The Keys Tub Has Arrived

[biggz]

Just wanted to post some pics of the tub. Enjoy!

Now how do I add pics again?

[cooold ohio]

The process of posting pics-

1-go to www.photobucket.com and open a free account

2-upload the pictures you want to post

3-once your pics are uploaded there are codes underneath click on the IMG code

4-click copy of the code

5-click on reply to the topic your in on the forum and right click paste in the response.

6-click add reply and your done.

[biggz]

The process of posting pics-

1-go to www.photobucket.com and open a free account

2-upload the pictures you want to post

3-once your pics are uploaded there are codes underneath click on the IMG code

4-click copy of the code

5-click on reply to the topic your in on the forum and right click paste in the response.

6-click add reply and your done.

Thanks,

All of this happened yesterday. The truck came as scheduled. Actually the tub arrived about a week early from Keys. I loved the hair do of the lady trucker. They were the nicest people and helped me a lot as you can see. The electrician came today and I've already been in the tub. I'll post more after I eat.

[biggz]

Here are pics from today.

This is what's under the skirt.

Getting the small tub through the screen was a little work. We did it yesterday and the bugs had a field day last night.

Electrician came by 9:30 AM to start running the connections to the tub. He was finished by 1:00 PM and I started to fill the tub.

We learned a very valuable lesson regarding filling the tub. Never do it with the pump on and the top jets not submerged. It was a lot of water to clean up but we finally got it under control.

The tub worked perfectly as per the provided instructions. After the pumps primed the thermostat registered 83 degrees. That was approximately 1:30 PM.

The tub continued filling up and I added the chemicals as intructed in the Leisure Time Starter kit.

With the electrician gone, I closed the screen and tried to clean up a little before my wife got home.

By 4:00 PM it was 98 degrees and by 6:00 PM it was 105 degrees.

I'll try to post more tommorrow, but will gladly answer questions tonight. I got to get ready to go on tour.

Biggz

[Pathfinder]

That is the first spa I have seen where the water goes through the heater by the suction end of the pump not after on the discharge side.

[TinyBubbles]

Looks good biggz. I think the tub looks much better in person than on the website, don't you? How did you enjoy your first soak? Anything in particular you were suprised with? What do you like best about the tub?

[Wanna a tub]

Looks great!! You said your tub was a Keys. Where did you buy if from? I am looking at Costco. They have the Discoverys made by Keys Backyard. I am also looking at the Infinitys at Costco, if they get them back on-line. What do you think about your Keys now that you have it? Thanks for any help. I am in the looking stage.

[biggz]

Looks good biggz. I think the tub looks much better in person than on the website, don't you? How did you enjoy your first soak? Anything in particular you were suprised with? What do you like best about the tub?

'TinyBubbles', Good Morning, yes I was pleasntly surprised to see that the tub was basically the tub Sams Club was selling in Blue for more money. When I bought the tub I felt bad that I was loosing some features because of choosing white over blue. The funny thing is, I went to Sam's site and didn't see the tub listed this morning. Costco also has a variation of the tub with 1 pump. My tub has the upgraded control panel and pillow in the lounge that is not pictured on Walmart's website. The shell is nicely molded and the skirt fits snugly under the shell with no noticible gaps.

The first soak was fantastic. I went into the tub when it reached 98 degrees to see how the jets worked and sat in every seat. The Lounge is longer then I had anticipated. I'm 6'0 180 lbs and I had a lot of run in the lounge positon. My wife on the other hand has to get a seat cushion because it was a little deep for her (5'4" 130) frame. The jets in that seat are very strong, so she may need a lap weight to prevent her from floating a little. The middle seats are not as deep and much more comfortable for her. The seat in the oposite corner of the lounger is wonderful. It's the deepest seat in the tub and the jets are brutal. All of the functions on the panel are very easy to use and understand. I went in again last night before leaving for work at 105 degrees. I only lasted 10 minutes before having to get out. Wow, I won't be doing that again until it gets cooler.

I purposely took a picture of the inside to show any potential buyers that this tub will need additional insulation if you live in the colder states. IMO you would probably see a big spike in you electric bill if this is not done, but once done you will have a pretty nice tub that should maintain the heat well. I also wanted to show the spa pack and pumps for all interested. I went online to Balbao Instruments site to read up on the VS series packs. see link:

http://balboa-i.graphtek.com/page142.html

They seem to be a pretty good entry level spa packs and pricey too. The pumps are (Pentair) 56 frame Ultimax 2.5 HP pumps. I'd provide a link but there's just to many and wouldn't want to miss represent the part. There's also an ozonator that cames with the spa.

