Hot Tub Forum
Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: Nitrousman on July 17, 2007, 04:03:27 pm
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Looking for info on how well the tub performs in the winter months where it gets below freezing for most of the winter and if it really drives up your monthly electric bill? THanks.
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If they are I would hate to see their electric bill. ;D
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Looking for info on how well the tub performs in the winter months where it gets below freezing for most of the winter and if it really drives up your monthly electric bill? THanks.
Though Master isn't the most loved brand on this forum, I highly doubt they run more than 40 or $50 per month throughout the winter months. That is higher than other spas that would be closer to a buck a day but then again, they might be the same as others? I don't have the proof or documentation to suggest otherwise and I doubt others here do either... :-X
Steve
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I live in the Minneapolis area, and there is a Master Spa dealer right up the street from my office. They've been in business as long as I can remember- it gets plenty cold here in the winter. So yes, they are sold in the snow belt.
I don't know how they perform in the cold relative to other spa, since I don't own one.
ANY spa is going to cost you to run in the winter. It takes some electricity to keep a few hundred gallons of water at 104 degrees when the ambient temperature is below zero. They are probably in the same general ballpark as othere spas, I'm guessing, and your actual costs will vary greatly with your electric rates.
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Just sold a house in which I had a Master Spa in PA. My electric would run about 30-35 dollars more in the winter. I would turn it down to 95 or so when I knew I would not be using it for a couple of days but this might be only a couple of times a month. The spa got used every night by several members of my family so it got used heavily. Only had one problem in 2.5 years of buying it. Dealer took care of it within a day. I bought a new house and will buy a new bigger spa and yes, it will be a Master spa or Bullfrog because the dealer is great and takes care of his customers.
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Just sold a house in which I had a Master Spa in PA. My electric would run about 30-35 dollars more in the winter. I would turn it down to 95 or so when I knew I would not be using it for a couple of days but this might be only a couple of times a month. The spa got used every night by several members of my family so it got used heavily. Only had one problem in 2.5 years of buying it. Dealer took care of it within a day. I bought a new house and will buy a new bigger spa and yes, it will be a Master spa or Bullfrog because the dealer is great and takes care of his customers.
Good Morning Saben
Can you tell me what you like about the Bullfrog spa besides the dealer. we dont have a dealer near us to look at them.
Thank you john 104 degrees
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Though Master isn't the most loved brand on this forum, I highly doubt they run more than 40 or $50 per month throughout the winter months. That is higher than other spas that would be closer to a buck a day but then again, they might be the same as others? I don't have the proof or documentation to suggest otherwise and I doubt others here do either... :-X
Steve
Steve,
you are so rite about Though Master isn't the most loved brand on this forum. I have one & I love it & I live in north New Jersey & it will only run you about $35 to $40 month that 's when it was 10 to 0 out.
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I have a friend who purchased a Down East, which is Master Spa's second line (I guess that is what you would call it). I have asked her many times about how the tub performs and about her electric bills. She is very pleased with the tub, it gets lots of use and she said her electric bills were what they expected. (I get from that, she doesn't pay much attention and it hasn't been way out of line) We are located in Pa near the Delaware line, so we get some pretty cold weather in the winter. So far, in over 2 years of ownership, they have had no issues or repair calls. The only thing that she has ever complained about is the deep seats. But since she didn't wet test the tub, she has to deal with it. she actually bought the tub at one of the famous Master Spa shows near Philadelphia. She felt that she got a good deal, but she admits to buying under pressure. Whatever, she is happy with her purchase.
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Just sold a house in which I had a Master Spa in PA. My electric would run about 30-35 dollars more in the winter. I would turn it down to 95 or so when I knew I would not be using it for a couple of days but this might be only a couple of times a month. The spa got used every night by several members of my family so it got used heavily. Only had one problem in 2.5 years of buying it. Dealer took care of it within a day. I bought a new house and will buy a new bigger spa and yes, it will be a Master spa or Bullfrog because the dealer is great and takes care of his customers.
Just for the record, it's much more effecient to maintain the temperature than cool it down and reheat it unless we're talking about being a away for weeks as opposed to days.
Steve
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Steve,
you are so rite about Though Master isn't the most loved brand on this forum. I have one & I love it & I live in north New Jersey & it will only run you about $35 to $40 month that 's when it was 10 to 0 out.
Sounds like it's "in the ballpark" to me... 8-)
Steve
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Well it sounds like it's cheaper to run than my 1990 Cal Spa that costs around $70 a month in the winter. This is a FS 670 5 seater spa. The FS stands for freedom Spa which I think was one of their cheaper lines of Spa's but it looks like it's in good shape for a 1999/2000 since it's been inside all it's life. He wants $600 for it and I'll just need to get a cover. Thanks for the info.
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A good cover will be critical. Sounds like you are getting the info you needed. Good luck and let us know how it works out.
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Doesn't Master offer two different types of insulation, One Foam filled and one Thermal Pane? I could see a difference in economy between those two versions. I wonder which the Master Owners who responded here own?
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I believe you are correct there, at least that's the same thing I heard. Full foam is an extra cost, IIRC.
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I'm pretty sure the one I was looking at isn't fully foamed but the repair shop said that was better if you ever had a leak it was much easier to find. They suggested using black garbage bags packed with house insulation placed around the tub everywhere except by the motor to keep it insulated.
