Epic owners/dealers HELP I have a dead rat.

[Devildawg]

A few days ago we discovered a rotten smell outside around the Tub,we found rat droppings and cleaned up along with a few traps.This morning I have found Maggotts crawling around,looks like they are leaving the tub.

Does Marquis have a warranty for this?the tub is only 9months old I know when I purchased one of the selling points was the "rodent proof tub"

I pulled the front cover off and its pretty easy to see where a rat could get in through the bottom gap on the cover and then get under the tub between the plastic bottom.

anyone have suggestions I need to get this thing out.

[hottub.pool_boy]

Do we have a Marine on our hands? Devildawg, a term used amongst military comrads.

Call your dealer who sold you a rodent proof spa. Tell 'em to come clean it out and do what's necessary to back up their claim. At no charge to you of course.

[MarKee]

The newer Marquis (Late 05 and newer) have a wire mesh that covers the bottom gap you are talking about.  I would see if your dealer can install these for you.

[BIGPOPPA]

Your spa should have had guards (metal, perferated steel) around the small opening in the front access panel to keep rodents out.  Call your dealer and ask for the guards as they will install them and it should cost nothing.

[Bonibelle]

Devil, when I first got my tub, Terminator posted a picture of the insides of a rodent infested tub. Because of that I made guards out of wire mesh and fitted them tight under that front panel. This summer, I replaced them with wire screen so that I could also prevent
bees from entering the equipment compartment. I think Marquis now makes these standard on the tubs. They should at least allow you to buy them. I am wondering why the dealer told you that the tub was rodent proof when there are large gaps under that front panel AND behind the step light.  Are you saying the rat had moved beyond that equipment compartment? I am wondering why he went in there in the summer, with the heat from the pumps....
Good luck...

[Devildawg]

the rat got in under the cover but then it looks and smells like he got in between the tub and the plastic bottom through a small crack where the interior plastic control compartment meets the plastic bottom.

right now I'm not sure if I should remove the side panels and remove the dead rat or let the dealer come out and take care of it.I bought the Tub last December that should be late 05 not sure what happend with the metal screens.

[Reese]

Unless you can't stand the smell, or the thought of what's inside there... I don't see any question here -- I'd leave this for the dealer.  Might give them more incentive to make sure it doesn't happen again!

[Bama]

 
WOWSER  WILLARD!!!!
.........I didn't know this was a common problem?  I have just purchased a LA spa, Paradise H-2, (it's on order).  Is there anything I should request of the dealer prior to installation so that I'm not affected by the rat problem?
thanks,
Bama
 

[Reese]

Is there anything I should request of the dealer prior to installation so that I'm not affected by the rat problem?

A good cat.

[badval]

Or open it up, take pictures, remove carcass, clean area, use spa, show dealer pics so he can fix appropriately.  

The problem with "waiting to make the dealer fix it" is just that - waiting.  It might be few days until they get someone out there & the tub is left out of service.  Plus you have to smell it whenever you're nearby.

[Bonibelle]

Devil , I made this screen covering when we first got the tub. After this picture, I also sealed around that hole where the electric comes through the bottom of the tub with foam. Do you have your tub on a deck? Could the rat have come up through a hole like this?
Maybe Term will read this and find the picture that I was talking about...



Mice and rats are amazing...they can get into the smallest areas. Whatever you do don't put poison out, you may have another one die inside of your cabinet.
I am anxious to see how this resolves. I will be surprised if your dealer will come out to remove the rat, or even take ownership for this problem. I know when I showed my tech my screens, he told me he gets service calls all the time for wiring chewed up by mice and even circuit boards with mice fried on them...Maybe that is why Marquis finally decided to manufacture rodent guards.
Probably if you had known about the guards, you wouldn't have been in this situation... :-/

[DPS]

"Rodent guards" have been available aftermarket from a few manufacturers for some time now.  Marquis started putting them on spas in manufacturing late last year, as soon as they got approval from UL.  (They had concerns about reducing ventilation space in the equipment bay area.)
As far as I know, no manufacturer covers rodent damage under the warranty.  If you give rodents enough time they can get into anything.  I have seen it frequently in spas with decks built around them or shrubs, etc. next to them.  
I have been around Marquis spas for years and have never heard a salesman say they are "rodent proof".  Nothing is "rodent proof".
If you have a rodent problem in your backyard take steps to eliminate them.  You can obtain rodent screens for the ventilation space behind the equipment bay door from your dealer.  They only take a few minutes to install.  They will help make it hard for rodents to get into your spa, but even with them there is no guarantee.
Spa exteriors are made from wood or plastics.  If a rat has time to work on getting in, while remaining hidden under a deck or between the spa and the house, etc. they can chew through either of these.

[Bonibelle]

I had one chew through the metal flashing and gasket around my garage door. They are really destructive and the equipment compartment of a spa makes a perfect winter home for them.
I think I would try to locate the rat and remove it. It will take quite a while for that smell to go away if you leave it in there. I am not sure, but  that smell could be drawn into the air injector system...that would be really awlful. You'd need Spazazzz for real!

[Vinny]

Boni's right, that smell may linger.

Remove the rat, clean up the area, use bleach (or dichlor) and water to disinfect the area and go to a auto store and buy a spray called ozium (or something like that). It's glycol alcohol based and apparently it's used by people who have to clean up after bodies that have been around a while.

I haven't used it for that reason but I have used it in cars 2 different times to clean up a smell and it did work, I did spray it a couple of times though.

And before anybody makes any wise cracks - these were company cars that someone else had and I had to remove their smell!!

[windsurfdog]

It's glycol alcohol based and apparently it's used by people who have to clean up after bodies that have been around a while.....And before anybody makes any wise cracks - these were company cars that someone else had and I had to remove their smell!!

With a name like Vinny you expect us to believe that bodies weren't involved?

I need to get some of that in an aerosol for the bathroom...