I was surprised by the power of the jets. I will have to learn how to tweek the different seats for maximum jet performance but there definitely a lot to work with in that regards. All in all, I think this was a great purchase for my wife and I with nothing what so ever to complain about. This tub will be an excellent alternative for those looking to buy a tub that is reasonably priced and more then 3 seats. Buy with confidence.

[biggz]

Looks great!! You said your tub was a Keys. Where did you buy if from? I am looking at Costco. They have the Discoverys made by Keys Backyard. I am also looking at the Infinitys at Costco, if they get them back on-line. What do you think about your Keys now that you have it? Thanks for any help. I am in the looking stage.

'Wanna a tub', I bought the tub at Walmart. The king of the big box stores. They only have it in white though, but it's actually on sale now for less then I paid.

[TinyBubbles]

Biggz, it sounds like you got all that you bargained for and then some. The pillows that you fill with water are great. You can adjust the size by the amount of water you put in. I can't use all the seats in any tub without one. Did you get starter chemicals with the tub or did you buy that on your own? I just got a call that my tub is being delivered tomorrow. We don't have the wiring complete, so I have to schedule the start up guy for another time. We plan to complete wiring this weekend, so dealer is going to give delivery guys the chemicals and instructions. I'm a little nervous about getting the water chemistry right. Balboa and Pentair are both good names. Did you change the light to a led like you were thinking about? Congratulations and happy tubbing.

[biggz]

Biggz, it sounds like you got all that you bargained for and then some. The pillows that you fill with water are great. You can adjust the size by the amount of water you put in. I can't use all the seats in any tub without one. Did you get starter chemicals with the tub or did you buy that on your own? I just got a call that my tub is being delivered tomorrow. We don't have the wiring complete, so I have to schedule the start up guy for another time. We plan to complete wiring this weekend, so dealer is going to give delivery guys the chemicals and instructions. I'm a little nervous about getting the water chemistry right. Balboa and Pentair are both good names. Did you change the light to a led like you were thinking about? Congratulations and happy tubbing.

'TinyBubbles', Yes, the tub came with Leisure Time start kit and the steps. It's kind of confusing and I decided to use chlorine instead of bromine because I'm more familiar with chlorine. My wife is home today so we're headed to the local dealer to pick up the water cushion and price the LED light. If it's to expensive there's always EBay. I opted to hire an electrician because I know nothing about electrical stuff. The manual also said if I didn't hire a licensed electrician it would void the warranty, so I paid . I shopped around and found a guy to do it for $550.00. I had quotes as high as $1350.00. The electrician who did the job happen to be a cousin of one of the Palm Bay building inspectors. He actually stopped by for a minute and found all ship space.

So now I have a tub. Thanks for the kind words. I hope your experience goes as smoothly as mine

[TinyBubbles]

Shoot, with the price you paid for your spa, you can swing the light! I hope things go smoothly for us, as well. I'd like to be christening the tub with a bottle of champagne Sat. night. We are using chlorine as well. For people that are spa shopping, ask what chemicals are in the tub you test. I noticed quite a difference in the way my skin felt and smelled after using different tubs. This was important in deciding what chemical program I wanted to use.

[biggz]

Shoot, with the price you paid for your spa, you can swing the light! I hope things go smoothly for us, as well. I'd like to be christening the tub with a bottle of champagne Sat. night. We are using chlorine as well. For people that are spa shopping, ask what chemicals are in the tub you test. I noticed quite a difference in the way my skin felt and smelled after using different tubs. This was important in deciding what chemical program I wanted to use.

'TinyBubbles', We went to the dealer and bought the cushion yesterday. I also talked to the dealer about which was the best sanitizer for the spas. He told me he used "Bromine tablets" with a mineral cartridge like "Nature 2" or "Frog". He explained that if I used chlorine it would gas off at approxiamately 88 degrees and that I'd have to check the sanitizer levels daily. He advised me to use the "Bromine" kit that came with the tub and try it out before making a final decision on which way to go. I really prefer chlorine because that's what i'm familiar with but we'll see. Maybe the board will jump in for needed advise. I forgot to ask about the light but i'll be back.

