Buying a Spa FAQ
Whether you’ve already bought your first spa (or your second or third) or you’re still making your mind up, it’s normal to have questions. Sometimes a lot of them. Fortunately, Aqua Pulse Spas has answers to most of the common ones.
You might be wondering how we install the spa pumps? What the best kinds of spa jets, filters and plumbing systems are? Whether you can even afford a spa in the first place, and what your options are?
Read on to find out the answers to these and other common questions that people regularly ask us about outdoor spas.
If you have any other questions or just want to have a general discussion about spa pools, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll do our best to put your mind at ease, to remove every doubt and to satisfy every curiosity.
Contact Us
If you’re ready to place your spa order with Aqua Pulse Spas, visit our showroom at 2/31 Dixon Street, Yatala or contact us online or on 07 3208 4625.
General Questions
Can I afford to buy a spa?
What types of spas can I choose from?
Why should I buy from Aqua Pulse Spas?
Do all Aqua Pulse spas have hydrotherapeutic benefits?
Do you allow refunds?
Where can I find your terms and conditions?
I don’t have a lot of space. Will Aqua Pulse Spas have a spa in stock that fits my house?
I’m busy. How much time do I have to spend on maintenance?
How do I stay safe in my spa?
Technical Questions
How do I make sure the spa I buy is safe to use?
Do I need an electrician to connect my spa?
Can I use Magnesium Salts in a spa?
Can I use Epson Salts in a spa?
What is the best control system for a spa?
Standard pumps Vrs Premium pumps?
Standard heaters Vrs Premium heaters?
What is the best type of spa jet?
What is the best way to make the spa shell?
What is the best structural frame for a spa?
What is the best base for a spa?
What is the best way to make the spa cabinet?
What is the best way to insulate the spa?
What is the easiest type of spa to service?
Can I view inside the spas cabinet before buying?
General Questions
Can I afford to buy a spa?
Ultimately, you’re the only one who can answer that question. While it’s certainly important to consider your budget and whether a new spa is a priority, Aqua Pulse Spas aim to make it as affordable as possible. That’s the reason we’ve teamed up with Zip Money & Humm90 Finance to offer you interest free payment plans, you may find buying a spa is an imminently achievable goal. Factors to keep in mind when planning and budgeting include delivery, accessories, and the type of spa you want.
What types of spas can I choose from?
The first thing to decide is whether you want an indoor or outdoor spa. Both have their pros and cons and ultimately it comes down to personal preference and what you’re hoping to get out of your spa. From there, your possibilities are close to endless you can choose from a range of designs with “deluxe & luxury” options, different colours and numbers of seats as well. To get a full idea of our range, just browse our website or visit our showroom at 2/31 Dixon Street, Yatala Qld. If you can’t make it to our showroom, give us a call and we can organize a facetime call to show you the range of spas we offer. You’ll find there are more to choose from than you may have anticipated.
Why should I buy from Aqua Pulse Spas?
Spend some time on our website and we hope you won’t need any further convincing that Aqua Pulse are the right people to buy your spa from. View our range of spas, take a look at our extensive range of spa accessories, parts and chemicals, read over our customer care policy and check out what our customers have been saying about us. We hope that these testimonials do most of the work of selling you on us and, if not, we’re always happy to chat with you personally.
Do all Aqua Pulse spas have hydrotherapeutic benefits?
Hydrotherapy is an ancient technique that involves using water to treat aches, pains, and long-term conditions. Hydrotherapy has been effective in the treatment of conditions like arthritis and rheumatic complaints. While all spas have hydrotherapeutic benefits, Aqua Pulse Spas have models that are specifically geared to hydrotherapy with jets that can be adjusted easily for optimal water flow and pressure. When you shop with us, it’s useful to consider whether you want a spa primarily for hydrotherapy purposes or whether you’d rather just relax in it.
Do you allow refunds?
We allow refunds under certain circumstances, including if the item is faulty, unsafe, differs significantly from the product description or doesn’t do what we said it would. If you have any questions or need any clarification, get in touch with us.
Where can I find your terms and conditions?
You can find a complete list here.
I don’t have a lot of space. Will Aqua Pulse Spas have a spa in stock that fits my house?
