merc80

spud, I hate to bring even more bad news, but you're probably going to have a tough time finding replacement parts for your Desjoyaux system. To the best of my knowledge, all parts coming into the country pass through a small pool dealer in Illinois. If they don't have it, you're probably going to have a difficult time finding it. The are quite a few installed around here, and I'd guess that about 25% of the people that have them have bypassed the original motor in favor of a normal pool pump installed in the plumbing loop before the heater. If you're already having drainage issues I'd suggest you get a float switch installed if you don't already have one. At least that way your motor should shut off before it gets flooded.

I am a somewhat inexperienced spa tech working for the local pool store. A few weeks ago I was sent on a job to repair a customers spa the would only run the pump for about 30 seconds, then shut off. I diagnosed it as having a bad PCB. I replaced the PCB, and everything worked properly. A couple weeks later, the customer decided to drain and re-fill the spa. Since he has done that, the spa will only run 10-15 minutes on low, then shut itself off. The heater does not come on during this time. If the pump is turned to high speed, it will run less than a second before shutting down. The customer says that the water does circulate normally while the pump is running on low speed, so I don't think it's airlocked. The spa manufacturer is out of business, so the only tech support available is from the control system manufacturer, Correct-tech. So far their support has been very underwhelming. They say it is most likely in freeze protect mode. The water temp is 70 according to the topside control. I also don't see why freeze protect would disable high speed, or shut down low speed after 10 minutes. Anyone have any ideas? When I replaced the PCB I labeled every wire so everything is hooked up just like it had been. If it was mis-wired, why would the problem take so long to appear? The spa is 240V with #6 wire run to it. The obvious answer is to go back to try and find the problem. The trouble with that is that this customer lives over an hour from the pool store. That means he will be charged about $150 just for my travel time, in addition to any time on the jobsite. He is somewhat reluctant to do this after spending about $900 on a new PCB recently. FWIW, the topside control is flashing the water temp, alternating with - - -. According to Correct-Tech's online troubleshooting guide, that means there's a problem with the temp sensor. I don't see how that would cause the symptoms described. I realize that I'm probably going to have to take at least one trip out there, what I'm trying to avoid is making two. Any suggestions at all would be greatly appreciated.

Chem geek, Thanks for the reply, and I'm also registering at TFP.

Thanks PaP, Everything I listed I consider to be untrue, or at least very questionable. I've been reading through the old posts here, as well as another forum that doesn't allow new members. I feel pretty confident in my knowledge, but I still have a lot to learn. I grew up in this business, but since moving to a new state I find a lot of methods are different. Frequently there is a good reason for that, but sometimes there's not. I learned the trade as a service tech for a company that did flat rate billing. Therefore, I learned to use the minimum amount of chemicals that would get the job done. Since moving, I have worked for retail stores who I suspected were trying to scare people into overpaying for commonly available chemicals. Of all the things I listed, I would have guessed #3 as the most likely to be true. I have seen that in print a few times, but it just never sounded right to me. However, the true reason behind my post is that I am in the planning stages of beginning my own company. I just want to be sure that I'm giving my customers the most effective, yet economical service available. A few more comments: Regarding #4...Based on what I've read, mainly in "Watershapes" magazine the pumps I deal with almost daily are over-sized yet have under-sized plumbing. A 1.5HP SuperPump with 1.5" PVC is the standard around here. Most of the inground pools I service are between 20,000-30,000 gallons. I don't think it's so much that the pumps are too large as much as the plumbing is too small. I have several pools with 2HP pumps bushed down to 1.5" PVC, and I just don't think that's right. My opinion is most of these pools would be better served with a smaller pump run about 12 hours daily while the weather is at it's hottest, then the run-time could be scaled back as the hottest part of the summer passes. I think the reason so many people around here run their pumps 24/7 is that electricity is just so cheap. Regarding #5...Sea Klear is made by Vanson HaloSource and the active ingredient is chitin, a by-product of crabs. I think it's a decent product, ok at several things, but great at nothing. I prefer Natural Chemistry's "Pool Perfect." Once again, thanks for the replies. So far I've been getting some much appreciated good information.

Thanks for the quick reply Strannik. #1 and #2 are the ones that always cause me to leave the room whenever I hear them repeated to a customer. I figured that they were just a way to scare people into paying $2 a lb for baking soda or $10 for a bag of shock. I just thought of another one...Mustard algae is caused by people swimming while on vacation in Florida and not washing their bathing suit well enough before swimming in their pool at home.

