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Welcome to
The Spa Specialist Inc.. We have everything you are looking for and if
it is not in stock, we can get it for you with a few days notice. With
low prices, superior products and a dedication to excellent customer
service and care, you do not need to look anywhere else.
The Best insulation for a spa is Thermal Sealed or
sometimes
called thermal lock, thermal pane or air tight. This method has the
maximum
amount of efficiency without letting cold air into the spa's equipment
area.
(Beware! There are only a few
ways to make a true thermally sealed
spa. Some manufactures call their spa thermal pane, when actually they
are vented and expensive to operate.)
Independent
studies done by two universities ( Colorado and Arizona
State Universities 1996) have found that using the waste heat generated
by the equipment and transferring it into the spa's water is more
efficient
than filling the spa's cabinet with foam.
(We have seen some fully foamed spa companies attach
tubing around the
motors to capture some of the spa motor heat. This still a long way
from
full energy capture!)
When the equipment compartment
on any spa is vented, the heat energy
of the motors is lost forever. If you use your spa three times a week
for
one hour; that's one-half hour with the jet pumps on and one half-hour
soaking with the low speed filter pump running.
Each 3
BHP/2HP continuous pump (high speed) emits approximately
1504 watts of equivalent heat. With two pumps that is 3008 watts of
electrical
energy the spa's heater does not have to produce.
3008 watts X 3 hours = 9.024 KWH
If your electric cost is 10
cents per KWH, that is approximately $0.90
per week of lost energy from just the operation of the high speed jet
pumps!
Add the savings from the low speed filtering, and you are easily saving
a buck. That is one reason why true thermal pane spas can save $10 per
month less, on the average, to operate than any comparably equipped
fully
foamed spa. The more you use the spa, the less each use costs you
versus.
the standard vented fully foamed spa designs.
In many
spas some of the heat energy is captured by the warmth in the
vented room, but most heat is lost. The more foam between the spa water
and the equipment, the more energy is lost. This is called isolated
equipment.
It is similar to taking your home's heater and putting it outside with
all the warm air ducts exposed to the outside cold air.
(For the engineering types; the above take into
account the mechanical
heat and the frictional heat that all pumps create and the cold air
that
eliminates that energy.)
Exposing the equipment to the
outside air through the vents causes thermal
stress to the plumbing. The air can be as cold as 10, 20, 30, or 45
degrees
F. below zero, and the water inside the pipes is the spa temperature
over
100 F. degrees. This can equate to a temperature difference on the
plumbing
as much as 110 to 145 degrees; cold on the outside and hot on the
inside.
This stresses the PVC, the glue joints, the unions and valves. Heat
expands
things, while cold contracts. Hot on the inside and cold on the
outside!
This is why vented spas develop leaks at a much higher rate compared to
thermally sealed spas.
When a
vented spa is without electrical power for even a few hours at
below zero, the water inside the equipment will start to freeze. This
is
an extremely unfortunate experience! The warranties on all spas are
void
if you let your spa freeze. Water expands as it freezes, breaking
parts.
The smartest thing to do is buy a spa with the maximum
amount of freeze
resistance (and energy efficiency). With a thermal pane spa, closed
cabinet,the
water in the spa vessel acts like a huge hot water bottle, and keeps
the
equipment and plumbing warm for days.
For a complete and very
interesting booklet on spas and spa construction,
order the book "How Spas Are Made" Call 1-888-478 2224. If you are
serious
about buying a spa, you can not afford to not read it!! It is now
revised
and expanded to 1999 standards. Only $9.95 plus shipping and handling
of
$2 Call now if no answer just leave your credit card number expiration
date, name address and zip code.
We have an
expanded Internet version available now for $6.95. You can
get it in HTML that you can read with you browser Netscape, or
Internet
explorer, of if you prefer in a Microsoft Word format Windows or
Macintosh.
This book is written in plain terms that anyone can understand. It is
easy
to read. The common comments we get is "I couldn't put it down!"
Installing a spa inside usually requires more money
for
the installation. That is why approximately 90% of the spas are
installed
outside. When a spa is placed inside a house, there have to be
structural
considerations. It is advisable to get an engineer to do an analysis of
the structure. A four to six person spa can weigh 3,000 to 5,000
pounds.
You need to allow for venting the humidity out of the spa room, as well
as installing a sealed dry wall material in the walls. There are some
areas
where the covenants make it so the spa has to be installed inside.
Please
check with your building department for indoor spa building codes. The
simplest indoor spa installation is a sun room with a concrete floor
and
windows that open.
