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  1. You are already taking the first step, see it running. Make sure ALL functions work. Examine under it thoroughly for any signs of leaks. Inspect the frame for rot, etc. Has it a good cover? I would pop the cover on the electronics and look for any signs of a relay overheat. Dark spots on the board, etc.
    2 points
  2. Run away from Cal Spa. Probably the worst company I ever dealt with in 20+ years. Cal Spas makes a mediocre product, but does not honor their warranty. This results in the dealer either covering the cost themselves, or passing it along to the customer. There is a reason there are few, if any long-term Cal Spa dealers. Bullfrog in my opinion makes a quality product, and yes, on the pricey side. I cannot put my finger on it, but there is something about the company that rubs me the wrong way. I am more of a traditionally engineered product kind of guy. Give me a Sundance, Hot Spring, Caldera, Jacuzzi all day long.
    2 points
  3. Full disclosure, I am a dealer. I sell Sundance Spas, but in the last 10 years prior to opening my own store I sold Hot Spring, Caldera, Marquis and then a bunch of lesser known brands prior (been in the industry 23 years now). There is no online "consumer reports" type place for hot tubs. Anything you find is going to be a paid for review site. In my opinion, the following are brands I consider quality and this is in alphabetical order to be fair: Artesian, Bullfrog, Caldera, Dimension One, Hot Spring, Jacuzzi, Marquis, and Sundance. There are plenty other brands that are of decent/pretty good quality, and many others that are of lower quality. I would start your search by visiting the dealer locator on each of the above brands and see if you have local representation. If you don't have a local dealer, then the brand is not an option. I would personally avoid online, big box stores, Costco, etc if you want quality and support after the sale. There is a reason a dealer will be more expensive, and it is because they likely offer a better quality product and are there for you after the sale. Pricing is a crapshoot. Some dealers negotiate, some don't. Some inflate their prices to offer big discounts, others don't. And each dealer has different fixed costs which will influence what they sell the hot tub for. Plus the local market will also influence that price. As an example, I am in Wisconsin. My market is way different than someone who is in say Boston or San Francisco, so our prices will likely be different. Same goes for dealer markup. The internet and box stores will absolutely have lower profit margins because they are nothing more than order takers. And when you don't have to worry about any potential expenses after the sale, you can make lower margins and still put food on your table. Any research you do, disregard pricing you find that was pre-Covid, everything has gone up 10%-20%. I have knowledge of current pricing on Sundance, Hot Spring, Caldera, Marquis, and Jacuzzi. If you encounter those brands, I can at least let you know if the price you are being quoted is in the ballpark. Low end 6-person hot tub, I would say $10k - $13k. Mid-tier probably $14k - $17k and high end $20k. I don't count online, big box stuff in the above estimates. You also need to determine how many people you really want the hot tub to fit. A 7' hot tub can claim it fits 7 people and so can a 8' hot tub. The larger one will do so comfortably and the smaller one not so much. A 7' sized hot tub will probably save you $1k - $2k over the larger 8' model.
    2 points
  4. A little bit confused here. The TP series of topside controls connect to the circuit board using a Molex style connector. The VL series uses a phone jack style. Post photos of the circuit board and the schematic on the inside cover of the pack. As for heating use a multi meter and test for 240V coming off the circuit board. You might have a blown heater relay and in that case you will likely only read 120V coming off the board. There may be a "Dip" Switch setting for the topside and how it operates. Again post photos of schematic and circuit board @Troy H.
    1 point
  5. Lots of fudge going on with pump hp ratings To know the "true" HP ratings you need to know the AMP draw in high speed... 2hp 8 amp, 3hp 10 amp, 4 HP 12 amp, 5 HP 16 Amp. Honestly I have had over 100 + tubs go through my backyard over the years and tried them all but never a Bullfrog.. odd. Have worked on a bunch but never tried one. To me the "jet pack" seating looks very upright and rigid almost like sitting back against a sheet of plywood but others might have more input on that. Also the space behind the jet pack looks like a good place for nasties to build up unseen. Not sure if they fixed the issue with the jet pack clips breaking yet or not. JMO Wiring for the tub is routed through channels molded into the bottom base pan so plan ahead. Of the manufacturers you have mentioned the Sundance would be my choice but that would be dependent on the dealer reputation and service fees. FYI Sundance is Jacuzzi. Same factory. Repair costs post warranty will be slightly higher than most as well.