I've been in the pool service business about 10 years now, most of that time working for my family's pool service business in Florida. I moved to Tennessee a few years ago, and since then have worked in the service department of a couple different retail stores. I won't go into all the differences between the two areas, but there are some things that are accepted as facts in the retail stores where I've worked, but that I either question or just totally disagree with. I'm not trying to bash anybody, I just want to be as informed as possible. I'll list the questionable statements I've heard, followed by my comments or opinion. I suspect that a lot of these "truths" are meant to scare people into paying $36 for 25lbs of baking soda. 1. Baking soda has additives that cause algae to grow, so you MUST use "pool grade" alkalinity increaser. I used 50lb bags of arm & hammer baking soda for many years without any problems. 2. When adding stabilizer, dichlor MUST be added at the same time. The explanation I'm given is that the two chemicals "hold hands" and allow the CYA to be absorbed into the water. 3. To decrease pH, broadcast sodium bisulfate evenly across the surface of the pool with the pump running. To decrease alkalinity, turn the pump off and pour the bisulfate all in one spot in the deepest part of the pool, in order to form a "column of acid." I heard the same thing taught at an Arch water chemistry class, so maybe there is something to this idea. It seems to me, that once you turn the pump on and your "column of acid" gets distributed throughout the pool, it's all going to even out in the end. 4. Pool pumps must be run 24 hours a day or else you will always have algae problems. In my experience 6-10 hours a day is sufficient for most residential pools, with a longer runtime during the hottest months, and a shorter runtime as the weather cools. 5. There is no need for metal control products, as long as Sea Klear clarifier is used weekly. I like Sea Klear, and it does claim to remove metals, but I've seen too many iron stains in pools that use Sea Klear to agree with that. 6. Never use liquid bleach or acid in a vinyl liner pool because having such a high concentration of bleach or acid wherever you add it will damage the liner. It seems to me that granular products would have the same risks, as well as the possibility that undissolved chemicals could sit on the pool floor. That's all that comes to mind right now, but I'll probably think of more later. I don't claim to know it all, and won't be at all upset to be proven wrong. I just want to give the best service that I can, and I don't want to mislead any customers. Thanks to everyone with the patience to read this far, and even greater thanks to anyone that takes the time to respond. That's all that comes to mind right now, but I'll probably think of more later.

I hope I'm not breaking any forum rules, but try americanleakdetection.com. They aren't cheap, but they can pinpoint a leak under a deck, I believe to within 12"

I'm not sure if they still do, but for a while Hot Springs had a way to over-ride the 104 setting. I don't remember what they called the feature, and it wouldn't show a temp over 104 on the control pad, but I believe they go up to 106 or 107. If you have a Hot Springs dealer in your area, you may ask them about it. If they have any "certified" Hot Springs techs they should know the details.

Petra, I'll try to answer any specific questions you have about the Desjoyaux/Utopia systems. I'm no expert, but I'm pretty familiar with them. If you already have one, I'll try to help with the problems it's giving you. If you're looking to buy one I can give you my opinion...DON'T

I'm pretty sure Desjoyaux does not use a special light niche, but I'll try to check on that for you. I suggest removing the light from the niche and looking for any manufacturer stickers on the light. If you're unsure how to remove the light, there should be a single screwhead visible above the light lens. Just unscrew it, and there should be enough cord to lay the light up on the deck and take a good look at it. If you still can't identify it, try to post some pictures.

Sounds like they forgot to deliver the cover with your spa. The cover would be 3-4" thick, and as big around as your spa, so it wouldn't be in the cabinet. I think you need to call whoever sold you the hot tub and get this straightened out.

To the best of my knowledge, the Wahoo is a suction side cleaner. What that means is that it attaches to your skimmer, not your return line. I don't see any reason why it couldn't be used at the same time as your light, which I'm guessing is an Aqualuminator.

rbdeli, After you added the stain remover, did you add anything to remove the metals from the water, or to sequester them? Sounds like the stain remover is working to get the stains (probably copper) off the pool surface, but not out of the water. I think there's a couple different ways to approach this. 1. Use the stain treatment again. Follow up the stain removal with something to trap the metal in your filter. I've had good sucess with "Sun" brand "Metal and Scale Control II." There are other brands that make similar products, but this is the one I'm most familiar with. The important thing is you get a product that will REMOVE the metal from the water. Make sure you follow the directions on the bottle. 2.Use the stain treatment again. Follow up the stain removal with a sequestering agent. This will keep the metal trapped in the water and not allow it to stain the pool surface. If you are on a well, or you think the metals are in your source water, this may be the better option. If you go this route, the sequestering agent needs to be added on a regular basis, or the stains will re-appear. Any other suggestions? I'm always looking to learn something new.

Have you tested your water recently, and if so, what were the results? Just a guess here, but I'm thinking you may have metal in your water, and adding a large dose of baking soda caused the metal to fall out of solution. For a pool your size, refilling it would be a lot cheaper/easier than trying to treat for metals. There's other possibilities though, and hearing your water test results would be useful. Also, are you on a well or city water?

Is this an aboveground or inground pool? Was your old pump leaking at all, either with the pump on or off? When it stopped pumping and got hot, did the motor shut itself off? Ok, now on to your question. Yes, you can replace just the pump motor. It will likely be cheaper than replacing the whole pump, especially if you do it yourself. It sounds like your motor is most likely in need of replacement though. If you want to save money on your electric bill, you can probably just buy a new 2 speed pump motor, and keep your old housing. If you do replace the motor only, I suggest you also get a "go kit" for your particular pump. It will have the new pump seal you need, as well as new o-rings for your pump. If you decide to just keep the new pump, you can probably find a union that will fit. Hayward makes a variety of unions. It may take a little creativity, but you can probably find a way to make it work. Let me know what you decide and I'll try to help you out.