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billy sharpstick

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  1. Finally got around to putting it all together. Turned it on. Couldn't even hear the new pump at first! Pressure gauge reads about 2psi. Hit the jets button. Gauge went to about 22 and water started leaking out of the filter gasket. I'm going to get a new gasket and try again. (That one isn't all that old.) It would be nice to have the jets I paid so much for occasionally. One of those imaginary spring bypass thingies seems like the answer here.
  2. Got the pump. I was a bit concerned when it was labeled 3hp instead of 2hp. It has lower amperage rating the the old, so I'm thinking that "uprated to 3hp" means that they've just designed it better and it's just marketing hype. Hopefully it isn't designed so much better that it is too powerful. In my researching this, I came across mention of a "spring loaded bypass valve" that allows full flow through the filter at low speed, but opens at the higher pressure when in high speed to bypass the filter with the extra flow. I can't find any valve like that. Nobody knows about it or thinks it is necessary. My (Hayward C500 50 sf) filter has a pressure gauge on it, but I don't know what "normal" pressure for my system should be. And I don't recall what it used to be. Some comments suggest 15 - 20 psi. (I contacted Hayward and they told me this filter has no bypass in it) What is the reason for high speed, just for the extra jet pressure? To occasionally stir up sediments so it circulates to the filter? Is it possible to disable high speed(Balboa VZ500C spa pack). If it's too powerful? What will happen first, will the motor burn out or the filter explode? I'm going to put it all back together today and see what happens. Pray for me.
  3. I had this issue recently. The GFCI breaker tripped instantly when I tried to power up. It wasn't the heater. I assume it was the (old NuWave) board. I put in a new Balboa spa pack and the GFCI still tripped! I put in a new GFCI breaker and that tripped too. I put in a non GFCI(for testing only!) and it worked. I contacted Balboa support and the tech told me that the most common cause is incorrect GFCI breaker installation. Make sure the white common/neutral power wire going to the spa pack is in the breaker, not the bus bar that the white and ground from the main panel are in. I checked and sure enough, that was the problem. Works now. What I don't understand is why it worked before. I must assume that some idiot(me) hooked it up wrong somewhere along the way during the swapout. (and hopefully the old panel really was bad)
  4. 300 gallon spa: A few years ago, my built in tiny cartridge filter cracked. On the advise of a pool repairman, I replumbed it with a 50 sf Hayward C500 pool size cartridge filter. (He gave it to me. Said he was replacing them with larger ones and had a pile of them in his back yard.) It has worked well for for several years. I just replaced the 2 hp pump. While researching for the replacement, I saw that some filters have bypasses in them so that they open up at high speed and only filter during low speed. I can't find any info on this filter to determine if it has this, or if it is really needed. I'm also installing a used hot tub at another location and plan to do a similar upgrade there, too. It is a larger spa and will have higher traffic(more people) so increased filtering is important. Is this kind of filter a good choice, or would a sand or DE filter be better? Worse case, I'd like to have it stay clean and fresh over a 2 day party weekend with minimal maintenance.
  5. I was considering dropping down to a 1.5 hp pump, but I found a great deal on a Gecko pump. It has 2" ports. Is there any problem with reducing down to the 1.5" pipes in my system? I don't want to create too much back pressure. (I already changed from the tiny built in filter to a Hayward C500 pool filter.)
  6. My tub had been sitting idle for a while while I replaced the spa pack. When I cranked it back up, the pump was running, but making quite a lot of noise. The local motor repair guy said it was rusted and couldn't be fixed, but I could use it until it burned up. The pump motor assembly is about 8 years old and was exposed to weather. (I'm building a roof for it now.) The original is a Century BN51 frame X48Y, 2 hp 2 spd with 1.5" fittings. It's a small (about 300 gallons?) spa. It's not a high traffic spa, usually just my wife and I. I'm trying to keep costs down partly because we are selling the house in a couple years or so. I can save money by downsizing to 115v, and/or 1.5 hp(or lower?). How much can I downgrade without regretting it? I see Gecko and Waterway brands on the hot tub warehouse website. Any recommendations on these or other brands?
  7. Problem solved. Mine is the VS500Z, but I think the pins are more or less standard. At any rate, I was able to speak to a Balboa tech support guy, shortest TS call I've ever had: me- "I am trying to hook up a 2 speed 230 volt pump to a VS500Z spa pack." TS - "Right, Red is high and black is low." I think he's heard that question before. Why they left that out of the circuit diagram is beyond me. The G and C pins ARE labelled on the diagram. What threw me off was that the internal wiring in the old box from the circuit board to the power relays had those colors reversed.
