Hot Tub Review
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Arctic
Manufacturer: Arctic Spas
Avg. Price: $0
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wmccall
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I looked at many spas before setting on this one. It is high quality all the way. The package that I ordered included exotic jets, CD Ozone, GFCI sub panel, cover remover, multi-color LED lighting (Northern Lights) Fiberglass flooring, Cedar step, delivery, setup and all taxes. In all it was competitively priced with all the other manufactures, once you looked at similar options, delivery and setup.
The first thing that I will comment on is the comfort of the seating. When friends use the spa they first get this look of surprise on their face, then they comment on how comfortable the seats are. The seats are molded and angled back, much like your favorite lounge chair. All of the jets are high end, so they all pulse or swirl. It’s not something I really noticed during the purchase, but it is something I have come to appreciate, especially after being in many spas that just have straight jets. Of the 33 jets almost half are 5-inch jets while the remainder are 3 inch. The spa is upgradeable, meaning additional jets can be added later it you want to add more jets to any of the seats. I suspect it will cost a bit to have this done after the fact, but if you discover a year or two later there is something you wish add, you can have it done.
The cabinet is the nicest of any that I have seen. It is made from western red cedar. This includes other cedar cabinets. They really do a great job at making it attractive. While there will be some maintenance to keep it looking good, I felt it was worth the effort. I have seen many pictures of large homes with beautiful decks, nice landscaping and in the center is a spa that looks like a giant brown Tupperware container. This spa will not take away from the beauty of your home.
I have a lot of confidence in the shell. It is really thick and it’s self supporting, meaning it doesn’t require lumber or foam to keep it propped up and stop it from collapsing.
The cover is the best that I have seen. It is reinforced and part of the marketing BS involves multiple people standing on it to show that it won’t collapse. While I haven’t felt the need to stand on it yet, I do feel it will easily stand up to the tons of snow that it will be exposed to in the coming years.
The flooring is rolled fiberglass. The concept is to take a fiberglass foundation that you might purchase and attach it to the bottom of the spa so you have a built in foundation. You will still need a properly prepared base, since if you put it on the ground and the ground heaves, it is not a good thing for the spa and can result in damage. In addition to providing a base, this seals the bottom of the spa preventing insects and rodents from burrowing into the foam. I think all spas should have a sealed base whether it is ABS plastic, fiberglass or even wood. Since the cavity of the Spa is open, the electrical cable comes up through the floor and is sealed. This makes for a very clean look with no visible cables coming it the side of the spa.
Little things like the cover lifter and the Northern lights make a difference, I would encourage everyone to get both with whatever spa they purchase. (Although hot tub dealers will promote the multi-colored LEDs as a several hundred dollar upgrade, I suspect the true value is around $50.00, so make them include it) The Artic spa has a very large underwater light lens. (The largest that I have seen) My wife and I use the spa in the evening before bed, so the multiple color options really add to the experience.
The spa has 8 access panels, so you can get at everything. The pumps and the plumbing are heavy duty and industrial or commercial grade. You won’t find any aquarium pumps in this spa. Since all the plumbing is exposed, I feel confidant that should Artic spa and it’s support network disappear, I could easily fix any plumbing problem that might occur down the road. The walls are lined with about 6 inches of foam with a dead air space in the middle. The spa reuses waste heat from the pumps to assist in heating the tub. This give the tub good energy efficiency, but personally I think too much is made of it. If this designs saves you 2 dollars a month over a full foam spa will the 24 dollars a year saving be the basis for your purchasing decision? The real advantage that I see is being able to see and easily repair any future problems. In this spa a leak (or even multiple simultaneous leaks) would not be the kiss of death, only a minor inconvenience. On the down side, having commercial grades pumps and lots of exposed plumbing does have it’s negatives. This spa is a bit noisier that others that are out there. Some people put spas right out side their bedrooms. I wouldn’t advise doing that with this spa. The filtration cycle runs every 6 hours so it will be running in the middle of the night. With some spas you cannot hear the motors or the plumbing, but you will hear something from this one.
I am very pleased with this spa I feel it is a top quality product. It belongs along side all of the other tier 1 spa’s that you may be considering. While I have heard criticisms that Arctic Spas are over prices (aren’t they all?) this wasn’t any more than the any other high-end spa that I looked at. The range in this region is $11K – 15K Canadian (8K – 11K US)
Date Purchased: 02/05
Price Paid: $11600
Recommend: Yes |
Pros:
Heavy-duty top quality component throughout
Comfortable seats
Thick shell
Top of the line cover
Beautiful cabinet
Large under water lighting
High quality jets
Upgradeable
Easy access easy to service
Cons:
Cabinet requires periodic maintenance
Nosier than some other spas
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wmccall
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We didn't buy the Kodiack, but bought the cub model which is the Kodiack but in a 7' instead of the 8' Kodiack. To try and be brief, I researched hot tubs for 6 months and did far more research than the average person. The Arctic cub was far and away the best choice based in no particular order: (1) Very powerful jets
(2) only cost 7-8$ per month using it for 15 to 20 minutes every night! (that's 220 volt, not 110!)
(3) They use the best electronics (Gecho),
(4) inovative clear large flexible pluming which has far less than 1% leaks on average,
(5) they use Canadian clear cedar which in my opinion is the prettiest cabnet on the market,
(6) the interior is very ergonomic and attractive
(7) the shell is the thickest on the market at up to 3/4" thick. They use the most durable shell today which is acrylic backed by vinyl ester resin with layers of fiberglass layed down. This method is by far the most costly way to build a shell, and because of it's strength, it needs no foam to support it.
We paid $6000. for this model spa just before they had a price increase of $1000 but if you add up the higher costs of operating most other spas, you will more than recover the higher cost of this one. And I am convinced this one will last a good 20 or more years. A lot of spas won't even come close to that.
I know some of you will read this and think that I sell the Arctic spas, but I'm simply a guy that does more than his share of research and am passionate about something that is truely special.
Date Purchased: 12/2001
Price Paid: $6000
Recommend: Yes |
Pros:
powerful jets, extremely cost effective to run, gorgeous looking outer cabnet, uses highest quality components available
Cons:
If you want very high pressure from all 29 jets at one time, you will not get it, but how many people would want all jets on full at once? |
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wmccall
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This spa is a great spa. Arctic spas use the heat generated from the motors to heat the water (in combination with a heater as well). This philosphy can be argued, but it does work. Even in the coldest of temperatures, the spa maintains it's heat. Maintenance is a breeze and keeping the water quality at optimum has been no harder than adding shock and testing the water after use. Piece of cake. The spas can be purchased with one two or three motors depending on the model you purchase. And, you can add jets in the field. This is a great feature for the price-conscious that may want to get a base model and add to it later. The wood cabinetry is beautiful; but does take some maintenance if you want to keep it nice looking. They don't offer a plastic option. They also feature a full wood subfloor that isn't an add-on as well as the cover is much thicker than the standard covers. This goes with the philosophy of heat rises; so keep it in from the top. Overall, this spa is definitely worth looking into.
Date Purchased: 11/15/02
Price Paid: $8500
Recommend: Yes |
Pros:
Maintains temp even on the coldest evenings.
Beautiful cabinetry.
Flexible Jet configurations
Cons:
Small dealer network
Wood only for the cabinets (if you don't want that, it is a negative) |
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