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I will knock them, any spa company that puts a lifetime warranty on the structure is not worth the paper it is written on. They fiberglass their shells, the fiberglass is the structure not the shell, you can see they only cover the shell for five years. It is misleading, as most people will only remember the the lifetime part. 10 years down the road if your shell is cracked and you call Arctic, they will ask you "is it leaking through the fiberglass" and when you say no. They will so sorry that is not part of the lifetime warranty.I would not buy or recommend and Arctic for that one reasons, makes me think what else are they BSing on.
Hey Kirby, As others have said, both Sundance and Artic have very good reputations. And although one employs full foam, and the other a thermolock design, for the most part, both of these tubs properly working with a good cover will cost/provide very similliar insualtion rates. So I wound't let that be the deciding factor. For me the big differenance is the Artic will be cycing on and off during the day, while the full foams dosent.
I'm having a little trouble following you, since this sentence does not make sense: "They fiberglass their shells, the fiberglass is the structure not the shell, you can see they only cover the shell for five years." The lifetime warranty says " Warrants the spa shell to the customer against water loss due to structural failure..." The 5 year SURFACE warranty is about blistering/peeling/delaminating- has nothing to do with leakage.What is BS? What are you knocking?
i recieved the answer from sundance today about proper spa foundations, here is there responce.Preparing A Good FoundationYour spa needs a solid foundation. The area that your spa sits on must be able to support the weight of the spa, the water in it and those who use it.If the foundation is inadequate, it may shift or settle after the spa is in place.NOTE: Damage caused by inadequate or improper foundation support is not covered by the spa warranty. It is the responsibility of thespa owner to provide a proper foundation for the spa. Example: free standing bricks, gravel, pavers, plywood, and railroad ties are notconsidered proper foundations.Place the spa on an elevated foundation so that water drains away from it. Proper drainage will keep components dry from rain and wet weather.A spa filled with water is heavy. If you are installing your spa on an elevated wood deck or other structure, it is advisable to consult a structuralengineer or contractor to ensure that the structure will support the weight. It is strongly recommended that a qualified, licensed contractor preparethe foundation for your spa. There is a 4” minimum depth required for a concrete pad. If you are installing your spa indoors, pay close attention tothe flooring beneath it. Remember, a spa filled with water can cause moisture damage. Choose flooring that won’t be spoiled or stained. See page23 for the average filled weight and overall dimensions for your spa.Your Sundance retailer can help you with foundations and moreYour Sundance retailer has a wealth of information and experience about how to get the most out of your Sundance spa. Ask your retailer to seethe Sundance Idea Book to view creative spa decorating and a wide range of installations. Your Sundance retailer also has a full line of accessories,surround kits, and gazebos that are engineered to compliment your Sundance spa. They also offer several factory approved aftermarket foundationproducts that are specifically designed for spa use and allow for installation without concrete.So there is an added expence with the sundance to make sure you have it on a proper foundation.otherwize your warranty is void.Arctic's only spefication is level ground.With the warranty issues on the shell. If the arcylic cracks or blisters or whatever and does not cause a loss of water. in any tub this is easy to fix. All company's have a 5 year warranty on these happening.But the difference that comes in is that Arctic offers a "lifetime warranty" on the fiberglass structure. Not a 5 year warranty. the reason is below.arcylic has no structure strength to support the water and people. that is why every company needs to bond something to the arcylic to give strength. There are many different ways of doing this.1) twice hand rolled fiberglass with 100% neat resin. this produces a self-supporting hull2)some fiberglass and some foam(1 inch)3)some fiberglass and 4 inches of foam4) some figerglass and 100% foamed cavity.1- does not need a structured foundation to put the spa on.2-4 all need some form of structure foundation for the spa warranty.Fiberglass cracks do to flex, just like when you want to break a thin piece of metal.. you flex it back and forth and it eventualy cracks. So if you prevent flexing you prevent cracking. That is why the other company's require a structured foundation to prevent flex.Foam is cheaper than fiberglass.for my asking about a thermos and pump sitting outside.I was not saying an arctic was a thermos. I was just asking what would freeze first... a thermos with water in it or a pump with water in it at -30. we know the answer is pump and quickly.both FF and TP spas water will take days to freeze. and yes the water in the FF may outlast the TP. But both of these are cases where you have insulated the water. TP also insulates the pump. FF tubs do not come standard with pump insulation protection. I agree that FF company's should provide their customers with feature they could purchase to protect the pumps from the cold.Now for the comment on "no pumps running not heating"My coleman friend said it best. We are recovering pump waste heat. I do not know the exact number but its at least 30% of the power of the motor that is lost through heat. So since pump 1 on coleman and arctic tubs is what is used for filtration. You can set the filtration from 0-8 hours a day. most of the time the 8 hours of filtration will produce enough heat so the heater is on activated. So its a bonus feature of these spas. I'm not saying that FF are bad or worse. Where this can also help is when you flip the lid and even out all spas. Once the lid is open the heat is leaving. and it doesnt matter well insulated underneath. But if you are in the tub running 2=hp pumps on high speed you will have 2kw of heating power helping you keep your water warm... This means the power hungry 5.5Kw heater will no activate as quickly. The less the 5.5Kw heater runs the less power you will use.
i recieved the answer from sundance...