Archive for the ‘Hot Tub Accessories’ Category

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Want healthy hot tub & swim spa water? Clean filters are key!

Tuesday, May 8th, 2012

Here’s a startling statistic: many hot tub owners don’t clean or replace the filters in their tub or swim spas at all!! We’re a bit mystified by this, especially since one of the main elements that keep your hot tub & swim spa water clean, clear and healthy is (guest what?!) clean filters!

Filters are designed to keep hot tub & swim spa water clean and free of bacteria, body oils and other organisms introduced by bodies during a soak or swim. There’s only so much, however, that a filter can do without your help. Do the following to keep your water healthy and clean for hot tub & swim spa use:

  • DO clean your filters thoroughly at least once a month. Rinsing with a garden hose is not enough! Filters must be cleaned with a degreasing agent. The filter cleaner (http://www.oregonhottubstore.com/Spa-Essentials-Filter-Cleaner-Spray-p/se_flt_cln.htm) Oregon Hot Tub sells is formulated to do the best job on hot tub and swim spa filters.
  • DO rinse filters in-between cleanings or after sessions in your hot tub or swim spa where the bather load is high. Extra bodies = more “stuff” entering your tub or swim spa. Rinsing helps keep your water cleaner longer, and ensures nothing clogs the filters that can interrupt filtration & heating functions.
  • DO keep your water balanced. When water is out of balance, hardness or other water care products can precipitate out of the water and coat filter sleeves, inhibiting their filtering ability.
  • DO consider adding a Scumball (http://www.oregonhottubstore.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=scumball) to your tub or swim spa’s filter bay. Designed to absorb body oils & lotions, they help prevent filter clogging and water line scum to boot.
  • DO replace your filters on a regular basis. Tubs and swim spas with single filters need to be replaced every year; if a tub or swim spa has multiple cartridges, replace every 2-2½ years.
  • DO consider replacing regular filters with Tri-X (http://www.oregonhottubstore.com/Tri-X-Filter-p/tri_x.htm) filters if you have a Hot Spring Spa. Tri-X is exclusive filter technology only available to Hot Spring Spa owners. Made of a dense filter media, these filters more than double the filtration of your hot tub, and last 4 years minimum! (These can also be used on selected Hot Spot & Solana Spas. See us for details.)

Give your hot tub & swim spa every opportunity to provide you with clean safe enjoyable water…keep those filters in great shape! That’s an order!

Posted in: Certified Spa Dealer, Hot Tub Accessories, Hot Tub Maintenance, Hot Tub Products, Hot Tubs Beaverton, hot tubs portland, Hot Tubs Portland Oregon, How-To, Swim Spas, Water Care Products | No Comments »

Heading to the Home Show? Top 5 things you should know

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012

The Portland Home & Garden Show is February 22-26…let the hot tub headaches begin! At least, that’s what many customers seem to experience when they move up and down the show aisles, bombarded with the many choices out there in hot tubs.

 Before you head to the Home Show, take some time to do research on the companies with show displays. A little bit of homework will certainly narrow your choices and you’ll be better prepared to do educated shopping and make the most of your show time.

 Here are five top things you should know about the hot tub company you choose to shop at the show: 

  1. Do they have an established history in my community? Or, is this company at the show someone who travels from state to state, with no showroom and no business address in Oregon? Make sure the hot tub company you choose can be there to support you for the years you own your hot tub, and are local so they can provide your warranty service.
  2. Do they have any service awards or certifications? The company that has a reputation for great customer service and has been lauded by their customers in online reviews will no doubt do right by you as well. There should also be awards from manufacturers, community groups, and associated professionals.
  3. Do they have longevity offering the same brands to their customers? Or do they change brands every six months, year, two years? The longer a company has been a dealer for one brand of product is the mark of stability, consistency—and offering a hot tub brand that serves consumers as a solid investment.
  4. Do they offer services to help you make the right decision in a hot tub? A good hot tub company will offer in-home consultations, the ability to try out a few tubs in their showrooms if you need that as part of your decision-making process, and a solid customer satisfaction guarantee in case the tub you choose isn’t quite right.
  5. Is their show booth staffed by sales staff that works in their stores as well? Some hot tub companies hire outside show teams designed to extract money at shows in order to make money for themselves. The sales pro you choose to do business with should be available to help you every step along the way and make sure you’re set up for the long haul.

