Filtration in hot tubs

[hymbaw]

Aqua, You missed my point. I know they all no-bypass but NONE filter the water BEFORE it enters the pump which HS claims saves wear and tear on the pumps(see Term's diagram). Pools have unfiltered water running through the pump and the pumps last for years and years and years........

[Micah]

All pools DO have 100% no-bypass.  They just place the filter after the pump.

I'm looking at a pentair filter right now. What is that clear tube that sticks out of the top that is meant to reduce pressure when the filter gets dirty....OH YEA! thats a bypass.  and Sta-rite and Hayward have them too.
Now why would all the pool filter manufactures pay more to put in a by pass when It would be cheaper to just leave it out?  
Could it be that the bypass eliminates presure so as not to "crush" the filter grids.  
So mayby H.S. is on to something afterall.  "No By-pass = shorter filter life = millions of dollars in replacement filters...wow

[Chas]

HS big claim is that it's important to filter the water BEFORE it enters the pump, right? NO pools do this, so is that just hype on HS part or did you pick the wrong random anaolgy?

Right analogy, wrong audience.

[Mendocino101]

Aqua, You missed my point. I know they all no-bypass but NONE filter the water BEFORE it enters the pump which HS claims saves wear and tear on the pumps(see Term's diagram). Pools have unfiltered water running through the pump and the pumps last for years and years and years........

lol...now slow down I am not so sure thats the diagram you want to explain the H. S. no by-pass system any more that you want to show how a bottle of shinnerrock is being poured into your spa as a sanitizer...... .( I am sure someone who can post a pic can show that one....

[anne]

Lots of really good point on this thread. Would anyone disagree that you should not buy a spa for it's filtration? Assuming (and again you can disagree) that many companies have owners of clean, sparkling spas, they all accomplish their goal. Even if no-bypass IS better, which seems debateable, would anybody say "well, I really liked wet testing the SD1 Arctesian, it had nice powerful, well placed jets, the lounger fit me really well, had comfy seats and the dealer seemed like a knowledgeable guy, but that HS filtration- cant do with out that!!!" Now, if the HS happens to also be the nicest to your back and butt, then buy it, and you too can rave on about no-bypass filtration and how irreplaceable it is!  

[Mendocino101]

Anne,

That pretty much sums it up....Most of todays spas will keep your water clean and YES there are advantages to each way... but at the end of the day with prober sanitizers you will have clean water....How it fits your body is what matters most in the end and I would also say that things like waterfalls, lights while looking good after a while when sitting your spa in your backyard your eyes closed they also do not matter much.

[Vinny]

Clean water is clean water... I believe my Artesian has  "no bypass" during it's "filteration" too. I think the circ pump is plumbed directly to the filter ... among the better manufacturer's - they all provide good filteration.

[Spatech_tuo]

Lots of really good point on this thread. Would anyone disagree that you should not buy a spa for it's filtration?

Now, if the HS happens to also be the nicest to your back and butt, then buy it, and you too can rave on about no-bypass filtration and how irreplaceable it is!  

I would not buy a spa based on the filtration. I would also not a buy a spa because it was the nicest on my back and butt. The reality is we all have a list of our wants, needs and desires. The all vary. Whey also can be changed based on what the sales people tell us is best on their product which obviously influences people's thinking.

People buy based on a whole host of things like  manfacturer rep, dealer rep, how they like the salesperson, how the spa looks, how the spa feels, what kind of deal they think they're getting, what they think of the quality, friends recommendations as well as based on features that they like in that spa such as waterfall, filters, horsepower, stereo, etc.

I don't think anyone should buy a spa based on any ONE of those things but rather the spa that has the most things in place they way they want them. Not everyone has the same list of wants/desires.

[salesdvl]

... but at the end of the day with prober sanitizers you will have clean water

Mendo, Is "Prober Sanitizers" a new brand of chemicals you are pitching?        

[Mendocino101]

man it was a long weekend.....and much to early of a day....its good to be busy but so is sleeping.....

[Ronald5599]

First of all, I really want to thank everyone who took the time to answer my post. This has been an incredible ride. I have learned a lot. I just hope I made the right decision. As I said in the beginning, I really liked the "feel" sitting in the Epic better than the Envoy and I really liked the sound system. So maybe I was wrong in selecting the Envoy, only time will tell. Other than the "filtration" that I thought may be better, the fact that the HS dealer in my area has three stores (one just a few miles away which just opended) made the decision easier. So the tub is comming at the end of the month, the slab is down (extra contrete on the left for the steps) and we are ready to rock. You know, as long as the family enjoys it, I am sure any of these tubs would be just fine. But again, thanks to all. PS: They only have my credit card deposit, do you think I can still change!!??   - Ron

[MarKee]

If you like the feel of the Epic better, why not go for it?  Getting your deposit back shouldn't be a problem.

[Cola]

Hey Ronald
The only thing that you need to remember is that you will have this tub for a long time so make sure you know for sure.  Get the tub you like the best.
You will be using chems with any tub, both of these tubs will run with minimum chems.
My Epic took two weeks to arrive and I am in Ontario Canada.
Steve

[MarKee]

Cola, that's really fast considering it usually takes at least a week to get a spa on the production schedule and complete.  I work at a Marquis factory store where we can pull strings and get spas a little bit faster .  

[Spatech_tuo]

First of all, I really want to thank everyone who took the time to answer my post. This has been an incredible ride. I have learned a lot. I just hope I made the right decision. As I said in the beginning, I really liked the "feel" sitting in the Epic better than the Envoy and I really liked the sound system. So maybe I was wrong in selecting the Envoy, only time will tell. Other than the "filtration" that I thought may be better, the fact that the HS dealer in my area has three stores (one just a few miles away which just opended) made the decision easier. So the tub is comming at the end of the month, the slab is down (extra contrete on the left for the steps) and we are ready to rock. You know, as long as the family enjoys it, I am sure any of these tubs would be just fine. But again, thanks to all. PS: They only have my credit card deposit, do you think I can still change!!??   - Ron

Ron,
Those who prefer teh Epic will say go that way while those who prefer teh Envoy will differ obviously. It's not like you're choosing between meatloaf and steak. You'll be happy with either choice. Go with what feels right for you.