Aquaterra Fairfax Costco Hot Tub Review part 2

[@johnm7328]

Great videos! I ordered the Fairfax and it is being delivered later this week or early next. I'm a bit nervous and this was reassuring. One of the things that got me scared was some people posting about Costco hot tubs being inferior build quality because they don't clamp the tubing to the jets and the lightweight basin needs to be craddled so it doesn't crack. The Fairfax is actually really heavy and your interior showed it wasn't being cradled. And I saw a lot of clamps on the plumbing! Made me very happy.

[@EverythingEllis]

I hope it works well for you and I am glad that our video helped!! We are still loving it!

[@dpdp006]

Thx for explaining Part 1 was great but Part 2 was very informative on Pump Brands and side covers

[@mannie912]

We’ve had ours running for about 6 months now. Use it about 10-12 times a week. So far it works great and we’re very pleased. It’s true, the outer panels aren’t the highest quality, but no leaks, shakes, or issues. We would recommend.

[@EverythingEllis]

Yes! I am so glad you love it too!

[@darlyp8587]

Thanks for the update! We have a 2003 Maax Spa that we had bought used and it surprisingly lasted 10 yrs. Probably would have lasted even long if the circuit hadn't blew in cold weather and froze the pipes lol. But we definitely got our $500 out of it for sure. I would guess with the 3 pumps, 60+ jets it was high $. So, here I am looking at mid-range Aquaterra hot tubs @ Costco. Ugh lol. My question to you...did you notice any difference electricity bill wise when you switched out. I would say our elec. bill went down about $50 a month, but I realize how old ours was. Hoping they are more energy efficient for a 220v this day and age. Sorry, for the extended chatter, but this is a big expense in the end, but willing to forego a bathroom renovation for another hot tub. Thanks in advance for your comments!

[@EverythingEllis]

I actually didn’t notice a large increase in our bill. Maybe $20 a month at most so hopefully it is more efficient than your old one! Sorry I didn’t respond sooner!

[@kevinjensen1478]

Great Job! Very helpful.

[@EverythingEllis]

Glad it was helpful!

[@shawnmetts8010]

I had to come back and comment on this video after purchasing this hot tub from Costco. It turned out to be a miserable experience. The hot tub arrived with what appeared to be a bad pump. AquaTerra had me jump through a bunch of hoops trying to solve the issue. One of which included having my electrician back onsite. He ultimately accessed the bad pump, but we both agreed aquaterra incorporated a strategy of having you spend all the time and money trying to solve the issue before they did anything of real value. In the end I was out $2k in electrician and crane fees only to return the tub to Costco. I could have returned it for another tub, but after the experience, I decided it was best to cut my loss and buy a different brand. Glad to have the aquaterra nightmare behind me.

[@EverythingEllis]

That’s horrible! I’m so sorry! We’ve had it’s almost 2 years and so far so good. No major problems and still works great but that does not reflect well on their customer service!

[@rkooscar6866]

Is there a major difference between this and the standard next tier hot tub. Without cost being a factor. For example the jets, water insulation, and seating.

[@EverythingEllis]

As far as the Costco hot tubs, they are seem to be about the same to me other than size, number of jets, etc. If you choose another brand there will most likely be better customer service and insulation. I feel like the jets are similar in power but definitely not as many options. If you have the money and want a higher end tub that is customizable this probably wouldn't be the best choice. For us budget was the biggest factor.

[@doen.8724]

I would love to know how it was hooked up to your electricity. I have an old dead hottub from the previous house owner I need to get rid off, with a dedicated 220 line, but don't know how easy it is to hook this new tub up to it. Did you use an electrician or was it self explanatory, DIY if you know a little bit about electricity?

[@EverythingEllis]

We had an electrician friend install it for us, I’m not sure I would attempt it myself but maybe if you know something about wiring?

