Hot tub forum???

[mohawk]

poolandspa.com gave me alot of help on their forum site when we started up our spa 3 yrs ago. I use chlorine to sanitize and I don't waste my money on any copper type of boosters. Hope this helps- They also have a pool forum, but I wouldn't waste my time with that either. Denise

[Styx555]

I'm located in Ontario, Canada and am looking at getting my first spa. Keep in mind it gets extremely cold here in the winter. I have researched the available brand names and would like input on which brands to consider and which to stay away from. Ideally I am looking to narrowing me list down and then begin visiting the various stores to consider models.

Catalina Spas
Dimension One Spas
Aber Hottubs
Hotspring
Caldera
Sundance Spas
Freeflow Spas
Arctic Spas
Hydropool Spas
Serenity Spas

[waterbear]

one of the most important things in buying a portable spa is wet testing. Make sure that the recliners and benches fit your body and are comfortable and that the jets are located properly. If a dealer won't let you wet test then I would look for another dealer.

[matt4x4]

I've looked at both Catalina and Hydropool (isn't serenty the same company?), they're quite nice, I liked the Hydro's self cleaning feature....other manufacturers have since adopted that feature too.
Whereabouts in Ontario???

[Styx555]

I'm in Ottawa!

[RavenNS]

In Ottawa?
Seriously consider Beachcomber brand name ( & artic spas).

I live in Nova Scotia, so I wanted a tub that could stand-up to the canadian winters...
Beachcomber ( & I believe Artic spas as well) are Canadian made!
the head office is in BC.

read my review on mine:
http://www.epinions.com/content_244051185284


- I specifically chose beachcomber after reading that it only cost $14 to heat in February in northern Quebec!

you can check epinions.com for the other brands that you're interested in as well

I LOVE my Hot Tub in a Blizzard
(must wear a hat though or your hair freezes..lol)

[Styx555]

There are no Beachcomber dealers in the Ottawa area. I am going to look at the Arctic dealer this weekend.

I have thus sean the Caldera line and the Dimension One line and the price difference blows me away. For similar tubs, similar numher of jets and options, the D1 line is almost double the price.

[CanuckPool]

I was just thinking about finding a hot tub forum. we just got a softtub portable tub, 6 person with an ozone generator. We are trying to figure out how to best go about sanitizing it. We bought a whole bunch of chemicals from the pool store but they seemed to have forgotten to sell us bromine. They gave us this all in one shock that has PH stuff/alk stuff/ cal stuff, he said to just use that once a week. Well I tested the water and it has almost 0 chlorine/bromine and 8.0 pH. So I went out and bought a bromine floater and tablets and let it swim in there for day. The readings are still barely .5 bromine, is there a better way to get the bromine levels up faster. I put about 6 tablets in and set the floater on max dispersion. The PH also seems to want to go high, is it becuase I put about 4 capfuls of that all in one shock in? and am I suppose to test the hot tub water at the pool store and balance it just like the pool? Ph/alk/cal etc etc etc.

[waterbear]

Did the pool store set you up with a chlorine sanitizing system or a bromine sanitizing system. If you are going to use bromine you need to add sodium bromide with each fill to establish the bromine bank in the water, shock with either chlorine or MPS, and then put the floater with the tabs in to maintain your bromine levels.

[mikemedic]

Can we have a section in here on Hot Tubs? I too have one(Marquis) and have had for years. I know have a small leak and trying to fix. Cant find it with all that damn foam insulation they blow in. I think if I buy a new one I will look for a different insulation system
Any thought from someone who has a hot tub?
Mike