 A little homework before you set out for the Home Show will make a big difference in who you choose as your hot tub company. We’ll hope to see you at the show, and have you join the thousands of happy customers we’ve partnered with since 1979. It’s how we continue to beOregon’s premier hot tub company!

Posted in: Certified Spa Dealer, Health Benefits, Hot Tub Accessories, Hot Tub Activities, Hot Tub Benefits, Hot Tub Products, Hot Tub Purchasing, hot tubs portland, Sale, Swim Spas | No Comments »

Top Gift Ideas for the Hot Tub Lover

Friday, December 9th, 2011

Everybody always wracks their brains at this time of year to figure out the perfect present to give that special person in your life for the holidays. Well, Oregon Hot Tub is here to help! Here are our top suggestions of the best gifts for the hot tub lover in your family.

Plastic Drink Ware—Our entire line of hard plastic drinking glasses, mugs, wine glasses and champagne flutes will help make celebrating at the hot tub safe and easy. Take a look at the entire line on the Great Gift Ideas section of our recently redesigned E-Store.

Dry Case & Waterproof Earbuds—New! Enjoy your smart phone and iPad in your hot tub without worrying that it will drown. This terrific line of products will keep your electronics safe in the tub, and make it easy to listen to your own personal playlist easily. Check out the entire line of Dry Case gifts.

Spazazz Aromatherapy—Delight your senses while you soak with our entire line of Spazazz Aromatherapy crystals. Choose from terrific scents like lavender, pomegranate & coconut. Or—choose from the terrific new Spazazz RX line, to target specific therapy to make both your body and nose happy. RX  choices include Detox, Joint & Respiratory therapy.

Spa Caddy —Provide a convenient spot for drinks and other goodies on this sturdy spa side table. Swings into the tub for use, and swings outside the tub to utilize even when not in the tub.

Spa Umbrella—Face it: someone in the house thinks they’re going to melt if they head out to the hot tub in the rain! Fix that once and for all by investing in the perfect answer to keep sprinkles off your noggin. This umbrella is specifically made for hot tubs—and swings easily over patio furniture when you don’t need shelter in the tub from the elements. Four great colors to choose from: camel, graphite, sage green & terracotta.

A Sauna—Nope, that’s not a mistake! Lots of Oregon Hot Tub customers are taking their health and wellness commitment to a whole new level by adding a Helo Sauna to their home. With both traditional steam and infrared options that plug into a standard household outlet, you can turn that unused space in the master bedroom into a personal retreat. A terrific way to get that healthy glow each morning!

Okay…we’ve done our part! Now it’s up to you to make sure Santa delivers the perfect gift from Oregon Hot Tub. Happy holidays!

Posted in: Certified Spa Dealer, Hot Tub Accessories, Hot Tub Activities, Hot Tub Products | No Comments »

Moved to a new home with a hot tub? We can help!

Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

It’s always exciting to move into a new home, settle in and establish a new routine. This time, you are particularly excited because there’s a hot tub in the backyard! But—the dilemma here is you’ve used hot tubs, but never owned one of your own. What to do? Here’s a list of things to do to prepare to enjoy your hot tub.

