Hot Tub Forum

Brand Specific Forums => Jacuzzi Hot Tubs => Topic started by: planetary on August 30, 2012, 12:34:34 am

Title: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: planetary on August 30, 2012, 12:34:34 am
I became interested in hot tubs about 3 years ago and knew I wanted to get one.  I started doing research, went to a few shops, but my tastes were running pretty expensive -- and had bigger fish to fry.  I wanted to wait to get a really nice tub.  Years, and a backyard re-landscaping, later, I have a nice 8 sq. ft. concrete pad waiting, and currently hosting a Weber BBQ.

I decided to go shopping again.  Several months of research and testing, and I zeroed in on a few options from Jacuzzi, Sundance, and D1.  I had all the usual decision issues.  Lounger or not?  Which dealer did I feel most comfortable with?  Which models were more our taste and style?  Which models' jets and seats were the most comfortable?  And so forth.

Long story short, I settled on a J-470 a few weeks ago and was just waiting for the Labor Day sale.  The salesman actually advised me to do this, which I didn't take to be a bad sign.  I'm opted not to get the stereo, but got just about everything else.

Anyway, refundable deposit made.  Site inspection on Friday to determine delivery method.  I fully expect craning will be required, and the house electrical to need an overhaul.  I know next to nothing about electrical stuff, but I believe the external large breaker box is just about maxxed out, from what I've been told from previous contractors with whom I've discussed the possibility.  And I know enough (from sites like this one!) to make sure to get 60 amp service set up with a qualified electrician, and 6 gauge wire, etc.

The wife is getting very excited about this, perhaps even more than me!  Can't wait.  As was mentioned in another thread recently, 4 weeks from order to delivery is what I was told to expect.  She thinks that it's appropriate to order in a large stock of wine to have on hand, and ready to go.  Can't argue with that!  :)

Thanks to all those here who have shared experiences and expertise!

Will post updates and photos as the story progresses.
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: JohnnyK45 on August 30, 2012, 01:23:28 am
Congrats!!!
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: wmccall on August 30, 2012, 07:07:40 am
Also congrats.  How long till delivery?  I'll look forward to hearing how it goes.
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: planetary on August 30, 2012, 10:10:18 pm
"About 4 weeks," quoth the salesguy.
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: planetary on August 31, 2012, 05:52:06 pm
Site inspection just wrapped up.  Crane it is.
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: Jacuzzi Jim on August 31, 2012, 06:03:59 pm
 Nice choice of a spa!   FWIW we have been getting spa's in and around within 2.5 weeks.  They are running 2 full shifts from what I understand..
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: planetary on August 31, 2012, 07:07:15 pm
I'll keep my expectations tempered, but that's a good sign, Jim!

Just to take advantage of any possible schedule up-side, I've already also started the quote process with electricians.  Not sure what the lead time (if any) is on the required parts, but working stuff out a couple weeks in advance makes good sense.  :)
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: planetary on September 05, 2012, 03:53:04 pm
Making calls to electricians to get a quote on the 60 amp circuit breaker and related work.  Not sure how to tell if I need to get a new 150/200 amp box for the house.  I expect I'm tapped out.

Also reading up on chemicals and water purification methodologies.  I should have known that the internet would have made science political.  Shocker.  :)
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: planetary on September 11, 2012, 10:25:46 pm
Electrical work and crane service set up.  Everything is waiting on the delivery date of the spa!

People at work are taunting me with YouTube videos of crane disasters, but I know they're just jealous.  :)
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: wmccall on September 12, 2012, 06:56:14 am
Electrical work and crane service set up.  Everything is waiting on the delivery date of the spa!

People at work are taunting me with YouTube videos of crane disasters, but I know they're just jealous.  :)

That's funny!  I'm lucky, my delivery guys just have to roll it up a slight incline of an asphalt driveway about 40ft, across about 15ft of grass to the pad.
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: planetary on September 12, 2012, 07:38:02 pm
Update!  Spa will be in the warehouse this weekend.  Delivery on Tuesday, electrician on Wednesday.  I imagine that it'll take some additional time to get the water properly balanced before the first soak.  Maybe Thursday or Friday?

Long story short: next week!
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: wmccall on September 12, 2012, 09:11:34 pm
Great news, I'm hopeful for September.
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: planetary on September 18, 2012, 10:08:37 am
Delivery day.  Will post pics and/or videos.
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: wmccall on September 18, 2012, 10:34:56 am
Delivery day.  Will post pics and/or videos.

Did they give an estimated time for delivery? If I remember right your in Canada?  I don't remember which province though.
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: planetary on September 18, 2012, 11:00:28 am
Did they give an estimated time for delivery? If I remember right your in Canada?  I don't remember which province though.

Yes.  10:30am Pacific.
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: wmccall on September 18, 2012, 12:16:07 pm
Hopefully one more hour to go.  Now would be a terrible time for me to relate the horror story of my first hot tub delivery !  ;)  But that was with a dealer who no longer exists and contracted out their deliveries.  At least time my dealer is in this forum and they deliver their own spas. 
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: Spatech_tuo on September 18, 2012, 12:20:39 pm
Hopefully one more hour to go.  Now would be a terrible time for me to relate the horror story of my first hot tub delivery !  ;)  But that was with a dealer who no longer exists and contracted out their deliveries.  At least time my dealer is in this forum and they deliver their own spas.