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But it's often a double edged sword. Maybe the leaks are easier to find- but there might be more of them due to the lack of support for the plumbing that full foam offers. You'll hear that a lot- that it costs a fortune to fix a leak in a full foam tub. But most of the spa repair professionals who post here say that most leaks are in the service bay so it's a relatively moot issue.
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Good Morning Saben
Can you tell me what you like about the Bullfrog spa besides the dealer. we dont have a dealer near us to look at them.
Thank you john 104 degrees
I have yet to see the Bullfrog spas in person, just researched them online. My reason between the two is strictly the dealer as these are the two lines he carries. I put my last spa in through the house and had to remove a small wall and this is where the previous owner had ran the water supply for an upstairs bathroom. My sawzall found them, and while the installers finished the spa install on the deck, the owner of the company went to his truck and resoldered the water supplies. (No extra cost). A dealer with excellent support deserves my business a second time around.
-- and the Master Spa was a Thermal pane insulation.
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I have yet to see the Bullfrog spas in person, just researched them online. My reason between the two is strictly the dealer as these are the two lines he carries. I put my last spa in through the house and had to remove a small wall and this is where the previous owner had ran the water supply for an upstairs bathroom. My sawzall found them, and while the installers finished the spa install on the deck, the owner of the company went to his truck and resoldered the water supplies. (No extra cost). A dealer with excellent support deserves my business a second time around.
-- and the Master Spa was a Thermal pane insulation.
I feel the same way about people that care about you and will help you out in time of need.
If you can tell me what you find out about the bullfrog spa that will help me out alot. even if you do not buy one it will help. the bullfrog has a number of things that i like ,i do hear some things that i dont like but untill you wet test its just an opinion.
My buddy has a master lsx and its TP insulated. i think he should of went with the full foam as it does get cold here.
Thank you for you time. the dealer is going to have a great customer and it sounds like you have a great dealer.
Good luck on what ever tub you get.please post pics.
John 104 degrees
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...My sawzall found them....
Good thing your sawzall didn't find a set of live 110v wires huh? I have seen the bullfrog spas in person and even talked to the area director when I was considering carrying them in a store. I had my choices down to 3 and Bullfrog was one of the top two. In the end I did not open the store as other business ventures consumed too much of my time but I thought the Bullfrog was BETTER than the Master primarily because I did not get along with the ownership of Master's selling techniques of "Take as much money as you can from the customer NO MATTER what". When I said, in a competitive market for X-sized tub, the prices are around $8K and he responded by saying that "why take $8K if they are willing to pay you $12K for the same tub"? He basically said "try to sell it @ $12K and then if you ABSOLUTELY HAVE TOO and only after much negotiation should you reduce your price below that anywhere down to $8K (which still left about $1,500 in profit). IMHO, the company Master is GREEDY to the max but the individual dealer's may well be priceless. Sounds like you have a good dealer that has learned how to deal with corporate.
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Good thing your sawzall didn't find a set of live 110v wires huh? I have seen the bullfrog spas in person and even talked to the area director when I was considering carrying them in a store. I had my choices down to 3 and Bullfrog was one of the top two. In the end I did not open the store as other business ventures consumed too much of my time but I thought the Bullfrog was BETTER than the Master primarily because I did not get along with the ownership of Master's selling techniques of "Take as much money as you can from the customer NO MATTER what". When I said, in a competitive market for X-sized tub, the prices are around $8K and he responded by saying that "why take $8K if they are willing to pay you $12K for the same tub"? He basically said "try to sell it @ $12K and then if you ABSOLUTELY HAVE TOO and only after much negotiation should you reduce your price below that anywhere down to $8K (which still left about $1,500 in profit). IMHO, the company Master is GREEDY to the max but the individual dealer's may well be priceless. Sounds like you have a good dealer that has learned how to deal with corporate.
I don't know about that particular area director to which you refer but I do know that the MS LSX I bought in 2004 was priced WELL below the HS Vista and Envoy as well as the SD Optima and Cameo tubs at the dealers whom I was inquiring. How this equates to MS as a whole being "GREEDY" I just don't know...
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Have had a MasterSpa LSX since fall of 2004. Very pleased with performance and maintenance (none required). Wife-unit and I use tub 7-10 times weekly, year-round. Northern VA location. Electric bill increase was what I expected - maintain 103 degrees in winter.
Bought a "factory-second" direct from manufacturing plant. Tub has several yellow "burns" in finish -- don't bother me. Saved big bucks.
Local, well-established dealer let me wet test several models before my buy. I used dealer for set-up and filter purchases. No problems with dealer.
This said .. I know recent posts report MSpa "road-show" sales tactics. I agree -- that approach is really slimey.
RAY
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But it's often a double edged sword. Maybe the leaks are easier to find- but there might be more of them due to the lack of support for the plumbing that full foam offers. You'll hear that a lot- that it costs a fortune to fix a leak in a full foam tub. But most of the spa repair professionals who post here say that most leaks are in the service bay so it's a relatively moot issue.
I agree, but for the record I am a Hot Spring dealer. I don't want to get this into the dead horse category, but I always find it funny that the local Master dealer in my area says full foam is bad, blah blah blah, but it's available as an upgrade if the customer wants it.
If it's bad, or even unneccessary, why even offer it?
Always gives me a chuckle.
Anyhoo, I always recommend it, just make sure if you get full foam that it's closed cell foam that won't absorb water. If you do get a leak, it's found earlier by you and repaired easier by the service techs.
Good luck in the tub search!