ozone vs headrest and EZPAD

[ebirrane]

Ed,

When it is factory installed you know what you are getting....Some dealers may choose to used a different ozonator to save a few dollars...

Oh.  I was under the impression that Del made HS ozonators and that only those ozonators were put on HS spas.  I might take my spa skirting off when it is warmer and take a peek and see what is inside.

I wonder if HS maintains ETL by having a dedicated ozonator and by using qualified instructors to install it??  My car didn't come with some options from the factory, but my dealer installed some stuff and it didn't void the warranty.  I wonder if HS works the same way???

-Ed

[Brewman]

Sundance makes it's spas ozone ready, and offeres the customer 3 choices: No ozone, CD ozone, or UV ozone.
That probably makes it easier for the factory and dealer when ordering spas for their inventory.  As long as the spa is ozone ready, what difference does it make if they intall at the factory, or if the dealer does it, as long as it's a Sundance ozone unit.  That's how my led light option worked- they put it in at delivery.  Warranty is still intact.
Brewman

[ebirrane]

And, more importantly, I would assume the ETL listing is still intact.  If you have an ETL listed D-1, and some repair guy comes out to fix your ozonator by replacing it with a new one, you haven't suddenly lost ETL listing, have you?

I put in an e-mail to Hot Spring and asked about it.  I'll post any reply that I get.  

-Ed

[poolboy34]

actually you can't put a different ozonator on the D-1 reflection and bay series spas.  They come standard with a UV Ozone system.

[Brewman]

I'd assume that the ETL/UL listing would stay intact if the dealer added options that were authorized by the factory.  
Non factory parts, I'm not sure about.    
Wonder how much you can sway from the factory condition to invalidate the UL testing results?
Brewman

[ebirrane]

Here is the hot spring back and forth, to date:

I guess I didn't make myself clear in my  second sentence, I apologize. The ozonator is not installed at the factory as it is considered an accessary.  The dealer always installs the ozonator and it doesn't void the warranty.  I was only cautioning you that sometimes dealers install brands that are not Hot Spring. IF an off brand ozonator were to be  installed and that caused a problem with the spa, that problem would not be covered by warranty, but it would not automatically void the entire warranty, only the issue involved with the ozonator.

-------

 Thank you for the very quick response.  It answered 2 of my 3 questions.


 My final question is:

If the dealer installs the freshwater III ozone feature in my spa, does that installation then void the ETL listing of my Hot Spring spa?  I'm not talking about other ozone systems, but, specifically, if I pay for the freshwater III system with ozonator and the dealer installs it, is my tub STILL ETL listed?

---

Thank you for writing to Watkins and your interest in our spa.

Hot Spring spas are all ETL listed.

The ozonator is an accessary that is installed by the dealer  (not the factory) and it would not void the warranty to have that done.  The dealers are privately owned and operated (not a franchise), so they sometimes
sell product other than Hot Spring.  Be sure that anything installed after market is the brand that you are expecting.

----
             Just an inquiry or two:

1) Are HS spas ETL listed?
2) Is the freshwater ozonator installed at the factory or by the dealer?
3) Do you lose ETL listing if the dealer installs the ozonator instead of the factory?

Thank you!

[Mendocino101]

Ed,
I am unsure if it voids the ETL listing...but.....Hot Springs response points out the very thing I mentioned and that is you do not know what you are getting with your dealer....now I am sure if you paid for F.W. 3 system than that is what you would get...I think the grey area is when a dealer  simply adds to an invoice add ozonator....that is where you are unsure of you are getting....

[drober30]

Ed,
I am unsure if it voids the ETL listing...but.....Hot Springs response points out the very thing I mentioned and that is you do not know what you are getting with your dealer....now I am sure if you paid for F.W. 3 system than that is what you would get...I think the grey area is when a dealer  simply adds to an invoice add ozonator....that is where you are unsure of you are getting....

My HS dealer included an ozonator in the deal at my request. It was only after I kept doing my homework that I found out it was a Spa King.

When I requested a HS ozonator the price went up $200. Same thing happened with the cover lifter. Included cheap lifter and the crover cradel was another $200.

[ebirrane]

Here is the final answer from Hot Springs on the ETL listing:

--
Hi again.  Installing the ozonator does not affect the ETL listing if it is
also an ETL listed and approved ozonator.  All of Watkins products are ETL
approved.
---

As for what you buy and what you get, it DOES depend on the dealer.  When I told my dealer I wanted an ozonator he made a point of calling it the "freshwater III system", not just "an ozonator", and now I know why!

But, this little bit of research led me to the following conclusions:

1) HS tubs with the HS ozonator are ETL listed.
2) HS tubs run ozone 24/7.

The claims that D1 are the only ones that do this, or are the only ones that do this safely, or are the only ones that do this with an intact listing are just... bunk.

I would imagine the same is true of Sundance tubs. I'm sure D1 is a good tub, but there is no reason to say things that are not true just to hawk a spa.


-Ed

[Mendocino101]

I would imagine the same is true of Sundance tubs. I'm sure D1 is a good tub, but there is no reason to say things that are not true just to hawk a spa.


-Ed

Now..Now...whats wrong a little bending and tweaking among friends.... .... .....

[ebirrane]

Now..Now...whats wrong a little bending and tweaking among friends.... .... .....

I guess you're right.   Since a little bending and tweaking is allowed, did you know that D-1's follow the same naming convention as a famous steak sauce?   Maybe, with enough engineering they'll climb up to A-1.  

-Ed

[poolboy34]

 

I guess you're right.   Since a little bending and tweaking is allowed, did you know that D-1's follow the same naming convention as a famous steak sauce?   Maybe, with enough engineering they'll climb up to A-1.  

-Ed
 

Ed, it's about time you agreed with me that D-1 makes the A-#1 spas on the market

[ebirrane]

 

Now, I know this isn't the topic of this thread, and I know we've gotten pretty off topic, but I wonder something...

Alot of people on these boards are dealers and part of the job of a dealer is to sell spas and this usually involves a sales pitch.   Sometimes, the sales pitch comes from the company itself (a-la marketing campaign) and sometimes the sales pitch is based on the dealer's knowledge and/or inate sales ability.

As people get new sales pitches (from ideas or from the spa manufacturer) how many dealers use these forums as a"sounding board" for what will and will not fly?

I image it would be rough to try to sell a spa, make a claim that winds up being untrue, and then have a comparison shopper feel that the salesman was dishonest when, indeed, they may have just been mistaken.

So.. how many people do use these forums and opinion posts to "test the waters"

-Ed

[Mendocino101]

Ed,

Thats a good question....The thought of using these boards to try a pitch out is something that has never crossed my mind and I doubt would cross the minds of many others...maybe I am wrong....I actually come to these boards first and foremost as a place to learn....It is where I can get the best information and insights about other spas as well as problems and ways to address them...At times when it is very obvious and done with a smile you plainly state your bias but more so when it is asked for or in the nature of friendly competition or just banter....but again for me...it is more of a learning tool than anything else.....

[hottubber]

ed,

As a longtime spa dealer, I still am learning about the new,and updated features on all of the models that exist in the marketplace. There are alot of biased opinions that get posted, but isn't that what we want? Don't we want both sides of the equation? As a Sundance and Marquis Spas dealer, I feel that the input to the board given by me, may help out a dazed and confused spa shopper, or assistance in a service issue that is posted, based on my experience. Everyone has their "BEST" spa line and there are quite a few, but to the consumer that is looking to purchase new, this site is very, very helpful.
Let's keep up the good work, it is for the bettermeant of the industry.
An educated consumer is a valuable asset to the spa industry.