If you are looking to buy a hot tub....this is a must read

[Hot tub Nightmare]

If you are currently researching buying a hot tub.... STAY AWAY FROM BEACHCOMBER HOT TUBS. We were so excited at the time to make this purchase both my husband and I have back issues and this was a purchase we finally allowed our budget to make. We did our research, went and saw different tubs but in the end it was two referrals from people we knew and they just raved about their Beachcomber Hot Tub and had enjoyed their tub for years.

We bought our tub June 2010 and it was delivered July 20,2010 to our frustration we had issues from the start with the jets popping out, one or two of them actually shattered as we found it in pieces at the bottom of the tub. Then about 8 months later the motherboard went which is quite an important component, luckily it was under warranty as that would have been about a 1500$ hit.

Then on February 8th, 2014 on a night the was incredibly cold, we came home from an evening out, looking forward to a soak in the hot tub and we found a huge pool of water had frozen around the tub and water spewing from under the step. It was during a 'cold snap' and the hush pump and flo thru element had failed or so we were told I have to say both of us suspect differently because of the vague communication on the matter. Not so vague was we were slapped with a $1,118.93 bill when we finally had the tub thawed enough for a tech to actually fix it which was on the 24th of March. Keep in mind the tub is only 3 1/2 years old at the time and it should be built to stand up against Canadian winters, we know plenty of people with hot tubs that have had them for 10 years without having the major problems we have had with a tub that is not even 5 years old.

Now we have noticed that the tub is leaking water daily, we're thinking it's probably damage sustained from that night. We are now forced to drain the tub for winter as we are forced to cut our losses. The hot tub is 4 years old and is useless. Useless because due to their warranties we would be slapped with another bill and we are not willing to sink anymore money into a tub that has had nothing but problems from the start. Our only recourse right now is to warn others not to make the same mistake we made by buying a Beachcomber tub. 

[Kev B]

 I hate to break the news to you, but every single brand of hot tubs can and do have lemons that get thrown out from time to time. So if you are looking to buy a hot tub, it is just as important to find a good warranty and service department to go along with that pretty hot tub with the lighted water fall.
 Also.....stay away from fully foamed hot tubs. And especially stay away from those that do not easily allow you to open up all four sides. They make very well insulated tubs now that are not fully foamed and are quite suitable for very cold climates.

[Hot tub Nightmare]

Thanks Kev for your input. Yes we ended up with a dud a very expensive lawn ornament. I have received a weak email from the person who sold us the email wanting to 'chat' about our experience with their product, head office must have contacted him. I wanted potential consumers to know our story and be able to read the valuable input that you and others may provide. Yes we were naive, yes the research we did was apparently not sufficient enough but we trusted a company to provide quality product that they did not deliver.

[Kev B]

 I hate these kind of stories when I hear them....I want the hot tub to be an enjoyable, therapeutic experience for you, not one that you have to cross your fingers every time you want to use it.
 Hopefully you can latch on to a top notch technician that will do it right, even if you have to find an independent....it can be fixed and reliable.

[d00nut]

So if you are looking to buy a hot tub, it is just as important to find a good warranty and service department to go along with that pretty hot tub with the lighted water fall.

Agreed

Also.....stay away from fully foamed hot tubs. And especially stay away from those that do not easily allow you to open up all four sides. They make very well insulated tubs now that are not fully foamed and are quite suitable for very cold climates.

Wrong.  If a manufacturer could remove the most expensive piece (polyurethane foam) and replace it with nothing but air, and still achieve the same level of energy efficiency... they totally would. 

[Hot tub Nightmare]

Thanks for the feedback!! Much appreciated.  I think we might look into a good tech and have them look at it in the Spring, but will not go through Beachcomer for anything at this point. Not sure at this point if it's salvageable. 

[Tman122]

So if you are looking to buy a hot tub, it is just as important to find a good warranty and service department to go along with that pretty hot tub with the lighted water fall.