(See http:/www.spaspecialist.com/spacaretips.html
)
Installing a spa outside is as simple as having a
concrete slab poured,
and hooking up electrical. If you want an indoor feeling, you can add a
gazebo or privacy fencing around the spa. If you live in a cold weather
area, you may want the spa as close as possible to your house, so it is
a short hop to the inside. The only time you might get cold is when you
exit the spa and have a cold wind blowing on you. Otherwise you can
stand
outside in the cold for several minutes after exiting the water, and
not
feel the cold. Many people prefer an open spa, so they can sit back and
have a hot soak while looking at the sky or stars.
Question
Is any plumbing
required for my spa?
Answer
No. The only time to install plumbing to a spa is to
add
an external gas heater on spas operated with a generator, or solar
electricity.
All you normally need to do is fill or drain the spa with a hose.
Question
Isn't a
gas heater a good idea to use on a spa? Doesn't it save on energy costs?
Answer
On a modern self-contained thermally closed spa, it is
a
waste of money to put a gas heater on it. A small gas heater, 55K BTU,
will cost about $1,000 to $1,300 to install. Unless you have a
tremendous
difference between the gas cost and the electric cost, you will never
recoup
the cost of the gas heater. The heater will last about 10 years. You
can
buy a lot of electricity for the difference in cost. Remember much of
the
heat used in our spas is from the pump motors, making the electric
heater
only part of the heat.
If you own a fully foamed spa
with a vented cabinet, using a full sized
pump on low speed for heating and filtering, and it has a blower, a gas
heater may be a good idea. Over a period of 7 years , the spa will cost
you abut $1600 extra in electricity alone more than a thermally sealed
spa.
I have had
customers who are way up in the mountains, and have no electric
service to the house. They use solar panels and gasoline or propane
powered
generators for electricity. This is the one of the only time I install
a gas (propane) heater connected to the spa. I believe we are one of
only
a very few spa companies who even know how to make the conversion.
We also have completely off grid spas that require no electric hook ups
from any power company.
Question
I
heard that taking care
of a spa is difficult. Do I have to be a chemical "scientist" to take
care
of the water?
Answer
Modern spas with a good filter system are easy to care
for.
It takes about ten to fifteen minutes a week if you follow a simple
program.
It gets easier to do your water adjustments after you learn a few water
testing techniques. The test are for the Calcium Hardness, Total
Alkalinity,
pH, and sanitizer levels. You look in the charts for the amounts of
products
to put in the water. It is similar to taking care of a fish tank, only
easier. We have found that people who have trouble with spas, are using
an improper testing method and are getting advice from spa stores that
have incompetent help. It is really very easy.
We offer our standard Copper/Silver
ionizer system with our complete spa package. This gives our
customers
a non-bromine non smelly wonderful water experience. We now have
an optional oxidizer system that eliminates 90% of the shock.
If you want to go completely chemical free we have the Eco One
treatment system. Our tests show up to 18 months on the same
water fill, with no refil for 18 months, no shock, no chlorine, using
only ozone and Eco One
Approximately every three to six months. There is a
formula
that gives a good guide. The number of days between refilling equals
1/3
the gallons of the spa; divided by the number of daily bathers.
This
can be extended to six to twelve months if you use The Spa Specialist
Ionizer/oxidizer
system. This also makes pH balancing really easy, because we are
not adding large amounts of pH affecting products.
A good spa store will have a TDS
meter to test water for Total Dissolved
Solids. When the TDS gets to 2500 PPM we recommend draining the spa.
Using
a good acid demand test on the pH will also give a good indication that
the water is too old. If it takes 6 drops to go from ph 8.0 to pH of
7.4
the water is too old! The copper/sliver ionizer gives a higher
TDS
reading, because of the electrical conductivity. If you use a TDS
meter, you need to get a reading in a sample that the copper and silver
has been precipitated out.
Question
How long do filters
last? How often are they replaced and how much do they cost to replace?
Answer
The best way to get the most life out of filters is to
clean
them properly. If you do, you can have two or three years use out of
them.
The average retail cost is about $1.25 per square foot. (Sale = 1.125
per
Sq. Ft.) We recommend having a spare filter so you can soak your dirty
one overnight in a cleaning solution, and let it dry. (Three to six
years
on a set of two)
Why are your
spa so quiet while they run? Even the big two pump models with a full
air
injector (blower)? I have never heard spas so quiet when every thing is
running. All I can hear is the water splashing around.
Answer
There are a couple of reasons:
The nature of thermally sealed spas is such that the
cabinet itself
adds a level of sound proofing. Then the layers of insulation on the
outer
walls deadens the sound even more. Why does an expensive luxury car,
sound
so quiet. It is sound proofed.
The second
reason is the equipment and engineering of the plumbing.
In our spas, the plumbing is nonrestrictive, so the water moves easily
through the system. There is no surging (shush, shush, shush sound) or
cavitating as in cheap spas using too small of pipes for the pumps. We
use 2 inch and 2.5 inch plumbing on all our spas. There are no diverter
valves in our spas. These valves create back pressure, and makes a
surging
noise in the upper lip of the spa. They also cause a $300 to $400
repair
job in about five years.
