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What is a "McSpa?"
Since
I'm the first to coin the phrase I get to explain it
too. . .A "McSpa"
is like a "McHamburger." Pre-made, mass produced and
usually the sales pitch is much better than the
actual product. Have you ever looked at a picture of
a "McHamburger" on TV, got all excited and ran like
mad to get one and then unwrapped the poor, smooshed
little thing and thought, "That's not what I saw in
the ad!" "McSpas" are found in the big box
stores priced way below what a spa should cost
because they are made cheaply, have no after-sale
service and will last 3-5
years before the cabinet understructure rots off or
the shell cracks or something breaks that you will
wait several weeks or months to get repaired or
replaced. The more "McSpas" the sooner
everyone will know; you get what you pay for :)
Why will I
save money buying a Tsunami Spa?
Tsunami
Custom Spas is actually a
manufacturer and as such we get manufacturer pricing on all of the parts and
pieces that go into a spa. Tsunami buys direct from these manufacturers and is
then able to pass the saving on to you!
You can't go to the other manufacturers and order a spa custom built for you.
You have to go to one of their hundreds of dealers, and pay for the dealer's
overhead: insurance, employees, commissions, rent, electricity. . .and you
probably will not get quoted the same price from different dealers, maybe not
even from different salespeople at the same dealer, and you just might get a "McSpa", a cookie-cutter
spa!
If you walk in to a spa dealership and there are no prices on the spas, how can
you be sure you are getting good value for your money. At Tsunami, our prices
are listed right on our website as well as on the showroom floor. In addition we
have a menu-based pricing system for our options. You can put a very expensive
option in a relatively inexpensive spa. . .without having to buy a package of
options. It's all about being a small, flexible company that can do custom work.
There is a lot of brand-name that people
pay for, and hype. Marketing and advertising make people believe
that if they hear something over and over it must be better, or it must be true.
The truth is, most of the parts and pieces that go into everyone's spas are made
by the same 20 or so manufacturers of spa parts. There are about 4 companies
building good electric motors which are paired up with 4 companies that make
volutes. Put them together and you have a good spa pump. 2 or so manufacturers
of spa-flex, (a schedule 40 flexible PVC for plumbing), 4 or so manufacturers of
spa jets, water and air manifolds, filter cartridges, suction and specialty
fittings, lights, etc., a few companies that build very good spa control
systems, 2 companies build almost all of the acrylic sheet used to form the spa
"shell", a few more companies that individually make polyurethane foams,
ozonators, gas-liquid injectors, lighting systems, audio components, and
other common accessories.
Why are spas priced so differently when we
all buy the same stuff? Ego perhaps?
Hard to say. You'd have to tear a
few of them apart and see, which we actually get to do! While most of the parts
and pieces are the same, construction practices may not be. There is a
difference between features and quality. There is a differences between taking
shortcuts and not. It comes down to conscience. I have personally spent half a
day making an ozone system pull and mix gas properly. I just wasn't happy with
what it was doing so we put in the extra time to make it work. Here are some of
the most notable difference between a Tsunami and some other spas:
We use pressure treated 2x4 lumber in the superstructure of our cabinets. Many
companies use untreated 2x2 pine and then paint it all black and cover it up so
you can't see it.
 
Photos taken 9-30-03 of a 1996 Sunance Spa. A perfect example of a
waterlogged, dry-rotted cheap cabinet. This is a trade-in that needs a complete
re-plumb and some cabinet work. Unfortunately common of mid '90's So. Cal. built
spas. This is also typical of a "McSpa" the Home Depot, Costco, WallMart spas,
etc. . .
We use big rubber isolators on all of our spa pumps that are specially made to
lessen transmitted vibration in 48 and 56 frame pumps. Many other companies
screw the pumps right into the equipment deck.
We use special schedule 40 PVC fittings to increase water flow and we can flow
more water with the same or smaller pumps, making a spa more efficient and more
therapeutic. Most of the other companies use hard 90 degree fittings everywhere,
even at the intake and return on the pump itself. That kills the water flow.
We use only schedule 40 flex PVC for our water lines. Most other
companies use inexpensive clear vinyl tubing.
