Jump to content

Gouie

Members
  • Posts

    35
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Gouie's Achievements

Junior Member

Junior Member (2/5)

0

Reputation

  1. I'll be sure to check things out in detail when the temperature increases to the point where my eyeballs aren't freezing. What I can't piece together is how the heater/pump on one side of the tub can prevent the secondary pump from freezing. I understand what n1oty is saying and will look at it closer but I do not believe that is how mine is setup. The control panel was reading IC indicating a freeze condition which should have initiated the pumps. Whether it was the pumps freezing that caused the fuse to blow or the blown fuse that resulted in the frozen pumps i do not know.
  2. Yeah, not sure how I would adhoc a setup like that as it's not the way the tub was designed. What's troublesome is the second heater. Even if the primary pump drawing from the heater had no issue, the second pump rarely sees any flow at all. I'm not sure how a constant circulation would resolve that problem. After a lot of thought I believe what happened was the secondary pump, due to lack of activity and circulation of warm water froze enough that the propellor stopped turning. This was fine for a while as the primary is the only pump active for maintaining the temperature. The next fiter cycle kicked in which calls both pumps in order to assess proper flow/pressure. As the secondary pump wasn't spinning it drew enough current to blow the pump fuse which prevented the primary from running. The fuse issue was confirmed by replacing (as I thought that was the only problem I had) and blowing seconds after the pumps kicked in. Here's to hoping the hot tub Gods are with me come spring.
  3. Well two hours in minus 30 and it's as I had expected. The fuse to the pumps had blown and I suspect as a result the water in the pumps is frozen preventing them from running. I think that the pump kicking in twice an hour to check the temp is simply not frequent enough. Thats a long time without circulation in temperatures that we see here. Even if that were enou to keep the main two speed pump thawed, the second pump only runs when the filtering cycle starts. I'm not sure how other units get around this, perhaps a small draw, constant circulation pump? Regardless I fear the tub is shot. I'm draining now in hopes for a miracle come spring and no damage to the pipes.
  4. Well guys, I may have to throw in the towel. I've had a few issues with the hot tub over the last few months. I thought I was free and clear but I may have lost the battle. Came home tonight to an IC and HH error on the panel. I've seen the HH before, the water is not overheating, it's that the pumps aren't working and the temperature of the water at the sensor is above the threshold. I have a Balboa 500z series panel, readout in the centre with two pump buttons on the left and the temp and light buttons to the right. The light and temp buttons work fine but neither of the pump buttons work. I don't even hear them trying. I'm throwing this out there for any direction possible. We're expecting temperatures as low as -35 tonight. I could be burying my tub tomorrow.
  5. Hey everyone, I'm looking to replace my not so accurate digital strip reader with a more accurate drop tester. Sounds like the Taylor is the way to go. Do any of the Canadians out there have a recommendation on where to order from?
  6. You are correct, I am using test strips. I am using pH increaser to bring the level up. I will give the aeration a try, going to have to do some digging as I have no idea what borax even is. As far as the sanitizer is concerned, I am using chlorine in a granular form not liquid. Having said that the pucks do a very good job of maintaining and rarely do I have to add any in addition. I understand that drop testing is the preferred method but it is quite time consuming to do on a daily basis when temps during the winter months hover around taht -20C mark. Although not 100% accurate, are strips really that far off?
  7. Just out of curiousity, I presume, regardless of whether the ozonator is functioning or not, air will be pulled through the venturi into the tub. This would mean the presence of bubbles is not enough to confirm your ozonator is working properly. Is there a way of testing/confirming functionality?
  8. I'm trying to wrap my head around the TA/PH relationship and believe I understand, but I'm running into a continuous problem that seems to be against the norm of others here. I am slowing loosing PH, having to add almost daily while my TA is consistantly high; in the 160 - 180 range. I must be missing something but can't seen to figure it out.
  9. I'll definitly keep that in mind. Looking at the motor that was replaced, there's a lot of build up on the front plate as a result of the leaking pump a few months ago. If it were summer I'd be much more comfortable taking the time to have it rebuilt. Regarding the chemistry, I try to keep my chlorine levels between 3 - 5, is that a good target or would you suggest I drop it?
  10. You will prefer the look of wood panels. We have a pergola over the tub and removable wooden frames for the winter. The frames support bi-fold style windows/doors to allow for open or closure depending on the breeze. Works great and I assure you, living in northern Canada we get some very chilly winter nights. -20C was the cut-off for us until I installed this setup. We've hit -30C with relative comfort. Of course it's a quick dip as the tub can't hold the temperature for much longer then 15 minutes or so.
  11. Sorry everyone, I updated the status of this problem in another thread for some reason. I hate leaving a thread unresolved. The problem was with the pump. The pump quite on me the other day forcing a replacement. A new pump and the ozonator is working. I suspect the motor was on it's way out and not producing enough suction to pull the magic bubbles out.
  12. Definitely agree with the possibility of a seized motor, just went through the same process and ended up replacing the motor/pump. Having said that, I can say that regardless of the way that I fill from a complete drain, 9 times out of 10 requires a purging of the air in the pump. If you haven't tried I would start there.
  13. Pictures are links. You are correct, I've done a little digging into how they operate and it looks like the problem was related to my pump. I suspect my pump motor was on the verge of failing for some time now. As a result it wasn't drawing enough water to start the suction. After replacing the motor the ozonator appears to be working now.
  14. Well, one more issue to tackle, I'm hoping the gurus here can help. My ozonator has stopped producing the magic bubbles. Tearing into it things don't look good but would like to confirm if possible. The inside of the unit is separated into two sections, one containing the electronics the other housing a tube, 3/4" in diameter running the entire length of the enclosure. The problem I see is that the tube is only connected at the bottom by the electrical wire, the top is moving around freely. Not exactly sure how these units work but I assume the tube creates some sort of pressure that flows through the hose at the top of the enclosure. The hose is then connected via a one-way valve to a water line which is presumably connected to one of the jets (can't see the other end of it as it's covered in spray foam. I'm guessing the unit is shot? I've attached some pictures. Picture 1 Picture 2
  15. To close the loop here guys, I brought the pump into the local dealer and after a 4 second look the assessment was a seized motor. As I suspected I didn't get to the leaking pump quick enough last year. I should have replaced both the wet and dry end at that time but thought I could save a buck or two. What's painful is the tub is just over 4 years old, blown fuzes, replacement circuit board, a wet end and now the entire pump in under 12 months has be second guessing things. I do appreciate all of your help. Just one more issue to resolve with the ozonator and I'm back to square one!
×
×
  • Create New...