[TinyBubbles]

That's the one thing that concerns me about chlorine as well. The daily maintenance. There is another forum with great info on chemicals. It's whatsthebest-hottub. Look under FAQ (I think it's on the left side). Two methods, one deals with chlorine(dichlor) the vermonter method and the other is someone's name ( I can't remember ), which deals with other sanitizers. Might make good reading for you.

[tony]

'TinyBubbles', We went to the dealer and bought the cushion yesterday. I also talked to the dealer about which was the best sanitizer for the spas. He told me he used "Bromine tablets" with a mineral cartridge like "Nature 2" or "Frog". He explained that if I used chlorine it would gas off at approxiamately 88 degrees and that I'd have to check the sanitizer levels daily. He advised me to use the "Bromine" kit that came with the tub and try it out before making a final decision on which way to go. I really prefer chlorine because that's what i'm familiar with but we'll see. Maybe the board will jump in for needed advise. I forgot to ask about the light but i'll be back.

The dealer is giving you incorrect information. Chlorine does not "gas off" at 88 degrees. It works at all temps up to about 180 degrees and is actually more efficient at higher temps. You cannot use Nature2 with bromine, but you can use a Frog. The advantages of bromine are that you can maintain a level of sanitizer at all times. Different levels of use will alter that level and may require adjusting. With chlorine, you can't and don't maintain a level of sanitizer. If you follow the "Vermonter" method or one like that, the sanitizer will do its job and slowly disappear from that point.

Daily soakers will have no problem with chlorine because you would be adding on a very regular basis. Infrequent soakers may be better with bromine. Both work well.

[biggz]

'TinyBubbles', We went to the dealer and bought the cushion yesterday. I also talked to the dealer about which was the best sanitizer for the spas. He told me he used "Bromine tablets" with a mineral cartridge like "Nature 2" or "Frog". He explained that if I used chlorine it would gas off at approxiamately 88 degrees and that I'd have to check the sanitizer levels daily. He advised me to use the "Bromine" kit that came with the tub and try it out before making a final decision on which way to go. I really prefer chlorine because that's what i'm familiar with but we'll see. Maybe the board will jump in for needed advise. I forgot to ask about the light but i'll be back.

The dealer is giving you incorrect information. Chlorine does not "gas off" at 88 degrees. It works at all temps up to about 180 degrees and is actually more efficient at higher temps. You cannot use Nature2 with bromine, but you can use a Frog. The advantages of bromine are that you can maintain a level of sanitizer at all times. Different levels of use will alter that level and may require adjusting. With chlorine, you can't and don't maintain a level of sanitizer. If you follow the "Vermonter" method or one like that, the sanitizer will do its job and slowly disappear from that point.

Daily soakers will have no problem with chlorine because you would be adding on a very regular basis. Infrequent soakers may be better with bromine. Both work well.

'tony' , Thanks for clearing that up Tony. I thought I read somewhere that Chlorine could withstand higher temps, but I didn't want to debate something I wasn't sure about. He actually uses "Frog".I think I'll be a daily soaker for a while, particularly since I just got the tub. I really do prefer chlorine since it's suppose to be the best sanitizer. I use Nature 2 in my pool and the maintenance is effortless. IMO Chlorine is the best. It's in the drinking water.

Now, I'm going away for about 5 days next week. How would I control the amount of chlorine since I won't be here to add the chemical, and I started the Bromine system. Is htere a way to change it to chlorine at this point or should I wait until I drain the tub for maintenance? Thanks Biggz

[TinyBubbles]

Hi biggz, from what I understand, you can add bromine to a chlorine tub at any time. It is then a bromine tub and you can not change it back to chloringe without a water change. Everyone is trying to get me to switch from chlorine, but I'm not doing it. I will if there is a reason, but right now, there isn't. I just throw in 2 capfuls of dichlor everytime I get out of tub. I've been told to add a little extra before leaving town and a little extra when you get back. In addition, turn down the temp. This will help the chlorine last longer. I've, also, been told that the ozonator helps you through periods when you are away from tub. I'm sure this could be debated.