Agreed

Also.....stay away from fully foamed hot tubs. And especially stay away from those that do not easily allow you to open up all four sides. They make very well insulated tubs now that are not fully foamed and are quite suitable for very cold climates.

Wrong.  If a manufacturer could remove the most expensive piece (polyurethane foam) and replace it with nothing but air, and still achieve the same level of energy efficiency... they totally would.

I was going to say the same thing about the full foam comment. Obviously from someone who does not know. Yes you can get good insulating qualities from a perimeter style of insulation if it is done right. 95% of the manufacturers that do it do it wrong. And even if it is done right it is still just....almost as good.

[Kev B]

 I will match a Clearwater tub or the like up to any of yours and not see much of a difference in the power bill at all. I have worked on Hot Springs since the dogbowl, Sundance, was lead tech for 6 years with Cal Spas with their full foam nightmares and work on every tub out their. Are you telling everyone in here the Arctic spa which is NOT full foamed is losing tons of energy savings? If the cabinet is insulated well the dead air space makes an excellent insulator. Check mate....mates.

[Kev B]

Wrong.  If a manufacturer could remove the most expensive piece (polyurethane foam) and replace it with nothing but air, and still achieve the same level of energy efficiency... they totally would.

 Ahhh, maybe your definition of fully foamed is different than mine, but they have done it. But alot of repair techs love doing 600 or more for a lift in labor to do less than 100 in actual parts and thats not counting spraying in new foam...your right, very expensive.

[Spatech_tuo]

I will match a Clearwater tub or the like up to any of yours and not see much of a difference in the power bill at all. I have worked on Hot Springs since the dogbowl, Sundance, was lead tech for 6 years with Cal Spas with their full foam nightmares and work on every tub out their. Are you telling everyone in here the Arctic spa which is NOT full foamed is losing tons of energy savings? If the cabinet is insulated well the dead air space makes an excellent insulator. Check mate....mates.

I think you have to give Arctic and their method credit for doing it best among those who don't fully foam insulate but I'd always go with a full foam spa for energy efficiency hands down. We all know that there is no winning this age old argument because their isn't independent data to point to and I didn't want to even chime in but its not fair to bring up Cal Spa as representing full foam spas. Cal Spas has a negative reputation for reasons that have nothing to do with how they insulate.

[Hot tub Nightmare]

Ours is fully foamed, thus making the detection of the existing leak very difficult. Again first time hot tub buyers we thought the foam made sense. Wish I had found this forum sooner. So basically if we were to get it fixed would anyone want to touch a fully foamed tub in the first place?

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

  If the cabinet is insulated well the dead air space makes an excellent insulator. Check mate....mates.

Air ONLY insulates when encapsulated less than 1/4" in diameter. Otherwise, it's simply a heat transfer medium, via convection..

Check check mate, matey.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

because their isn't independent data to point to

Not necessarily true. There used to be, and it's been years since I've come across a copy of the study, a study that was made by a home warranty company with regards to cost of leak repairs in full foam vs. non full foam spas. As I recall, they determined that while it cost a lot more to repair a full foam spa, significantly fewer leaked, as compared to non full foam spas. The basic gist, was it you took 10,000 full foam spas, and 10,000 non full foam spas, it would cost quite a bit more to repair all the leaks in all the non full foam spas, than in the full foam spas.

[Jacuzzi Jim]

 To the original poster sorry for the trouble, most cases it's the dealer that fails too take care of the customer not the actual mnfg.   

  As far as the full foam debate you ask any tech that question and they will all answer the same regarding a full foam spa?  I hate fixing a leak on a full foam spa, never met one yet that would say anything different including me, when I use to do it.

  Both have pro's and cons,  but most of the major mnfgs see the need for it and few don't.  In this case majority rules as most are full foam.  All that being said a really good tech cant find a leak or narrow it down pretty quick, still sucks digging it all out and fixing, but then they also will make more money which in turn makes the wife happy.. 

 As a FYI it is for more than just insulation in my opinion.

 Good luck to you! 

[Hot tub Nightmare]

Thanks Jacuzzi Jim for your comment. Good info.