You just Jinxed yourself! You can't put the genie back in the bottle now!
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: wmccall on September 18, 2012, 02:01:10 pm
I'll bet planetary is standing on the curb looking up the street trying to spot a crane. The problem with using a crane is the whole neighborhood knows what you got.
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: planetary on September 18, 2012, 02:53:35 pm
It has arrived!  Pictures (https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/101153704012284361023/albums/5789588957993177617?authkey=CMm3lO_E25aNdA).
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: wmccall on September 18, 2012, 03:26:03 pm
Great. nice to see it in place. Electrician tomorrow? 
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: planetary on September 18, 2012, 03:51:14 pm
Yep, electrician tomorrow, starting at 8am.
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: soak-king on September 18, 2012, 06:03:20 pm
Congrats! very nice location for a spa!
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: planetary on September 18, 2012, 06:17:36 pm
Thanks, soak-king.  My kids (8 years old) just got home from school and discovered it.  They're already inviting friends over.  :)
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: Jacuzzi Jim on September 18, 2012, 08:19:37 pm
 It looks really nice Jason, and a great choice of colors. 
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: planetary on September 18, 2012, 10:24:16 pm
Thanks, Jim!

I just got done wiping the tub interior down.  A little dust and a few bugs got into it today, and some of the interior blue taping left some residual sticky material on the lining.  Also, because Jacuzzi water-tests all its tubs before shipping, I noticed the usual couple of water spots, and even a tiny bit of standing water in the bottom of the footwell.  All wiped and cleaned.

I must say, sitting in the empty tub with clothes and socks... even THAT is impressive!

Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: wmccall on September 19, 2012, 10:55:36 am
Hopefully one more hour to go.  Now would be a terrible time for me to relate the horror story of my first hot tub delivery !  ;)  But that was with a dealer who no longer exists and contracted out their deliveries.  At least time my dealer is in this forum and they deliver their own spas.

You just Jinxed yourself! You can't put the genie back in the bottle now!

Ha! Delivery scheduled for Thursday afternoon 9/27.  Now I just have to try to make my back yard presentable and I live in the hood and I haven't done much yard work with the hot summer this year.
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: wmccall on September 19, 2012, 11:15:01 am
Yep, electrician tomorrow, starting at 8am.

That should be about now.  Give him an hour to work, we should have an update soon. Not knowing where you are in CA, I don't know what your starting water temp will be.  I'll guess 60 degrees and given 4 degrees per hour (guess) soaking tonight!
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: planetary on September 19, 2012, 01:41:58 pm
Not sure.  Guy's not expected to finish until this afternoon.

60 degrees is about right.  I'm around San Jose.
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: wmccall on September 19, 2012, 02:10:18 pm
Not sure.  Guy's not expected to finish until this afternoon.

60 degrees is about right.  I'm around San Jose.

That makes more sense, I was thinking of my own situation again where I already have power to the back yard. A week from tomorrow, I'll unhook the old power and be standing there holding the wire when they set the new tub down.
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: planetary on September 19, 2012, 03:02:52 pm
That makes more sense, I was thinking of my own situation again where I already have power to the back yard. A week from tomorrow, I'll unhook the old power and be standing there holding the wire when they set the new tub down.

Awesome.  :)  That's the way to do it!  Having the electrician do a bunch of work before delivery would have costed more time (and money) in my case, so I just opted for everything to happen after delivery.  Shame he couldn't do it yesterday, though.  Ah well.

Honestly, between chlorine stabilization and heat time, I don't expect to soak tonight at all.  If it works out, great, but... tomorrow... woot!
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: Spoiledrotten on September 19, 2012, 03:17:00 pm
Very nice! Congrats.
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: planetary on September 19, 2012, 05:12:22 pm
Electrical work is nearly done.  Tub is filling with water.

(Apologies for the play-by-play, guys.  Just excited.)  :)
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: Spoiledrotten on September 19, 2012, 06:31:24 pm
No apologies needed. I know how excited you must be.
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: planetary on September 19, 2012, 08:35:09 pm
We are up and running!  I've added more pictures added to my photo album (https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/101153704012284361023/albums/5789588957993177617?authkey=CMm3lO_E25aNdA) showing the electrical work, and the tub freshly activated!

I've started to add chemicals, following Nitro's guide.  It's heating up at about the rate that wmccall predicted, ~4 deg/hour.  Continuing to monitor.

Having a hard time peeling the kids away from the tub.  They don't understand why we need to wait.  :)
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: wmccall on September 19, 2012, 09:35:35 pm
Enjoyed teh pictures.  Use the last hour to run everyone's swimsuits through a wash cycle with no detergent to rinse out risidual soap that will foam.
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: planetary on September 19, 2012, 09:54:49 pm
Thanks!  Good advice.  I'd read about that months ago, but had forgotten.

Tub started at 74 degrees, and is now at 95.
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: planetary on September 20, 2012, 10:17:44 pm
My kids (8 years old) just inaugurated the tub and declared it, "super amazing awesome!"
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: planetary on September 21, 2012, 12:55:12 am
My wife and I poured ourselves glasses of wine and went in for our first soak.  Glorious!  I feel sooooo relaxed.
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: Chas on September 21, 2012, 06:54:31 pm
Welcome to Spatopia! May you soak long and prosper.

 8)
Title: Re: Decision made and order placed: Jacuzzi 470 it is
Post by: planetary on September 21, 2012, 08:28:15 pm
Welcome to Spatopia! May you soak long and prosper.

Chas, thanks!  Spatopia is, I must say, preeeeety awesome.  :)