up 50 to 100% more, what can the retailer do to compete?... it is understandable the Spa Dealer would resort to shouting that the Costco spa..er I mean stove is not the same unit and is lower quality...

FYI, I paid a Cal Spa technician $75 for a one hour consult on water chemistry and an inspection of my Infinity spa. He looked under the hood and when he saw the name brands of the pumps, the controls, etc.. he was totally impressed when I told him what I paid... I hope that helps you understand...

[Dipstick]

FYI, I paid a Cal Spa technician $75 for a one hour consult on water chemistry and an inspection of my Infinity spa. He looked under the hood and when he saw the name brands of the pumps, the controls, etc.. he was totally impressed when I told him what I paid... I hope that helps you understand...

What else would you expect from a Cal Spa tech, anything they see other than a Cal has to be better.

[104 Degrees]

What else would you expect from a Cal Spa tech, anything they see other than a Cal has to be better.

[nebulous]

Back to a hopefully non-biased review of the tub/company. The jets on two sides of the tub are non-functional. This could easily be user error, so I called the company. Their customer service department is either overwhelmed or completely lacking. I spent over a half hour on hold (long distance) listening to "thank you for calling, your call will be accepted in the order it was received," to at minute 35 be disconnected without warning and without speaking to anyone. All emails to the info@infinityspas.net address are also rejected. I sent the same message to lbrown who in the past has been very helpful, but has also no returned my mail. If anyone has troubleshooting advice I'd be happy to hear it. Maybe I'm just not turning on of the diverter valves in the right direction or something. If this problem could be solved (and a price/further info can be found for the corner piece I most likely broke) I think I would be a happy customer, but that remains to be seen.

edit: I guess they're overwhelmed. This is the response their mailserver sent:

"child status 100...The e-mail message could not be delivered because the user's mailfolder is full."

[kengorman]

Back to a hopefully non-biased review of the tub/company. The jets on two sides of the tub are non-functional. This could easily be user error, so I called the company. Their customer service department is either overwhelmed or completely lacking. I spent over a half hour on hold (long distance) listening to "thank you for calling, your call will be accepted in the order it was received," to at minute 35 be disconnected without warning and without speaking to anyone. All emails to the info@infinityspas.net address are also rejected. I sent the same message to lbrown who in the past has been very helpful, but has also no returned my mail. If anyone has troubleshooting advice I'd be happy to hear it. Maybe I'm just not turning on of the diverter valves in the right direction or something. If this problem could be solved (and a price/further info can be found for the corner piece I most likely broke) I think I would be a happy customer, but that remains to be seen.

edit: I guess they're overwhelmed. This is the response their mailserver sent:

"child status 100...The e-mail message could not be delivered because the user's mailfolder is full."

Hi Nebulous,

Could be a few things -

1. one of the pumps is air-locked.

2. the slice valves on the pumps are closed.

3. the diverter valve on the top-side of the tub is diverting the flow of water to the foot jets.

In the case of #1, the solution is to get access to the pumps and let out the trapped air. This involves removing the equipment panels, folding back the insulation wrap (which may involve removing the staples that are holding the insulation in.). The pumps are black with white pvc plumbing. There are thumbscrews at the ends of the pumps. With the pumps running, turn the thumbscrews on each motor. Some water should come out. Once the jets start working, tighten the thumbscrews up again.

In the case of #2, the slice valves are t-handled valves that are shipped in the open position. They usually have retaining clips that keep them in the open position. Occassionally, the shipping causes the retaining clips to come undone and the slice valves close themselves. To open them, simple twist and pull. It's hard to explain in words, but once you see them, you'll know right away whether they're opened or closed and how to open them if they're closed.

If it's #3, simply turn the diverter valve. The diverter valve is designed to divert water to a set of jets. You can keep it in the middle (neutral) position and both the foot and calf jets get as much pressure as the neck and back jets - or - you can divert water to one set or the other.

Let us know how you make out and post back any additional questions.

Ken

[Dipstick]

One more thing, some jets have an adjustable face on them for the water flow. See if you can turn the face of jets.

[104 Degrees]

Let us know how you make out and post back any additional questions.

Ken

My service company has never said this to me.

[nebulous]

1. one of the pumps is air-locked.

Two of my side panels are off anyway so I could inspect the internals (I'll post more details pics of the inside if people are interested) so I'll try the thumbscrews. Both motors push water thru the tub though, so I didn't think this was the problem.

2. the slice valves on the pumps are closed.

Both handles are all the way out.

3. the diverter valve on the top-side of the tub is diverting the flow of water to the foot jets.

