DustyBill54

I have learned so much since I found this forum. I am truly grateful! Today I learned that I am a "Stupid Fool".

I had never heard of TREX so I googled it and found plenty of reading material. The system is a light gauge galvanized metal framing system. Looks to be a very strong and durable system if assembled per mfg. recommendations. I never saw any reference to decking other than in one diagram, where it was referred to as a 1 x 6. I'm assuming the material for the deck boards wouldn't matter as long as the boards fit the components that hold it all together. Don't know what material works best in your climate but Cypress would be my choice here because it loves water. Whatever is native will probably be the easiest on your pocket book. If you have staff to do the maintenance to keep it coated, then use what you like. Tell your contractor to have four 2 x 2 deck samples built out of your favorite wood. Pic four colors of stain (make one clear or natural). I read the warranty on the Trex system. On page 50 it states not to install within 3000 feet of salt water OR within the splash zone of any body of fresh water. Look under Other Water Applications. Voids the warranty of the structure. http://s7d4.scene7.com/s7/brochure/flash_brochure.jsp?company=Trex&sku=trex_elevations_installation_guide_english&config=Trex/TrexBrandedViewer&locale=en Only the surface of the structural members are galvanized. Once a cut is made or a hole is drilled, raw material is left exposed. Unless your installer takes the time to coat each one. The flip side is with as much circulation as you will have around the structure, moisture should evaporate pretty fast. You could always take extra precautions in the splash zone. Will the service tech need a ladder to access parts of the tub on the downhill side? Good luck with whatever you decide.

After reading this thread, I realised that I know nothing about sound systems but I love music and sometimes I do like to listen when I am lounging in the tub. I never gave much thought to the quality of the sound as long at it wasn't loaded with static. I have to laugh at myself because last weekend I was working in the garden and was really digging (no pun intended) the music and was thinking how good it sounded. This is my elaborate system......in my work shop that sits on one side of my back yard, I have an old stereo system. I'm talking it's been out there for over 20 years and FM is all it will do anymore. In the middle is my patio and there I have two computer speakers that I bought off ebay for $15 and have been hanging under the eve for at least 10 years. They are wired into my home theater system. My pride and joy though is the little clock radio sitting by the hot tub that one of my sons left behind on his second time to leave home. If I can get it positioned just right, it does a great job of picking up the local FM classic rock station. Sometimes, I have to make a second trip around to get the volumes balanced just right but I have a rocking back yard as well as a happy productive garden. LOL. Now I did have a complaint one day from the neighbor that lives behind me. I decided that I wanted to listen to some Country music one Saturday. After about 30 minutes and between songs they hollered through the trees to put it back on rock-n-roll. I have to admit , my favorite thing to listen to while in the hot tub is to get in a little before daylight, with no jets running and listen to all the birds as they wake and greet the new day.

My diverter was hard to turn as well until I was reminded that the instructions said to turn off the jets before turning the diverter. It makes a huge difference.

Thanks for your advice. Youa re right that we will mostly be trying to overcome the cold weather. We actually don't have HVAC (in our climate, most people don't need AC more than a few days a year, and the winter is so cold that the indoor air is very dry, making hot air heating undesirable). We use a hot water radiator sytem for heat, but when we build the sunroom, we plan to just heat with electric since it will only be heated when used. When we do build it, we will take into account the things you suggested, like the gable fan, and not letting the air exhaust into the house. Sounds like it's going to be a real nice room. I hope you get lots of enjoyable use from it. I love mine!