Question
I have owned
a spa before, and it had a 25 Sq. Ft. filter. I had no problems with
it.
Why do some spas have more than one filter or huge filters of 120
Square
feet, while other manufacturers are still using only regular size spa
filters?
Answer
There is a sort of nonsensical marketing technique
which
we call the "mine is bigger" sales presentation. A moderately used spa
under 450 gallons has never needed more than 50 to 75 square feet of
filter
fiber. (There are 10,000 gallon swimming pools operating on 50 square
feet.)
When you get above 450 gallons in a large multi-pump high horsepower
family
spa (plenty of use) you might consider a larger filter or
multiple
filters, but never more than a total of 80 to 100 square feet.
It is expensive
and unnecessary for the average spa consumer to use more than one
filter.
(1999 update; Engineers have told me that for two reasons the use of
more
than 75 Sq. Ft of filter is recommended: 1/ On a large spa with huge
pumps
on the suction side filter, 4 BHP or bigger, the water flow of those
pumps
is about 170 GPM. By dividing the water flow between two 50 Sq. Ft
filters
rated at 75 GPM and using a third suctions at the bottom of the spa,
the
pumps run cooler and the water is filtered very fast, lowering the
electric
usage on those powerful spas. 2/ Because spa owners make mistakes and
do
not always clean the filters as needed, we are giving a little grace on
the "don't have time" problem that most families have.)
It is
still ridiculous on a small spa with one pump to put in a huge
filter!
A pressure filter often uses a much smaller filter.
The design on the
"Compact 2" system filter makes using a pressure filter easy.
There are several factors involved in the actual cost
of
spa operation. ( Most salespeople only answer one part of this
question.)
Insulation: A fully foamed spa
usually cost more in electricity to operate
than an identically equipped true thermal pane spa. This is especially
true in cold climates. The average costs should be under $20 per month
in Colorado (Denver area) even with two 4.5 HP water pumps, a 2 HP an
air
pump and a 240 volt heater.
Repairs: A
spa with a tiny "24 hour circ pump" will cost an average
of between $7.90 to $10.30 per month in pump replacement costs. This is
usually due to the pump motor burning out when the tiny impeller gets
stopped
by debris. Those pumps were never intended to be used on spas.
The average life expectancy of the main control
system, and the main
jet pumps are also a consideration. Several companies are now putting
the
least expensive and poorest quality pumps and motors (call us to find
out
the brand) on some of the most expensive spas. They also use underrated
relays and undersized traces on the circuit boards. This is why getting
the advice of a knowledgeable qualified spa repair and electronic
technician
is a good idea!
Spa supplies costs: A poorly
designed spa uses more chemicals and more
of your time to keep the water clear! That is why it is recommended to
avoid gimmicks, complicated control systems, and ideas that do not
work!
The spas that use the most water clarifiers, shock, scum bags, spa
vacuums,
and bromine or chlorine all seem to have tiny pumps running the heater.
Each extra filter costs approximately $4.17 per month. Each extra
square
foot costs more: 50 Sq. Ft. is approximately $5.20 per month
Another
major factor in spa costs is exclusive parts. If you can
only get parts for your spa from a brand dealer, or from only one
source,
the parts are usually 2 to 5 times more expensive. We use
commonly
available parts with no gimmicks. Gimmicks are junky parts that
break
down, but gives the spa salesman something special to sell you.
My
"favorite" (a bit of sarcasm) gimmick is dry massage pillows.
What
sort of hydro (water) therapy does that do?
I don't see how
the thermal sealed insulation method is better than full foam. It sure
sounds like having a cabinet full of "insulation" is better than a
layered
insulation technique. How can thermal sealed be more electrically
efficient
than fully foamed spas?
Answer
First of all; using between 10 to 34 inches of foam is
a
wasteful use of insulation. The average insulation value of foam is R
7.5
per inch. The walls in your average house in Montana do not have 10 to
34 inches of foam in them. They actually have an average of 5.5 inches
of dead air space created by a fiberglass batting. The R value is 19, a
tremendous amount of insulation.
In Montana and the Colorado
Mountain towns, both places I am personally
familiar with, the houses are made with 2 X 6's in the outer walls with
5.5 inches of fiberglass insulation. But in the roof and in the
ceiling,
they blow in up to 12 inches of insulation! Heat rises! Goes up! If you
want to insulate something you would insulate the top more than the
sides
and bottom, just like the engineers who design and build houses in cold
climates.
Beyond
three inches of foam for insulation in a spa is unnecessary.
That is R 22.5 in insulation! Someone's pulling the foam over your
eyes!
