Author Archives: Karen

TIME FOR A NEW SPA COVER?

 

Is the vinyl on your cover – dry, brittle, torn or cracked?
Check it!  These will affect the energy savings in heat retention and will impact the cleanliness of your spa water.

Is the hinge (the cover fold) torn?
This can provide an escape of heat!  Even if the hinge area is area only 5” – we recommend a new cover.

How about that foam core????
Is it sagging – this causes gaps in the overall seal of the cover.  It is also an indicator that the foam core may be broken or breaking.

Does the cover puddle?
In most cases this suggests the foam core is broken or bent.   Puddles get worse over time and the weight of the water in the puddling causing the foam to break, if the vinyl is brittle, the broken foam forces through and what a mess in your hot tub!

Remember:  saturated covers do not dry out
The Spa Doctor purchases your customer cover locally from Cedar Mount spa Covers.  Here are their tips

cedar mountain 

Spa Covers Now On Sale Starting At – $395, call today for details!
1-800-SPA-DOC1 (1-800-772-3621)
info@spadoctor.com

DO NOT:

  • Hang your cover by the fasteners tabs, yank on or lift cover by fastener tabs.
  • Attempt to remove cover with fasteners still attached.
  • Over chlorinate your spa; excessive chemicals can decrease the life span of most materials.
  • Walk, climb, jump, or play on the cover.
  • Allow pets to walk, jump, play, or rest on cover.
  • Swim or play under the cover when on the spa.
  • Allow snow and ice to accumulate on cover.

DO:

  • Remember to remove the cover completely when adding chemicals so splashing chemicals cannot damage it.
  • Allow chemicals to circulate completely through spa before replacing cover. This will further help prevent damage to underside of cover.
  • Use a floating solar cover in conjunction with your SPA COVER. This is the most important thing you can do to make your cover last longer. The “R” value is greatly increased and the foam inserts are less likely to absorb steam.
  • Remove any snow and ice from cover prior to opening.
  • Clean dirt off your cover often. You can simply use warm soapy water like when washing a car.
  • Periodically use protective treatment designated for marine products. The material used for your cover is treated with ultraviolet inhibitors to help prevent fading; however, use of a protective treatment as suggested will prolong the life of your cover.
  • Because of exposure to steam, the foam core of your cover has been wrapped and heat sealed in polyfilm to prevent absorption of water. However, whenever possible, you should stand your cover on end to let the excess moisture drain out.

Snow, Holidays, The Old #3 in Ronald, Washington

It’s the holiday season and one of my favorite stops along my many routes is in Ronald, Washington.  If you’ve been you know what I’m talking about, The Old #3 over the mountains in Ronald!  This time of year in the snow, it’s a wonderful destination!

I have a monthly route that takes The Spa Doctor to Cle Elum, Roslyn, and Ronald areas where we service anywhere from 5 – 10 hot tubs.  Just about every month when we are cleaning hot tubs over there, we stop to have a bite to eat at one of the local restaurants.

A company favorite, for many years running is The Old #3 in Ronald.

The original owner of The Spa Doctor, (Edward Serocki) used to snowmobile all over the ridges and drop down to Ronald. He and others were covered in snow and sometimes even mud! The floors were covered in peanut shells to grab the melting snow. There were hundreds of hats stapled or nailed all over the ceiling and walls. Among those hats was a Spa Doctor hat. Then came a fire and took the building away.

When the remnants were bulldozed – the workers collected some hats that survived the fire and hung them on the cyclone fence.

The Spa Doctor hat survived. Not long ago on one of my many visits, I found that old hat and returned it to its rightful place.  The Old # 3 has been rebuilt, dollars bills are stapled on the walls now and the hats are starting to appear again on the ceiling.

I soon will be making my monthly visit in December to The Old #3, of course after we service some hot tubs in the area.  The next time you are in Ronald – stop in – look for the Spa Doctor hat!

Lastly, The Spa Doctor thanks all our great customers for a wonderful year and we look to forward servicing your hot tubs in 2011!  Happy Holidays and have a safe new year.

Karen Seely, The Spa Doctor

Is Your Spa Filter Clean?

Why is having a clean spa filter important? There are two main reasons we tell our customers;

1. A dirty filter restricts the water flow putting un-needed stress on your spa equipment.

2. Spa filtration is a key element in keeping your spa water clean and aids in keeping the water balanced.

No matter how your filter “looks” it should be replaced every year and more frequently under heavy spa usage, or if filter has not been maintained.