We use only cast acrylic spa shells in a composite with fiberglass. Some shells
are reinforced with ABS plastic or are composed entirely of ABS plastic. ABS is
tough but too flexible to support acrylic, and by itself it scratches easily and
deeply (very soft material), and besides. . .it's just damned ugly!
We use all Western Red Cedar in our cabinets, or the
new high quality plastics
The molded foams haven't been around long enough to see if they will live up to
their "marketing" and cheap wood is. . . well cheap wood! In 5 years I wouldn't lean
up against it!
Lastly, we don't use grey-market imported
knock-off parts. Several of the big companies do.
Does it save them money. . .sure. Will the parts last through the warranty
period. . .maybe. . .we'll see!
Are replacement parts going to be hard to get from a foreign company being sued
by at least two American manufacturers who's patented parts were copied. . .?
You get the point.
Here is a very good example of why
molded foam spa siding; It cracks, it fades, it warps and it
still gets dirty. Everything it's not supposed to do!
Most of the quality in a Tsunami spa is in
the things that you can't see. Our spas are built for longevity with proven
construction materials.
Now that I have said all of this, there are
many quality spa manufacturers out there. There are some that I really admire
who are fair in their pricing, make a good product, stand behind their warranty
and run their business like a business. Just like we do!
Actually Jaccuzi is a brand name that has been around so long that it has become
a generic name for "spa" or "hot tub." Like when someone asks you for a
'Kleenex'
rather than a facial tissue, or say they need to get something 'Xeroxed' rather
than photocopied. In England most people don't vacuum their carpets. . .they 'Hoover' them! The salesperson at XYZ probably had a reaction to your inquiry
because he or she didn't know their spa history and it's affect on the
English language! Don't worry it was their mistake, not yours :)
There are several ways to insulate a
spa. . .and they all work for the most part. Each one has a different philosophy
behind it. I will tell you what these are and then tell you what we prefer to do
and why. . .although a simple answer is, since we do custom work, we can
insulate a spa however you would like! Ask anyone else in the industry if they
can work that closely with a client and see what they say :)
First is
a perimeter insulation similar to they way a house
is insulated. The idea is that a spa shell with no
insulation will absorb heat from the equipment bay
and heat the spa water with waste heat from the
pumps. The reality is that any and all spas do that
with or without insulation on the shell, just at a
different absorption rate. Remember though that
temperature change happens from hot to cold until
equilibrium is reached, not from cold to hot. So
unless the inside of the cabinet is warmer than the
water in the spa shell, the air in the cabinet will
get warm from the water not the other way around.
It's a clever bit of "marketing" that someone has
developed and it sounds good except that most of the
time it violates the laws of physics. Mostly it's
just a clever story that they can tell people and
saves the manufacturer about $200 in insulating
foam. Big surprise!
Second is the foam
filled cabinet. This utilizes a 1/2 pound per cubic
foot, 2 part expanding foam that is about the
consistency of cotton candy. It has little
insulation value per inch so the whole cabinet must
be filled. This foam is very easy to remove if a
repair has to be made but it's an open cell foam and
sucks up water like crazy!
And last is the method we prefer, a rock-wool
insulation made from spun basalt hung in layers
slowing the transfer of heat from inside the cabinet
to the outside world. This material is literally
fireproof and a scant 1.5" layer will easily
resist a 600° F+ flame from a blowtorch on one side
while keeping the other side AT ROOM TEMPERATURE! It
will not absorb water and become heavy like
open-cell foam. In the equipment area, foil is faced
over the rock-wool reflecting infrared heat back
toward the inside of the cabinet. After a 24 to 72 hour
running water and electrical test, our spas are
insulated to an R14 value applied to the
inside of the cabinet to increase the insulation value and to help with sound
control. Our covers are typical of the industry, an R19 cover with a 4" to 2"
taper made from virgin 2 pound per cubic foot styrene foam that is wrapped and heat
sealed, aluminum reinforced and covered in premium
Marine grade vinyl. Lastly we will enclose the
bottoms on request but usually it is not necessary
from an insulation standpoint unless the spa is
going to be exposed on the underside as on a
suspended deck. Most of the larger spa manufacturers
enclose the undercarriage of their spas because they
are using inexpensive 2x2 softwood construction in
the cabinets. We use all pressure treated 2x4
construction in our cabinets. We also periodically
field test our spas for heat loss with an infrared
gun as well as query our customer base as to any
noticeable increase in their monthly electrical
costs associated with their spas. So far. . . not
one complaint!