Even if your living space is tight, Aqua Pulse Spas has a spa that fits you. Our spas come in all shapes and sizes and our smallest spas accommodate two. If you want a spa, don’t let a tight living space put you off. We’re always happy to help you find the spa that’s best for you and your unique circumstances.
I’m busy. How much time do I have to spend on maintenance?
Spas do require regular maintenance and care but it’s not something that will chew up a huge bulk of your time. For a busy person, a spa can be an even more worthwhile investment as it gives you a place to relax on a weekly basis. You’ll still have plenty of time for a career, family, and friends. In fact, the right spa is likely to only benefit these vital areas of your life. As far as maintenance goes, it depends how much you use it. But there are a few general guidelines. It’s a good idea to test the water on a weekly basis and clean your filters at least once a week. For a more detailed look at the routine of spa maintenance, visit our Spa Maintenance and Installation Guide.
How do I stay safe in my spa?
- There are many ways to ensure the safest possible usage of your spa:
- Make sure the spa is fitted with a safety suction vent which complies to Australian Standards. This vent protects you from body, limb & hair entrapment in a spa.
- It may sound obvious but keep electrical devices away from the spa.
- Make sure your spa is fenced.
- Cover the spa with a lockable cover when not in use.
- Don’t allow children near the spa without adult supervision.
- Have a cut-off power switch within 3 meters in view of your spa so you can easily turn it off in case of emergency. Make sure the cut-off power switch cannot be reached by spa users whist they are in the spa.
When it comes to spa safety, these tips are only a starting point. There are plenty of reliable articles and guides online with more advice.
Technical Questions
How do I make sure the spa I buy is safe to use?
All Aqua Pulse Spas spa comply to all required Australian Standards. Most spas sold in Australia do not comply to all Australian Standards particularly
AS1926.3-2010 Water recirculation and filtration systems – Mandatory Safety Device.
This standard is in place to protect users from body, limb & hair entrapment.
Before you buy any spa (new or second hand) make sure it complies to this standard. Our staff can advise you of what is required for the spa to comply.
Do I need an electrician to connect my spa?
Aqua Pulse Spas Deluxe Spas are all 10amp plug & play spas, so providing your home has been wired to meet Australian Standards you can simply plug the spa in to a normal power point with the supplied power lead.
Aqua Pulse Spas Luxury Spas will require an electrician to connect the power. Make sure when you engage an electrician, they are appropriately licenced to make your connection.
If you have any doubts regarding the spa, you are looking at buying or the electrical connection in your home, you should contact a licenced electrician and have them check that the spa & the power connection complies to AS3000 & AS60335.2.60.
Can I use Magnesium Salts in a spa?
If you are planning on using magnesium salts in your spa the premium pumps & premium heaters are the best option to buy. You’ll still need to be prepared that scaling will occur in the spa and the water will most likely have a yellow-brownish colour from the minerals reacting to the sanitiser and the magnesium salts will shorten the life expectancy of the spa’s heater.
Standard spa pumps & standard heaters are not designed to handle the corrosive nature of magnesium salts whatsoever.
Premium pumps & premium heaters are more capable of dealing with the corrosive nature of magnesium salts providing the maximum salt level is 1500ppm or less.
Can I use Epson Salts in a spa?
You should never use epson salts in your spa, the required amount of epson salt for it to beneficial to you if far too high for the spa to cope with.
What is the best control system for a spa?
The best control system for any spa is a time programmable system which allows you to set the spa’s purge cycles for filtering and heating the spa. These are systems you can integrate into any home solar system, ultimately saving you money on the running costs of the spa. You can choose when this happens and pick a time that fits best into your lifestyle.
A non-programmable control system will automatically choose the time of day to run the spa’s purge cycles for filtering and heating the spa, which will turn on all the installed pumps in the spa. This might happen at two o’clock in the morning and wake you or possibly your neighbours up!
In our opinion the market leaders for control systems are the American Made Balboa systems. Balboa Water Group have been manufacturing spa control systems for over 40 years. However, you still need to ensure that the control system is time programmable as Balboa manufacture both time programmable and non-programmable systems. Our staff can advise you which control systems are time programmable.
Standard pumps Vrs Premium pumps?