  1. Find out what kind of tub it is. Any time you need some help or service with a hot tub, hot tub companies will often first ask what kind of tub it is. This gives them some direction in how to advise you. Usually the brand of the hot tub is found on the control panel where you turn the jets on and off and set the temperature. The second piece of info to look for: the hot tub’s serial number. This is normally found in the equipment bay of the tub, where the jet pump(s), heater and control box are found. Most of the time the serial number is on the interior wall or the floor of the equipment bay.
  2. Take inventory of your water care products. Hopefully the previous home owners left you some hot tub supplies. Gather together everything for the hot tub and bring it into the house—preferably to the kitchen where you have good lighting. Make a list of all the items you have, and how much each bottle still contains. Bring this list with you to Oregon Hot Tub so we can help fill in the gaps of anything that might be missing. (Sometimes it’s best to just start with fresh chemicals, so you’re not mixing brands, or using something you really don’t truly need.)
  3. Call ahead of time. It’s helpful for us to know you’ll be coming over to one of our stores, so we can set aside some time to help you out with what you need, and give you some initial education on water care and general hot tub use.
  4. Get new filters. Be prepared to get new filters for the tub. Most hot tub filters need to be changed every 1-2½ years, depending on the number of filters in the tub and the square footage of each. Most filters will have a number on the top cap—you may also see a brand name, like Watkins or Unicel. Be sure and write this information down, and bring it with you with your list of water care products. If you can’t find a number on the filter, bring it along with you when you visit us.
  5. Get new testing supplies. Most water test supplies—whether they be drops or test strips—expire each year. Best to start with fresh testing supplies so you’re getting accurate readings, and set up for success to balance your water.
  6. Not interested in becoming a hot tub chemist? The great news is we have a terrific option available for you to design out water balancing and testing—and help keep your skin silky soft while you soak! Be sure and check out SilkBalance (https://www.oregonhottub.com/silk-balance) when you visit us—we promise, you’ll never want to touch (or soak in!) traditional water care products again!
  7. Want to make it all even easier? Call us today to set up a visit from one of our Signature Water Care Valet Techs. We’ll come to your home, perform a good draining and cleaning of your tub, assist you with some hot tub educations, and order up what you need to get you on the way to enjoying your hot tub every night—as it should be!

Happy soaking!

Posted in: Hot Tub Accessories, Hot Tub Products, Hot Tub Purchasing | No Comments »

Creating hot tub privacy

Friday, August 19th, 2011

After doing this for as many years as we have, Oregon Hot Tub is well aware that most passersby and neighbors just aren’t interested in seeing you in your hot tub. Be that as it may, human nature and conditioning makes us modest beings, and a lot of us want to be sure the world isn’t watching when we trot out to the tub for a soak.

Here are some ideas to help create the privacy around the hot tub you crave:

  • Cover lifters. No, that’s not a typo! While the primary function of a cover lifter is to help take your cover on and off the tub safely and easily, as well as keep your cover in good shape, it can also create extra privacy at the tub. Some cover lifters, like our exclusive UpRite cover lifter, sets the cover up at a 90 degree angle to the shell of the tub. It makes lifting the cover off a breeze—but can also help protect from wind, as well as create a temporary partition from prying eyes.
  • Plants. A terrific natural way to create some privacy is through using the right plants near your hot tub. Tall shrubs like box honeysuckle that grow to about six feet in height and are evergreen would be a good choice. Laurel and jasmine are good choices as well. If you prefer something in containers you can move around, lots of folks love bamboo. Make sure it’s clumping bamboo, which will do well in containers and be easy to manage.
  • Privacy screens. There are a number of portable privacy screens on the market that are easy to move in place for privacy when you need it, but don’t become a permanent fixture. If you’re a do-it-yourself kinda guy or gal, you may be able to head to the local home improvement store and whip something great together in an afternoon. If not, there are also ready-made screens made of wood or resin, like this one currently available from Suncast.
  • Enclosures. For big time privacy, you can always consider a complete gazebo or enclosure for the hot tub. There are a number of companies offering ones just for the hot tub. We like enclosures from A&B Accessories and Sequoia Spa Shelters.
  • Spa Umbrellas. The right umbrella can not only provide some sun and rain shelter, but can also create some privacy if placed on the right side of the tub. Ones made exclusively for hot tubs, like our Spa Side Umbrella can be positioned at a 45 degree angle to prevent privacy on one side of the tub when you need it.

Here’s hoping you can find the perfect solution to make your hot tub your own private paradise!

Posted in: Hot Tub Accessories, Hot Tub Benefits, Hot Tub Products | No Comments »

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