The Spa Doctor recently replaced a filter that looked like this!

Filter 002 (3)

The filter is made of a fibrous material. And over time this material breaks down and allows larger particles and debris to pass through which can cause havoc on your plumbing and equipment. Repairing plumbing and equipment is more costly than an annual expense of replacing a filter.

This customer now has a nice, new spa filter that looks like this!

Filter 003 (3)

If your filter is less than a year old and you can’t get it clean – i.e. does it look clean to you? Then put in a new one.

Take a look at your spa filter and specifically these areas to gauge how dirty your spa filter is;

1. The center part of the filter to see if the core has loosened

2. The pleats to be sure they are still pleated and not wide open. If they appear loose or the pleats of the exterior are wide open, it’s time to replace the filter

3. Check to see if the end caps are cracked, brittle, or discolored.

Replacing a spa filter is one of the very basic and easiest things to do to keep your spa in great working order. Good filtration is very important to the maintenance of your hot tub and ongoing enjoyment.

Unsure if your filter needs to be changed? Call The Spa Doctor today and we would be happy to discuss our drain and detail or monthly services that will keep your spa filter clean, water balanced and spa equipment in good running order.

Karen Seely –

Know Your Spa Chemicals – The Spa Doctor

There is a wide range of spa chemicals on the market today with varying degrees of concentrations and pricing. Spa professionals, like us here at The Spa Doctor, always suggest to our customers that they speak with a knowledgeable spa professional about what type of chemicals to use and how to apply spa chemicals in your spa or hot tub. Any knowledgeable spa professional will have experience with spa chemicals and water conditions specific to your area that will enhance your experience, keep water chemistry in balance, and simply make it very easy for you to add spa chemicals to your spa or hot tub.

A common mistake spa customers make is purchasing spa chemicals from “Big Box” stores at what they perceive to be discounted pricing. Sure you might save a couple bucks per container, but there is a reason as many of these brands have “fillers”, lack strong concentrations, or such employees may not have the experience to educate you about spa chemicals. The result from not purchasing spa chemicals from The Spa Doctor, or similar spa professional – you will need to add more spa chemicals to your spa (more money) and spa equipment will break down faster, even more money!

Our Customers Use Leisure Time Spa Chemicals From The Spa Doctor

We love to tell our customers (and they appreciate it) a few simple things to keep in mind about spa chemicals:

1. Don’t use outdated spa chemicals. For regular spa users it is estimated that spa chemical usage should turnover about every three months.

2. Use your spa chemicals! They are made for a reason, and using them helps keep your water chemistry balanced after using the spa and keeping the water from getting nasty smelling.

3. Purchase a good brand of spa chemicals such as the brand we sell. After all, it’s your spa and you want to enjoy clean, balanced water.

4. Minimize equipment costs. You will be amazed how poor chemical concentrations and lack of applying spa chemicals on a regular basis will break down equipment and elevate costs.

5. We love to educate our customers and show them while standing at the spa how to apply spa chemicals and on what frequency based on usage. Our customers love us for the few moments we take to educate them about applying spa chemicals.

Think about your spa chemical usage and the next time you need to refill ask yourself if saving a couple dollars from a “Big Box” retailer is worth it?

The Spa Doctor delivers spa chemicals daily to our customers whom we maintain their spas on a monthly service or drain and detail. Let us know if you need any spas chemicals and we would be happy to spend a few moments with you to answer any questions you may have about applying to your spa.

Karen Seely, The Spa Doctor
Toll Free: 800.722.3621 / Email: info@spadoctor.com

The Spa Doctor Blog is Online!

Thank you to our valued customers for your many years of support, suggestions, and lasting friendships.  Over the years many of you have asked great questions about your spas that I felt would be good to share in general with anyone who owns a hot tub or spa.  So, with that I have taken plunge and am now an official blogger with the creation of the first installment of – The Spa Doctor Blog!

What will we be talking about on this blog – my favorite resorts, wine, travel, The Spa Dog – Brandi:

The-Spa-Dog-Spa-Doctor-Bellevue-Washington

great movies, books, and so much more…  No, seriously, we will discuss the adventures and pleasures of enjoying your hot tub and spa.

Since 1973, The Spa Doctor has serviced and maintained hot tubs and spas in the greater Seattle region.  Our services include:

I plan to have many creative moments to keep The Spa Doctor blog alive and well maintained!  Please enjoy our website and contact us anytime if we can help you with your spa or hot tub!

 

Karen Seely, The Spa Doctor