Hotspring OEM Cover versus an Aftermarket Cover

[Gomboman]

My Hotspring Envoy cover is a little over two years old. I'm told that it's normal for water to collect in the middle sections with the larger covers. It tends to get very heavy after it rains. I'm going to flip the cores around to see if it makes a difference. According to Chas, one of my sections may be cracked. I'll check that out also.

When the day comes to replace my cover, I'll probably buy another HS cover. I'm curious what my options are for replacement though. Perhaps Doc can chime in to outline the differences between the factory HS cover and one of his aftermarket versions. Are the insulation properties about the same or are they higher? Are the baffles between the two sides tighter to prevent excess steam from escaping? How do they compare on price? If anyone has replaced their cover with something that they are happier with let me know.

Thanks in advance....

[Richs100]

An additional question I will eventually have is:
Do the aftermarket covers have the metal inserts in the back and sides of the covers for the attachment of the Covermate lifters?
(see Gombo's picture above)

[jfish63]

i got my grandee cover from Doc's site. It is much thicker than the original. It does have the metal rails in it for attaching the cover lifter.

[kokanee001]

I might try a cover other than HS when it's time to replace the cover on my Vanguard. The cover doesn't seem to seal properly; if I press on the corners, I can feel them move downwards. This seems to be indicative of a poor fit. Or is this normal? Anyone else with a Vanguard or any HS cover notice this problem?  
My spa is only 6 months old and has always been this way. BTW, I have the Covermate lifter with the twin shocks.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

Unfortunately, I can't do a comparison as I've never seen nor found the specifications of HS's covers. As far as insulating, if the foam is the same density and thickness, it will insulate the same. The key to this though is the ACTUAL measured thickness, NOT the advertised thickness. A good number of companies use "nominal" measurements.... and I've seen covers as thin as 3-1/2" being  called 4" thick.

In my opinion Gomb, the puddling on your cover is not normal. While it is normal for a small amount of water to remain on the cover basically due to surface tension,  yours appears to be significantly more than that.

As for the metal brackets to accommodate the lift, we offer this as an option. Here;s a list of the features of our cover. If anyone know how Hot Spring Spas compare I'd love to know

Insulating Foam -------- 4"x2" or 6"x4" virgin, expanded polystyrene (EPS). 1, 1½, 2 or 3 pound density.
Vinyl ------------------- Marine Grade 30 oz., polyester reinforced w/ 1500 hour UV rating.
Vapor Barrier ---------- 6 mil. heat sealed w/ double wrap option.
Underside Material ----- double laminated, reinforced, chemical and ozone resistant 12 oz. scrim.
Hinge ------------------- 4 layer reinforced single hinge. 100% insulated with a Continuous Hinge Seal.
Reinforcement ---------- 37 points of reinforcement including 20 gauge C-channel reinforcement of the foam.
Tie Down Straps ------- Completely integrated into the cover for exceptional strength, w/ all necessary hardware.
Handles ---------------- Also completely integrated into the cover for exceptional strength.
Thread ----------------- 93# UV resistant, bonded, Dacron Polyester thread.
Warranty --------------- 4 year full (not pro-rated) warranty.

[hottubdan]

Gombo--In my opinion you have excessive puddling.  Did you report it to your dealer before 2 years was up.  Since you have a Watkins lifter, if you have a warranty situation, you have labor included to change out the cores.

Kokananee--Do you have the CoverMate III?  If so, we have noticed the shocks actually lift the cover slightly.  This is a lifter issue, not a cover issue.

Doc--It sounds like you make a good cover.  Are they ASTM certified?  There are many communities in CA who require it now.  If you are doing any building with a permit inspecters are supposed to be checking pools and spas for antientrapment and barriers.  ASTM rated covers qualify as a safety barrier.

[Chas]

Yup - all the HotSpring specs match or easily exceed those.














Kidding! I don't know all the specs on HS covers - but here are the ones I know for sure:

Actually the density of foam w/ HS depends on the size of the spa.  Many are 2#.