We are also challenged from time to time with the issue of repairing a spa with
an insulated shell. Our answer to that is simply that we don't design our spas
to leak! The larger manufacturers who produce 30 to 400 spas PER DAY water test
only a fraction of their production run. . .which means that the consumer gets
to water test it at home and hopefully it doesn't leak! We custom build an
average of 15 spas per month and have the ability to extensively test every one
before it is insulated, detailed and delivered.
I don't know . . .can you get a cheap car
that is good, or a cheap refrigerator that is good? And what is good? There is a difference between "cheap" and "inexpensive." We don't build any spas
that are "cheap."
By some peoples terms many of our spas are, however, inexpensive. All of our
spas are built with the same high-quality parts, it may just have fewer of them,
which makes it less expensive but certainly not cheaper. We have built custom
spas that were $2,700 complete and others that were $12,000 complete. Our spas
are inexpensive to our clients because they buy from the manufacturer, not from
a middle-man. Don't you wish you could buy your car from the manufacturer or
your refrigerator from the manufacturer? If you could buy a GE refrigerator from
General Electric for $349 rather than from XYZ Appliance company for $1,099. .
.wouldn't you?
A new product is "cheap" only if it was
made cheaply with cheap parts, cheap labor, cut corners and the spa may be
unreliable or even unsafe. You do get what you pay for.
Of course! We often do. The trade value will depend on the brand, condition and
demand for the type of spa you have. If the spa is in great shape you may get
more for it than we will offer by selling it private party through a classified
ad. If the spa is not running it will be difficult to place a value on it. If
you're serious about a trade-in value, at least clean and fill the spa, it will
give us a better assessment if we know that it at least holds water, or if it
doesn't, how badly it doesn't. If the spa is sitting dry, not running, and
obviously hasn't run in a while, we'll probably offer to haul it away for free.
Typical trade-in for a spa that has some marketable value is $300 to $750.
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That really depends on you, and I'll
explain why. Our standard spa covers have an R value of 19 and under the cabinet
the spa is insulated to better than R14. Plus the mass of 400 gallons of water
is somewhat self-insulating as well as the cabinetry and the airspace inside. What you have is a very big, very efficient water heater.
Your water goes in at about 55 degrees and your spa heats the water to 100-104
degrees. With a 5.5kW heater, about 400 gallons of water and an energy cost of
about 8 cents per kilowatt hour, your spa will cost between $2.75 and $3.75 to
heat the first time. After that, if you never use the spa and all it has to do
is maintain it's temperature, it will only cost a few dollars a month. Everyone
tells you how much their spa costs to heat. They never tell you how much a spa
costs to operate! This is the most commonly quoted scenario at a spa dealership,
"This spa will only cost $5.00 a month to heat." True, if you A) Never
take the cover off letting the water lose heat that must be re-heated and B)
Never turn the pumps on, never turn the light on, never turn the stereo on,
never turn the blower on, etc. .You get the point! The average well insulated
spa will cost about $18-$25 a month to operate and maintain according to
industry average spa use which is every other day for twenty minutes. Some
people use their spa every day, some only once a week but the average is as
stated above. Your spa may cost more or less to operate compared to an identical
spa. It depends on you!
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Are there
additional costs involved in owning a spa?
Of course, just like anything else. The
other costs associated with any spa is for chemicals and maintenance. How well
you maintain your spa will help to determine operating cost; do you shower
before getting in, do you drain the water and re-fill on the proper schedule, do
you use inexpensive chemicals that often cost more in the long run, have you
invested in other technology that will pay for itself and give you a return over
time as well as help to keep your spa clean and safe, do you use test strips
regularly and keep your water chemistry up (much less expensive than replacing
pump seals, motor bearings and heater elements), do you use a cover lifter and
clean your cover with a silicone based product with UV inhibitors, do you keep
the cabinet clean and oiled (or stained) at least yearly. A little TLC and your
spa will last for many years.
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What
are the most important things to consider when buying my spa?
