The fact is laws of physics cannot be changed, and when you blow hot air into water it will cool it down no matter what brand of tub it is. Now Bain Ultra was the original air tub, their service is top notch, their parts and materials are top notch, and their design has only the bather in mind. Kohler is not a bad alternative, but all things being equal Bain Ultra all the way. Hope this helps.

Thank you raehelen :) Yes, I did have my moments of panic! And it's still not everyone's choice but I didn't design it for everyone so I guess that's ok :) I'm thrilled with it! The tub is great. The arm rests towards the back take up some of the width and the grab bars do as well. Personally, I would have preferred a wider tub (that might not be an issue for you) but I couldn't/wouldn't sacrifice anymore space. I'll get used to it. After all, I've been in the same tub for 26 years. Anything is going to have a period of adjustment. It's plenty wide for most people tho. I just like a lot of room :) One thing I didn't take into consideration is setting the tub in a mortar bed. You're supposed to (that or the expandable foam). I never realized how much give was in my previous porcelain over steel bathtub. I've got one SOLID and STURDY bathtub but it's like sitting on a concrete slab (lol) I've got a video of my grandson playing in it (with the bubbles and lights on). If you're interested in seeing it in action, I'll post the YSI link. Monica

LWYD, No I haven't got my Bain Ultra tub yet. I have finished the second bathroom, and am loving it. The third and final bath is on our to-do list for this year. (2015) One piece of advice re pricing..they are very expensive, but there must be some room for negotiation...my plumbing supply place matched the best offer I could find. Some places quoted an all-inclusive price, others charged extra for drain and overflow (hundreds extra), so make sure you are clear what the quote includes. I've changed my mind, and am now planning on getting the Thalassa 55. Once I looked in the catalogue, I realized there is actually more inside room though the tub dimensions are narrower.

I contacted ts about some of these same issues and more. I was also told about starting the blower a few minutes before running the water. Turn the turbine OFF during the filling of the tub and turn it back on when you're ready to get in. I haven't tried it either. I understand about the bubble bath additive being an insulator. The other night when I added bubble bath and the entire bathroom was cover floor to ceiling in bubbles (ok, a slight exaggeration :) ) it dampened the noise of the air jets so I'm guessing it could insulate the water temp too. Kinda like a cloud cover on a cold winter night. The earth stays warmer than on a clear night. I'm afraid I won't be maintaining the ambient room temp in the winter and in the summer keeping the water hot enough won't be a problem for (hot natured) me. In the winter, I like to keep the house about 66-68. In fact, to withstand how hot I get in the tub, I have the bathroom ceiling fan on. I've been not filling the tub as much as I would normally and letting hot water trickle. This is working. Our turbine is installed in a linen closet in front of the tub. It's about 2.5 feet from the tub. DH put pipe insulation around ALL the piping around the tub and leading into the turbine. minnt, do you know about the *secret* menu? I was told about this when I called to ask about the air jet intensity. I felt very little difference between 5% and 100% :o And felt like something was wrong with the turbine. If you will press the uppper left menu button and hold for about 20-25 seconds, a new menu will appear. This gives you many more options. This is not in the owner's manual. Among other things it offers a lower intensity air jet setting. The same 5% to 100% but with more noticeable changes. For instance, the 5% is just a gentle roll. It also lets you invert the heated backrest. I don't see anything about turning off the control panel light. There is ab option in the menu that isn't self explanatory. I haven't had time to explore them all. Under "Drying Cycle" you have four options. Prog & Auto, None, Program, Automatic. I just set mine to none to see if it doesn't come on after 10 minutes....it did not :o I know it needs to but I'd like to be able to have it come on maybe 20 or 30 minutes later. I do the hydromassage first and then bathe. I don't like the race to finish bathing and get out of the tub before I'm blasted out! (lol) Ah ha! Reading the manual helps! To prolong the bathing session and delay the automatic drying cycle by an additional 10 mins, press the upper left button twice (when the drying icon is visable). This action may be repeated to further delay the drying cycle :) Easy enough! See Drying Cycle (Programmable) in the owner's manual if you want the drying cycle to come on at the same time every day IN ADDITION TO coming on after a hydromassage session. Hope this helps :) Monica