Sailing_Faith

FWIW, First, isnt it great we are still using these spas? I have an old soverign, that I use all the time! Glad yours is still in in sevice, hope you get your issue resolved. The 'door interlock' is easily fixed by taking the magnet off of the door and tapeing it to the pick up. Mine has been like that since I got it. Also, I know mine will 'run' for about 5 min as you say, if I drain and refill without 'burping' the heater. I think what happens is the heater core has air, and goes into an overtemp. What I do to keep this from happening is to lift it up while the spa is starting up (like after a re-fill). I tilt it back and forth to rid it of any air bubbles. Good luck!

This weekend the Perseids Meteor Showers can be seen late Saturday night into the early morning hours of Sunday. An early morning crescent moon won't be visible until a few hours before sunrise so the night sky will remain dark for these meteors. Find a viewing area away from light pollution and bring lawn chairs, hammock or whatever makes you comfortable. More information at : http://stardate.org/nightsky/meteors

Geminid Metior Shower continues tonight. Had a great night watching last night... soaked for almost 3 hours! Supposed to be a good night tonight... turn those lights off and enjoy the show!

I have a similar vintage HS Sovereign... ... all the replies are good, but FWIW there is something that I have not heard mentioned. On my spa I occasionally have to 'burp' the heater when I refill the tub. If it has air trapped in it, it will do EXACTLY what you describe. I assume the heating element is partially exposed (where the air gets trapped) and gets too hot and trips. What I do is to tip it up to purge the bubbles out... make it tip with the connetors up. You will hear air escape. I do this a few times, right after I turn the pump on and it seems to prevent the problem you are having. (maybe newer heaters have a better 'purge' system, but our mid / late 90's models don't seem to. Good luck!

I have a HS Sovereign, and while it is quite a bit older.. the issue of the 110v is the same. The heater does turn off when the jets are on, but frankly I would be amazed if you were to notice much of a difference. Water temp does not fall that quickly, I soak most days and have never had more then a degree of so of change... Seriously doubt you would ever be able to tell the difference.

I "believe" this is a drain line to ensure that when you empty the tub, you do not leave water in the heater to freeze and crack it. In my 94, I have these from both the heater and the main pump, which makes sense since you would not want water to sit in the pump housing either that might freeze and crack it.

Many spa's are 110v. Some have a 20a plug, which will not plug into a normal outlet. You don't want to use an extension cord though, and here is why. Most spa manufacturers will say not to, and it is only partially due to safety considerations. The conductors will supply current, but for every foot of cord there is resistance. This produces a decrease in voltage, and will cause the spa to draw more current. You can damage your heater, control board, even the pump motor by running it on the lower voltage you will likely get from an extension cord. Add to that the very real danger with a non-weather proof connection (and the aforementioned water/electricity issues) and you have a bad idea. The remote outlet will require a run of wire sufficiently sized for the distance from the outlet back to the electrical panel. It really is important to do this. Please don't use an extension cord with your spa.

There is nothing wrong with an old post if it has a relevant discussion. I am glad that I get bumped from time to time... even if I am a bit past being relevant.

I am getting ready to duct tape my cover also.... ... it is so heavy from the water that it takes 2 people to move it. My local Hot Spring dealer wants $450 for one, there was another spa shop that had one for $350, but they went out of business.

Lights out soaking alert! Don't miss the Orionids this week. Here is a link. Looks like the moon may make it tougher to see... but hey, it is not much of a strain to lean your head back and stare at the sky while soaking is it>?

BTW, Just for the sake of any who may search and find this thread in the future. The mechanical T-stat on the 94 HS tubs was replaced by a kit with a small circuit board and a thermistor (like the newer spas have). The reason for the switch is the copper wire from the Mechanical T-stat was routed right next to the terminals on the heater relay... and could easily short out. HS no longer lists the part number for the original Watkins mechanical T-stat. I purchased the one for a 96 HS Classic... it is nearly the same..

What I do is to take the hose and put it up to the circ pump return (where the hot water comes out) and I kind of cup my hand over it... .. the pressure from the hose forces most of the air back through and out the filters.... .. works ok for me.

I have no experience with an LA spa, however as a long term owner of a used spa I would recommend you heed the advice to enjoy a soak test. Make sure the ground around the spa is not wet, and run it through a cycle before you get in. The deposits may only show on one side if the spa if the prior owner opened the cover half way when they used it (as I do). I would not be afraid of this. The soak test will tell you a lot. It is worth the money saved to by a used spa I have been quite happy with mine. Good luck!

I am sorry you are having trouble with Hot Spring. My experience with them is just the opposite. Even owning a second hand spa that is 16 years old (many spas are junk in 1/4 of that time).... I go in, the local dealer treats me like I am a friend. He will help me, happy to chat about the spa... no agenda (I thought I wanted to add an ozone system, and he talked me out of it). Those rare times when something breaks, they really jump through hoops for me. My local dealer is making a nationwide search for the original thermostat I want.. they have the new replacement in stock, but are willing to go an look for the one I want. Very good company. I would dearly love to buy a new spa from them, but this retired / disabled vet is just happy to have the hot water soak that makes my life so much more worth living.

Ok, THANKS to all who helped me! Next question... it looks like HS has replaced this stat with a 'thermostat kit' that is $100! Now I understand some had problems that lead to this, but mine has worked sing 94 (pretty low failure rate). Can I use another 'mechanical' thermostat (for $26) or do I NEED to $100 conversion kit?