Original > Hot Tub Forum
Thermospas -vs- the Competition
dpgtech:
I agree with spa tech t.u.o. Go with a reputable brand with a local dealer, showroom, etc. All of the ones he listed would suffice. in my humble opinion most of the reputable spas are effiecient, don't get to hung up on thermo vs. full foam. there are many other features to look at and compare.
Ants and Critters have an easier time getting into and nesting in thermopane spas. Leaks are certainly easier to find and repair in a thermo spa vs. a full foam. depending on how long it takes for the customer to notice or report the leak the full foam spas soak up water like crazy and waterlog the foam. Having a good service tech can make a big difference in terms of time spent finding and fixing leak.
doodoo:
Saw lot's of ads during the golf tournament on the golf cahnnel two weekeneds ago. Thought to myself - if I did'nt know any better that would seem very appealing. But I do know different and would never buy or recommend that product. If ya wanna know why, see my previous post on the Thermospa sales experience.
beachman:
I went threw alot of forms trying to find out what kind of hottub was a good quality one, and to my surprise there was alot of negitive feedback about the thermospas, and customers said to stay away from them...
jeff_redden:
Wow! Was browsing this site out of curiosity but am now forced to actually enter a reply to this thread. Obviosuly this site is designed to help Watkins sales, but outright lying deserves a response.
First, Mr. DooDoo...Thermospas does not sell tubs in your location, Ontario Canada so I'm surious how you went through such a dreadful experience. Since you have so many posts on here I'm guessing you are not in fact a consumer, but actually a dealer so I guess that answers the question.
In regards to Dazedandconfused's questions, here are some answers:
Bugs and mice may enter any tub from any manufacturer. The difference between a full-foam design and a thermopane design is that you can easily get rid of the bugs/mice in a thermopane design. In a full-foam tub the only way you could be confident that all of the bugs/mice are gone is to remove all of the foam. For instance if a colony of ants moved in, you could set traps inside a thermopane design and actually check inside everyday to see if they were still there. In a full-foam design, if you ripped out half the foam they might still be in the other half...so it all has to come out.
Leaks in a full foam design can be quite difficult to locate. The down time involved is obviously a hastle but what's really scary is how many dealers replace the foam they've removed. What the average customer forgets about is the amount of weight a hot-tub shell has to support. At 8 pounds per gallon a 300 gallon spa has 2400 pounds of water in it. Sadly many manufacturers...and every full-foam manufacuter I've ever seen....rely on the foam to create a pedestal under the shell to support all of the weight. So...the foam is not only being used as insulation it is also being used as structural foam. And when the dealer comes out and takes spray-cans from Home Depot to replace the removed foam...or what is more common just stuffs fiberglass batted insulation inside...the structural support is obviously compromised. So...when the tub starts to develop cracks in the shell it's no mystery what happened.
Benefits of a Thermospa? Local support that will always be there. To debunk the greatest myth that dealers on the web try to spread, with Thermospas you have a support base that will never change. Ask the dealers you've spoken to what would happen if they went bankrupt? Or ask them what happens if they decide to switch brands (a very common occurence in this industry so that dealers don't have to perform service). The next benefit would be quality design and engineering. A Thermospa shell has more fiberglass backing than any other tub you'll ever look at...so foam support isn't needed. Since cabinets/plumbing/equipment all pretty much weigh the same a great way to qucikly know how thick a shell is is too look at the dry-weight of a spa. Dry-weight of a 4 person Thermospa...950 pounds or more. Compare that to other manufacturers. The engineering and design has recently won two impressive awards: The Inspire Award from the National Spa And Pool Institute for innovation and leadership within the industry, and the only spa company ever to receive a Commendation from the Arthrits Foundation (a non-profit group) see their .org website for info. So, if quality engineering/construction, effective therapy and reliable customer support are important to you, those are the benefits.
And finally the question of wet-testing. No, you cannot wet-test a Thermospa. But how can you be 100% positive that any tub you wet-test at a dealer will be identical in performance to the tub you actually receive? If you were a dealer wouldn't you go out of your way to make sure the tubs in your showroom performed as impressively as possible even though it may not be a reflection of what the customer will actually receive? Also, with Thermospa we are talking about a different level of spa...just as I don't need to test-drive a Ferrari to know it will be impressive, there's no need to wet-test a Thermospa to know it will be perfection.
So..sorry about the rant, but dealers take too many liberties with what they write on these websites and I had to reply. It's funny how DooDoo slams his fictitious Thermospa rep for selling against other companies like that's distateful while as he's typing his description that's exactly what he's doing!
Spatech_tuo:
That last post is so far from reality I won't even waste the time critiquing it.
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