Years of consumers requesting an automatic spa cover initiated development of the new Hot Tubs Products’ ConvertaLift system, says Andy Tournas, president of the Wallingford, Connecticut-based spa accessories manufacturer.
“There are many excellent traditional cover lifters that assist hot tub users, but they still require the user to initially fold the cover in half,” Tournas explains. “With our industry focusing more on wellness and our demographic expanding further into older customers, an affordable automated cover that eliminates any lifting effort will prove to help increase spa sales.”
The ConvertaLift system gives users the power to remove the cover from their hot tub with the touch of a button. This can be done from up to 100 feet away. It’s designed to work with Hot Tub Products’ traditional SpaEase 200 hot tub cover and the manufacturer’s newer VacuSeal Cover and Lift System.
The ConvertaLift took a few years to develop.
“First and foremost was patenting a cover that opened and closed in one motion,” Tournas says. “Next was designing a lifter that would operate this cover with traditional pneumatic shocks.”
The ConvertaLift was designed and recently patented to motorize the unique VacuSeal System with the use of electric linear actuators, allowing this push-button functionality, Tournas says.
While the convenience of one-touch operation certainly simplifies the hot tub user experience, the ConvertaLift incorporates some other important features. Safety, for one, was a top priority for Hot Tub Products when developing the system. When the cover is in the open position, it holds firmly in place — no locking required — and shields users against wind and other elements. When the cover is down, it locks in place automatically, preventing children from accidentally falling in and uninvited users from gaining access.
The product creates a complete seal once the cover is in the closed position, which leads to minimal heat loss and thus operational cost savings.
Dale Lowery, spa service manager with Pettis Pools & Patio in Hilton, New York, sees the ConvertaLift saving customers money in additional ways. His recent experience with some older customers who were struggling to lift the cover off their 54-inch spa led him to contact Hot Tub Products about a possible solution.
Lowery was sent a preview video of the ConvertaLift system that they were working on. “I forwarded this to the spa owners and they loved the system,” Lowery says. “With two VacuSeal covers, lifters and the motor assembly, it is only going to cost them about 50% more than the standard items that came with the spa. Once we got the pricing and timeline from the manufacturer, we passed that information along to the homeowner and they came in that day to put the deposit down. The spa owners are now eagerly awaiting the arrival of their new cover lift system.”
Toni Langlo, general manager of White Swan Pools & Spas in Oxnard, California, is so excited about the benefits that the ConvertaLift offers that she wants to start shifting all her customers toward using the system. “I want to start up all our new spa sales that are unable to purchase the spa with a VacuSeal through the spa manufacturer with a SpaEase 200,” Langlo says. “The customer then has the ability to come back when they are ready for a new cover knowing all they need to get is the ConvertaLift,” Langlo says. “The CovertaLift makes so much sense; no extra holes in their cabinets, simple yet allows for more options and future sales.”
Since displaying the ConvertaLift system at the International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo in New Orleans in November, Tournas has seen interest in the product and anticipates more. “There are over 5 million operational hot tubs in the U.S. alone,” Tournas says. “Many of these users would be attracted to an automated hot tub cover lift system, especially the hundreds of thousands that seek each year to replace their cover. This is the perfect aftermarket product where dealers can make attractive margins of profit.”