@kylevanderark2892 The tricky thing is that pH and alkalinity get adjusted with the same product. I typically focus more on making sure the pH is right. In my experience, if the pH is in range, a slightly elevated alkalinity (below ~240) hasn't caused issues.

@Bman01234 Glad it was helpful!

@bencosta1295 In my experience, the most important factors are pH, calcium hardness, and phosphates. Depending on your source water, you may or may not need to treat for those things.

Glad it was helpful! I'm probably biased since we sell Caldera and I have one at home... 😂 But since you asked, I think Caldera is a great choice. With any brand, it's important to have good dealer support, but from a manufacturer standpoint, I like a lot of the Caldera features, they make a solid product and they stand behind it well.

@backyardleisure you seem like a straight shooter to me, the way you took the time to properly wipe down the tub and your attention to detail in your video speaks volumes, you can't really fake that kind of stuff! One thing I really like about the caldera tubs is the lack of spray foam, which would be a pain in the ass to work on or find leaks. Thank you for your videos. They're helping tremendously! If I were in Indiana, I'd deal with you for sure! You mentioned your wife's feet issues, I have chronic pain issues and recently rented a cabin in Tennessee with a tub. The relief it provided me was amazing! I wish I would have thought of a tub years ago for pain relief. Better late than never, I guess...

​@AccuracySpeaks I appreciate the compliment. Wishing you the very best of hot tubbing!

@backyardleisure Thank you, my friend!

@@michaeltsiporenko8859 The salt water system was a dealer-installed option up through 2023. Highlife Collection models come standard with the salt system starting in 2024.

Thanks so much and congrats on becoming a hot tubber! I haven't found that smaller tubs are harder to care for. It sounds like you'll be a very conscientious soaker and that should make it pretty easy for you.

Glad it is helpful. Happy hot tubbing!

@@demoneyesjosh Thanks for the feedback.

@kunjangsherpa5812 Hi there, you'll find dosing instructions on the bottle, but basically you'll just add the correct amount to directly into the water and then turn your jets on high for 10 minutes or so to mix it in. You may see foaming or cloudiness, which will typically clear up within a day.

@@backyardleisure thank you so much !!

You won't need it while you do the refill, but you will want a new one when you start back up with the fresh water.

@@backyardleisure so when the water has been changed and refilled and ready to use is when I need it ? Thank you

@@kunjangsherpa5812 Yep!

Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad the information is helpful!

I'm so glad that it's been helpful! Regarding jet cleaner, I haven't found that it's usually necessary in a well-maintained tub, but I'm sure that it has some benefits and could reduce sanitizer demand. We offer ProLine Jet Line Cleaner. I've also heard good things about the Ahhsome products.

@@backyardleisure thank you again!!

Glad it can help, Charlie. Happy hot tubbing!

Thanks so much! Happy hot tubbing.

Glad it was helpful. Happy hot tubbing!

Glad I could help. Happy hot tubbing!

Hey Matt, thanks for the compliment. I'd like to help if I can. What model do you have and what is your Level currently set at?

@@backyardleisure I have the system set at an eight went on vacation for six days came home and the water was green just now got the water back to normal. I add chlorine and eight hours later nothing on the test stripe,it is set at a six right now. Calera Geneva

@@transammatt Thanks for that info. A couple things just to help you understand what could be happening. 1) If the system says "OK" then it is producing sanitizer. The engineers have told me that it is impossible for the system to be online, but not produce chlorine. 2) Given that fact, if we're not able to maintain a chlorine level, something in the tub is using the chlorine faster than we are producing it. That could be something like phosphates, foamy water or a dirty filter. You've probably already addressed those things, correct?

@@backyardleisureyes all those things are good. I clean the filter every two weeks and it’s never real dirty. I’m having a technician check it out for the second time tomorrow going to run a test to make sure that it is chlorine. Thanks for your help I thought biofilm? My guys said it’s to clean and only 3 months old.

@@transammatt Biofilm crossed my mind too, but I also decided that it was unlikely since the tub is only 3 months old. Hopefully your local tech can see something. Please don't hesitate to reach out if I can be of any more assistance. My direct email is [email protected]

@@dawnmeyers1966 Thank you so much! We're happy to be of service.

I'm so glad their helpful. Happy hot tubbing!

My pleasure, happy hot tubbing!

Hi there, the Tahitian is 7' x 7'. So, you could use a Covana Oasis or a Covana Evolution 8'.

So glad! Happy hot tubbing.

Unfortunately, you are correct.

It's corn. It has the juice!

So glad it was helpful!

Thanks so much!

That's a perfectly great thing to do! I don't necessarily use Jet Clean every time if the water is in pretty good shape, but there's no downside to doing so.

So glad it was helpful!

I'm glad it's helpful. Thank you!

Hi Angie, unfortunately I'm not familiar with that model. If you would like to send me some pictures to [email protected], I'll see if I can help!

I'm so glad it was helpful! Happy hot tubbing.

I'm sure that detergent would be effective at removing grease from your filter. However, I have found that using products that aren't designed for hot tub maintenence often leads to unintended water care issues.

The primary differences are in the size and seating layout. The seats and jetting package are similar. The Makena is 5" larger in both directions, so the footwell is larger. The Makena has the lounger across the front and one additional seat. The Seychelles moves the lounger to the side and provides a raised step/cool-down seat at the front. I like them both really well and the decision usually comes down to whether a person wants the additional space or prefers the step.

Yes, we still sell both brands. Quality, support and parts availability are equal. You are correct that the decision comes down to some personal preference, but there are quite a few differences between Highlife and Utopia. If you sit in both the Grandee and the Niagara, you'll notice that the seating design is very different. The Grandee is more of an open, bench-seating design while the Niagara has deep, sculpted bucket seating. The Utopia series has a more comprehensive jetting package, but, to your point, the MotoMassage DX makes a compelling case and does deliver a particular massage experience that you can't get anywhere else. The Highlife also has a few unique features that justify the slightly higher cost; polymeric framing, no-bypass filtration, Tri-X filters, etc. They're both great tubs that will last a long time, so I would highly recommend wet testing both if possible. If you can, I think you'll be able to make your decision within a few minutes.

My pleasure! Happy hot tubbing!

So glad it was helpful! Happy hot tubbing!

So glad it was helpful. Happy hot tubbing!

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm sorry the camera missed the cartridge. Do you have the OEM salt water system on a Caldera or Hot Spring Spa?

My pleasure, Bill! Happy hot tubbing!

@@backyardleisure My water is extremely hard, so I have RO water delivered to fill my tub. I try to use minimal chemicals to extend the time between filling due to the cost. I had not used it for a few months and found black slime balls were floating around. I used algaecide and then changed the filter but couldn't get rid of the very persistant foam. 20 minutes with the shop vac saved me $200! Thanks again!

In our experience, the US-spec Seychelles gains about 3 degrees C (5-6 F) per hour. I would assume that the European models would be the same, but I don't have any personal experience to confirm.