Hot Tub Forum
Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: richny on October 10, 2005, 08:38:01 am
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Hi All-
I have been reading this forum for some time and think its great. We are on a very fixed budget and I bought a spa on e-bay since I could never afford the minimum $7500 spa my local dealers quoted me.
Does anyone know anthing about Serenity Spa's?
I know I am going to get flamed for buying something sight unseen..but it was either that or never have a hot tub. I bought it for $2400 plus shipping.
I understand the risk of service, problems, etc..but like I said...it was either take the chance or not have one. I have my choice of colors and options. Here are its specifications:
Dimensions 92" x 92" x 36.5"
Height 36.5"
Gallon Capacity 450 Gallons
Seating Capacity 6
Portable
Turbo Jets yes
Stacked Whirly Jets Yes
Calf and Foot Jets Yes
Neck, Back and Shoulder Jets Yes
Total Hydrotherapy Jets 83
Interchangeable Jets Yes
Energy Consumption Low
Number of Pumps (2) 5-HP 230V Pumps
Number of Filters (1) 100-Sq. Ft. Filter
Cover Deluxe Cover Included Made from High Quality Marine Grade Vinyl with Locking Buckles; 3.5" to 2.5" Taper
Service Panel Located Under Keypad for Easy Access to Wiring
UL Listed Yes
Overheat Protection Yes
Dual-Freeze Protection Yes
Non-Skid Footwell Yes
Volts/Amps 220V 60 Amp/5.5 Kilowatt Heater/6-3 Gauge Wiring
Surface Slip-Resistant Acrylic
Construction Vinyl-Ester-Coated with Multilayer Fiberglass
Frame Ridged Wood Frame with Solid Base
Reinforcement Multilayer Fiberglass; High-Density Foam Insulation Applied to Acrylic Shell
Structural Warranty 10 Years
Surface Warranty 5 Years
Plumbing Warranty 5 Years
Equipment Warranty 2 Years
Labor Warranty 1 Year
So how bad of a mistake did I make?
thanks
Rich
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Congratulations on your new spa. You have taken into account the negatives of buying sight unseen. If you get 5-10 years of enjoyment from your purchase it will have been a good investment. If none of us had budgets we would all be driving around in Cadillacs. Keep us posted on your purchase experience.
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Structural Warranty 10 Years
Surface Warranty 5 Years
Plumbing Warranty 5 Years
Equipment Warranty 2 Years
Labor Warranty 1 Year
Do you have a service provider in your area willing/able to honor the warranty?
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So how bad of a mistake did I make?
thanks
Rich
At your budget it was either a used spa or this type if you wanted a full sized unit. Both have a certain amount of risk (as do all spas) but it may not be a mistake at all. It's not a premium spa but it wasn't a premium price either. Some people have good luck on these type spas and some don't. I doubt the warranty is very usable (ask them who is their service provider, get a number and call it) so you'll end up being your own service person if I had to bet (I hope you're a "handy" person). Hook it up, fill it up and enjoy.
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thanks for the input...will be choosing colors today
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The biggest risk you're taking in my opinion is whether you will have a usable warranty. But, I agree you need to inquire on who will be your service provider should you need them.
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Another risk would be that you don't like the spa once it's powered up because you didn't get a wet test or demo before you bought. On the other hand, it may end up being perfectly acceptable to you. I guess at your price range, I'd be less picky on stuff like that than I was when I was shopping.
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I think as long as you know what you are getting for your money and what the risks are, then great and enjoy!
This forum is made up mostly of owners and dealers of the big 5, so i look forward to your input and will provide a lot of value as people discuss price points and what yuo get for the money.
Did you get Steps? Ozinator? IS the tub full foam? Also, where are you located? (is this going to be an outside, winter tub?)
;D
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Congratulations!!!!! I agree with all the points here as who is the servicer and whats their track record? Will you "enjoy" the tub for years to come? Many people who buy these basic tubs do get bored with them, however I am the same guy that has never been in a hottub I didnt like, so you most probable will love it. Further how much was shipping? and do you have the buddies to install it or do you have to pay for that too? These are just some questions I would have considered. If you have already baught it take pride in ownership my friend it should fit your expectations well!
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Thank you all for the great input. I have recently finalized the order. I had them add the ozonator and sub zero insulation on the inside of the panels....this was at a minimal cost. It will be onyx with a grey cabinet. I spoke at length with the seller...really nice. The warranty seems straight up...but won't know that until I have a problem.. I guess. She answered all my questions about issues they have had and any things to look out for. You can not beat the price...with everything ...including tub, shipping, ozonator, extra insulation...$3100. ..it will be here in about 5 -6 weeks. That will give me enough time to build the concrete pad. ;D
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Good Luck,
Please keep up posted, I am curious to find out.
I also had a srict budget but was too chicken to consider ebay.
I hope you will enjoy your spa
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I had them add the ozonator and sub zero insulation on the inside of the panels....this was at a minimal cost.
Even with this added insulation I would be vary wary of how well it's insulated based on others experiences. You might consider opening it up and if it is not too well insulated like I imagine, you could look to add to it fairly easily and at not too much cost BEFORE you get that first eye opening electric bill.
The warranty seems straight up...but won't know that until I have a problem.. I guess.
That is true, time will tell. There is nothing they can say over the phone that would make me feel more confident. I hate to be a doubter but I question whether you'll have much luck here but time will tell and you seem to be going into it with your eyes open.
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Interesting it costs more money to add insulation. on another board this was brought up to Jim and of course he says no, Yet every consumer knows if its an option it is a up charge for full foam or adding foam.
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Richny...please keep us updated once you get your spa. Really interested in knowing how it turns out for you.
