Hi, we recently installed the Tea for Two whirlpool bath in our kids' bathroom, and we use it as a shower as well. We love it. It's the 5.5' model, alcove installation, left hand drain. I was originally concerned that it would be too hard for them to get into -- they are not little kids -- (three girls, ages 17, 13 and 12 when it was installed last year) but so far they have no complaints about having to climb into the tub to shower. I love it too for the occassional bath, as our master bath has only a shower. Here is a picture of it. It has subway tile on the walls and the apron of the tub, and a minimal deck. Our contracter initially put in a more gigantic deck, and I made him tear it out because it overwhelmed our somewhat small bathroom. It has a marble shelf at one end and niches at both ends to hold the girls' many bottles of products. I'm so glad we built in that much storage. Instead of a shower curtain, we went with a partial frameless glass door, because I thought it would give you more of a feeling of openness when you took a bath. We bought it through Expo, back in Nov. 2006 (it was not installed til last spring though because construction took so long). The price at the time was more reasonable, although I notice they keep going up in price. I don't find the whirlpool too noisy at all. It's probably quieter than other whirlpool tubs, and also more gentle, which suprised us at first. I love how deep and roomy it is. Hope this helps. Here is a link that might be useful: The rest of Hmsweethm's kidsbath

I don't think the Highbridge is offered anymore without the enameled apron although they still may be in stock with a number of suppliers. The apron covers only the middle part of the front, so you have to custom build something to cover the front at each end (storage or tile) or cover the whole front with a tiled apron. Its essentially styled like a drop in tub but built as an alcove tub with flanges. This tub will offer the deepest bathing. The Mendota differs from the Bellwether also in that the Bellwether has a flattish rim around the top that you can set down things at least temporarily, but the Mendota has a thin and beveled rim, which probably makes the interior a bit wider, but I don't think you could put a shampoo bottle down or sit on the edge of this tub comfortably. The other option is the Kohler Dynametric. I just bought the Bellwether 30x60 without the angled front but it is not installed yet.

I’m late to the post, but I found information and I thought I’d share. I called Kohler corporate office and they clarified a few things. I called twice and sort of got 2 different answers but maybe there is an intersection. First off, from the beginning of the company and into the 70’s, all the tubs were handmade. Now they are built by robotics. I was told that sometimes a batch or a tub will end up with the wavy orange peel look but not all of them. She said be careful to inspect your tub before it is delivered, if you have that option. (To that statement, my floor guy showed me photos of his Bellwether tub and he had 2 bad ones delivered and returned before he got the one that wasn’t damaged. His damage was a big more extensive than the orange peel look though. He still loves it but warned me to be careful). And the other thing Kohler told me is that over the years the ingredients of what goes into a cast iron tub has changed and that may cause the rippling affect too. Still, I’ll take a cast iron tub any day. FYI...

Either you have naturally acidic water or your water softener needs adjustment. Pure water has a pH of 7. If the pH level goes below 6.5, water is considered acidic, or “soft”. What a water softener does is increase the acidity of the water. If it is too acidic, however, it begins to corrode the copper in your water lines. As you surmised, it is the copper oxide that is causing the blue stain. If you have a water softener installed, ask your softener technician to adjust the PH so it is at or just under 6. That should stop or at least reduce the problem. If your water is naturally acidic then the solution is more complicated generally involving the installation of a chemical feed pump to inject a solution of soda ash into the water to raise its PH. To clean the stain, never using a scouring powder. Bon Ami was recommended by Kohler years ago because it was the only cleanser then commonly available in supermarkets to use feldspar and limestone (collectively called "rottenstone"), considered "soft" scouring particles rather than pumice, a very hard particle. Still, it is a scouring powder and will micro-scratch the tub's surfaces. Micro-scratches harbor dirt and micro-organisms, making the tub harder to clean next time, and the more your scour it, the harder it is to get clean next time - a vicious circle. Barkeeper's Friend (BKF) cleanser is a chemical scourer rather than a mechanical scourer and is safe for most enameled cast iron. BUT, always test in a small, less noticeable spot on the tube before using. Also be sure you buy the cleanser. BKF makes a specialized cleanser and polish especially for metal cookware that does contain soft scouring particles and should not be used on enameled fixtures.