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Assuming this hot tub did not have the circulation pump added and only has the jet pump, the pump should turn on automatically when it needs heat. Keep in mind though that it will not automatically call for heat until the actual water temperature is 2 degrees below the set temperature.

Wow! Clean looking hot tub and good find. Need those every now and then to make up for all the ones that are way more work than they should be.

It's a 2006. I've never seen/used those electronics but I know a lot of the older ones wouldn't show the actual temperature, only the set temperature. If it is running 115v then the tub will only heat when the pump is on low speed. I have a Hot Spring SX and it takes anywhere between 24-36 hours to heat from 50 to 103 degrees depending on the outside air temp and whether I have the air control open or closed.

No, you told me what I was looking for. I am pretty sure that tub filters more than once per day, but it's been a while since I have seen one. If the circulation pump is failing it can trigger overheating in the heater, which will turn the high jets on to move water through and cool it down. This will display an error, but it is self resetting, so if you don't look when it happens you won't see it.

Very nice

There is no 'best' PSI reading. It is dependent on how your equipment is plumbed and turning a water feature or cleaner on or off, changing pump speed, or even changing the size of a return eyeball can and will change the measured PSI reading on your filter's gauge. I think you are confusing PSI and flow rate. The water in your pool should turn over once per day. You determine this by multiplying the the flow rate of your pump in gallons per hour with how many hours you run your pump. This should equal the gallons of water in your pool. With a variable speed pump you can select the flow rate. Lower flow rates will filter more efficiently and also consume less energy but will require a longer run time to turn over your pool water once a day. For example, if it takes 8 hours run time on high speed (this is considered the norm) it might take 12 or 20 hours at a lower speed to turn over the water. To determine which is most energy efficient yo have to look at how many killiwatt hours your pump needs at a certain speed and how long you need to run it at that speed to turn over the water in your pool to determine how much it will cost to run the pump at that speed. You also have to take in account whether you pay a lower rate at non peak times for electricity because you can also save money by running your pump during these non peak times. Pump run time does not need to be continuous but can be broken up into on times and off times in a 24 hours period to take advantage of this. If you have to run the pump at different speeds because of pool cleaner use then calculate each separately and add the electric costs and turnover rates together. This will obviously take a bit of calculation on your part and perhaps a bit of trial and error to see how low a flow rate will work with how your pool is plumbed and your filter. It needs to be enough to match your filter's minimum flow rate and not exceed the maximum flow rate of the filter and plumbing. If your pump and filter were properly sized for your pool and plumbing this should already be done but you can double check by looking at the specs for your filter. This blog might help you also and also explain how to deal with back pressure from the plumbing (be aware that it recommends turning over the water twice a day. Once a day is the minimum for water turnover but turning it over more frequently hurts nothing, except possibly the cost of running your pump, and will help with maintaining the water since you are 'cleaning' the water in the filter more frequently. https://poolresearch.com/pump-size-calculator/ The reason you have a PSI gauge on your filter is to determine when to clean it. Depending on your setup you will have a 'normal' PSI reading (check this when the filter is newly backwashed or when installing a new cartridge or changing the DE, depending on the type of filter you have). When the PSI rises 8-10 PSI above this baseline it's time to clean your filter. As far as pump speed, max speed is usually only needed if you have certain water features or a suction or pressure pool cleaner. You will need to run at max speed or close to it when these are running. For normal pool circulation and filtering you can and should run at a lower speed, which should save electricity once you determine the 'sweet spot' as I outline above.