Secondly: High quality covers on top of a spa have a
tapered foam core
of 4 inches tapering to 2 inches. (2001 update: we now have 5" to
3" available) Most of the heat loss in a spa is on top of the spa,
(because
heat rises), not on the sides and bottom. The fully foamed spa
manufacturers
equip their own spas with an average of 3 inches of foam in the cover,
( where the heat loss is greatest). Why do they have so much foam on
the
sides and bottom where heat loss is the least?
If they believe lots of foam is
the best insulation, then the cover
should be at least 15 or 20 or even 30 inches thick to follow that
logic.
(Why do we
place blankets on top of us in bed at night? Why not just
tuck a bunch of blankets on our sides and put a sheet on top?)
Lastly (but not "leastly"): When the cabinet is
completely filled with
foam, the equipment compartment becomes very small, and must be vented
so the pumps will not overheat and quit. Venting wastes the heat coming
off the pump motors, while at the same time lets in cold air, cooling
the
pipes, making the heater work harder. When you cool the equipment, you
cool the water inside as well!
To understand how powerful foam
insulation is:
If a
person holds a styrofoam cup in one hand and pours some boiling
hot water in it, then places a finger in the hot water, second degree
burns
occur in less than a minute. (A million dollar law suit happened this
way
with hot coffee!!)
When less than 1/16 inch of foam can keep the cup so
cool on the outside,
how is it that a spa needs 10 to 34 inches of foam??? Don't buy a fully
foamed spa and get burned !
If full
foam is not as energy
efficient, then why do most major spa manufactures recommend full foam
and sell it as the best?
Answer
There are two answers to that
question- one is manufacturing
and the other is marketing.
1/ The first major manufacturer
of spas that used the full foam method
did it as a cost saving method. The spas were made out of a flimsy
material
called Rovel, without any fiberglass backing. If you don't have to
apply
an expensive and time consuming material to the back, you save
literally
millions in manufacturing costs. The use of full foam is strictly for
support,
not for insulation. One person with a foam gun, in about a half an hour
and the spa "structure is built". It takes about four to eight
man-hours
over a period of days to make a strong shell; plus the cost of the
expensive
fiberglass materials. Multiply that by 400,000 spas and now you know.
That
company is still in business and is one of the largest manufacturer of
spas today, and they still have no air injectors. (I have been waiting
a long time to see if they will ever put the wonderful air therapy in
their
spas.) The spas were originally developed in southern California
near the coast where it never gets cold, so the "intent" of the foam
has
little to do with cold weather insulation .
Even
though they use the least expensive manufacturing, their spas
are very expensive to buy!
2/ The second reason is copycat marketing. If the big
boys are selling
a lot of spas with full foam, better and easier to follow suit. If you
have inexperienced and unscientific sales people that do not understand
the laws of physics, they can't sell against full foam. It is much
easier
to offer a fully foamed product and copy the sales leader and the sales
"script". Just because a lot of spas are sold this way does not have
any
resemblance to logic in the efficiency of the spa design. It is
strictly
a marketing ploy!
This is a really funny concept,
but there are spa manufacturers who
make a good strong acrylic shell, backed with fiberglass, and still
fill
the cabinet with foam, just so they do not have to sell against the
"big
boys"!
All of
this folly is at the consumer's detriment!! It cost more in spa
owner's operating costs and leak repair to make spas this way!
Fully
foamed sounds good at first thought, but it is so badly engineered that
it verges on consumer fraud.
How long the manufacturer has
been in business and what the warranty
actually reads. You might get a complete copy of the actual warranty
and
read it before you buy!
There are
hidden pro-ration warranties. This means you will have to
pay part of the warranty costs. My favorite one of these is the "we
will
give you every dollar you paid towards the purchase of a new one of our
spas". This is for a non repairable spa. This means if your original
spa
was purchased at a discount against retail, you will pay full retail
for
your replacement. Since almost all spas are sold at less than full
retail,
you could pay as much a $3000 to $4000 for the warranty replacement!
READ
THE WARRANTY!!!
If you see a spa with a high price tag and a seven
year structure warranty,
there is something seriously wrong with the spa! In this day and age, a
properly made shell with Lucite, ICI , Aristech, or Mitsubishi, other
quality
acrylics with proper fiberglass structure, will outlast three to four
times
any of the Rovel or Centrex products (coextruded thermoplastic) with
the
5 to 7 year structure warranty.
There are, of course, cheap spas
with a short warranty, but they cannot
claim to be high end quality. I have no problem with that. If you want
one of those spas, that is fine. Just don't expect a $3,000 (retail)
spa
to last as long as a high quality spa and don't expect it to not have
shell
problems.
