JKM

My Hot Spring did the same thing until I went to a hardware store and got some garden hose gaskets. Now they are watertight. -Joel

I would think at that temperature, you would have the water vapor turning to snow, kind of like a "lake effect" snowstorm. It did not happen at -20.i thought it was the best combo going,105 degrees on one side -20 on the other.you go back and forth between the two extreams. Unreal! Glad I live in the South but from the looks of the forecast, I'm not that much better off this week.

I would think at that temperature, you would have the water vapor turning to snow, kind of like a "lake effect" snowstorm.

Here's one thing that I think might be a solution. I noticed that the IQ2020 control board seems to be that same on all spas that HS makes. If that's true, then the only difference between convertible models and permanent 230v models is the pump itself. If that's the case then I could simply wire this spa up as a permanent 230v and it would work. Does this make sense or does Watkins make multiple versions of the IQ2020 control board?

Thanks for the note. The pump I bought is an AO Smith 1.5HP 48 frame pump from SpaGuts.com. It's not a 1.65 like the Wavemaster 7000. I was not aware that there was that much difference between the 1.5 and the 1.65. \ If you check the info on backyardplus.com, you'll see that the Sovereign came equipped with both the Wavemaster 7000 and the 9000. According to their web site, my model 'I' came with the 7000 version 3 (1.65HP). When I called Watkins, they said that my model 'I' came with either the 7000 or the 9000. http://www.backyardplus.com/pumps-wavemast...eplacements.php It's an interesting idea that perhaps this tub was rigged up in some fashion to get 220v to the motor. But the jumpers were set for a converted 115v to 230v configuration so that doesn't seem likely. I was hoping that somehow it would be possible to wire this up to get 230v to the motor but Watkins says that this is not possible. Something doesn't add up. -Joel

In order for the spa to be able to operate at 110V there is a limit to the Hp size of the motor. Yes I understand that. It's just that I'm surprised that HS would put this product on the market if this is the way it performs. 1.65 HP just doesn't cut it. This tub could easily use a 3HP pump. I'll try to post a video of my tub later. -Joel

Dang it. I can't believe that they would sell a tub with jets this weak.

These folks carry the HS filters at decent prices: http://www.backyardplus.com/filter-replacements.php

Good question. I have tried running the pumps with and without filters. I couldn't tell a difference. Neither the new pump nor the old one had anything clogging it.

That's incredible. BTW, -40C=-40F. At some point it seems like you would turn into an ice cube as soon as you got out.

That's why I don't understand why this this spa has a 230v motor. Either they installed the wrong motor at the factory or a replacement motor was mismatched. Watkins confirmed though that there were some 9000s installed at the factory. Is it possible that some 9000s are 115/230 motors? OK...somethings going on here. What is the serial number of the tub? You had problems from the get go with the wiring being incorrect, so who knows what may have happened to any of the components while it was initially running with improper wiring while experimenting. Here's the original thread: http://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.ph...amp;#entry72126 I have a feeling from the original pictures of the wiring at the other house that this tub may be a sovereignII which would be a 220 volt only model coming with a 220 volt 2.5 HP pump. There are some pretty inventive ways that I have seen these tubs hooked up that will cause various things to work and not work properly. Unless the original owner never had it working properly either, which is a possibility. What is the serial number of this unit? Here you go. http://flickr.com/photos/joelspics/3069154...57610393862901/ It's a model I. The original pump (Wavemaster 9000) has been removed so I can post some photos of that if you like. Again, Watkins told me that I would only be able to get 115v to the pump so that confirms what Dr. Spa is saying.

I recently read where they've had temps of -78 in Alaska. That got me to thinking, how cold does it get before a hot tub is simply un-usable or unsafe? What's the coldest the weather has been when you've been in your tub?

That's why I don't understand why this this spa has a 230v motor. Either they installed the wrong motor at the factory or a replacement motor was mismatched. Watkins confirmed though that there were some 9000s installed at the factory. Is it possible that some 9000s are 115/230 motors?

I have a used 2004 Hot Spring Sovereign model I. It's a model that can be converted from a 115v to 230v. I had it hooked up as a 230v per the wiring instructions when it was installed but the motor kept overheating like it wasn't getting enough juice. Here's where it gets interesting. This spa came with a 230v Wavemaster 9000 jet pump. It's a 230v only motor. I noticed when I had the spa hooked up that the motor was not getting enough power. I checked the posts and sure enough, it was only getting 115v. I also checked my jumpers to make sure that they were correct and they are installed correctly for this model but I was still only getting 115v. I called Watkins to see if there was a way to increase the power to 230v to match the needs of the motor. They said that there was not. I ended up replacing the pump with a 115v model but the highest horsepower I can get is 1.5 which seems pretty weak. I am puzzled as to why this spa came with a motor that the controller will not sufficiently power with a 230v connection. I have a hard time believing that the pump was replaced on a spa this new. Has anyone encountered this type of issue before with a HS model? Is there something I haven't tried? I'd love to use a pump with more horespower.

Good luck indeed. That brings up an even bigger issue though. I wonder how the spa industry is holding up with the economy the way it is. I wonder if there will be a shake out in the industry with some companies (like Infinity) folding.

You mean to tell us that you actually reply to spam??

You can order any size pump you need from spaguts.com. Cost is anywhere from around $200 to $250 depending on your specs. -Joel Thanks Joel ! I got a little curious and poked around with the pumps, I switched out the power from pump 2 to pump 1 and it works. so it looks like it is a fuse or circuit board........hope its the fuse ! I will pick up a pair on my way home tomorrow night and see how it goes...........thanks ! You can always have your old pump rebuilt by an electric motor rebuilder. It usually costs around $50 to $75. Check your local yellow pages and call for a price.

You can order any size pump you need from spaguts.com. Cost is anywhere from around $200 to $250 depending on your specs. -Joel

Other than the problem of getting the tub down there in the first place, I wouldn't see a problem with mold or mildew. You will need to keep a cover installed on it though.

I try putting a cheap remote in a couple of ziplock bags.

Does it help to rinse suits off in the sink before getting in the tub? Just wondering.

I used Spa Swirl to clean up my tub and plumbing. Worked great. Your readings look high across the board. Calcium hardness seems very high. You might want to try using a pre-filter to fill up your tub to keep the calcium out. You probably need knock your alkalinity (TA) down to around 100 then check your Ph. It should fall in line (7.2 to 7.6).

You might want to slide it a bit toward the door as well. I would think you will need the extra room is you want to maneuver the cover into a cover caddy.

4-5 years on those wavemasters seems a bit short. Are you sure something else isn't wrong? Impeller problem because of dirt or some sort of debri? Hows the seal? Seals are good. However the ground wire from the motor does not seem to be grounded to anything. The post on the board does not read as grounded when I check it with a voltage meter. This is a convertible model Hot Spring model, meaning it can be converted fro a 115 to 230v. I had it wired as a 230v. I'm going to try grounding the wire to the frame and see if that helps any.

My jet pump keeps overheating and kicking off on my 2004 Hot Spring spa. Normally I can only get about 10 minutes out of it before it kicks off. I have cleaned the filters which are just a couple of days old so I don't think it's a problem with the filters. It's a Wavemaster 9000 which is a version of an AO Smith pump. If the motor is going bad, I know I can pull the pump myself and get it re-worked for less than $100. Anyone else have a similar problem?