A good HVAC contractor can perform an Air Balance test on your house. Being on the East coast, I'm guessing the majority of the year you will be trying to over come more cool/cold weather than warm with high humidity weather. Either case, humidity is in the equation. Add in a hot tub...more humidity but in your case the warmth will be a plus for the majority of the year. More than likely your current HVAC system is not large enough to over come the added humidity, Plus, it's expensive to overcome high humidity. So, install a stand alone system? Is power for a new system readily available? Need to know what size unit is needed. A good HVAC contractor, especially one that may do residential as well as commercial work can size your unit for you and recommend a system. Depending on for what else the room is going to be used for and to what level of conditioning of the air you want to achieve, You may be able to just create an air exchange. Main thing is that you have to maintain a positive pressure in the room or at least a constant air exchange of some level and make sure you do not exhaust it or allow it to enter into your existing return air duct/flow. Your lungs and sinuses don't need the extra irritant in the house. Personally, since I live in SE TX. where we average 60-70 % humidity and our temps average 85-90* I wouldn't even consider trying to cool my hot tub room. I built it more like a green house with insulated, low E, glass, double hung screened windows and a 36" fan at the gable blowing to the outside. Just an air exchange. I have a wood stove for heat (more for atmosphere) and a misting system to cool off with on occasion. It all depends on what you want to achieve and how much you are willing to spend.

My new circ. pump arrived this afternoon. Got it installed and all systems are go! Thanks for everyone's help and advice!

WOW! ....... The chemistry section scared the he$$ out of me. It's a wonder I am still alive with all the stuff I have been doing wrong.

Just last weekend I was thinking about installing a shower by the tub. I can use it day after day and have no problem keeping it balanced. Let a lady friend get in with all the lotions,hair spray and cosmetics and I get instant foaming and a bath tub ring. No offense intended to the ladys, it is what it is and I'll drain it if I have to after every visit. I'm headed to the Chemistry Section.

I have 30 years of construction experience and can push tub control buttons with the best of them should you ever need a house sitter. Good Luck with your selection!

There is a thread going that is addressing this same issue. I have a Down East Exeter and am in the same situation you are in. I am no expert by a long shot but what I have come up with is my circulation pump is dead. This is the pump that circulates the water through the filter. The other pumps are actually just blowers and blow air and I suppose water through the jets. If when you turn on your breaker and water IS moving through your filter before you recieve the dr code, then the problem is more than likely the sensors mounted in your heater. If the water is not moving through the filter before you get the code then it's probably the circ. pump. My hot tub is about 2 1/2 years old and the circulation pump runs 24/7. I have been told that the average life of the laing circ.pump is roughly 3 years. I don't know how the other Down East models are configured but my circ. pump is located on the side where the control panel is on the lower right hand side. You probably know this, but make sure your breaker is off before you go poking around down there. Keep us posted and read the other thread. There are some sharp folks on this board!

Thanks, email sent.

Well Bill we seem to have the same problem I sure would like to know how you make out . Yeah, I'm getting pretty upset with the whole situation. The closest Master Spa/Down East service tech is in Houston, TX. 100 miles away and they want $197.00 just to show up over here. I would much rather put that money towards parts if I could just find out where the dry code is coming from. No one seems to know. I am about ready to throw some Southern Engineering at it, get the water back to circulating through the filter and call it good. If I find out anything, I will sure let you know. Bill

The unit has a 2008 Balboa circuit board MS1600 - PN 55543 - 01 and a Laing circulation pump E14 - NSTN2W -10. I have purchased another pump and it didn't come on. I am trying to determine where the "dr" "dry" code originates from. Is it a part of the pump or is it located on the circuit board? I am trying to determine if I have 2 bad pumps or just a bad sensor. The closest service I have found so far is 100 miles away. :-( Any input would be greatly appreciated.

I located the the switch bank. I Turned # 9 off and back on, then turned the breaker back on. PR came up on the screen but the circ. pump still is not coming on. Both blower pumps worked so I unplugged blower #2 and plugged the circ. pump into this location, nothing happened. I then hit the switch for blower #2 and still no circ. pump. I then put everything back like it was and every thing works except the circ. pump. I have yet to find anything marked m7, the sensors on the heater or marked sensor A and sensor B and seem to be working because the heater comes on and shuts off. I assume the heater shuts down because of lack of water flow. I'm now thinking that the low water (dr.) sensor is located in the circulation pump itself and I am now the proud owner of two of these bad boys that don't sense or move water. Guess it's time to open one of the 2 circ. pumps and see what I find there. Thanks for all the input everyone! Have a great Memorial Day!