As an
example, there are really cheaply made spas (made in Southern
California), that are sold at very high prices. They have a 7 year
structure
warranty, and a 7 year surface warranty, a five year plumbing warranty,
and a five year component warranty. The spas sell for an average of
$1000
more than any comparable spa and use very exclusive equipment parts.
Because
they use the cheapest manufacturing on the spa shells, they cannot
offer
more than 7 years on the spa structure or surface. They save about $300
per spa by using this method. This makes the spas $1300 overpriced
compared
to well made spas. Now because they have no air jets, add another $300
to the manufacturing savings.
Figuring in the cost of warranty repairs at $300 per
spa, the spas
are still overpriced. (By $1600 when compared to our spas) The extra
$700
is profit required for the overhead of the company. Now most of that
overhead
is in marketing hype, not manufacturing. Their brochures and
advertisements
are gorgeous. They make the spas look just wonderful. Now that we are
in
the internet age, information age, I am wondering how long this folly
will
continue.
The engineering is just about
the worse design there is.
If you own
one of these spas, I am sorry that you did not read this
information before you bought. It is not your fault, that you fell to
the
marketing hype, over 20,000 people each year succumb!
A warranty is an insurance policy built into the price
of the spa.
The warranty should not be the primary reason for buying , but just one
of many considerations.
Look for large ampere rated sealed relays
(electronically
controlled switches) on the circuit board operating the equipment
pumps,
blowers, and heaters. The pump relays on many cheap spa controls are 20
amp and are exposed to air. These 20 amp relays will last between 7 to
10 years on a 10 amp pump. The 30 amp sealed relays last much longer.
The
sealed relay's contacts are kept away from oxygen, which is one-half of
the burning chemical reaction. If there is no air, it is difficult to
have
a burning.
Look for large traces on the
back of the circuit board, especially
on the heater traces. The heater is often on for an hour (20 minutes on
thermally sealed spas) or more each day at 22.5 amps (30 amp sealed
relay
switch running 22.5 amp). If the traces are not large enough, after a
time
the circuit board will have a hole burned where the traces are.
Look for
fuses. A spa pack without fuses is not only foolish, it can't
be ETL or UL listed. In other countries look for the appropriate
testing
sticker
Look for a modular design. All of the spa's components
simply plug
into the control box and the plumbing is easily disconnected from the
equipment.
This makes for quick change out of components.
Look for common parts: Spa
manufacturers who have exclusive parts make
it difficult for you to get a fair price on the repair/replacement
parts.
The most expensive parts are on spas with an "exclusive" on their
parts.
If you can't get the "generic" version, it is expensive!! There
really
are no "generic" parts. There are several manufacturers of
qualtiy
components, readily available at spa supply stores.
Look to
see how long the spa company has made their control systems.
Most spa companies do not manufacture their own spa equipment pack.
Find
out who makes it and how long they have been making spa packs. I have
found
that there are a few aerospace electronic companies getting into the
spa
pack business after the depression of '91 in Ca. After the cold war,
they
needed some income, and are now in the spa business. Some of those
packs
are quite unusual! Some are quite good! Some were designed by idiots
and
are extremely difficult to repair.
There is an electronic firm in California that used to
primarily be
an aerospace subcontractor. They are now the most common digital spa
control
company. They have a patented method for switching the relays. That
method
is to switch them on and off when the alternating current reaches a
null
point. In other words, the switch turns on when it gets as close as
possible
to zero voltage. This will cause little, or almost no electrical arch
when
the points close or open. An AC line current is 60 HZ or the complete
cycle
from zero volts to (340 for a 240 V RMS) 170 + peak volts then zero
volts
down to 170 - volts peak volts and back to zero volts is 1/60 of a
second.
That means the relays have to be in good mechanical condition in order
for the delay from "switch off" to "switch on" to be consistent.
Because
this zero volt switching is almost impossible to do, there seems to be
a higher replacement/repair rate. As long as the switching takes place
with a subdued voltage, there is less electrical arching. I have found
that this method works, but there is a higher percentage of board
replacements
than with sealed overrated relays. However, once a good board is
installed,
it works for a very long time. Because of the good warranty offered by
this very reputable firm, there is nothing wrong with this method of
board
design. We offer a brand of spas using these controls.
There is an electronic firm in
Canada that makes a really good control
system. Seems like they will be moving in on the other control
companies
territories. We offer a brand of spas using these controls. They have
very
logical designs and features!
Check the
warranty: If the spa equipment doesn't have a 2 to 5 year
warranty, it probably wasn't designed to last very long. Some companies
offer extended warranties, which can extend the equipment to 5 years. I
recommend buying the extended warranty, if you have very little
mechanical
abilities.
We have found that many spa companies are using long
warranty numbers
with confusing and wordy warranties. They are using the warranty
numbers
as part of the sales presentation. The numbers may be misleading. For
instance,
the spa may have a 25 year (or lifetime ) shell structure warranty, but
when you read the fine print, there is only 1 year of labor. Any repair
to the shell other than replacing it, is all labor.
