IS 100% FILTERATION REALLY NEEDED

[jsimo7]

Hi Is 100% filteration like Hot Springs has really needed.? The Hot springs salesperson says it is, and other brand salespeople say it is not that important. Hot Springs says thier 24hr pump will filter the water 12 times per day and the main pumps draw all water through the filters. How important is that?? Thanks for the help!!

[Vinny]

For the most part, every major tub manufacturer has a niche that they advertise - that is Hot Springs niche. Take a look at the post that Steve started about the 2 things about the manufacture you represent.

I bought an Artesian and it's circ pump will cycle 400 gallons of water approx 40 times a day and Beachcomber has a pump called a hush pump that filters even more. A lot of tubs don't have a circ pump at all.

When it comes to clean water, I think it's safe to say that all the major manufacturers will provide you with clean water as long as you follow the correct guidelines - whatever that may be for the manufacturer.

Pick a tub on what YOU like and don't sweat the things like filtration too much.

Just my 2 cents!

[Steve]

Vinny is bang on! Welcome to marketing 101.

[spatexport]

Most spas with more than one or two pumps have jet pumps that draw water from suctions in the bottom of the tub and pump the water directly back to the jets.

Most all tubs filter 100% of the water multiple times each day through the circulation/filtration pump.  This is important.

[salesdvl]

For the most part, every major tub manufacturer has a niche that they advertise - that is Hot Springs niche. Take a look at the post that Steve started about the 2 things about the manufacture you represent.

I bought an Artesian and it's circ pump will cycle 400 gallons of water approx 40 times a day and Beachcomber has a pump called a hush pump that filters even more. A lot of tubs don't have a circ pump at all.

When it comes to clean water, I think it's safe to say that all the major manufacturers will provide you with clean water as long as you follow the correct guidelines - whatever that may be for the manufacturer.

Pick a tub on what YOU like and don't sweat the things like filtration too much.

Just my 2 cents!

Jeepers Vinny, I'd say that's gotta be at least 3 or 4 cents for that.

[h20bill]

I've had several different brands of hot tubs and have noticed that in my hot springs with 100% filtration I don't need clarifiers, I don't have scum lines, and there is almost no scrubbing or cleaning the shell when i drain and refill. 100% filtration probably isn't needed if the spas you sell don't have it

[salesdvl]

Vinny is bang on! Welcome to marketing 101.

and what, exactly does "bang on" mean?  
must be another obscure Canadian phrase eh?

[TubbinSoon, now we be tubbin]

Bang on, Jeepers, dig out those old cliches? Hottest thing since sliced bread or steel tipped shoe laces?

[Chas]

Most spas with more than one or two pumps have jet pumps that draw water from suctions in the bottom of the tub and pump the water directly back to the jets.

I will disagree. Since HotSpring sells more tubs than any other maker, and since HotSpring draws 100% of the water it moves through a filter before moving it, it would be fair to say that MOST spas do not bypass the filters as you have discribed. It would also be fair to say that most brand do, because I know of only two or three which do what HotSpring does.

Most all tubs filter 100% of the water multiple times each day through the circulation/filtration pump.  This is important.

Show me one, including HotSpring. To do this, the tub would have to have some method to taking the water out, perhaps send it to a holding tank or whatever, filtering it and then returning it to the tub. Otherwise you can only say that some tubs filter an amount of water equal to the volume of water they hold: For example if a tub can filter 500 gallons an hour and it holds 500 gallons, you could say that it filters an amount of water euqal to its volume every hour.

HotSpring only claims that it's tubs filter 100% of the water that they move. That means that when your circ pump is running (round the clock) all of it's water is filtered. And when your jet pump(s) is running, all of it's water is also filtered.

This simply means that a HotSpring spa can do in 10 minutes what bypass spas will take an hour to do.

Is it important? It tends to make a spa easier to keep clean and clear.

[Bill_Stevenson]

My experience as a consumer is that it does not really make any difference as long as you follow the manufacturer's recommendations for water treatment and maintenance.  My last tub had one filter (Caldera) my present spa has 5 (HotSpring).  Both have sparkling clean water.

Regards,

Bill

[ebirrane]

I'm sure that regular maintenance will keep any spa clean and clear.  That being said, I don't always do regular maintenance.  

A few weeks back we left our HS completely unattended for 4 days, and had not been in the tub for about 6-7 days. Lifting the cover and expecting the worst, the water was crystal clear, and we are nearing the 4 month water change, so this isn't "new" water. I wonder how long it would have gone sans treatment? I have no desire to find out, though!

The beauty of good filtration and (debatable) ozone isn't that they are the *only* way to keep a spa clean, but, to me, they are little insurance policies for when you don't do a daily or every-other-day ritual.  We also belive we use less chems. After almost a year of ownership I believe we are on the original chlorine, PH, ALK and foam-out containers and have gone through 2 MPS containers.

-Ed

[zzaphod42]

I've had several different brands of hot tubs and have noticed that in my hot springs with 100% filtration I don't need clarifiers, I don't have scum lines, and there is almost no scrubbing or cleaning the shell when i drain and refill.

Although the Beachcomber in my showroom isn't used as often as most owners' tubs, I can say the exact same thing regarding clarifiers, scum lines, and general cleaning. It is a 400 gallon tub that uses a single 25 sq. foot filter.

100% filtration probably isn't needed if the spas you sell don't have it

lol - Very true! As with other unique/rare features on tubs, it isn't necessary, but can be nice to have.

The danger lies in believing the person who says "You must have this, or else."
 

[Steve]

Although the Beachcomber in my showroom isn't used as often as most owners' tubs, I can say the exact same thing regarding clarifiers, scum lines, and general cleaning. It is a 400 gallon tub that uses a single 25 sq. foot filter.

I'll even take that one step further. I had a Beachcomber with 400 gallons that was used at least 5 days a week with 2-4 people each day at home. This spa also had 1 - 25 sq ft filter and my water quality was always great. I too could leave it for more than a week and return to crystal clear water. Did I need 3 or more filters? And it was done by a company that doesn't sell more spas than anyone else. Go figure.

The money I saved on not having to replace all those filters was put towards chemicals and therefore lowered my maintenance costs!

Steve

[jsimo7]

Thanks for the info!! It seems like the general feeling is, it's nice to have but not really that important. I didn't see any reply that says it is a "must have" option. Thanks again!

[Chris_H]

Quite honestly, only the Hotspring people think it is absolutely necessary.  Just like the Sundance people think that Micro-Clean filtration is necessary.  I could keep going and going, but what is the point.  The major brands are going to keep your water clear.  That is all that matters.