[biggz]

Hi biggz, from what I understand, you can add bromine to a chlorine tub at any time. It is then a bromine tub and you can not change it back to chloringe without a water change. Everyone is trying to get me to switch from chlorine, but I'm not doing it. I will if there is a reason, but right now, there isn't. I just throw in 2 capfuls of dichlor everytime I get out of tub. I've been told to add a little extra before leaving town and a little extra when you get back. In addition, turn down the temp. This will help the chlorine last longer. I've, also, been told that the ozonator helps you through periods when you are away from tub. I'm sure this could be debated.

'TinyBubbles', That's what I needed to know. I'm going to drain my tub right now. I used the Bromine over the weekend and I don't like it at all. It seems to have a funny smell and I'm not very confident as to it's sanitizing ability. I know there are those who swear by it, but I like chlorine and I'm draining the tub now! I used it this morning since it's my day off and felt a little itchy when I got out. I never felt like that using my chlorinated pool. Thanks for the info in terms of leaving town that was my biggest concern.

I've been reading a lot of "Chem-geek's" post and they make a lot of sense. Chlorine "here I come".

[RickJ]

Now, I'm going away for about 5 days next week. How would I control the amount of chlorine since I won't be here to add the chemical, and I started the Bromine system. Is htere a way to change it to chlorine at this point or should I wait until I drain the tub for maintenance? Thanks Biggz

When I'm going to be gone for a while, I use one of those floater things with the chlorine tablets in it. I just turn it down to a low level, so that it adds a little bit of chlorine all the time. You might have to play with it a bit to get the desired chlorine amount in your tub, but it's a lot easier than adjusting your chlorine levels every day. Then, when you're going to use the tub, take the floater thing out while you're in the tub, and put it back in when you get out. (that keeps any concentrated chlorine from coming near you while you're in the tub)

I'm not sure if that's the best way to chlorinate a tub, but that's what I'm trying now.

[Flyonthewall]

stay away from chlorine tabs in a portable spa. its way to harsh imo. i have seen many spa parts wear out ahead of their time due to its use. stick with the dichlor. a week is no problem. as t. bubbles said superchlorinate before going and upon returning.

[D.P. Roberts]

stay away from chlorine tabs in a portable spa. its way to harsh imo. i have seen many spa parts wear out ahead of their time due to its use. stick with the dichlor. a week is no problem. as t. bubbles said superchlorinate before going and upon returning.

Good point. You may void your warranty if it gets damaged from using trichlor.

[biggz]

Just wanted to post some pics of the tub. Enjoy!

Now how do I add pics again?

I finally drained the Bromine treated tub water and replaced it with fresh tap water. Pumps are primed and circulating. I just added 1 oz of Diclor to get things started. I won't be able to soak tonight unfortunately. My Giants are playing and the tub water wouldn't reach the 102 degrees i've grown to love. I'll check the water tommorrow morning, but at least I'll feel a lot more confident knowing that I'm now using good old Chlorine. Chem Geek rules!!

[RickJ]

stay away from chlorine tabs in a portable spa. its way to harsh imo. i have seen many spa parts wear out ahead of their time due to its use. stick with the dichlor. a week is no problem. as t. bubbles said superchlorinate before going and upon returning.

Good point. You may void your warranty if it gets damaged from using trichlor.

Dang. The tablets seemed like such a good idea.

Would the tablets harm my tub if I run a low chlorine system? I have a Down East, so I only run a low amount of chlorine.

[biggz]

stay away from chlorine tabs in a portable spa. its way to harsh imo. i have seen many spa parts wear out ahead of their time due to its use. stick with the dichlor. a week is no problem. as t. bubbles said superchlorinate before going and upon returning.

Good point. You may void your warranty if it gets damaged from using trichlor.

Dang. The tablets seemed like such a good idea.

Would the tablets harm my tub if I run a low chlorine system? I have a Down East, so I only run a low amount of chlorine.

'RickJ', Thanks for the idea about the floater. Dichlo is the form of chemical I've decided to use. I read that Trichlo is not the right chlorine for hot tub use, but I forgot why. If I could only dispense the Dichlo automatically.

[D.P. Roberts]

'RickJ', Thanks for the idea about the floater. Dichlo is the form of chemical I've decided to use. I read that Trichlo is not the right chlorine for hot tub use, but I forgot why. If I could only dispense the Dichlo automatically.

Simply put, trichlor is too strong- it might hurt your plumbing, and could hurt your skin too. It's fine in a swimming pool, which has a MUCH larger volume, but the "margin for error" in a hot tub would be way too small.