Hey Brian it’s April 2023 looking for first hot tub. I’m officially overwhelmed was quoted 12000$ for lime light flair , could you recommend any hot tubs at the same price point or cheaper that would have equivalent/better features and quality. FYI I live in Buffalo ny so it gets cold with lots of snow in the winter.
With so many hot tub models to choose from, selecting the perfect one can be a challenge. That's why it helps to narrow down your choices with careful research and comparison-shopping. I personally like the Hotspring's Highlife collection opposed to the Limelight collection - they've incorporated all of their renowned features into the Highlife collection. The Limelight line is also worth considering; as an alternative option, evaluate Master Spas' Twilight series or Sundance 780 series and Jacuzzi 300 series before deciding on one that best suits your needs. Ultimately though, nothing beats seeing these products up close: visit local dealerships and experience first hand how different jetting feels plus take time siting in each model - better yet have them wet tested!
I contacted my HotSprings dealer in September to possibly find a used spa. They had access to some 2022 models the factory (in Vista, CA) wanted to unload for a pretty steep discount. So a 12K tub sold for 7ish, an 18K one sold for 8K. It seems, looking for a "last year" model might be the way to go to save some big money. Not sure if that is accurate unless you live in CA, or closer to the factory? But it worked for me. Hope this helps you or someone else.
I don't like bells and whistles (ie. lights everywhere, waterfalls, etc.) that offer zero functionality and add potential problems down the road. Hotspring tubs are middle-of-the-road quality, imo. We ended up getting a HydroPool tub and are loving it.
Brian, have an Hot Springs Envoy that we bought in 2013 built into an expensive deck that surrounds it. Tree fell down and damaged the deck and hot tub so we are looking to replace it with a new tub and rebuilt the deck. I bought my Envoy 10 years ago for about 10K and now the dealer is asking 22.4K for a new one! Considering alternative options like the Sundance Cameo which I can get for about 15K. Any thoughts on the quality and Sundance vs Hot Springs? The jets seem to be stronger on the Sundance when I saw it compared to my tub but I did not climb in. Also, wondering if it's a PITA to change the UV light bulb on the Sundance. I will not be going salt water if we get the new Envoy.....not impressed with that.
Good morning, Sundance and Hotspring lead the way in my opinion. I think you'll find different dealers have different prices. 22,400 seems extremely high to me for a Hot spring Envoy. However, different dealers have different costs and overhead. Not to mention, the service and maintenance and what that looks like from dealer to dealer. So a lot of factors to consider. Is the 22,400 negotiable? Changing the bulb is easy and we have video on how to do it. Hope this helps!
Hi There, I'm in the market for a new hot tub and live where is get freezing temperatures. I have an old hot springs hot tub but some recent reviews have been very negative. 1) Have Hot Springs Spas went downhill in the last few years? 2) which is quieter , Hot Springs or Sundance when not in actual use? Thanks for any insight. Twila
Good afternoon, I think Hotspring still makes a great product and most of the negativity that I see could have been resolved by a good dealer. They're both very well insulated so I wouldn't worry about that. As long as your buying a Hotspring or Sundance with the 24 hour circulation pump they'll both be pretty quiet. I would go sit in both, fell the jets on both, look at the motor compartments. I would possibly wet test if available. They're both great products and they both have there pros and cons. Hope this helps!
@@atlantahottubcenter Brian is the boss! I have a great dealer in South Florida that sells Hot Springs. I need a 110volt large tub and their Pace model fits the bill.
Hot Springs tubs have unrepairable air and return lines that leak. Everything is so embedded in hard foam and glue that you can't repair it! As someone who has lived with one leaking for 8 years, avoid at all costs. The wooden frames also rot (made worse by the leaking) and I had some electronics fail.
Great videos Brian. The Limelight, Hot Spot series are made/assembled in Mexico along with Caldera Spas. They have fiberglass shells -Unknown if they are self supporting or cradle supported. Their frames are wood. Highlife series tubs are made in California and has a ABS backed Acrylic shell that requires support from the ABS substructure and insulating foam. Their frames are all ABS. I don't know if they clamp all their hoses I just see airlines clamped. They use LX pumps that is a Chinese brand made in Mexico. The pumps are good quality. The ACE system was garbage. The new Freshwater Salt System is great. Works well and easy to maintain. I have a 2019 Highlife Envoy. So far only issue I had was with the keypad that had to be replaced once for a bad pixel. Other than that, I've had no issues. It seems very extremely insulated and well put together. The salt system cartidges last over the claimed months esch if you keep the water balanced properly and clean them in a cup of PH down and water for 10 minutes. Although made with the supported ABS backed method opposed to the hand rolled fiberglass method, the Acrylic shell seems to be of high quality. The Envoy performs well and offers a very therapeutic massage. Can you please do a review of the Highlife series with information regarding the shell manufacturing and hose clamps? I know that Limelight jet hoses are clamped but the labor costs are cheaper in Mexico. I wonder of they clamp their jet hoses in California where they have to pay a higher wage. ( one thing..you were right when you said Christmas tree....its not a "Holiday " tree.)