We have seen lifetime warranties
on the whole spa. The companies doing
this are sleazy. Often they go out of business and show up selling the
same spas with the same BS warranty, and under a different brand name.
There is no warranty if the company no longer exists, or has a new
corporate
name.
One of the
companies we had went out of business after 40 years.
Who would have thought one of the oldest pool/spa company in existence
would go away? We do honor the warranty only for our
customers,
even though legally we are not the manufacturer.
What about
repairs on leaks in the fully foamed spas versus the thermal pane?
Answer
The average costs I have seen on repairing a fully
foamed
spa is about $400 to $2000 (above $2000 the customer either replaces it
or scraps it). Fully foamed spas can't be repaired in the winter
without
bringing them inside. The foam can't be applied below 70 degrees F. The
spa must be dug out in a mining expedition to find the source of the
leak.
The more jets in the spa the longer it takes to find the leak. A fully
foamed spa can be leaking from one side, with the water coming out the
opposite side. The water travels through the foam, just like water
traveling
through a pipe.
It is much easier to repair a
spa with thermal sealed or thermal pane
insulation! If the plumbing isn't imbedded deeply in foam, you can see
where the water is coming from quickly and fix it right away without
having
to bring the spa inside or put it up on blocks.
All it
takes to get a leak in a spa is 1/ a manufacturing mistake,
like a poor glue joint (it happens) 2/ someone in the spa knocks a jet
loose. (How many people have children?) 3/ Having a fully foamed spa
moved
improperly. Since the foam is directly connected to the jets and the
outer
wall, if the foam is twisted or pressed on too hard, it knocks the jets
loose. This is particularly a concern on full foam spas over five
years old, because the framework has settled, and moving it will jar
the
jets.
A frozen full foam spa is usually an insurance claim.
It simply takes
too much labor to dig it all out and fix it.
In a thermal pane type of spa,
the cost of a leak repair should be less
than $200 and no more than $400. It is quicker to repair! The
last
reports across the country (Oct. 99. Isn't the internet wonderful
for getting information!) start at $560 and go up from there for a
fully
foamed spa. We have stopped repairing full foam leaks.
Every
time the customers gets upset with the bill! It is not good for
our
reputation to have people upset when we do a great job. Even
after
we forewarn them of how much it could cost.
Question
How is the
water temperature set and controlled?
Answer
In a modern digital spa, the temperature is simple to
set.
Just press the up button and the setting goes up. Press the down button
and the temperature setting goes down. Because of the electronic
advances,
the spa's temperature and safety controls are highly effective. Never
go
into a spa above 104 degrees. It can cause dizziness.
What about
children and spas. Is it possible to have a safety issue with
children?
What about older retired people?
Answer
The most important issue with children is keeping them
out
of the spa when adults are not present. The cover clips need to be kept
locked and you must educate your children about safety. If you have
particularly
quick- whited toddlers, you can add an additional locking cover strap
over
the top of the cover.
Children love spas, so keep them
safe and have a happy spa experience!
You must also teach your children about the spa and the rules for using
it!
Children
cannot enjoy the higher temperatures that adults enjoy. Toddlers
need about 97 to 98 degrees, under ten years, no more than 100 degrees
F., and above 10 years old they (healthy children) are all able to
enjoy
104 degrees for a short time.
It is interesting that older people become more
sensitive to heat as
well. I recommend consulting your doctor. If you have any
circulatory
problems the temperature should be kept below 102. Wehave found
that
our retired customers just love the silky soft ionized
water.
Question
I see so many
jets on spas these days. How many jets do I really need?
Answer
As many as your body likes. Some spas today use
diverter
valves to make you think the spa has awesome therapy, when actually you
can only use half of the jets at any one time. If you see a spa with up
to thirty water jets and only one pump, there is something wrong with
the
equation. Take a look on the upper lip of the spa. Is there a handle
that
says something like "therapy seat" at one setting, and "lounger jets"
at
another setting?
There is a tendency today to get
number of jets confused with quality
of therapy! I can remember when spas had four to six jets, a 1 Hp pump,
with a 1.5 HP air blower and they worked quite well. Often the only
thing
missing was neck jets.
Those spas
took care of 3/4 of the therapy that a modern 3 HP pump
and a 2 HP air blower give today.
The spa
industry's race to get hundreds of jets in a spa is getting
ridiculous.
The biggest spa we offer has over 60 (42 water/18 air)
jets with two
5 BHP water pumps and one 2 PHP air pump. There are 42 water jets that
can all operate at the same time with full pressure. (You have to
watch those sales pros with manipulating words. A spa with
a diverter/split jets system can run all the jets at the same time, but
at very low pressure. In our spas,there are 18 air jets as well. There
are no diverter valves at the top of the spa. Every jet in every seat
can
operate at the same time. You will not see diverter valves ( splitting
the pump into two) on a quality spa!
