I contacted Balboa about the details and they replied that the manufacture date of the control unit was 03/23/2016. That might be possible because the owner bought the house last year so he just estimated that its 6 years old, can be less than that.
I am pretty positive that I located the manufacturer as well, I think its Spa Manufacturer Inc, located in Clearwater, FL. It is local to the sellers location and it looks very close to other tubs from this manufacturers factory.
This hot tub is up and running, temperature is set to 95-100 F daily and its maintained weekly, the owner states that all jets and controls are running. It sits in a million $ house.
I am not sure about the reliability and quality of this factory. It has great reviews on google and other portals, its A+ on BBB and is over 35 years on the local market.
I contacted the manufacturer and they use materials dedicated for Florida which helps them keep the prices down compared to bigger manufacturers, that is:
- Acrylic shell backed by 7 layers of resin and fiberglass,
- Glued piped (not clamped)
- Plastic jets with chrome plating,
- Cedar wood cabinet (which according to the manufacturer, is enough insulation, so there is no other form of insulation)
Just to add, I am a DIY so I should be able to maintain it. I will also add some sort of insulation just in case.
I will try to negotiate the owner to sell it for $500. Do you think it will be worth it?