Weird. I’m Jewish and don’t celebrate Christmas but we’ve always had a tree around that time of year for fun. I guess I will be forced to celebrate Christmas now. We all know how much Christmas trees are associated with the birth of Jesus.
@@reed311 that's great that you put a tree up and shows how open minded you are! Mazel Tov! I too would have no problem with celebrating the spirit and symbols of other religion's holidays! However, Im not going to force them to change the name of those symbols on my behalf. You can call it a Christmas tree and still not accept Christ as the son of God. I love Judism and honor them as being people who worship the same God and scripture as we do. Many Jews and even Muslims recognize the beauty in Christ's teachings even though they dont recognize him as the Mesiah. Most reasonable Christians dont want to force anyone to change their beliefs on our behalf but dont make is change the name of our symbols for the sake of political correctness.
@@lindsymitchell8265 dont have a personal beef. But many many reviews that state that the cell burns out fast and is extremely expensive. Even Hot Springs acknowledges that ACE had its issues. The new Freshwater Salt system has been great. My salt cartridge now is 6 montha old ans going strong!
@@jackdawson3276 Jesus is not a part of Jewish teaching, but varies by individual. Muslims honor and respect Jesus. The Qu'ran has more verses about Jesus than Muhammad. Christmas trees are occult pagan. Old testament says not to decorate your tree and light it up/ decorate with tinsel like the heathen do.. so we don't use trees. :)
I like your knowledge, you say all good things. With regards to insulation, you said it has great insulation, but I see none in this video, can you explain how this tub is insulated?.. Also the equipment set up is great while its working, but I'm not a fan of those therapy pumps location, they don't look very accessible, and the circ pump is sooo small. Most manufactures like Sundance/Jacuzzi ditched those little pumps in favor of a 1.5" infrastructure. Just throwing out a few concerns, no tub is perfect, but all the negative I point out aside Hot Spring is still a solid build, and you can't get a Moto Massage anywhere else!
And no one else offers you 100% no bypass filtration like the Highlife series as well. That in combination with the Moto Massage, 4 zone lighting, the look, warranty, and overall quality make it hard to beat. I'm buying an Envoy. Not cheap but I can't find another tub to compete with it.
@@jeffwertz2953 what dealership do you represent, you don't talk like a typical customer, lol. Filtering therapy pumps is silly if the tub has an independent filter pump. Those pumps are designed to provide pressure and a filter restricts that. If it doesn't "By Pass" then what happens when those filters get obstructed? Placing the filter before the pump is back asswards, look at any pool or commercial setup, you never see that. Always pump then filter. Pumps are designed to Push, that's what the word pump means. If it was designed for suction it would be called a Suck. Obstruction the suction of the pump with a dirty filter will rapidly overheat the pump, or cause it to run hotter then it's designed to, which will end it's life prematurely.
Stayed away from Hot Springs after I spoke to a repair technician who repairs all brands & his reply was in the field he sees more Hot Springs brand for repairs than any other brand on the market.
Good morning, when it comes to water purification systems it really depends what you want the end result to be. Personally, I prefer a uv light system and a low output ozone system separate. When used separate but together in conjunction with your hot tub sanitizer (chlorine or bromine), ozone helps kill pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and germs. That means you can use a lot less sanitizer, and less time having to maintain it. With these two systems in place I see most people maintaining their chlorine levels around 1ppm which is very low chlorine levels. You can barely even notice there’s chlorine in the hot tub. That’s my preference and what I personally use in my hot tub. Hope this helps!
Hey Brian, been enjoying the videos. I would love to see a video talking about running a Sundance spa in the winter, especially for those of us who live in areas that get below freezing. Any important do's and don'ts? Keep up the great content!
Great videos and thank you. Can't find any videos out there on depths of the hot tub. See hot tubs at 30, 32, 34, and 36 inches. Would average sized person be happy with 30 in spa?