When there is more than one
person in a spa it is preferable to have
jets available to each and every seat all at the same time. It's nice
to
have all jets off for a final quiet soak at the end of the therapy
session.
There is not much quiet time when you have to wait your turn to get
jets!
The water pump has to run longer because it is doing the work of two
pumps.
Jet
diverters are antique. They were added to spas at a time when spa
pumps were 3/4 to 1 horse power, and it was nice to divert the water
into
a "hot seat". With the advent of modern high horse power spa pumps,
diverter
valves are totally unnecessary and are a nuisance, and an engineering
abortion.
As far as the number of jets you need, it is up to
you. Where do you
need therapy? How many people will be using your spa at one time? Are
your
friends or family members all wanting to have jets at the same time?
You
can check out the different jet patterns of our spas. It is a good idea
to try the jets for yourself and take a wet test of the spas.
People
fly in to wet test our spas, and buy from us.
I always like to answer that with a simple question.
How
many things in your life give many years of relaxation, enjoyment,
romantic
evenings, are good for your health, relieve pain, are legal, and cost
so
little as a spa? I haven't found anything else like a good spa. A good
high quality spa!
Question
What is
all this about ISO 9001 certified?
Answer
ISO 9001 Certification simply means the spa (or
whatever
product) has been approved for other countries, and that's all it
means.
It doesn't tell you anything about the quality, the durability, the
repair
costs, the quality of therapy or anything other than it can be sold in
other countries. There are some quality checks involved in ISO, but it
is not the end all to the answer about quality. When the ISO
certification
is used as sales hype, inferring the spa is better quality, that is
nonsense.
Is it good to have ISO? I think so; but it is far from necessary for a
high quality spa. Right now, the best spas I personally know of are not
ISO 9001 certified.
What
about comfort and
ergonomics? Aren't all spas about the same?
Answer
There are only a few truly ergonomic spas. I always
recommend
sitting in the spa dry first to see how the seats feel. If it is
comfortable
dry, it is superb when the spa is wet. Before you buy, try the spa both
wet and dry! If the spa store has no dry spas, there is a reason! They
do not want you to set in them dry so you can then feel how
uncomfortable
they are without water.
Ergonomics is a tricky word,
because some spas that tout ergonomic
are uncomfortable for your particular body. I will not even begin to
say
that every seat in every one of our spas will fit every body. That is
absurd,
and that is why there are so many different seats in our different
models,
to fit different types of bodies. I would even go so far as to say that
some people may not fit perfectly in any of our spas. Any spa company
that
says their spas fit every possible body is not living in the same
reality
as the rest of us!
Question
I have been told by
a salesman that "barrier free seating" is better than ergonomic
seating"?
Answer
Barrier free seating, as it is touted, is
non-ergonomic
seating, usually uncomfortable compared to good curved lumbar supported
seating. The marketing people who came up with that term "barrier free"
were trying to combat spas with varied heights and different angled
human
engineered seating. A spa with a flat bottom, continuous seat that
encircles
the spa is the standard of the "barrier free" motif. The whole term is
ridiculous since there are no walls in any spa! What should we look
for?
Perhaps the Great Barrier Reef?!!! Spas made from coextruded
thermoplastic
can't be molded into intricate details or comfortable seating. The
people
who make those spas coined the term 'barrier free" to make it sound
like
it is good. People fall for that nonsense all the time, so don't be
upset
if you do. Now that you know, don't buy one of those uncomfortable
spas!!
I have
been told not to buy a spa
with a lounger. Is it true that a lounger is not good in a spa?
Answer
In the old days, and today in some rather peculiar
spas,
the loungers do not work. The reason is simple. In water, the best way
to float is to lay back. For most people with normal fat content in
their
body a lay-back lounger is a bad idea. I have seen some spa brochures
with
these lay back loungers. The picture depicts a really skinny woman in
the
lounger. The only body type that does not float in that position is one
with little or no fat at all!
The best loungers are more like
lounge chairs, in which the seat back
is not reclined too far and the legs are raised a little. The backs are
contoured with lumbar support.
Because
there are still people who absolutely will not have a lounger,
we have spas with no loungers.
The only way I know of getting great leg therapy is
in a lounge
seat.
Question
I
have seen spas with
all sorts of different jet configurations. What is a standard jet
configuration?
Answer
The best standard jet configuration is what I call
"progressive
jetting". It simply means that the jets get bigger as they get lower in
the seat. Most of the jets are for the sides of the spine, instead of a
pattern down the middle of the spine where there is no muscles, just
bone.