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Sure will...we are looking foward to our first soak. :D
To my surprise and pleasure I was already contacted by the people that perform the warranty service on the hot tub ....that was a good feeling...knowing that I would have a local person for assistance.
Thanks all.
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To my surprise and pleasure I was already contacted by the people that perform the warranty service on the hot tub ....that was a good feeling...knowing that I would have a local person for assistance.
Thanks all.
That's a good sign. Good luck.
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Did you find out if you have a local repairman in your area that the dealer will give yea,,,And if not if something goes wrong you will have many problems..JohnnyT
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My son has had a serenity spa for 4 or 5 years with no problems.
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jetster,
what happemned to your sons spa after the 5th year???????
NANCY
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Congratulations!
May you always have hot, clean, bubbly water!!!
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Finally got the tub yesterday....looks very nice, very big. I had it delivered to my local pool/spa store and they delivered to my house on their spa caddy. Placed it on my 6" concrete pad that I had poured over a month ago.
The installer/spa guy took a look at the tub closely...especially when he heard what I paid for it and based on the (brand name internal) components used thought I got a good deal. He of course mentioned about warranty, etc...which I agree could be a headache. But as luck would have it...my electrician friend that ran all my lines for me is a local spa troubleshooter/repair person and my neighbor is a plumber that told me he could help if I ever got in a jam.
So now its up to Mother Nature to cooperate. It's 20 degrees out and my outside water is turned off. I am hoping for a January thaw to allow me to get the unit started.
Honestly I am in no rush...I am just glad it got here in one piece.
Rich
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Hi,
it seems like you did your research, you knew what you could afford and you decided to go for it.
You understood some of the negatives and seem to be able to deal with the possiblity of them. But look at it this way there are risks everyday we take. Your spa may NEVER GIVE you a lick of trouble.
Enjoy your purchase. Since a service person already called you I think you are going to be just fine.
I also was on a strict budget. I decided to purchase a tiger river spa- sumatran model. I could not afford one with all the bells and whistles. I am thouroughly enjoying it and have not had one bit of trouble with the spa or the water. We are going on our fourth month of ownership and looking at changing the water soon.
The water is crystal clear!
Good luck on your new purchase!
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"Energy Consumption Low "
Ok, now that I have specifics, I feel better :)
Good luck on your purchase and I understand your reasoning. That is a lot of tub for that price, so I started paying attention to the details that you provided. That one just kind of amused me. We all will enjoy hearing about your experiences with it.
I can envision walking into a Hummer Dealer and going to the mileage sticker on the H3 and seeing "pretty good"
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Yeah...I can see how that is a bit odd wording...but I am not too concerned.
My electrician came over late this afternoon to see the spa to get everything together for the final electrical hook-up. Finally got a chance to look inside...it uses the Balboa SUV M-7 power pack and has 2 5 HP aqua flo flomaster pumps. I had them put in a ozonator...the brand is DEL. He fixes these things all the time and liked what he saw...it is put together very nicely. I was happy to see that it has a drain cap...I was not sure if it had a drain originally. It will be powered up tomorrow and if the weather cooperates I will finally get water into it by next weekend.
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Rich, if he is hooking it up today, fill that puppy and get in. This is perfect hot tub weather on the East Coast. We got some snow over the weekend and are supposed to get more here in the Philly area tonight.
Do you have a 'tub' sink in a laundry room perhaps? I have hooked up my hose to this sink in the winter to fill my spa. I just ran the hose through the family room out the back door to the spa.
Good luck and enjoy.
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Rich congrats on your new tub.
Please continue to contribute here, as many of us, are very curious with how this tub works out for you.
Enjoy. :)
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Well it's all powered up...but its just too cold for me to fill right now. I am really pumped to get the spa going...probably on Saturday.
I'll keep posting to let you know how good or bad it turns out.
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Pics too!
We love pics.
;D
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I check in on this site every few days, mostly just to laugh at the oddball humor, but also in the hopes of getting the odd gem of an idea. Perk 1, you scored big time tonight. I've been wondering for a while about how to fill the tub in the winter, and hooking the hose to the laundry tub is one I hadn't thought of. Thanks!
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OK...back to report on the Serenity Spa.
Good news:
1)Very decent components(balboa controls, aqua-flo pumps)
2) good workmanship, easy access to most items underneath
3) kids love it
4)price allowed us to afford a hot tub
Bad news:
1)Pump #2 (Aqua Flo) failed upon start-up, took about 2 weeks to get my new one (I finally installed last night)
2)Service is pretty much all on the phone...even though the company (Sun Enterprises) is helpful...they have not been able to get anyone out to my house. I bought a labor warranty that does not exist.
3)Exterior panels are not the highest quality
So the question is....would I go this route again and the answer is yes. Even though I have had a few headaches I think with persistance and getting the right person at Sun Enterprises I will get satisfaction. Plus I saved thousands of dollars and I would have never been able to get a hot tub by going retail to a local spa store.
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OK...back to report on the Serenity Spa.
2)Service is pretty much all on the phone...even though the company (Sun Enterprises) is helpful...they have not been able to get anyone out to my house. I bought a labor warranty that does not exist.
So the question is....would I go this route again and the answer is yes. Even though I have had a few headaches I think with persistance and getting the right person at Sun Enterprises I will get satisfaction. Plus I saved thousands of dollars and I would have never been able to get a hot tub by going retail to a local spa store.
The key is to understand and accept that the quality may be spotty and YOU will be the service tech (yes, you bought a useless service warranty) regardless of what some promise of a warranty paper says. If you can handle that then you'll get some satisfaction. Will it last 10 years? Probably not unless you’re a real handy guy that is willing and able to nurse it when needed but this was a bargain spa and you seem to understand what comes with that. Good luck.