    1 point
  6. Not unbiased Commission sales teams. Their job is to get as much money out of you as they can. The more they get the more they make. 2 customers can buy tubs 20 mins apart and one might pay 2K more because they didn't have a negotiation plan before going in. Of you are buying in this environment I tell folks to never sign on the first day in. They will try and find your price breaking point and hold there when they think you will buy that day. Walk away. Leave your contact info and a good sales person will contact you in a day or 2 with a better price and or package asking how they can earn your business. Go home think about it. If it still feels right the next day and you have done your homework you will feel much better about the purchase going forward. In larger stores the day you meet the sale person and they are your best friend is likely the last time you ever deal with them. From that day or you are likely dealing with Customer Service or a 3rd party service provider. Set a budget and stay within it regardless of how good of a "deal" it is. Know all your "other" costs... Electrical, Base pad... before you set budget and shop. Most dealers will include the delivery, step, cover lifter and start up chemicals. All things you will need and cost money. They will try to play this into the sales pitch with over inflated prices to make you feel you are getting a better deal. "Today Only"... "Scratch and dent" "last one" are all pressure sales tactics. If they offer you a deal today it will be there tomorrow. Research the Dealer as much as you do Price, Manufacturer and model of spa. Do they have in house service or do they use a 3rd party service provider. Research the Manufacturer. Sometimes you have to dig deep to get the real story. Warranty.. Know what the warranty is and covers and for how long. Most Warranties are pro rated and by the second year you are paying 50% of parts and labour. Some components might only be covered for the first year. Lights, stereos, ozone... Most manufacturers will cover the dealer for parts and time on site based on a preset amount but manufacturers don't cover travel time to and from your location so most dealers will charge a "Trip Fee" that can run as high as $200+ per visit. Make sure you know before you buy because they likely won't tell you unless you ask. Where are you located?
    1 point
  7. I evaluated countless tubs when I was looking for a tub. Now, I had a size limitation due to the location it was going into so I could not buy a "standard" size 96"x96" tub. This did limit the brands that I hat to buy from. My tub says it will seat 6. It also has a recliner seat. It does seat 6 if all of you are very friendly and you use the cool down seat. It will sit 4 with everyone being a bit less friendly and 3 are really comfortable. My first tub was a non recliner seat tub. Due to age and the infirmities that come with age, we did opt for the recliner seat. To get one that we didn't think we would float out of required further testing and eliminated several tubs. I ended up with an Artesian Island series rectangular tub that met the physical size requirements and delivered the best bang for the buck, from a dealer that had quality reviews for both sales and service. Because I bought during covid, we were unable to wet test anything but dry testing did provide at least comfort assessments. I found that if the lounge was inclined more severely it was uncomfortable and I felt there was a greater possibility of floating out. A more upright lounge seat was more comfortable for us and we do stay put in the lounger when using the tub. This won't work for all though (different body types perform differently) and that's why you really need to wet test a lounger tub. In reality, you need to visit multiple dealers and sit in a lot of tubs. Narrow your search down based on the dry seating and arrange a wet test. The dealer is as important as the tub. The dealer is your warranty source and you want one that is responsive and preferably has in house service techs. Ask for referrals from the dealer and follow up with them. If your dealer's service area fits with where you live, distance would not concern me. My dealer is about 125 miles away but they service my area. @castletonia and @Gebo have given you good advice. Hopefully, I have as well. Another brand that seems to be up and coming in the US is Wellis. They are a European manufacturer that has established US dealers and stock. I would take a look at those and use the same criteria as you should for the list that Castletonia gave you. Good luck and report back with what you decide on.
    1 point
  8. One thing I read on the internet is that 70% of first time buyers get a recliner and 70% of second time buyers don’t get a tub with a recliner. Food for thought. Also, please go sit in them before you purchase. You and anyone else that will be using it. Different brands will fit your body differently. My wife and I were settled on one of the brands mentioned above. We just sat in it dry and it was too upright for us. I spent way too much time looking for quality FIRST. But if it’s uncomfortable, what good is quality? I wish I’d have sat in all of those mentioned above first and then evaluated the quality and dealer second.