Doesn't that sound logical? The jets are made to follow the needs of
different
muscle groups. The upper jets are small and slightly pointed in the jet
spray, perfect for the small neck muscles! If you go to a spa wholesale
supply store and ask for neck jets, they will show you a variety of
small
jets! If you ask for lower back jets, they will show you the bigger
jets!
This has been the way for many years. Because the spa market is so
competitive,
there are spas with large spinning jets beating on your small neck
muscles,
just so they can be different and have something different to sell.
There
are also spas with little tiny jets pointed at your large lower back
muscles.
If you see big jets for the neck and small jets for the back on a spa,
I suggest you try the spa out wet before you buy it. There are some
people
who really like big neck jets, most do not.
If you place jets in the middle
of the spine, the best are the spinning
variety, that rotate around in a circle. This feels great! If you want
little tiny jets on your lower body, the only area recommended is in
the
two reflexology points just right and left of the sacrum.
I also
like spinning jets on the area just below the neck.
The lower lumbar area just loves
to have a nice big jet pointing right
on it!
The kidney area needs smaller jets or medium
adjustable spinning jets.
I don't like "kidney blasters" as they are called in the spa industry.
What is
the most important thing to look for in spa construction?
Answer
The true structure of a spa shell is the backing
applied
to the acrylic. If it is not strong, then the vessel with thousands of
pounds of water will not last.
There is a proven spa shell
construction method that is warranted very
long, built strong, and makes sense. It is called vinyl ester bonding
with
hand rolled fiberglass.
The
biggest problem in spa construction is getting a strong shell that
doesn't crack, split, blister, discolor, or delaminate. Any type of
spray
on in direct contact with the acrylic is bound to have a much higher
percentage
of delaminations, blistering, and cracking than properly bonded
fiberglass
in which all of the air pockets are visibly removed. Air pockets can
absorb
moisture which can then start the acrylic to separate from the
fiberglass.
The most important engineering concern is to keep
moisture from accumulating
behind the acrylic, causing the acrylic to separate from the fiberglass
backing.
The most reliable method now is
to etch the acrylic; then apply a synthetic
waterproof bonding agent (vinyl ester) to the acrylic. This stops the
water
from permeating the acrylic surface. This method has now had some years
to prove it is a viable and good method. The warranty on a shell
structure
should be at least 10 years. The vinyl ester also makes the bond
between the fiberglass and the acrylic four times stronger.
The
cheapest, by far, manufacturing method is used on some of the most
expensive spas sold today. It is ABS bonded to Centrex plastic (also
know
by other silly names). (The clue is that you can have it in your
favorite
color as long as it's white.)
There are now many spas being made with ABS bonded to
acrylic. This
is not the best idea. The ABS is a softer plastic, and does not give
structural
support. It does not resurface very well, and ABS expands and contracts
faster than acrylic. When the spa is exposed to sunlight or a high
temperature
difference, such as when filling your spa on a cold day with warm
water,
it causes surface cracks. Even if the spa is used normally, after 5 or
so years you will get surface cracks.
I have talked to the most
knowledgeable spa shell repair person in
the Denver area. He has been specializing in shell repairs since 1977.
He told me that when he tries to repair an acrylic spa backed by ABS,
he
can't make any warranties on the repairs, because there is no support
for
the repair.
If you are
very careful to never expose the upper edge of this type
of spa to sunlight and use only a vented skirt or non skirted cover and
never fill this spa with warm water on a cold day, you may have a good
result with ABS behind Acrylic, as long as you don't mind the tiny
surface
cracks.
One of the worst methods is
Acrylic/ABS/fiberglass. This is the
most dissimilar materials manufacturing used in spas today. I
can't
even imagine why or how anyone would do this. This is common
knowledge
today. I have never seen a spas made this way without cracks in
less
than five years.
The warranties are void for
surface cracks, because it is not a manufacturing
defect. "of course is will crack this is normal".
All spas,
including ours, will get surface cracks in about ten years
of normal use, however these cracks are small, like crazing, and are
relatively
easy to repair.
If a spa jet breaks, it can be replaced. If the pump
quits, it can be
replaced. If the circuit board burns out, it too can be replaced. If
the spa shell falls
apart, you have nothing, nada, zilch, zero!!!
Is there any independent
not-for-profit organization that fairly and equally tests spas, one
brand
against another? Does anyone actually test spas like that?
Answer
NO! There has never been any tests done like that I am
aware
of. The only comparison made are of features listed by the spa
manufacturers
and given to a well known consumer magazine. The spa manufacturers then
pay many thousands of dollars to print the magazine's logo in their
advertisements
and brochures. The features are size, horsepower, number of jets,
number
of pumps, number of seats, warranty, average price, etc. The spas are
never
tested or even seen running side by side. All the magazine writers do
is
look at brochures, warranties, and
