Spas
We don't sell a lot of spas. For most of our customers, it's out of their budget. As with any other upgrade, you want to set the table that it's a lot of money to add a spa. I always want to give the customer an out that will allow them to decline adding an expensive add-on without embarrassment.
But if a customer absolutely wants to add a spa, it's $8,650, and add $100 to the dig. The customer receives a 7' diameter spa with four therapy jets, an upgrade to a 2hp pump, 40 square foot additional deck, a 400,000 BTU heater, and if it's a Balboa one additional accent boulder. The heater will heat the 1,000 gallon spa in about half and hour on the coldest winter night in the Valley, the whole pool will take at least 15 hours. Yes the heater can heat both the spa or the pool, depending on how the valves are manipulated.
The pump configuration in the base spa addition is a single pump that will run the circulation of the pool, any waterfeature and the spa jets. If the customer is using the spa, the waterfeature won't run since all the pressure is diverted to the spa.
If a customer wants the waterfeature on while using the spa, that requires adding a 3/4 HP pump dedicated to the waterfeature.
But the myriad of additions get really complicated from here on out. There are options for blowers in the spa, on/off switches at the spa, additional booster pumps, automation systems and more things than you really want to fill your head with.
I always tell customers to remember that a in-ground spa is nowhere near as comfortable or therapeutic as an acrylic spa. I ask if there is a therapeutic need for a spa, if there is I'll walk through the advantages of installing an acrylic spa such as greater comfort and far more jets with more pressure.
Many times the customer will object on aesthetic grounds. I'll tell them that James has a beautiful installation with stonework surrounding his spa and that he's very happy with the service from Diamondback spas.
Ongoing utility costs are much better with an acrylic spa as opposed to an inground spa.
Though be careful of a potential landmine with diverting them to an acrylic spa. Oftentimes the customer will want Riviera Pools to run the electric and pour the concrete pad. This can lead to many headaches.
My personal experience was a terrific couple who bought a pool from me about three months ago. They decided to purchase a spa from Diamondback, but asked if I could work in the concrete pad and the electric on our deal.
I called Diamondback spas and found out that they needed 50AMPS of power, and a twelve foot flexible whip set into the pad. The dimensions I was given was 8X9 for the spa. I specified on the backpage the length of additional conduit for the spa run and put on the plan a 9X10 concrete pad.
Well the electricians made the spa run too short. I caught it because I was by the neighborhood on a measure and took a look at the yard. We sent the electricians back out to redo it, then they made it too long.
I coordinated with Al our deck crew chief to move the pad back and have the concrete pour crew pull the conduit over. Somewhere between Al and his crew the information never got there, I ended up running over to the pour 7AM in the morning. I had to dig out trenches for the conduit and bend the conduit run over and make sure that the pad was moved back.
But if that was the last of it that'd be terrific. A week later I get a call from the customer telling me that the pad is the wrong size. There is 6" of space between the spa and the concrete pad on the sides of the 9' side, but the long end was short by 4". I explained to the customer that I relied on Diamondback Spas dimensions, and in fact made the pad larger to accomodate any variance. Luckily it is a customer I have a very good relationship with, he worked it out with the spa company to add pavers along the side that the pad was too short.
Probably the limit of our involvement with an acrylic spa addition should be an upgrade of the panel and upgrade of the electrical conduit to handle the electric service for the spa. This involves an upgrade of the timeclock to a T-4000, charged at $175, an additional $75 if they want the 50AMP breaker installed by us, and a $5 per foot charge to upgrade the conduit to 1" conduit. If there is only 50' of total conduit in the deal, we'd have to charge and additional $250, any additional conduit would be charged at $15 per foot. Normally the conduit is 1/2", but to accomodate the bigger wires, larger conduit is required. The T-4000 timeclock has space for additional breakers for the spa's electrical service.
Then have the spa company take care of the final electrical termination from our electric box to the spa and the concrete pad for the spa. I would guide the customer explaining that if we do the work, it's possible that the dimensions can be off because of the challenge of coordinating with an outside company and our unfamiliarity with another company's product.
