Six years ago, we bought a hot tub. We noticed the vendor in a corner of the Sport, Boat, and Travel Show one weekend and stopped by to check out his product. What was interesting about this hot tub (a SoftTub), was that, unlike conventional hot tubs with powerful heating elements and the need for 220 wiring, the SoftTub brand plugs right into a normal outlet and uses an electric motor to heat the water. It's the inefficiency of the motor heating up during use as it pumps water through the tubes that creates the desired temperature.
After some consideration, a bit of haggling, and some creative cash movement, we purchased the tub. It fit perfectly inside of the "pool room" (once home to a Valley brand, bar-weary, coin-operated pool table) and we enjoyed it year-round every year.
At Christmas, the circuit board (mainly the thermostat part) faulted, and the tub would only heat to 90 degrees before shutting off. We located a dealer-authorized repair specialist in Tulsa, Oklahoma who agreed to not only repair the electronics (his best guess was the too-often power outages from Kansas' many storms might have weakened the GFI and delicate circuitry of the tub), but to order and install a brand new liner as well. The liner was not torn or discolored in any way but it did have a ring of harder, puffier material that had, over time, been chemically damaged right at or near the water line.
We got up very early one Sunday, loaded the tub in the Toyota and headed to Tulsa. Another great feature of the SoftTub is it's portablity. Once empty, the motor detached, the tub rolls like a big hula hoop. It doesn't weigh much at all.
So off we go. We leave our tub with Calvin, and head to the casino for some gambling. We returned about 4 hours later to pick up the tub, pay Calvin and head home.
All is well and we are happy tubbing - a welcome respite from the cold Kansas winter we are having this year.
After some consideration, a bit of haggling, and some creative cash movement, we purchased the tub. It fit perfectly inside of the "pool room" (once home to a Valley brand, bar-weary, coin-operated pool table) and we enjoyed it year-round every year.
At Christmas, the circuit board (mainly the thermostat part) faulted, and the tub would only heat to 90 degrees before shutting off. We located a dealer-authorized repair specialist in Tulsa, Oklahoma who agreed to not only repair the electronics (his best guess was the too-often power outages from Kansas' many storms might have weakened the GFI and delicate circuitry of the tub), but to order and install a brand new liner as well. The liner was not torn or discolored in any way but it did have a ring of harder, puffier material that had, over time, been chemically damaged right at or near the water line.
We got up very early one Sunday, loaded the tub in the Toyota and headed to Tulsa. Another great feature of the SoftTub is it's portablity. Once empty, the motor detached, the tub rolls like a big hula hoop. It doesn't weigh much at all.
So off we go. We leave our tub with Calvin, and head to the casino for some gambling. We returned about 4 hours later to pick up the tub, pay Calvin and head home.
All is well and we are happy tubbing - a welcome respite from the cold Kansas winter we are having this year.
