For many of us, a hot tub is a key to better health. ThermoSpas, Inc., the largest hot tub retailer in the country, has a multitude of designs and options to ease a number of health-related conditions, including arthritis, stress, sleep problems, diabetes, sports and muscle injuries, and lower back pain.

When ThermoSpas was founded in 1983, it began selling through a national network of spa dealers. Unsatisfied with the company’s growth and knowing its products’ true features and benefits were not being realized by consumers, Andy Tournas, Sole Proprietor and President of ThermoSpas, made a big change. In 1995, he began to sell directly to the customer. Over the past 10 years, the company has grown 1,000 percent. Sales have expanded to make ThermoSpas an international company with exports to Ireland, Britain, Dubai, Spain, and Belgium.

“Dealers want you to buy what is on their floors or in storage,” says Pat Graham, COO of ThermoSpas. “We don’t have to do that. In fact, we know our customers are much better served by not doing that.”

Today, more than 80 ThermoSpas salespeople, working with prequalified leads, visit potential customers in their homes to help them choose the spas and features that are just right for them. “We have about 12 molds with a number of different packages for each mold,” explains Graham. “They can choose from an economy to an elite package that varies the amount of jets, colors, skirting, and custom seat depth based on the person buying it. Having the ability to work directly with the customer and to take that information and build a mold in response to their needs is a critical advancement we feel we have over other spa manufacturers.”

According to Mike Fabiani, ThermoSpas’ Director of Manufacturing, each spa is custom made. “When a spa goes through our factory, it has the customer’s name on it right from the beginning,” he says. “It is not a number. We have a series of features the customer can choose from, but often, we’ll get requests for jets in a particular location, a different pump, or ancillary features that are not necessarily standard. We try to have as much flexibility as possible, and we work with our engineering group to ensure what the customer ultimately gets meets their expectations.” According to Fabiani, typical lead time is only four weeks.

The Best Shell in the Industry

In its never-ending quest to build the best products and meet EPA regulations for lower VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions, ThermoSpas reengineered its management team and beefed up its technical staff. A key player, Brant Selb, was hired as ThermoSpas’ Production Manger in 2002.

“Focus groups helped us develop the right product ideas,” explains Fabiani. “Our mold-making and fiberglass department leadership has more than 60 years of experience. The right technical staff brought it all together.”

ThermoSpas has manufactured its own shells since 1996. “But Brant’s challenge was to make the best spa shell in the industry,” says Graham. “We want our customers to get the best of the best.”

Selb says his hands-on background in composites manufacturing helped him quickly discern which combination of products would propel ThermoSpas toward that goal. “With an acrylicbonded surface, the primary challenge is achieving a strong bond between the shell and the resin to eliminate the possibility of delamination,” he says. “In our industry, having a satisfactory blister/osmotic barrier is another critical element. Interplastic Corporation’s CoREZYN® vinyl ester gives us that. It has excellent bonding characteristics and superior physicals over isophthalics or orthophthalics, and its ability to resist blistering can’t be beaten. In addition, it has predictable gel and cure properties, and it is easy for our production staff to use.”

Interplastic’s laboratories formulated a vinyl ester to precisely meet ThermoSpas’ manufacturing needs and satisfy its VOC requirements.

ThermoSpas uses no fillers; the resins are all used in their neat forms to maintain integrity and produce what Selb says is the best shell in the industry. “We are proud of the fact that since we’ve gone to the CoREZYN vinyl ester, we’ve had zero failures,” states Selb.

The Right Products, the Right Process

The acrylic shell forms the protective surface and provides the decorative finish. Lucite® and Aristech® brands of sheeting are both used to give ThermoSpas’ customers the broadest color palette selection.

The vacuum-formed shell is removed from its mold and put onto a holding fixture since it has little green strength. Next, it is reinforced with chopped glass and CoREZYN vinyl ester using Fluid Impingement Technology guns to keep overspray and emissions down. The layer is rolled out and allowed to cure.

A layer of Ashland® DCPD resin and more glass follows to achieve a typical 5/16-inch total laminate thickness.

The finished shell goes to a drilling operation, where the holes for the jet assemblies are made. In an 8x8-foot spa, there are 10 to 170 jets with 300 gallons of water at 104ºF/40ºC. Its ability to thrive in that environment, plus adding the chemicals, really tells you the strength of the composite — it absolutely can’t sag, warp, or blister.

Then the spa is plumbed and inserted into a cabinet frame. The spa has no support underneath; there is no foam fill under the shell in the frame. “We insulate the frame and recirculate the water’s heat to keep the cabinet warm,” continues Selb. “We found it more energy efficient, and it was another engineering challenge we overcame to benefit our customers.”

Next, the electrical components are installed. The electrical components are certified at the manufacturer, like all the supplied materials, to ensure a closed loop in quality control between supplier and manufacturer. Then the electrical system goes through a water test — twice, by different testers — under full load and stationary load. The electrical system is tested a third time, and then the spa goes into final inspection, where it gets another thorough check to ensure there is absolutely nothing wrong cosmetically.

Spas are paneled with either extruded, thermoformed boards or natural cedar. Spas live in a hostile environment, and Fabiani says the nomaintenance, thermoformed cabinets are nearly always chosen over the natural cedar. Durability is tremendously improved, and fading due to UV exposure is reduced with inhibitors. ThermoSpas warrants the acrylic shell for 10 years and the structure for 20 years.

Comfort Is More Than Water Temperature

Recently, ThermoSpas sought and received the Arthritis Foundation’s “Ease of Use” commendation for its Healing Spa™. This is the first time a hot tub has ever received this commendation.

“An independent panel of health professionals and people with arthritis favorably reviewed the Healing Spa as easy to use,” says Graham. “This foundation encourages the development of products that allow for ease of use by everyone, including people with arthritis who may have pain and limited movement. We are pleased to take the leadership position and be first to help people who receive such tremendous benefits from spa therapy. Receiving this therapy in the privacy and comfort of their homes is the icing on the cake.”

The Arthritis Foundation’s panel provided input in the design and development from beginning to end. The Healing Spa hot tub features specially designed warm-water therapy jets that target joints commonly affected by arthritis, as well as a unique hot tub design that is easy for people with limited mobility to use. Features include special entry/exit systems, a button-touch control system, reclined seating, a child seat for children with arthritis, air valves that are maneuverable with the palm of a hand, and wrist rests.

ThermoSpas engineers are busy designing a combo swim/spa mold that will be 15 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 52 inches deep. Not surprisingly, customers suggested it and focus groups confirmed this product is needed and it will be another company success.

For more information about ThermoSpas’ products, call (800) 529-6886.