They are 3 1/2" thick at the root, and vary in thickness at the edge - depending upon the size. My Grandee has a ten-year-old cover which I just measured - it is 3 1/2" finished - so the foam has to be slightly thinner than that. However, I measured a new cover the other day, and I'm pretty sure it was closer to 4" finished, so the foam would be 3 1/2" thick.

My Grandee puddles just like Gombo's, but it's old and ready to be replaced so I never gave it a thought. I will make some noise if my new one does the same thing...

 8-)

[Chas]

OH - and the wrap that HS puts on the foam boards has been improved in recent years. A good five to seven years ago they tried a special shrink wrap. It got rid of wrinkles in the finish, and make the covers look real nice and flat. The thought was that the wrinkles in the outer encasement vinyl became the weak link in weathering and fading.

But it continued to shrink in the heat of the day, and in many cases it opened up some holes. That allowed them to absorb water vapor and get heavy. They replaced a lot of cores with that one! But they went back to a traditional wrapping with heat-sealed seams as most makers do.

Then in recent years they increased the thickness of the wrap.

 8-)

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

Doc--Are your covers ASTM certified?

There's no such thing   ASTM doesn't certify anything, they just develop the standards.......... But yes, our covers meet the ASTM standard F 1346-91, for a manual safety spa cover.

[hottubdan]

There's no such thing   ASTM doesn't certify anything, they just develop the standards.......... But yes, our covers meet the ASTM standard F 1346-91, for a manual safety spa cover.

OK, I stated it incorrectly.  Thanks for the correction.  Pleasae PM me about wholesale.  We have had conversations in the past.

Chas--Actually density of foam w/ HS depends on the size of the spa.  Many are 2#.

[Brookenstein]

My cover does the exact same thing Gombo's does and we are about the same age.  I'm not concerned by it and figured its normal wear and tear so to speak.  My cover doesn't feel any heavier or anything than it did brand new.  Its only heavy when I try and get the puddles of water off.... luckily we have well over 300 dry days a year here.  

[Chas]

Chas--Actually density of foam w/ HS depends on the size of the spa.  Many are 2#.

That's what I said....      


 8-)

[hottubdan]

That's what I said....      


 8-)

You are right.  Whoops!  

[Shaamus]

I've owned a couple Hot Spring spa, so I've had a few of their covers.  They are very nice; well-stitched and pretty to look at.  They're pretty much the same design that Sunstar was making for them years ago.  They feature good materials and they invest the time in the sewing to make the cover look "pretty".  They pretty much have all the specs that Doc layed out in a nice cover except I think the wrap is 4mil instead of the 6mil that Doc and my company use.  They have adjustable straps, good handles and nice steam stoppers.  They also equip 2# foam on most of their spa models which is a huge plus.  Of course, all of them also come with the proprietary Hot Spring cover removal system mounting plates pre-installed which is important if you have a Hot Spring lifter that attaches directly into the cover.  They are also UL listed (which doesn't matter a whole lot when compared to an ASTM spec'd cover, but it is a plus).

Of all the spa mfrs that spec covers, only Arctic does better with materials and workmanship with that Castcore foam.  That said, I have a huge problem with their only 1" of fall on their slope as the foam is only 3.5"->2.5".  It's just not enough for rainwater to runoff, especially on larger spas.  I've replaced my Hot Spring covers after a couple years because of the standing water.  Of course, I own a spa cover manufacturing company so it wasn't like I was bleeding every ounce of life out of them either.  We've gone to 3" of fall on our 5"->2" covers to maximize the slope.  We do also sell 4"x2" and 5"x3" covers which are fine too.  1" of fall is just not enough IMHO.

[Gomboman]

Gombo--In my opinion you have excessive puddling.  Did you report it to your dealer before 2 years was up.  Since you have a Watkins lifter, if you have a warranty situation, you have labor included to change out the cores.

Thanks for the replies. When the tech came over to replace our Aux panel my wife showed him the cover. I believe the cover was about 1 1/2 years old at that time. He told her the cover warranty is only valid for one year.

I haven't pressed the issue even though my cover has always held water. For some reason, I thought the cover warranty was longer. I guess I waited too long. It seems like it's getting worse now though. Maybe I should contact the dealer. I wonder if they can do anything for me now?