But as the above example of my customer shows none of us are immune to mistakes, and our good intentions to help a customer can lead to unintended consequences. Do me a favor: don't make the same mistakes I've made, make new mistakes.
But if a customer absolutely wants to add a spa, it's $8,650, and add $100 to the dig. The customer receives a 7' diameter spa with four therapy jets, an upgrade to a 2hp pump, 40 square foot additional deck, a 400,000 BTU heater, and if it's a Balboa one additional accent boulder. The heater will heat the 1,000 gallon spa in about half and hour on the coldest winter night in the Valley, the whole pool will take at least 15 hours. Yes the heater can heat both the spa or the pool, depending on how the valves are manipulated.
The pump configuration in the base spa addition is a single pump that will run the circulation of the pool, any waterfeature and the spa jets. If the customer is using the spa, the waterfeature won't run since all the pressure is diverted to the spa.
If a customer wants the waterfeature on while using the spa, that requires adding a 3/4 HP pump dedicated to the waterfeature.
But the myriad of additions get really complicated from here on out. There are options for blowers in the spa, on/off switches at the spa, additional booster pumps, automation systems and more things than you really want to fill your head with.
I always tell customers to remember that a in-ground spa is nowhere near as comfortable or therapeutic as an acrylic spa. I ask if there is a therapeutic need for a spa, if there is I'll walk through the advantages of installing an acrylic spa such as greater comfort and far more jets with more pressure.
Many times the customer will object on aesthetic grounds. I'll tell them that James has a beautiful installation with stonework surrounding his spa and that he's very happy with the service from Diamondback spas.
Ongoing utility costs are much better with an acrylic spa as opposed to an inground spa.
Though be careful of a potential landmine with diverting them to an acrylic spa. Oftentimes the customer will want Riviera Pools to run the electric and pour the concrete pad. This can lead to many headaches.
My personal experience was a terrific couple who bought a pool from me about three months ago. They decided to purchase a spa from Diamondback, but asked if I could work in the concrete pad and the electric on our deal.
I called Diamondback spas and found out that they needed 50AMPS of power, and a twelve foot flexible whip set into the pad. The dimensions I was given was 8X9 for the spa. I specified on the backpage the length of additional conduit for the spa run and put on the plan a 9X10 concrete pad.
Well the electricians made the spa run too short. I caught it because I was by the neighborhood on a measure and took a look at the yard. We sent the electricians back out to redo it, then they made it too long.
I coordinated with Al our deck crew chief to move the pad back and have the concrete pour crew pull the conduit over. Somewhere between Al and his crew the information never got there, I ended up running over to the pour 7AM in the morning. I had to dig out trenches for the conduit and bend the conduit run over and make sure that the pad was moved back.
But if that was the last of it that'd be terrific. A week later I get a call from the customer telling me that the pad is the wrong size. There is 6" of space between the spa and the concrete pad on the sides of the 9' side, but the long end was short by 4". I explained to the customer that I relied on Diamondback Spas dimensions, and in fact made the pad larger to accomodate any variance. Luckily it is a customer I have a very good relationship with, he worked it out with the spa company to add pavers along the side that the pad was too short.
Probably the limit of our involvement with an acrylic spa addition should be an upgrade of the panel and upgrade of the electrical conduit to handle the electric service for the spa. This involves an upgrade of the timeclock to a T-4000, charged at $175, an additional $75 if they want the 50AMP breaker installed by us, and a $5 per foot charge to upgrade the conduit to 1" conduit. If there is only 50' of total conduit in the deal, we'd have to charge and additional $250, any additional conduit would be charged at $15 per foot. Normally the conduit is 1/2", but to accomodate the bigger wires, larger conduit is required. The T-4000 timeclock has space for additional breakers for the spa's electrical service.
Then have the spa company take care of the final electrical termination from our electric box to the spa and the concrete pad for the spa. I would guide the customer explaining that if we do the work, it's possible that the dimensions can be off because of the challenge of coordinating with an outside company and our unfamiliarity with another company's product.
But as the above example of my customer shows none of us are immune to mistakes, and our good intentions to help a customer can lead to unintended consequences. Do me a favor: don't make the same mistakes I've made, make new mistakes.
posted by Don Sheu at 9:15 AM
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