    1 point
  9. I have a 35-year-old CalSpa on my back patio, cost me $3000 in 1988. Maybe a decade ago it developed a small leak, not in the equipment section. I could pull off two other panels and pull out some sprayed-in foam but could not isolate/identify a leak area. There are about 6 to 8 small cracks in the shell, so maybe one or more of those is the cause of the leakage. The 4th side is 8 inches from the house wall, so inaccessible. So I've been adding "Fix a Leak" 3 or 3 times a year, and it DOES work. This week I drained the spa, hand sanded the cracks, and used JB Weld Marine Epoxy in an attempt to seal those. After letting the marine epoxy set 24 hours, I added water, sodium bromide, and am observing....
    1 point
  10. My own spa is 35 years old so way before fancy electronic controls and electronic stuff. But from what I read, stay away from bells and whistles like built-in stereos and TVs, way more proprietary stuff to go wrong. My spa is on the back patio under the patio roof. I use a stereo inside the house for which I have two outside speakers. We also have a 37" HDTV on a swivel mount from the roof which can be turned towards the spa and controlled by its remote control as it has to be at a distance for safety.
    1 point
  11. If you are just removing them forever, I would find some plastic or nylon sheets and cut them to size. Use stainless steel hardware and stat-o-seal washers to bolt them on and a good marine grade silicone to seal the patch panel to the tub. If replacing them, see what @CanadianSpaTech posted above.
    1 point
  12. Can you post up the wiring diagram of both the old and the new boards? A picture of the new board would also be extremely helpful. Do you have a picture of the old board installed? This way we can see how the old board was wired.
    1 point
  13. Please start your own thread. In it fully describe your problem and the age and model of your spa. Also include pictures of your spa electronics, the wiring diagram usually found on the inside cover of the spa pack and of your equipment area. We ask this to avoid giving information based on the wrong equipment because someone resurrected an old thread and it's either a different tub, not quite the same issue or different electronics. Everyone here is a volunteer and a new thread makes it that much easier for us to help you instead of looking through a multiple page old thread to find out your issue isn't exactly the same and the advice may not be appropriate. If I was to make a SWAG, I would say replace your temperature sensors. You may have only 1 sensor. However it could also be a flow switch or it could be a stuck heater relay. This is why we need to see YOUR tub and setup.
    1 point
  14. I would just shock the tub...
    1 point
  15. Mine is Sundance 850 Optima, mfg in 1999. The one you show definitely looks like it and matches based on spa date. So looks like the original fitting did thread on in same way to secure. That's good if I can dig out that much insulating foam and reach it from behind the electrical control box. I guess should purchase most all of those parts on that part of the page. I'll likely even break off the nut by the time I try to remove it all. Anyway, hopefully I can find the, in stock. Thank you VERY MUCH for all the info and especially for sharing that part manual. I have scoured the web and never seen that in the past. It would have saved me hours with past pump and related parts I have had to track down in previous years. Anyway, at least I know what I need to do to remove the old one and what to replace it with.
    1 point
  16. It's a good tub. When buying used, make sure you see it running and heating. Test all functions. Open the panel and look for leaks. Walk away is something is non functional or you find evidence of a leak. Remember, this is a 20 year old tub. Sometimes it's better to spend the extra and buy new especially if you are not handy.
    1 point
  17. Once there is no longer freezing potential. Clear debris. At this point I'm not spending a lot of time cleaning. See if you can get at the back end of the pump motors. There is a quarter size dust cover in the center of the motor. Remove the dust cover and you will see the shaft of the motor that has a slot in it. Use screwdriver and see if the shaft will spin and that the shaft is free and not seized. If they spin continue on. Place hose where filter goes and fill foot well. Leave overnight and if foot well still full in the morning continue filling. Open spa pack and inspect. If all looks good turn on the breaker. and prey (a lot) Let us know how you make out.
    1 point
  18. Disconnect J15, 16 and 17 and try. If it still trips remove the board and look on the back for any damage. When removing the board disconnect everything but J5 and 6 and try. Does it trip?
    1 point
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