My 2 cents: A few red flags for me here that might be related. You have a floater for chlorine in a spa? The only form of chlorine used in a floater is trichlor, which is very acidic and dissolves quickly at spa temperatures and can lead to high chlorine situations that can damage and oxidize plastic parts above the waterline in a covered spa. Trichlor is slow dissolving at pool temperatures making it useful in a floater but it's solubility increases with temperature making it an unsound choice for a spa. Calcium only precipitates out in alkaline conditions and only below and at the waterline, not above. It also is only on plastic parts from what I can tell in the picture. This would lead me to believe that is it not scaling but damage from low pH on the plastic. I can't see any on the acrylic shell so I don't know if it is present there also. High FC levels can also cause oxidation of plastic parts and what I see on your skimmer looks like this might be what is happening. I don't see a buildup. I see what looks like a degradation of the plastic surface. You stated that you keep your spa covered so their might be a buildup of chlorine gas or volatile oxidation byproducts under the cover causing this. Also, you did not say whether you have ozone or not. There should be NO residual ozone in the water but the way many manufactures install ozone there is and it can build up in a covered spa and cause oxidation damage above the waterline too. Vinegar is too weak to have an effect on calcium carbonate. A stronger acid is needed. Baking soda is just an abrasive if used as a moistened paste and can damage the surfaces. Baking soda will also raise TA and that could increase scaling. (High TA and high CH is a recipe for scale formation and, in case you didn't know, baking soda is sodium bicarbonate is sodium hydrogen carbonate is alkalinity increaser from your dealer. They are all one and the same!) DON'T try using a Magic Eraser or other melamine foam sponge. They are very fine abrasives (like very fine sandpaper) and WILL dull and scratch the surfaces. What is calcium stabilizer? Never heard of such a product. Please post the ingredients. IF the ingredients include any mention of the word calcium then it's a calcium hardness increaser. IF the ingredients mention phosphonic aicd, phosphonate, EDTA or Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (not a complete list but these are the most common ones) then your product is a metal sequetrant. Calcium is a metal. These will not lower the level of calcium in the water but will make it chemically inactive so it will not deposit as scale. They need to be added weekly. Over time (many months to years) they can have some effect on removing existing calcium staining and are the only way to remove calcium silicate staining on fiberglass, acrylic, vinyl and other plastic surfaces. On plaster pool and spa surfaces a pumice stone is used to remove calcium silicate and an acid wash for calcium carbonate (or a pumice stone for waterline buildup on tile surfaces. Now, under the assumption that the white stain is actually calcium (jury is still out on this, IMHO): The only chlorine that will cause scaling is cal hypo (calcium hypochlorite) which adds 7 ppm calcium for every 10 ppm of FC added. Scaling occurs under conditions of high calcium hardness and high pH (which is normally linked to high total alkalinity) IF you are using trichor in your spa stop and switch to different form of chlorine other than cal hypo or switch to bromine if you want to continue using a floater. Trichlor requires a high TA to prevent pH crashes because it is so acidic. IT can also damage plastic parts because of it's low pH. First question is how high IS your calcium hardness in the tub (strips won't tell you, they test total hardness only and magnesium does not cause hard scale. Second question how high is the calcium hardness in your fill water, Third question, Where is your pH NORMALLY and what is your TA? Smooth white to grey scaling is often calcium silicate and not calcium carbonate and it's next to impossible to remove. The way to tell the difference is to put a few drops of muriatic acid on the scale. If it bubbles it's calcium carbonate, if it doesn't it's most likely calcium silicate. As I said above, the only way to remove calcium silicate from plastic, acrylic, vinyl, and fiberglass surfaces is by weekly use of a metal sequestrant (preferably one with a high affinity for chelating calcium vs. other metals like iron or copper, often sold as calcium hardness reducer) over a long period of time and only partial removal might occur.

Muriatic acid, or raise water level and drop ph below 7 for a week or two. If it's still there, it's not calcium. Chlorine that raises ph can cause calcium scale, as will anything else that raises ph. But that would require excessive chlorine use. @waterbear, any advice?

Not a real thing. You cannot create energy (heat) from nothing, it defies the laws of physics. If it is making heat it is also making your pump work harder by restricting flow. A pump running constantly will reach temperatures well over 100 under normal use, and will heat the water some by simple proximity. It would be cheaper to get a small inline heater or spa pack and install it in the spa. I get the DIY urge, but I guarantee it will cost much more and heat much less than just doing it right. Post some pics of the equipment area and existing circuit board/ control pack and we can offer some suggestions. Dang @ratchett, that's a nice setup you've got there. 👍