Here are a few simple
tips:
-
1. It should fit your body
2. It
should fit your lifestyle
3. It
should fit your budget
4.
You
should get true value-per-dollar (and only you can assess that)
5.
You
should place your spa where it will be convenient to use and maintain.
If not, you will use the spa less, do maintenance less, and you will violate
tip #4
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I've
been looking at spas at Home Depot and Costco. Are they a good deal?
HydroSpa, the manufacturer for the Costco spas, just
filed bankruptcy in mid Sept. 2007
The photos
below have a story behind them; A gentleman purchased a Savannah Spa from Home
Depot. He chose a HD
spa over a Tsunami because of price, but what he purchased was a cheap spa (as
opposed to an inexpensive spa) that has some problems. Fortunately we have still
made a customer as he had the spa shipped directly from HD to Tsunami so we
could do the repairs since there is no warranty service available for this spa.
A
"McSpa" from Home Depot. Even looks nice. . . on the
outside!
A hole in the
"McSpa". The shell is thinner than my fingernail and
after
removing panels and foam to get to the repair area, there was no fiberglass
support
at all!
This "McSpa" was purchased new from Home Depot and
because
there
is no warranty service available, the spa came to
Tsunami for repair. We work on a few of
these a year.
Delivery label
Home Depot truck. . .even had it's own forklift!
Understructure of
the "McSpa", un-plated screws
and
un-treated lumber. This cabinet might last 4-6 years
"McSpas" purchased at the mass market
stores. . .and you now have spas in WALMART and yet another brand
in Lowes, Home Depot and Costco. . .are frequently priced below the traditional
spa dealers. Are they a good deal? Maybe. Delivery cost is usually inflated and is usually only curb-side.
Warranty service may be difficult or non-existent and customer
service is simply not there. Remember too that these mass
merchandisers have negotiated a very tough deal with
the manufacturer which leaves the manufacturer little choice but to cut corners
and hope to make it up in volume sales. Most manufacturers that have become
desperate enough to sign these deals have gone out of business. After they
run around and wave their contract in the air like they have received a
proclamation from the King, they eventually realize that the warranty work on
their spas, the slim deal they cut, the payments for product in 60-90 days, and
the re- negotiated price that the mass merchandiser offers them in the second
year (usually several hundred dollars less per unit than the year before) has
left them with a production facility that has cost a fortune as they have
tooled-up to make 10,000 - 20,000 spas a year and now they cannot afford to
produce that product at all. A short, recent history lesson; Gadsby Spas ,signed a deal, went
out of business, purchased by Jacuzzi and signed another deal, Gadsby plant
closed. Savannah spas, signed a deal, filed for bankruptcy. HydroSpa, the
manufacturer for the Costco spas, just filed
bankruptcy in mid Sept. 2007. These relationships always get nasty in the end and the spa industry
is replete with these deals.
Now what does that mean to you?
You may be looking at a cheaply built spa, manufactured in another country, that
will soon have no support. And I mean no support. Look at the pictures
above again and buy as an informed consumer.
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Can
you repair my old spa equipment?
In many instances your equipment
is repairable. Simple things like a bad pressure or flow switch, heater element,
relay, wiring, pump seals, bearings, impellers, cords etc are repairable for a
reasonable cost rather than replacing the pump or control system completely.
Older equipment systems built by manufacturers that are no longer in business or
have been bought out, may be harder to find or no longer produced
and new-old-stock parts or replacements may be quite expensive. Sometimes it's
less expensive to go with all-new equipment. It depends on the part and
the application but I would say investigating a repair, especially if you are
happy with the way it worked before, is a good first step. We have relationships
with many of the manufacturers and relationships with the people who carry
out-of-production parts so we will do our best to help.
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Do you sell parts?
Yes.
Tsunami Custom Spas has access to many of
the major manufacturers in the industry and can get replacement parts for many
brands of spas. Some spa brands use "proprietary" parts that we will
not be able to get any better deal on that you would if you called them. Many
parts that look proprietary are really not. Spa manufacturers frequently form
agreements with the spa industry molded plastic companies to produce jets, air
controls, diverter valves, etc that have a branded look or even the spa
manufacturer's name on them but everything else about the part is standard and
generic. Generic or "unbranded" parts are probably available at at
substantial savings.
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