  8. I'm trying to figure out the wiring hookup for the high and low speeds for the main pump. I am replacing an old Nu-Wave MM-1 spa pack with a new Balboa VS500Z (50-54219-Z). I've identified the high and low speed wires going to the pump. (Inside the old controller box, they were black and red, respectively.) I need to remove the old wiring and install the new wire/plug assembly, but the Balboa manual does not specify which is which on the four pin AMP socket on the circuit board. The manual shows the bottom pin is grd, the second is common, but the 3rd and 4th are not specified. The 4th(top) pin is a D shape hole with the flat on the left. The third is round. The corresponding pin on the "21087" wiring harness plug has the red wire attached to the 4th pin and black is to the 3rd one. So, which are the high and the low speed pins? from bottom to top looking at the connector on the circuit board: 1 - ground 2 - common 3 - ?? 4 - ??
  9. I just got a Balboa spa pack VS500Z(54368HC3) with VL200 generic topside panel. I'd like to upgrade to a panel that has a larger display. I haven't unwrapped the new panel yet in case I need to return it for an upgrade. I can't find any online specs of display size anywhere(or if it is illuminated or not. It appears to be an LCD.). My old Nu-Wave display had a half inch high bright red LED that I could just barely read from inside the house to check temp. So, are there any compatible displays that are as legible as my old one? Does it have to be a Balboa, or are other brands compatible?
  10. (Been out of town) I'm pretty sure it is wired that way. The whole disconnect box was preassembled. I'll check today.
  11. Yes, I did. I even disconnected the ground wire coming in from the GFI. I'm sort of stumped. Disassembly is next. Thanks
  12. Nu-Wave 220v. 5.5kw system, model MM-1. (It could be an MM-2. The panel cover was never marked.) Originally installed about ten years ago. I'm not even sure of the nomenclature. Control panel? The box with the circuit board in it basically. (I was an industrial electrician for several years, so consider myself reasonably competent with electrical systems) My system popped the breaker recently. I discovered that the Cutler Hammer GFI breaker had failed. Replacement would have been $165, but I got a whole new disconnect box from Home Depot with GE 50a GFI for $65. Go figure. Fired it up and it instantly tripped. I disconnected the heater leads and all the external pieces and it still trips, but only on one of the hot leads(L1). Assuming that the new breaker is not defective, I deduced that there must be a short to ground somewhere inside the circuit board. My only other plan for troubleshooting is to unscrew the circuit board and look underneath for something shorting out. I could call in a service guy to confirm, but would probably end up paying more in the long run. Bottom line, I think I need a whole new box. I see most come with heaters built in. I suspect my old heater is still good. We're hoping to keep the cost low because we are selling the house in the next year or two. The most likely replacement I've seen so far is an "epack" from distributors-fulfillment, http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=121049416769 for $327. It's only 4kw, so I suspect it will take a bit longer to heat up. The old 300 gallon tub would go from 85 to 100 in about 90 minutes. He will include an LED light and extra large keypad for no extra cost. Is this a good unit for the price? Are there any lower cost adequate alternatives? I've seen a couple a bit cheaper.
  13. I'm installing a used tub at my house soon. The house had a solar water heater system in it installed in 1979. The tank rusted out and I was told that it was impossible to restore the system. Mainly because that system used coolant fluid and a heat exchanger. It has tubing that is vertical and doesn't drain, so can't be used for water. (Central Florida does freeze on occasion). I intend to remove the panels from the roof, mount them rotated so hopefully the water will drain out, and use for a solar assist on my hot tub. The tub is roughly 7' x 7' and I guess about 500 gallons. I still have the original electronics and circulation pump from the old system and hope to use the panels to keep my spa hot. Has anyone done anything like this?
  14. On my old 300 gallon(?) tub, the built in filter housing broke. Instead of replacing it with the same housing, I was given a larger filter(small pool filter) housing that I installed OUTSIDE the deck wall where I could reach it. I also replumbed the entire thing so the pump and control box are outside in their own little doghouse that lifts off.. I'm now moving to another house. Someone gave me a nice tub. I'm not sure what size, but the enclosure is about 7'6" x 7'6", probably 500 gallons? It's in good shape, but the outer wood enclosure is falling apart. I plan to mount it in a deck with a scren enclosure, probably flush, but with the rim about a foot above the deck. I plan to do a similar thing for this one as before, mount all the hardware outside the deck so I can access it without crawling on my belly like a reptile. My main question is what is the best kind of filter to put in? The current one is a dinky little paper filter about 4 x 15 iir. Should I go with a bigger paper one, DE or something else? Someone suggested a salt filter. Is there such a thing as too big a filter? btw, any suggestions on mounting the tub itself are welcome. My current plan is to pour a small reinforced slab about 3 x 3 under the tub and some deck feet thingies supporting beams under the rim to stabilize it and hold it level. We have really sandy well drained soil(central Florida).
  15. the lubbers emerge in march, but they don't go in the hot tub.
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