Standard pumps come with: Carbon primary ring, ceramic seat seals, standard rubber seat seals & standard black coloured plastic impellers. Standard pumps require the spa owner to ensure water balance is keep within the manufactures specifications to prevent mechanical seals from leaking leading to premature failure of the pump.
Premium pumps come with: Silicon carbide primary ring, silicon carbide seat seals, viton elastomers seat seals, stainless steel hardware & premium tan coloured PPO impellers. Premium pumps provide superior longevity against abrasion, corrosion and are far more resistant to unbalanced water. Premium pumps allow the use of magnesium salts in the water at 1500ppm or less without causing damage to the pumps mechanical seal.
Standard heaters Vrs Premium heaters?
Standard heaters are: Made from incoloy 800 elements, most of these heaters are controlled by a single pressure or flow switch. The incoloy 800 element will require the spa owner to ensure water balance is keep within the manufactures specifications to prevent premature failure of the heater element through water corrosion. The use of a single pressure or flow switch in standard heaters can cause premature element failure if the spas water and plumbing are not kept clear of debris causing restricted water flow or the filters are dirty restricting the water flow.
Premium heaters are: Made from incoloy 825 elements which is a titanium stabilized all austenitic nickel iron chromium alloy material. Most premium heaters use a dual temperature sensor system to control the heater. The incoloy 825 element provides superior longevity against abrasion, corrosion and are far more resistant to unbalanced water. The dual temperature sensors prevent element failure if the spas water and plumbing are not kept clear of debris causing restricted water flow or the filters are dirty restricting the water flow. Premium heaters allow the use of magnesium salts in the water at 1500ppm or less, however the spas heater will have a shortened life expectancy compared to not having magnesium salt in the water.
What is the best type of spa jet?
The best jets are screw-in self-cleaning jets with no ball bearings. Avoid jets that rely on clips to hold them into the jet housing or have ball bearings inside the jet to make the jet spin, these jets are unreliable, prone to failure and can be expensive to replace.
What is the best way to make the spa shell?
The best way to make a spa shell is to use acrylic reinforced with 100% fiberglass. Some spas in the market do not use 100% fiberglass to reinforce the shell, instead opting to add fillers to the fiberglass to make the spa shell look thicker, giving you the impression of strength. You should avoid this process as it leaves air pockets within the reinforcing fiberglass which makes the shell weaker not stronger. A thinner shell reinforced from 100% fibreglass is a far stronger option. However you need to be aware that crazing is commonly seen on spas and is typically seen at the spa rim. It is caused by the high stresses the acrylic is under and the requirement to sanitize the spas water with chemicals. Crazing appears as cracks that look like a spider web on the acrylic surface. Crazing is excluded from the warranty as this is likely to occur.
What is the best structural frame for a spa?
The best frame to use for longevity is Stainless Steel. The frame should also include a sub floor as well as internal shell supports for added strength.
What is the best base for a spa?
The best platform to build a spa from is an insulated ABS fiberglass base.
Avoid the thinner plastic base as they do not provide the long-term protection your spa requires.
What is the best way to make the spa cabinet?
Real cedar wood cabinets look great but will require oiling every month. Even if oiled monthly, they will still warp, split, and crack. A synthetic composite cabinet is the best option if you want a cabinet with little to no maintenance. Make sure the cabinet of the spa is completely removable for easy servicing.
What is the best way to insulate the spa?
The best way to insulate the spa is to insulate the hardcover, the fiberglass base, the cabinet, and the spa shell. Avoid full cabinet foam spray insulation covering the plumbing inside the cabinet. If you ever have a leak in the spa this insulation method makes it nearly impossible to find the leak.
What is the easiest type of spa to service?
The easiest type of spa to service will include the following elements:
- Spa parts that are available and easy to find in Australia.
- A fully removable cabinet.
- Shut off valves installed on all pumps.
- Shut off valves installed on all heaters
Can I view inside the spas cabinet before buying?
It’s very important that you can see inside the actual spa model you are looking at before buying a spa. Inspecting inside the spa’s cabinet will give you a far greater concept of the quality of the product. Some dealers will have a spa open on display for you to inspect, but it might not be built the same way as the spa you are considering. Ask the dealer to open the cabinet on the spa you are looking at, refusal to do so is generally a good indicator to the quality.