Good afternoon, all the shell molds are different. It is very important to sit in the potential hot tub you're looking to purchase. If you're sitting in the hot tub without water and it's not comfortable don't buy it because the shell mold doesn't change when you put water in it. That's why I always suggest sitting in the potential model or at least the series the model is in before purchasing. Hope this helps!
Hi Brian love the videos, and your tutorials. One question though I always hear you talk about a chlorine system, what are your thoughts on a bromine system. Thanks
Hot Springs tubs have unrepairable air and return lines that leak. Everything is so embedded in hard foam and glue that you can't repair it! As someone who has lived with one leaking for 8 years, avoid at all costs. The wooden frames also rot (made worse by the leaking) and I had some electronics fail.
I understand you had a bad experience with Hotspring but normally they last longer and they’re building some models now with very little wood. I’m not saying this is what you should buy. I just think you ended up with a one off. Hope this helps!
Good afternoon, the Vacanza series Vanto is part of the introductory series from Caldera Spas built by Watkins. Watkins is the same manufacturer that builds Hotsprings as well as some other lines and brands. They’re a great manufacturer. The Vanto is a introductory model so you will be missing a few important upgrades or details in my opinion that you would get moving up to the Paradise series For starters 24hr circulation which can be important keeping the hot tub clean and free of debris. The IQ system which is the electronics their known for Exposed wood base. Once you get into Paradise series you will get a plastic pan which is added protection from rote and decay of base and frame The jets are not as therapeutic in this series either but it’s all about what your looking for Simply put this is a good entry level hot tub but missing some things that really made the Caldera Spas brand in my opinion
hey there Brian, I would certainly not recommend hotsrpings to anyone. day one they ripped my lid, it's taken three years to get it sorted, now they say they sold me the wrong lid which is a better fit, 4 deliveries of lids that did not fit or were completely the wrong shape and size, they tried to charge me again till I told them that I will report this to trading standards. I asked to have an email detailing all this and nothing.
Good morning, I think more of what your dealing with is the actual dealer and not the manufacturer. Have you tried calling Watkins? They’re normally very good at resolving customer situations. Hope this helps!
I would like to warn anybody who that’s considered owning one of these Watkin's products. We have a 2015 Envoy NXT with every available option. First, the salt cells required to maintain an acceptable level of sanitation wear out and fail every 1 to 2 years and cost over $1000 to replace. We have accepted this and maintained the cell on our dime twice already. Now, eight months out of warranty the tub has sprung a major leak. Watkins refuses to help in any way, other than providing plumbing diagrams. Our tub is under a covered patio, has a $2k smart top and has been meticulously maintained. It has flat out failed us and will sit for seven months waiting for repair that will cost $3500. Inexcusable for a $16,000 luxury item. If you buy a Hot Spring / Caldera / Watkins spa you should save and budget for an additional 20-50% for maintenance costs. This leak will likely end our ownership.
My experience too. After a few years, my Hot Springs tub developed major leaks. I read that it is due to the small air and return lines. Even worse, due to the spray in glue everywhere, it is unrepairable!
Who make a skirt like strong spa plastic rock wall with stairs? Strong quality sucks! The Idea is great though. It will never rot. I do not like wood. I do not like to see the stairs.
I understand you had a bad experience with Hotspring but normally they last longer and they’re building some models now with very little wood. I’m not saying this is what you should buy. I just think you ended up with a one off. Hope this helps!
Does this model have the bypass that my Limelight had where you can get it to 106 degrees instead of 104? 104 doesn't do it for me.
Hey Brian it’s April 2023 looking for first hot tub. I’m officially overwhelmed was quoted 12000$ for lime light flair , could you recommend any hot tubs at the same price point or cheaper that would have equivalent/better features and quality. FYI I live in Buffalo ny so it gets cold with lots of snow in the winter.
With so many hot tub models to choose from, selecting the perfect one can be a challenge. That's why it helps to narrow down your choices with careful research and comparison-shopping. I personally like the Hotspring's Highlife collection opposed to the Limelight collection - they've incorporated all of their renowned features into the Highlife collection. The Limelight line is also worth considering; as an alternative option, evaluate Master Spas' Twilight series or Sundance 780 series and Jacuzzi 300 series before deciding on one that best suits your needs. Ultimately though, nothing beats seeing these products up close: visit local dealerships and experience first hand how different jetting feels plus take time siting in each model - better yet have them wet tested!