I tried what I thought were all combinations of this, but with 3 diverter valves I could have missed one. I'll try that again.

I also checked to see if it was just an adjustment to the face valves as Dipstick suggested, but unfortunately not on these.

These are the affected Jets

Could it have anything to do with my tub having a deep and shallow end due to the patio surface being at a slight angle for drainage?

[kengorman]

1. one of the pumps is air-locked.

Two of my side panels are off anyway so I could inspect the internals (I'll post more details pics of the inside if people are interested) so I'll try the thumbscrews. Both motors push water thru the tub though, so I didn't think this was the problem.

I' m definitely interested in pics of the inside. I, too, have an Infinity tub, but not the Sun Peak model. I'd assume they use the same internal parts and a picture might confirm this.

You indicated that water is being pushed through - what makes you think that? The discharge of a pump goes directly to a multi-port manifold which directs the water straight to the jets. If the water is flowing through the pump, it is flowing through the jets.

The thumb-screws are located at the end of the pump on the top-side. They allow you to bleed off air.

I tried what I thought were all combinations of this, but with 3 diverter valves I could have missed one. I'll try that again.

Your tub has 3 diverter valves - two are for air, and the third for water pressure. Only the water pressure diverter valve will affect the jets. The air diverter valves control how much air is mixed with the water.

I also checked to see if it was just an adjustment to the face valves as Dipstick suggested, but unfortunately not on these.

Are you saying that your jets aren't adjustable? Sometimes, the jet faces are difficult to turn when they're new. The faces turn counter-clockwise to open and clock-wise to shut. If your tub uses the same jets my tub uses, then every jet should be adjustable.

Could it have anything to do with my tub having a deep and shallow end every to the patio surface being at a slight angle for drainage?

Unlikely, unless your slope is really great. My pad slopes down 1/4 per foot for 8 feet (i.e. 2 inches total) for drainage and the tub works fine. When I had my pad expanded, I had the contractor use a pitch of 1/8 inch per foot for 8 feet so the difference between the front side and rear side of the spa is now only 1 inch.

HTH,

Ken

[nebulous]

It was indeed just an air bubble at one of the pumps. A quick twist of the thumb screw on the pump until water came out followed by a BLORP sound and all was well with the remaining jets. I did have one question about those however. Each pump has two thumb screws, and each pump only sprays water out of one of them when unscrewed. Is this normal? I'd assume so since all the jets work. I'll try to get some internal pics soon before I button the panels back up, work has been keeping me pretty busy, but I'll keep you guys informed.

[jmac]

It was indeed just an air bubble at one of the pumps. A quick twist of the thumb screw on the pump until water came out followed by a BLORP sound and all was well with the remaining jets. I did have one question about those however. Each pump has two thumb screws, and each pump only sprays water out of one of them when unscrewed. Is this normal? I'd assume so since all the jets work. I'll try to get some internal pics soon before I button the panels back up, work has been keeping me pretty busy, but I'll keep you guys informed.

New to this "forum" thing so please cut me some slack for going off topic here...

My husband and I are ready to purchase the infinity hot tub and I'm wondering if I can ask a couple questions: are you happy with your purchase? Even though you have encountered a couple issues would you still reccomend the tub for the cost? And just how comfortable are the seats? Is there a more "shallow" seats that could be a little more kid friendly?

[kengorman]

I previously wrote:

note: there have been several negative reviews about the Costco sold HydroSpa tubs, but not the Infinity ones.

Regards,

Ken

'104 Degrees' thought that my post was very funny?

I decided to spend some (too much) time, searching the forums for every post I could find about the Infinity Sun Peak spa.

I could only find one negative post about the Infinity Sun Peak - and that was a tub that was damaged in shipping and Infinity indicated they'd replace the tub. The original post never posted back, so it is unclear what happened there.

Anyway, I've included all the poster's names and, in most cases, included direct quotes. This posting will be in multiple parts because I'm limited to the number of quotes I can include in one posting.

Part 1:

The following have purchased an Infinity Spa and are either happy with their tub or haven't reported any issues:

I am very pleased with this spa (as of now), and what a savings.

Overall, I think this is a very good spa for the money. I've relaxed in the spa 3-times and have enjoyed it very much

Just wanted to touch base with everyone and give an update on how the spa is currently running......I seriously could not be happier with this purchase.

Hi! Just wanted to join the forum because we received our infinity spa which was delivered on time 2 days ago and we have been very happy so far!

We took our first soak at 11:30 pm and it was GREAT! I like the jets and the various seats - there is a different experience in each location.

After finally accepting delivery (UNDAMAGED), the SPA installed quickly with no problems. This is a replacement and I am VERY pleased with the performance and quality.

