sealginCO

I have read a lot of the dialog on this topic. I too want to increase my spa temp by a few degrees sometimes. I also am aware of all the nanny's who want to lecture us about how the federal temperature police will get us. That is my secondary motivator - to do it just because the nanny's dont like it. Anyway... the resistors in sensor circuit approach seemed like a rats nest to me. Defeating my Balboa controllers seemed pretty impossible. So here is my brute-force but quite simple method. Works great! Buy: --15 minute wall timer (like from homedepot) --240v/12vac relay Now: --Run line voltage from the controller's line-in posts to the relay --Run line voltage from the relay to the spa heater terminals. --Supply the relay with 12vac from the Controller's transformer. --Switch the relay with the 15min timer. Operation: --When I set the timer, the heater will turn on regardless of temperature. I do this about 10 or 15 min before I get in the spa. The spa heats at about 5 degress per hour so its easy to set the timer for two or three degrees of increase over the starting temperature. This takes the temp from 104 to about 106 - which is what I want. -- My spa has an always-on circ pump so starting the heater is not a problem. If your spa runs on a filter cycle then you will have to ensure that the pump is running before you turn on the heater - else it will instantly burn up. You may think of your own creative way to ensure the pump is running. -- no resistors. no controller changes. no bogus temperature displays. Hooking this up is easy if you are smarter than a 5th grader and not a nanny.