I contacted my HotSprings dealer in September to possibly find a used spa. They had access to some 2022 models the factory (in Vista, CA) wanted to unload for a pretty steep discount. So a 12K tub sold for 7ish, an 18K one sold for 8K. It seems, looking for a "last year" model might be the way to go to save some big money. Not sure if that is accurate unless you live in CA, or closer to the factory? But it worked for me. Hope this helps you or someone else.
23k yesterday for the top of the line w lounge. +++
I don't like bells and whistles (ie. lights everywhere, waterfalls, etc.) that offer zero functionality and add potential problems down the road. Hotspring tubs are middle-of-the-road quality, imo. We ended up getting a HydroPool tub and are loving it.
Good morning, Hydropool is a good brand. We offer their swim spas. However, Hotspring makes a good product as well. Hope this helps!
Brian, have an Hot Springs Envoy that we bought in 2013 built into an expensive deck that surrounds it. Tree fell down and damaged the deck and hot tub so we are looking to replace it with a new tub and rebuilt the deck. I bought my Envoy 10 years ago for about 10K and now the dealer is asking 22.4K for a new one! Considering alternative options like the Sundance Cameo which I can get for about 15K. Any thoughts on the quality and Sundance vs Hot Springs? The jets seem to be stronger on the Sundance when I saw it compared to my tub but I did not climb in. Also, wondering if it's a PITA to change the UV light bulb on the Sundance. I will not be going salt water if we get the new Envoy.....not impressed with that.
Good morning, Sundance and Hotspring lead the way in my opinion. I think you'll find different dealers have different prices. 22,400 seems extremely high to me for a Hot spring Envoy. However, different dealers have different costs and overhead. Not to mention, the service and maintenance and what that looks like from dealer to dealer. So a lot of factors to consider. Is the 22,400 negotiable? Changing the bulb is easy and we have video on how to do it. Hope this helps!
Hi There, I'm in the market for a new hot tub and live where is get freezing temperatures. I have an old hot springs hot tub but some recent reviews have been very negative. 1) Have Hot Springs Spas went downhill in the last few years? 2) which is quieter , Hot Springs or Sundance when not in actual use?
Thanks for any insight.
Twila
Good afternoon, I think Hotspring still makes a great product and most of the negativity that I see could have been resolved by a good dealer. They're both very well insulated so I wouldn't worry about that. As long as your buying a Hotspring or Sundance with the 24 hour circulation pump they'll both be pretty quiet. I would go sit in both, fell the jets on both, look at the motor compartments. I would possibly wet test if available. They're both great products and they both have there pros and cons. Hope this helps!
@@atlantahottubcenter Brian is the boss! I have a great dealer in South Florida that sells Hot Springs. I need a 110volt large tub and their Pace model fits the bill.
Hot Springs tubs have unrepairable air and return lines that leak. Everything is so embedded in hard foam and glue that you can't repair it! As someone who has lived with one leaking for 8 years, avoid at all costs. The wooden frames also rot (made worse by the leaking) and I had some electronics fail.
Can you use regular chlorine in a tub like this with a salt water system? And just somehow turn off the system?
Good morning, absolutely! As a matter of fact that’s exactly what I would do. This is a well built hot tub. Hope this helps!
Great videos Brian. The Limelight, Hot Spot series are made/assembled in Mexico along with Caldera Spas. They have fiberglass shells -Unknown if they are self supporting or cradle supported. Their frames are wood. Highlife series tubs are made in California and has a ABS backed Acrylic shell that requires support from the ABS substructure and insulating foam. Their frames are all ABS. I don't know if they clamp all their hoses I just see airlines clamped. They use LX pumps that is a Chinese brand made in Mexico. The pumps are good quality. The ACE system was garbage. The new Freshwater Salt System is great. Works well and easy to maintain. I have a 2019 Highlife Envoy. So far only issue I had was with the keypad that had to be replaced once for a bad pixel. Other than that, I've had no issues. It seems very extremely insulated and well put together. The salt system cartidges last over the claimed months esch if you keep the water balanced properly and clean them in a cup of PH down and water for 10 minutes. Although made with the supported ABS backed method opposed to the hand rolled fiberglass method, the Acrylic shell seems to be of high quality. The Envoy performs well and offers a very therapeutic massage. Can you please do a review of the Highlife series with information regarding the shell manufacturing and hose clamps? I know that Limelight jet hoses are clamped but the labor costs are cheaper in Mexico. I wonder of they clamp their jet hoses in California where they have to pay a higher wage. ( one thing..you were right when you said Christmas tree....its not a "Holiday " tree.)
Weird. I’m Jewish and don’t celebrate Christmas but we’ve always had a tree around that time of year for fun. I guess I will be forced to celebrate Christmas now. We all know how much Christmas trees are associated with the birth of Jesus.
@@reed311 that's great that you put a tree up and shows how open minded you are! Mazel Tov! I too would have no problem with celebrating the spirit and symbols of other religion's holidays! However, Im not going to force them to change the name of those symbols on my behalf. You can call it a Christmas tree and still not accept Christ as the son of God. I love Judism and honor them as being people who worship the same God and scripture as we do. Many Jews and even Muslims recognize the beauty in Christ's teachings even though they dont recognize him as the Mesiah. Most reasonable Christians dont want to force anyone to change their beliefs on our behalf but dont make is change the name of our symbols for the sake of political correctness.
What’s your beef with the ACE cell? They were great, just not consumer friendly
@@lindsymitchell8265 dont have a personal beef. But many many reviews that state that the cell burns out fast and is extremely expensive. Even Hot Springs acknowledges that ACE had its issues. The new Freshwater Salt system has been great. My salt cartridge now is 6 montha old ans going strong!
@@jackdawson3276 Jesus is not a part of Jewish teaching, but varies by individual. Muslims honor and respect Jesus. The Qu'ran has more verses about Jesus than Muhammad. Christmas trees are occult pagan. Old testament says not to decorate your tree and light it up/ decorate with tinsel like the heathen do.. so we don't use trees. :)
I like your knowledge, you say all good things. With regards to insulation, you said it has great insulation, but I see none in this video, can you explain how this tub is insulated?.. Also the equipment set up is great while its working, but I'm not a fan of those therapy pumps location, they don't look very accessible, and the circ pump is sooo small. Most manufactures like Sundance/Jacuzzi ditched those little pumps in favor of a 1.5" infrastructure. Just throwing out a few concerns, no tub is perfect, but all the negative I point out aside Hot Spring is still a solid build, and you can't get a Moto Massage anywhere else!
And no one else offers you 100% no bypass filtration like the Highlife series as well. That in combination with the Moto Massage, 4 zone lighting, the look, warranty, and overall quality make it hard to beat. I'm buying an Envoy. Not cheap but I can't find another tub to compete with it.
@@jeffwertz2953 what dealership do you represent, you don't talk like a typical customer, lol.
Filtering therapy pumps is silly if the tub has an independent filter pump. Those pumps are designed to provide pressure and a filter restricts that. If it doesn't "By Pass" then what happens when those filters get obstructed?
Placing the filter before the pump is back asswards, look at any pool or commercial setup, you never see that. Always pump then filter. Pumps are designed to Push, that's what the word pump means. If it was designed for suction it would be called a Suck. Obstruction the suction of the pump with a dirty filter will rapidly overheat the pump, or cause it to run hotter then it's designed to, which will end it's life prematurely.
Stayed away from Hot Springs after I spoke to a repair technician who repairs all brands & his reply was in the field he sees more Hot Springs brand for repairs than any other brand on the market.
Brian what company does make the best water purification system onboard ? I am not s fan of salt water systems . Seems a big push these days
Good morning, when it comes to water purification systems it really depends what you want the end result to be. Personally, I prefer a uv light system and a low output ozone system separate. When used separate but together in conjunction with your hot tub sanitizer (chlorine or bromine), ozone helps kill pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and germs. That means you can use a lot less sanitizer, and less time having to maintain it. With these two systems in place I see most people maintaining their chlorine levels around 1ppm which is very low chlorine levels. You can barely even notice there’s chlorine in the hot tub. That’s my preference and what I personally use in my hot tub. Hope this helps!
Hey Brian, been enjoying the videos. I would love to see a video talking about running a Sundance spa in the winter, especially for those of us who live in areas that get below freezing. Any important do's and don'ts? Keep up the great content!
Kyle Butler Absolutely. I just posted! Thanks for watching
Great videos and thank you. Can't find any videos out there on depths of the hot tub. See hot tubs at 30, 32, 34, and 36 inches. Would average sized person be happy with 30 in spa?
Good afternoon, all the shell molds are different. It is very important to sit in the potential hot tub you're looking to purchase. If you're sitting in the hot tub without water and it's not comfortable don't buy it because the shell mold doesn't change when you put water in it. That's why I always suggest sitting in the potential model or at least the series the model is in before purchasing. Hope this helps!
Hi Brian love the videos, and your tutorials. One question though I always hear you talk about a chlorine system, what are your thoughts on a bromine system. Thanks
Scott Boyne Good afternoon, I will be launching a video bromine vs chlorine tomorrow. I will message you when I launch it. Thanks for watching!
@@atlantahottubcenter ok thank you very much. I love the videos you guys do
Scott Boyne Good evening, the video will launch tomorrow at 10am. Thanks again!
Scott Boyne Sorry for the delay! Technical difficulties. Just launched the video
Hot Springs tubs have unrepairable air and return lines that leak. Everything is so embedded in hard foam and glue that you can't repair it! As someone who has lived with one leaking for 8 years, avoid at all costs. The wooden frames also rot (made worse by the leaking) and I had some electronics fail.
I understand you had a bad experience with Hotspring but normally they last longer and they’re building some models now with very little wood. I’m not saying this is what you should buy. I just think you ended up with a one off. Hope this helps!
I have an 2005 Accolade and trying to find new main board in the shell that broke…seems everyone is out of them
Hot spring spas are a head ache to repair.
Ever review a Vanto 7 Person Hot Tub? What's your take on it? Love your channel. Keep it up.
Good afternoon, the Vacanza series Vanto is part of the introductory series from Caldera Spas built by Watkins. Watkins is the same manufacturer that builds Hotsprings as well as some other lines and brands. They’re a great manufacturer. The Vanto is a introductory model so you will be missing a few important upgrades or details in my opinion that you would get moving up to the Paradise series
For starters 24hr circulation which can be important keeping the hot tub clean and free of debris.
The IQ system which is the electronics their known for
Exposed wood base. Once you get into Paradise series you will get a plastic pan which is added protection from rote and decay of base and frame
The jets are not as therapeutic in this series either but it’s all about what your looking for
Simply put this is a good entry level hot tub but missing some things that really made the Caldera Spas brand in my opinion
hey there Brian, I would certainly not recommend hotsrpings to anyone. day one they ripped my lid, it's taken three years to get it sorted, now they say they sold me the wrong lid which is a better fit, 4 deliveries of lids that did not fit or were completely the wrong shape and size, they tried to charge me again till I told them that I will report this to trading standards. I asked to have an email detailing all this and nothing.
Good morning, I think more of what your dealing with is the actual dealer and not the manufacturer. Have you tried calling Watkins? They’re normally very good at resolving customer situations. Hope this helps!
@@atlantahottubcenter Blaming the wrong folks, me thinks?
It's pronounced de bree
Wood frame with water hmmmm idk about that
I love your videos and I think someone should tell you that the "s" in debris is always silent. :)
As a hot spring salesman, I am unenthusiastic about selling this product as well
Is bullfrog a good tub
Hi, what in particular don't you like about Hot Spring? I'm considering getting the Highlife Vanguard. Appreciate your input. Thx
@@dhansen6923 I think he meant that he's unenthusiastic about this particular model by Hot Springs.
Thanks for the honest review
That looks light a mess of parts and wire...
I would like to warn anybody who that’s considered owning one of these Watkin's products. We have a 2015 Envoy NXT with every available option. First, the salt cells required to maintain an acceptable level of sanitation wear out and fail every 1 to 2 years and cost over $1000 to replace. We have accepted this and maintained the cell on our dime twice already. Now, eight months out of warranty the tub has sprung a major leak. Watkins refuses to help in any way, other than providing plumbing diagrams. Our tub is under a covered patio, has a $2k smart top and has been meticulously maintained. It has flat out failed us and will sit for seven months waiting for repair that will cost $3500. Inexcusable for a $16,000 luxury item. If you buy a Hot Spring / Caldera / Watkins spa you should save and budget for an additional 20-50% for maintenance costs. This leak will likely end our ownership.
The salt cells are nowhere near $1,000. Come on now.
Salt cells are 900 fresh water carts are 200
My experience too. After a few years, my Hot Springs tub developed major leaks. I read that it is due to the small air and return lines. Even worse, due to the spray in glue everywhere, it is unrepairable!
Stellar review
Who make a skirt like strong spa plastic rock wall with stairs? Strong quality sucks!
The Idea is great though. It will never rot.
I do not like wood.
I do not like to see the stairs.
They are priced in the super premium range. However, in reality, they are junk. Just look at the wiring and piping in there, zero care is taken.
I understand you had a bad experience with Hotspring but normally they last longer and they’re building some models now with very little wood. I’m not saying this is what you should buy. I just think you ended up with a one off. Hope this helps!
Mexico/China= No thanks, although almost all, if not all electronic components are now made in China.
Hot Spring= over priced junk.....Sundance is a thousand percent better!