Welcome to our forum.
1) circ pumps: I personally like them for the quietness and because if you have ozone it works 24/7 when you're not in the tub but it shouldn't be at the top of your list when breaking things down. The idea that a spa doesn't have one because it doesn't fit is an eyebrow raiser to me because they take up very little room. It sounds more like that's just not an option for that level spa and instead of saying that you got salesman BS (its common for the spa makers that use them that their entry and mid level brands might not have them as a way of keeping the price down) but in the end you can go either way and this should not be a deal breaker especially when you're looking at mid level brands that meet a certain budget.2) ozone: I prefer ozone but again, you don't have to have it and with many spas you can easily add it after if you want to go without and see how your water maintenance goes which should be fine if you follow directions from your dealer assuming he knows how to teach owners to care for their spa. The old "its just another thing to break down" is salesmanship as well. With that kind of thinking I should get a car without AC or go with roll down windows to avoid the window motor failing.3) covers: They certainly are not all alike but I'd worry more about this later when your original covers needs replacing a few years down the line. R value and rating of the vinyl to stand up to the elements does vary and some people certainly buy based on price and pay it back in monthly energy costs along with having to get a 3rd cover sooner than someone who first replacement is a good cover. Ask up front if you can get an alternate cover that opens the other way.4) chems: I like the KISS method as well which is a simple chlorine routine of adding after each use, testing weekly (umm, or so) and cleaning the filters monthly (umm, or so). Take your time, get a good feel for the dealers capability and willingness to be there after the sale but otherwise it sounds like you're on the right track and the wet test will help you for sure.
That is the only Bullfrog spa that can't do a circ pump. It's not sales bs. It's a small spa and Bullfrog uses the big circ pumps. Circ pumps tend to be the number one failure in this industry and they are totally not necessary. There are pros and cons, but I wouldn't let that be a deciding factor. Both methods work just fine.Ozone is not necessary either. You are correct that it causes deterioration. If you look at a hot tub that is a couple of years old with ozone, you can usually see a discolored area on the underside of the cover directly above the ozone return.Basically there are pros and cons to ozone and circ pumps and honestly with or without either will likely have very little impact on your happiness with a hot tub.
I found a cover lifter that I believe solves our space problem. The Cover Valet only needs 4" or so which is doable even if we use the cover that folds along the long axis of the tub. I also found a company who makes a cover that folds along the short axis of the tub which to me seems like the better solution. Can anyone tell me why the cover manufacture or tub manufacturer choose to fold the cover along the long axis? Does it have something to do with where the control panel is mounted?Thanks
Usually yes. Most manufacturers will have the cover fold in a direction that will not require a cover lift bracket to mount on the access panel.