[@josephgraham1065]

Thankyou for the details. Too bad about the screws being messed up. I think the insultion on the bottom is to support the shell. That tub does not have a self supporting shell. I do think for the price it is a good hot tub and will give you plenty of enjoyment . The only thing that would worry me is service. The more expensive brands have a dedicated service team and parts. Just not sure what kind of support you will get with service.

[@EverythingEllis]

I completely agree. We knew that with this hot tub we probably wouldn't get the same level of service, but the price was so much cheaper for what we got than any other factories in our area that we decided it was worth the risk of not having as good of customer service. We definitely weighed that as a heavy negative before purchasing.

[@ericks4986]

Hello. What is the depth from the center of the tub to the water line? Do you know anything about the company that makes this tub? We've heard good & bad about box store hot tubs. Thank you.

[@ginawong1285]

Can you use the jets but not the hot temp during summer months?

[@EverythingEllis]

Yes! I’ve been keeping it around 96 for my kids to swim in this summer!

[@HeritageFarmsTexas]

Nice review.

[@EverythingEllis]

Thanks!

[@doen.8724]

CA has very stringent insulation requirement for hot tubs, don't remember the name for it, so that you can leave the tub on without wasting too much energy. These tubs are allowed to be sold in CA, so they can't have really bad insulation. CA is happy to ban everything they can. I am looking at these also for the cost. Saving thousands on the front end, allows you to spend a bunch on repairs, if necessary. The only thing that worries me is the 1 year warranty. But having been to another Wattkins brand, Hot Springs spas, their lower-end spas, and also the Bullfrog lower-end spas, don't have much of a warranty either. As if they want to push you into buying the higher end models...

[@EverythingEllis]

Good to know! Since we got it we haven’t noticed a huge increase in our power bill and it doesn’t have a hard time maintaining temperatures so it is probably more insulated than I realized.

[@allanulsby1433]

just curious did you use #6 or #8 gauge wire?

[@TysonCook11]

Did your electrician come in on the back of the unit? I don't see wiring on the front

[@EverythingEllis]

I believe the connection is on the side. It’s already set up

[@tgodkin]

We have one coming. I found this review (reviews) excellent work and very helpful. Major *whew* that it arrives on its side! Otherwise moving it around would be a nightmare. Since we have to set up the electricity, does it matter where we place the box? I was thinking behind it, or to the side

[@EverythingEllis]

Thank you! I hope you love it! I think either to the side or behind it would both work great. Just make sure the electrician can get to it if needed once the hot tub is installed :)

[@tgodkin]

Had our first soak in our new Fairfax this AM. Love it! So far so good! Do you use the speakers? I recall reading somewhere in the ad literature that it has BT speakers but the manual doesn't have a section addressing pairing.

[@EverythingEllis]

I am so glad you love it too! We do use the speakers, to pair them the code is just 5555 :)

[@jdt8826]

Thanks for the great review. Is this very relaxing to soak in?

[@EverythingEllis]

Yes, we love it!

[@bryanrobinson85]

Will the pipes freeze? Are you in a cold climate?

[@EverythingEllis]

We are in Utah and they don’t freeze because they always have hot water running through them

[@jdt8826]

Hi, what sanitizer are you using? Chlorine or bromine?

[@EverythingEllis]

We are using the frog ease system and loving it! Check out my review on it! But I have also used both chlorine and bromine in the past and they both work great.

[@candywong1856]

Cost of installation for electrical?

[@EverythingEllis]

We already had the electrical in place so I can’t comment on this, sorry!

[@tgodkin]

We spent 1500 to run conduit and wiring 60 feet to our Fairfax. We're in Santa Cruz county CA.

[@knarfster]

It is not a "Watkins" tub, it just uses those parts.

[@EverythingEllis]

From my research I understand it as Watkins Wellness is the parent company. It is not on the same levels as their other hot tubs, but it is part of their company. I have also read that they are manufactured by Watkins. I didn't look into it much more than that though. But I was glad it uses a reputable company's pumps.