So far this has been a pleasant experience and the tub is working great.

so far I am quite pleased with the experience, although there was some hassle on the delivery which was later resolved satisfactorily

[kengorman]

Part 2:

more quotes....

hello, I just received my costco infinity spa and wired it up, filled the water, and turned on the heat. It seems very nice and everything fired up okay. The quality looks pretty good

I am happy with tub so far...

A quick twist of the thumb screw on the pump until water came out followed by a BLORP sound and all was well with the remaining jets.

I just received my Sun Peak spa last week, and it took me two days to get it working. I did save about $4000 or so not going to a local dealer, so I guess will see- good luck!

Over all I don't think you can go wrong the the spas from infinity. The 6HP rated motors are just fine and have plenty of power and two speeds.

Please add me to the ordered, delivered, filled and running without issues catagory

it's up & running & we are very happy.

As for the spa itself, we are very satisfied with it. But so far, I feel like we got a great deal.

Tub was filled and running the last week in August and has been running just fine ever since. Holds the temperature steady, everything seems to work, the variety of jets and seating is awesome. We love it!

[kengorman]

Part 3:

The following user hasn't been happy with their Infinity spa:

Apparently my spa had been damaged by a forklift sometime durring it's travels, and it had punctured the fiberglass rim.

Infinity told me the very next day that the damage was severe and they would replace it with a new tub

Please note that not-the-mama hasn't provided an update.

I'm sure there have to be some unhappy Infinity customers out there, however, I guess they haven't been posting. I'm not saying that the Infinity tubs have been flawless - many of the people who I quoted in the last few pages did have some minor initial problems that were quickly resolved.

These issues ranged from delivery issues, air-locks, popping jets, and others. The most severe issue (other than the damaged shell) was from ccdallas whose tub was incorrectly plumbed which led to broken impellars on the pumps.

Other than the quotes over the last few pages, there were 3 2 posters who indicated they purchased an Infinity Spa, but never reported back whether they received it or not. I have PM'ed each of those and will update this thread if/when I hear back. They are: 'andrmida', 'Headhunter', and 'Lona'.

edit: Headhunter provided an update. I added the quote to the post above.

Regards,

Ken

[biggz]

Part 3:

The following user hasn't been happy with their Infinity spa:

Apparently my spa had been damaged by a forklift sometime durring it's travels, and it had punctured the fiberglass rim.

Infinity told me the very next day that the damage was severe and they would replace it with a new tub

Please note that not-the-mama hasn't provided an update.

I'm sure there have to be some unhappy Infinity customers out there, however, I guess they haven't been posting. I'm not saying that the Infinity tubs have been flawless - many of the people who I quoted in the last few pages did have some minor initial problems that were quickly resolved.

These issues ranged from delivery issues, air-locks, popping jets, and others. The most severe issue (other than the damaged shell) was from ccdallas whose tub was incorrectly plumbed which led to broken impellars on the pumps.

Other than the quotes over the last few pages, there were 3 posters who indicated they purchased an Infinity Spa, but never reported back whether they received it or not. I have PM'ed each of those and will update this thread if/when I hear back. They are: 'andrmida', 'Headhunter', and 'Lona'.

Regards,

Ken

Ken, That was excellent research. I sure you've made it easier for potential Infinity qwner or tub owners in general to make an educated purchase.

[East TX Spa]

The first time I put Icy Hot on my pulled groin, I thought it was the greatest concoction ever devised: the initial soothing glacier sensation, the gently spreading warmth that began loosening my tightened loin, the aromatic smell gave me the tingles....then that devil's rub spread onto my giblets and it felt like my nards were afire whilst I writhed in eyeball shattering pain and screamed for my long dead momma to release me from it's wrath. In other words, my initial joy soon turned to unfathomonable misery.

I'll be watching to see the long term results.

Terminator

[Roger]

Ken, That was excellent research. I sure you've made it easier for potential Infinity qwner or tub owners in general to make an educated purchase.

There must be at least a month or 2 of experience with that tub in all those posts, usefull stuff there for potential buyers.

Sorry but I would call an independent repair guy in your area for a better picture of any brand rather than use some brand new owners.

Even brand new steel looks good when it's new, leave it outside for a few years and it's a pile of rust.

[D.P. Roberts]

I few weeks ago I posted some info about Infinity's BBB report. At the time, they had an Unsatisfactory rating, and 4 complaints. They've gained two more since then - they're up to 6 complaints now. If they keep getting 2 complaints per month they'll quickly be the most complained-about company in the industry.

The only other spa manufacturer I can find with an Unsatisfactory rating is Thermospa.