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Hot Tubs & Spas

Dave Garretson

2011-09-26 10:41:06

Q: During the past several issues we have talked about what to consider when buying a new hot tub as well as the potential pitfalls of not buying locally, and thus keeping the money in the local economy. There may be some saying, “now tell me about your product” so I will!

A: Artesian Spas has been producing their quality line for 30-years and their product is sold only through qualified specialty retailers world wide. Artesian is privately owned by gentlemen with long and outstanding resumes in the industry. There are four distinctive product categories within the product range. The “Garden Series” is comprised of three models designed for tight spaces and seating for two. Each features a different seating configuration. This series operates on a standard 110 volt circuit thereby requiring no special wiring. Fill it and plug it in! The “South Seas Series” is a mid priced category with a very wide choice of models including lighting and water features. When moving into the Island and Platinum Elite Series you will experience a whole new dimension of spa jet therapy. The Artesian patented “Helix Jet System” is totally unique to the spa industry and is available only from Artesian. A typical spa jet delivers the water from the jet nozzle in a straight path of flow. When the water leaves the Helix Jet it is flowing in a right handed rotating (swirling) motion. These jets provide a low flow high volume feel, designed to work deeper into the muscle and tissue groups providing a true massage. All of the Island and Platinum Elite models conform to the California Energy Commission energy efficiency standards giving you the peace of mind that you are buying the most efficient tub available. Operating costs are minimal! With so many models, sizes, shapes and various features to ponder it would be impossible to address them all in this short message.

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Hot Tubs & Spas

Tom Peterie

2003-11-01 09:16:00

: When sanitizing the water in a spa or hot tub, you can use either chlorinated crystals or bromine tablets.  How do you know which to use?

ANSWER:  Both are halogens, although the use of bromine in pools and spas is much more recent than chlorine.   When bromine first became an option in early 1980's, it appeared to be the best thing for spas and hot tubs. It is more stable in water than chlorine since it has a very high evaporation point as compared to chlorine. Less of it escapes from the tub as a gas.   Bromine continues to sanitize the water even after it combines with organic compounds to form bromamines. When chlorine combines to form chloramines, they are a nuisance, sting your eyes and smell up your tub. Chloramines are eliminated either by draining and refilling the tub, or by shocking the water with fresh chlorine.   So, bromine seemed like a great thing when it first appeared. But then the industry started to pick up on the problems with bromine. It was so stable that it was difficult to get into the water. Erosion feeders needed to be supplied with a mixture of one third chlorine and two thirds bromine so the chlorine could give the bromine a "kick".  There have also been reports that bromine is not as wide spectrum a sanitizer as chlorine. That is, there are some forms of organisms, most notably certain forms of either a black fungi or algae according to anecdotal reports, that are not susceptible to bromine.  Furthermore, because bromine is so stable, its odor is much more difficult to wash off the skin after bathing. And, those wonderful bromamines that maintained their ability to sanitize? It turns out that they are far more carcinogenic (cancer causing) than their chloramine cousins.   With chlorine there are three basic types, liquid, sodium-trichlor and sodium dichlor. The first two should only be used in swimming pools. Liquid chlorine will throw your pH so far out of wack it will be nearly impossible to balance your water. With the trichlor, the higher temperatures of hot tubs tends to make it a little caustic to your skin. If you choose to use chlorine, sodium-dichlor is the way to go.   Thus, when using halogens, granulated chlorine added manually is still the best method. This way, you have complete control over the process.   Regardless of which halogen you use and the method you employ to get it into the water, testing will be required to verify that the halogen levels are not too high or inadequate.

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Hot Tubs & Spas

Tom Peterie

2003-10-01 08:50:00

:  What are the therapeutic benefits of a hot tub?  Can you derive any benefits from just sitting in a hot tub?

ANSWER: Whirlpool water therapy is both physical and mental. A number of muscle-skeletal ailments and injuries are treated with whirlpool therapy, from arthritis to sports injuries.  The hydrotherapy stimulates circulation throughout the body, causing blood vessels to expand and dilate as they rush oxygen and nutrients to your muscles.  A properly designed operating system will have jets powerful enough to have a massaging effect for the "garden variety sore muscles" from which we all suffer from time to time.   Those sore muscles often come from the stress of daily life, and therein lies the added effect of hot water bathing. As you relax in the whirlpool, you're working on the root cause of your problem - stress.   Hot tubs that allow you to put the jets anywhere you like, whether it be high on the side for massaging your neck, low for your lower back, or even on the floor for your feet, provide the best therapy of all.   There are many benefits of just sitting in a hot tub with or without the jets and the blower running.  The natural buoyancy of water will remove 90% of your body weight from your aching joints, allowing you to move more freely.   One can obtain even more benefits by doing some exercise while enjoying the same.  Almost any exercise that can be done on land, including walking or jogging, can be done in water. If you have arthritis and you're exercising in a spa or hot tub, you will probably focus on range-of-motion exercises that work the toe, ankle, knee, leg, hip, hand, wrist and shoulder. The size and shape of the hot tub, of course, will determine the specific types of exercises you can do. Here are some exercises you can perform with warm water therapy:Forward Arm Reach - With both arms, reach straight in front of you. Raise your hands overhead as high as possible, keeping your elbows as straight as you can. If one arm is very weak, use your other arm to help raise it. Elbow Bend - Start with your elbows as straight as possible, fingers pointing down. Bend your elbows and try to touch your thumbs to your shoulders. Keep your elbows close to your body. You do not have to touch your shoulders. Then relax your elbows and straighten your arms down at your sides. Wrist Bend - Bend both of your wrists upward and then downward. You can also exercise one wrist at a time by placing your free hand, thumb up, under the exercising wrist. Hands and fingers should be relaxed. Finger Curl - Curl your fingers into your palm to make a loose fist, then straighten them out.Ankle Circles - While seated, make large inward circles with your left foot, moving it from the ankle. Repeat circles in the opposite direction. Then repeat the exercise with your right foot.Spread Eagle - While sitting on the edge of a bath seat, straighten one knee. While holding it straight, slowly move it out to the side. Hold it out for three seconds, then bring it back to the center and relax. Repeat these instructions with your other leg.