Buying first spa and deciding on salt

[stahlee]

Hey Everybody, just joined the forum last week and have been reading tons of information on the site. We have been to all the dealers in the Austin area and have narrowed down to 3 tubs. The Bullfrog A7L, Jacuzzi J-480 and the HotSprings Envoy. We have wet tested each of these and are planning to wet test one more time on Saturday back to back to back.

The Bullfrog is really at the top of the list and I'm pretty sure it's what we'll be purchasing, but still wanted to do the back to back tests to confirm. The Bullfrog allows for salt water system, but we're still just not sure of the benefits. The dealers  at both HotSprings and Bullfrog say they are easier to maintain and are softer on the skin. I'm more than capable of maintaining the tub with or without salt. I'm looking at long term wear on the tub and the pros and cons of the system.

I'd love to hear what people have to say about their salt water tubs and whether it's worth adding. I'll pay the difference if it is. Just still confused whether we'll benefit from it. My wife and I both have sensitive skin, so if it's truly softer than that's a plus. My ears are open so fire away.

Thanks All!

[BullFrogSpasMN]

I've been selling saltwater spas for almost 6 years now, I also sell Bullfrog and we offer (as an option) a salt system that generates Bromine as a sanitizer...Our system is from Blu Water Technologies which is based in Colorado, here is their website: http://bluwatertechnology.com/

of the spas that we sell that can take the system as an option (it will work on all Bullfrog models) we are selling it with approx. 60% of our Hot Tubs. If sold/educated/setup properly the system works very well and customers love the lower maintenance aspect of it....it's not a magic pill, it won't take care of the spa for you but it WILL lower your maintenance "time" and will also give you longer time between draining and refilling the spa, some of our customers have been going 6-8 months on a single fill.  We sell it on sale for $995 as an option when purchased with a new spa which includes: installation, all necessary start up products (First dosage of salt, pH decreaser, filter clean, phosphate remover) and a "white glove" orientation with our technician who spends an hour on every single delivery (with the salt option) not only going over the Hot Tub itself but also covering all the "ins & outs" of the salt system.

hope some of that helps! :-)

[bud16415]

I have a Caldera tub that came with a frog bromine in line system. Hated the bromine and switched it to dichlor that I add daily and love that approach. My friend converted his tub to salt and bought an aftermarket chlorine generator called a saltron mini. He loves it and he has the smoothest water I have ever seen in a tub. Salt level is less than what is in a human tear and no up and down fluctuations in sanitizer level. You set a timer for how many hours a day it runs his is one hour and he changes it if usage goes up.

Salt IMO is the perfect way to go and I plan on switching mine over as soon as I can.   

[stahlee]

I've been selling saltwater spas for almost 6 years now, I also sell Bullfrog and we offer (as an option) a salt system that generates Bromine as a sanitizer...Our system is from Blu Water Technologies which is based in Colorado, here is their website: http://bluwatertechnology.com/

of the spas that we sell that can take the system as an option (it will work on all Bullfrog models) we are selling it with approx. 60% of our Hot Tubs. If sold/educated/setup properly the system works very well and customers love the lower maintenance aspect of it....it's not a magic pill, it won't take care of the spa for you but it WILL lower your maintenance "time" and will also give you longer time between draining and refilling the spa, some of our customers have been going 6-8 months on a single fill.  We sell it on sale for $995 as an option when purchased with a new spa which includes: installation, all necessary start up products (First dosage of salt, pH decreaser, filter clean, phosphate remover) and a "white glove" orientation with our technician who spends an hour on every single delivery (with the salt option) not only going over the Hot Tub itself but also covering all the "ins & outs" of the salt system.

hope some of that helps! :-)

Thanks for the info! Very similar to what the dealer stated as well so that makes me more comfortable. We also spent a great deal of time speaking with one of the technicians which we enjoyed.

Do you notice any issues with corrosion and shorter lifespan of the pumps or jets? The system the local dealer adds is the Blu Water Technologies system. I should have added that info in my original post. The A7L has the circulator pump added so I believe we are fine there.

I like this dealer and trust what they are saying, just like to have a second opinion before making this large purchase. Thanks for the info BullFrogSpasMN!

[BullFrogSpasMN]

I've been selling saltwater spas for almost 6 years now, I also sell Bullfrog and we offer (as an option) a salt system that generates Bromine as a sanitizer...Our system is from Blu Water Technologies which is based in Colorado, here is their website: http://bluwatertechnology.com/

of the spas that we sell that can take the system as an option (it will work on all Bullfrog models) we are selling it with approx. 60% of our Hot Tubs. If sold/educated/setup properly the system works very well and customers love the lower maintenance aspect of it....it's not a magic pill, it won't take care of the spa for you but it WILL lower your maintenance "time" and will also give you longer time between draining and refilling the spa, some of our customers have been going 6-8 months on a single fill.  We sell it on sale for $995 as an option when purchased with a new spa which includes: installation, all necessary start up products (First dosage of salt, pH decreaser, filter clean, phosphate remover) and a "white glove" orientation with our technician who spends an hour on every single delivery (with the salt option) not only going over the Hot Tub itself but also covering all the "ins & outs" of the salt system.

hope some of that helps! :-)

Thanks for the info! Very similar to what the dealer stated as well so that makes me more comfortable. We also spent a great deal of time speaking with one of the technicians which we enjoyed.

Do you notice any issues with corrosion and shorter lifespan of the pumps or jets? The system the local dealer adds is the Blu Water Technologies system. I should have added that info in my original post. The A7L has the circulator pump added so I believe we are fine there.

I like this dealer and trust what they are saying, just like to have a second opinion before making this large purchase. Thanks for the info BullFrogSpasMN!

Good to hear, they'll be able to set you up no problem...Corrosion is not an issue and the people that use it in a sales pitch simply struggle selling against companies that are either carrying a brand that has it as a factory option (ie the Hot Spring 'Envoy' you are looking at), or use a good quality "add on" system such as the Blu Water system we are discussing.  It works, people want it, certain people buy our spas simply because we have it as an option and the guy down the street doesn't, and the vast majority of people who have it love it, and guess what the people that don't want it or are skeptical of it we'll certainly sell you Bromine Tabs, Chlorine powder or BaquaSpa products all day long meaning we are not "overselling" or forcing it on anyone, its simply an option we will educate customers on if they want and then let them choose...I'm sure the guys at your local dealer will say the same thing...good luck!