Be-Lite Aluminum Cover

[Astropin]

I could not find a lot of info on this....especially user info. But I decided to take a chance anyway. Just ordered a Be-Lite Aluminum cover for my Hot Springs Grandee. Looks like a nice cover that should actually save me money since it should last longer than 3 vinyl covers. R-14 rating is not the greatest, but not to bad. My tub is outdoors and we have some hard winters here in Michigan with lots of snow. My old (original) cover only lasted a little over three years. Wish me luck with this cover and if anyone has any input feel free.

Whoops...wanted to add a link and I deleted the whole thing....lol

http://www.be-lite.com/BE-LITE.HTML

[cooltoy2000]

http://www.be-lite.com/BE-LITE.HTML

[lawdawgva]

Just curious as to how much these covers cost?  I'm sure it varies by size, but on average?

-Law Dawg

[hot tub Frank]

interesting concept

[drewstar]

Doc spa offers these covers. I'm interested in how well they work.

Can they be used with a conventional lifter?

How heavy are they to open?

Do they scratch up? does the Al start to look weathered soon?

What are the costs compared to a conventail cover? How long are they rated to last? (typical life span of the cover?)

You mentioned  r-14 as not being the best, but it's also not the worse. It's my understanding that most standard foam covers are R-14, no? So it would seem you didn't loose anything on the insulation.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

"Doc spa offers these covers. I'm interested in how well they work."

They work quite well, but have a few draw backs. Besides weight, they don't have a skirt to protect the outer edge of the spa.

"Can they be used with a conventional lifter?"

Yes, to an extent. There's only 1 lifter that works with them and it's a "modified" Cover Valet.

"How heavy are they to open?"

Heavy. I think they average 60 or so pounds

"Do they scratch up? does the Al start to look weathered soon?"

They're much less prone to scuff damage than the typical vinyl cover. I've seen one 15 years old and they still look very good

"What are the costs compared to a conventail cover?"

About 3 times the cost

"How long are they rated to last? (typical life span of the cover?)"

There's no rating, but as I said, I've seen them 15 years old and still looking good. Though, the manufacturer only offers a 3 year warranty.

[Astropin]

"Doc spa offers these covers. I'm interested in how well they work."

They work quite well, but have a few draw backs. Besides weight, they don't have a skirt to protect the outer edge of the spa.

"Can they be used with a conventional lifter?"

Yes, to an extent. There's only 1 lifter that works with them and it's a "modified" Cover Valet.

"How heavy are they to open?"

Heavy. I think they average 60 or so pounds

"Do they scratch up? does the Al start to look weathered soon?"

They're much less prone to scuff damage than the typical vinyl cover. I've seen one 15 years old and they still look very good

"What are the costs compared to a conventail cover?"

About 3 times the cost

"How long are they rated to last? (typical life span of the cover?)"

There's no rating, but as I said, I've seen them 15 years old and still looking good. Though, the manufacturer only offers a 3 year warranty.

Just curious....protect the outer edge from what? And if that is needed wouldn't it be possible to add a skirt to it somehow?

60lbs....that is more than I thought....what does a typical vinyl cover weigh when new? What does it weigh 3-4 years later?

[Astropin]

Bump  

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

"protect the outer edge from what"

Sunlight and damaging UV rays.

"wouldn't it be possible to add a skirt to it somehow?"

Double-sided masking tape? The manufacturer has no desire or plans to make such a modification.

"what does a typical vinyl cover weigh when new?"

30 to 40 pounds is average

"What does it weigh 3-4 years later?"

Depends on the quality of the cover, and the care taken. From 30 to 40 pounds, up to 200 pounds  

[Tman122]

Yea....I just muscled one of those 200 pounders out of my truck and up over the side of a big dumpster. Now I need a soak!

[Astropin]

Well I got the cover in. They made it too big! It does not even come close to sealing. Needless to say I still have the old cover on and will let you know how well they take care of this situation. I ordered trough spastuff.com and will keep everyone informed on how well this situation is handled. Looks like not ALL of the measurement information made it over to Be-Lite from spastuff. I indicated that the cover needed to be recessed 2.5" in order to seal properly, that information was not on the "Sales Order" that I received from Be-Lite when the cover came in.

[Astropin]

Just a follow up. The new cover arrived today. It fits perfectly.....thank god. One bonus to this mess was that we hated the color of the one that was to big so at least we got to pick another color for the second cover. I should post a pic so you can see what it looks like. Looks well made and should last many years.

[cooltoy2000]

Did you have any pics of the one that did not fit?

[Jacuzzi Jim]

 Any of the dealers here see the guy pitching the automatic cover retracter/extender with built in bar in Vegas??

 I thought it was cool but seemed pretty pricy and alot of potential problems.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

At 900 pounds and retail around $5000.00, I quickly passed