Cover Technology

[wmccall]

Is there anything better coming down the line for cover technology?  Since there are no Arctic dealers near me, I've not seen one of their's.  

What we have now, vinyl with foam and plastic seems way to fragile and expensive to replace.  They just seem to 90's or worse.  I think back to my high school days and the 3" wrestling mats they have back then. Those matts wtih straps sewn in and possibly plastic ridges along the seams would seem [glb]sort of a pun there.  [/glb] to be better than what we have now.

You Vets is what we have now better than a few years or decades ago?  Is there something better coming, or is there too much money to be made in cover replacements. <-Not meant to be an insult to anyone.

[fatman]

You really hit on a good subject. I don't understand why a hot tub manufacturer like Marquis, D-1 or  Artesian go to the trouble of making a $10,000 tub just to put a $2 cover on it.  If you look past the endless full foam vs. tp debate, the cover is truly the most important part of any tub in terms of heat retention. Arctic realized this and  they manufacture a heavy duty cover that their customers love and non-Arctic dealers hate.  It's hard to sell against a cover that lasts much longer than everybody else's, not to mention the strength of it.  

I was kicking the tires on a Nordic a few months back. For the price Nordic makes a nice little tub, except for the cover. The Nordic dealer  himself spoke candidly about them too. He came right out and said their covers generally don't last very long.  It's too bad. Everybody appreciates a quality product.

[Mendocino101]

The covers are optional with Nordic ....If dealer wants to use another cover he can do so if he feels there is a better choice elsewhere. Marquis cover is excellent and I would put it up against an Arctic any time. I am not saying its better but I am sure it retains heat  at the very least equally.

[Bonibelle]

Yeah, I 'm surprised, fatman,  that you included Marquis in your bad cover group. The cover on my Epic is excellent. I could safely walk on it if I needed to , it is that strong. It seals tight to the tub, making almost a vaccuum.

I can only campare with friends and the other covers that I saw when  hot tub shopping, but I can say far and away, I have a superior cover. That is one reason that I bought a spa blanket, to extend the life of this cover. I am sure a replacement would be very expensive. :-/

[Pathfinder]

I myself havent seen  or going to foresee anything new in the near future   I have a customer testing out  a soft type quad fold cover to see if it can endure the normal wear and tear.

In my neck of the woods  we have replaced just as many Arctic spa covers as any other brand.   We carry a 5-4" 2lbs density foam  cover which last just as long as an arctic.

Cover replacement is big money for aftermarket  products

I believe there is the technology for a better built cover   but who will want to pay $1500 -$2000 for a cover  plus the cost of a hot tub

[Gomboman]

I always thought my factory HS cover was pretty good. I believe it will even hold up Chris O with his full arsenal at hand. I guess they could make them a little more attractive though. I like the different colors that Marquis uses.

[NE-Phil]

Not too long ago, I read on this forum that Marquis' covers are made by http://www.sunstarcovers.com/

And Bonibelle, I was also told how strong the Marquis cover is but I have found they are not indestructible. The salesman who sold us our Marquis made it a point to stand on it so we could see it could bear weight. I neglected to take into consideration he's a fly-weight.
Last month, I was wiping off the pollen on my cover. I was on all fours with my cleaning rag when I heard a crack in the vicinity of the spine of the cover - where it folds in half. I got off immediately and checked it out. I can't find a physical break but ever since then I have lost that vacuum seal you're talking about. There''s a slight warp to the cover now and if I want all four corners to lay flat I have to use the buckles.
I guess I should have known better. I'm no light-weight but I didn't expect that to happen.
Live and Learn...

Phil  

[MarKee]

The Marquis cover is better than most manufacturers.  I stand on it when I'm showing a customer.  One time I did jump on it and I cracked the foam in front of a customer.  Marquis also has a linear heat seal that goes down the center of the spa, as well as steel reinforcements so the cover doesn't sag in the middle.  As far as the Arctic cover, it can hold more weight than the Marquis cover but I personally think it is ugly to have a 8" cover.  It just makes the spa more obtrusive in the back yard.  If you were to compare energy efficiency on a Marquis vs. Arctic you would see similar numbers, if not better numbers on the Marquis.  

[Spatech_tuo]

 If you were to compare energy efficiency on a Marquis vs. Arctic you would see similar numbers, if not better numbers on the Marquis.  

Markee,
I followed this thread out of curiosity and while I'm not saying Arctic covers are any better (I think they do a  great job Marketing them), in what way(s) would you think the Marquis cover would prove out to be better? Density, fit, matierial ...?

While we're at it, who makes the Marquis cover (and is it used by others)?

[Mendocino101]

Markee,
I followed this thread out of curiosity and while I'm not saying Arctic covers are any better (I think they do a  great job Marketing them), in what way(s) would you think the Marquis cover would prove out to be better? Density, fit, matierial ...?

While we're at it, who makes the Marquis cover (and is it used by others)?

It is made for them by Sun-star to their speficaions...I will say that in terms of retaining heat I am very confident it will do as well any standard cover on the Market as well as most upgraded covers....I do not walk on my cover besides the weight thing....I am 280....its is vinyl and it can tear or scar and that would apply to any spa cover.

[NE-Phil]

...While we're at it, who makes the Marquis cover (and is it used by others)?

Spatech,
As I noted above, I read on an earlier thread that Marquis' spa covers are made by http://www.sunstarcovers.com/. I imagine MarKee can verify that for us.
And while we're at it, I'm not thrilled with the constuction of my Marquis cover. About a month ago I found the handle on one side is already beginning to rip. And, no, I'm not rough on it. I usually use the handle and grip the side with my other hand when lifting it.
I mentioned it to my spa dealer and his reply was "the handles are decoration only." Which, of course, is b*llsh*t. I was amazed he could say it with a straight face.
As there is no warranty on the spa cover, I'll just make it a point not to use the handles. As you can imagine that's easy to forget.

Phil

[Mendocino101]

Phil,
Your cover is warrantied for three years actually ,  I think its among the longest in the industry ....that being said....I never find a real need to use the handles....but if you do make sure you lift up on the flap/skirt to break the seal that it forms....it will put less stress on your handle.....

[Bonibelle]

Honestly, Phil, no BS, when my installation guy put my cover on, he specifically said...DO NOT LIFT THE COVER BY THE HANDLES...He admitted he didn't even know why they bothered to sew them on, but they are not strong enough to withstand constant stress of breaking that vaccuum seal from the cover.  Honest, I thought it was crap too, but I never touch them...We just lift the cover after breaking that seal at the corners..

[wmccall]

I don't know that standing on a cover impresses me at all. I just don't like this plastic wrapped styrofoam. There has to be something better out there.  You know the old saying, we put a man on the moon, why can't we invent a cover that won't water log?

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

How about ceramic insulation? 1" think will give you R-50. Commit to about 10,000 a year and I think I can get the price down to about $2500.00 a piece.

Seriously........... oh wait, that actually was :-) ...... Design something. Remember though, it has to be relativly light, and reasonably inexpensive, reasonably attractice, and there's not a spa manufacturer in the world that will pay more than $125.00 for it........ delivered....

By the way, as I understand it, the only difference with the Arctic covers is they use a 3# density foam (most likely it's a "nominal" 3#, and is actually 2.8#). Most other spa manufacturers use a 1# density foam. The 3# foam has FOUR times the strength as the 1# foam......... and weighs 3 times as much........ It also insulates 25% better (comparing equal thincknesses).