JKM

We bought a used Hot Spring Sovereign a month ago for $500. It wasn't hooked up or running so we were taking a risk of something major being wrong. It wasn't leaking though. Our total costs ended up right at $3000. I had to repair some jets and put a new cover an lift on it. I wanted to get a quality tub at a cheap price so a used tub was our best option. Used tubs are usually worth about 40% of their retail price.

Check and see if there is a wiring diagram in your owner's manual or look on the inside of the service panel. It should show you how to set it up. