The phone rang one Saturday morning in our Estepona Showroom "can you look at my Hot Tub Jacuzzi Style Spa please it doesn't work".
We go through the usual pleasantries - how long as he had the Spa ? about two years - what make is it - does it have good controls that I recognize like for example Balboa and then the potential client tells me that he wasn't very happy with the original sale in the first place. On no account would he go back to the original supplier if he could find him which he cannot. It's a Hot Tub Jacuzzi from a Major American maker but it is a little bit dated in my view from the design point of view but a perfectly good product never the less and more than adequate for the its intended purpose certainly not a cheap import.
On the telephone we can get a good idea of what might be the problem and it would appear that at this stage the Spa has no power and my initial reaction is that it is possibly a mains electrical fault of some kind. The Juice is not getting through for what ever reason
So with my pal Ulf (a Swede) we go for a drive in to the country to see the Hot Tub.
When we arrive the first thing I notice is that completely against the maker's instruction and best practice there is no breaker switch accessible to turn off the suppy of electricity.
There is a breaker but it has been fitted INSIDE the spa and is then behind a locked door requiring a key. So if there was a requirement to switch off the spa in a hurry or for what ever reason the breaker just not where it should be.
We move on some simple checks and surprise the spa is not earthed? The house does not seem to be earthed!!! Well this is Spain. But this House has been rewired on the last two / three years BUT NO EARTH!!!
We turn every thing off and open the breaker. The blue wires are the wrong size to carry the load they are to small and the colour has changed from blue to black as they were getting close to ignition. The ceramic part of the broker has started to go brown as it was close to ignition. It smelt like an incendiary device and it had clearly been getting very hot and far too close to ignition. The Breaker that had been supplied was of the wrong size as was the cables.
The spa company had just dropped off the spa and said here is your spa and we have a local electrician coming tomorrow to wire it up. He probably did a good job but was not briefed or trained on the project. A bit like the left hand doesn't know what the right hand does.
We got an independent electrician in to Earth the Spa and rewired the Spa as required with proper sized cables.
The Moral of the Story when it comes to Hot Tubs deal with the professionals
Hot Tubs Or Spas
The better Hot Tubs in the world are engineered for strength, durability beauty and of course simole maintenance. So many others start off with the cheapest way of construction which is full foam and amazingly this includes some of the largest selling brands in the world. Again just because a hot Tub is one of the most sold, it does not, for one moment, mean that they are the best. Anyone who believes that is,in my book ,a simpleton.Just look at Bentley cars undoubtedly one of the best cars in the world but not the most sold.
Most spas look great in the showroom under the spotlights but it is of course essential to ask the very important question how will the Hot Tub look in a few months or indeed a few years. For this very reason not only do you need to consider the inner workings of the spa or as I would call it the gubbins you need to consider the material that is used for the shell. Many people ignore this at their peril.
Probably the best Hot Tub Jacuzzi spas in the world are made with a patented four layer strengthening process called Dura-Bond ?. This exclusive system combines the beauty of Lucite-Xtra ? Acrylic with a layer of ABS for superior shell strength and integrity. Then the maker of probably the best spas in the world adds a layer of a double reinforcing material called Dura-Bond ?. This high density material is re-inforced with a fibrous chop material that adds very considerable additional strength to the Spa Shell. The process is finalised with a thick layer of polyurethane foam.
Lucite-Xtra ? cast acrylic is a non porous material that resists stains like the build up of lotions and body oils which can ruin non- acrylic spas. This tough material keeps it shine and colour despite the use of sanitizing chemicals , high temperatures and exposure to sunlight. Its durable surface resists chipping, cracking an denting. Lucite-Xtra ? is easily maintained with a sponge and mild soap. No additional polishing or waxing is needed to keep its lustrous appearance.
One large maker of Spas has made a practice of selling cheap-to-make spas in an expensive presentation package, but the end user needs to know that they are made with an inferior shell material. This company fully foams their spas as it needs the extra structural support for the thinner and porous shell material (thus creating a real nightmare if there ever should be a leak somewhere). I have heard it said that they fully foam their Hot Tubs to ensure that all the plumbiing are covered so as to keep the noise down - have you ever heard of such a stupid statement - what noise ? it has to be a very badly designed and cheaply designed spa if they have to do that ? the truth is that they start with the cheapest way to make a spa as they don't use a quality acrylic like Lucite ? and you ask yourself the question as to why not ? its simple ? Lucite ? costs 4 times as much as what they use.
They also openly vent their cabinets which may lead to bug and rodent infestation that nestle inside the blown in insulation, and also by venting the cabinets they of course lose costly heat.
You can check the quality of these Hot Tub Shells by applying the lipstick test. Because Enderol and other similar low cost surfaces are actually porous (a great place for bacteria to manifest itself), they are also less resistant to staining which is why you would see a tile line around some of their spas. If you apply some lipstick, they will have a very hard time getting that off. On high grade Acrylic, since it is non-porous, it will simply wipe right off.
Heat generated in probably the best Hot Tub Jacuzzi spa in the world is not vented away it is kept and re-used. As water moves through the lines and pipes towards the Jets air is drawn in which is known as the venturi effect. This air is taken from the warm air pocket created by the Thermal Barrier insulation system. Warm air is re-cycled through the Hot Tubs water lines and generated back into the spa to maintain the water temperature considerably saving energy and money.
Probably the best Hot Tub Jacuzzi spa in the world has a weather guard cabinet that provides a thermal insulation barrier so as to maximize the retention of heat in the spa. These cabinets are constructed from the finest cellular vinyl PVC and is some 214% more rigid than wood and 62% more energy efficient than wood. It will not split, crack, peel or blister. At the same time it is Insect proof, moisture proof, fade resistant and of course totally maintenance free.
When looking at a Hot Tub remember the old adage that every thing that glitters is not gold like wise with a Hot Tub Jacuzzi. Always be prepared to probe a little beneath the wrapping and presentation and don't accept what is clearly the staid patter of a salesman and from someone who has no passion for their products.
John Lewis has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Family and Health. The author Jacuzzi John supplies luxury Hot Tubs from Estepona on the Costa Del Sol In Spain and his web site is at Hot Tubs Spain and for the Hydrospa (R) USA range of Hot. John Lewis's top article generates over 33100 views. Bookmark John Lewis to your Favourites.
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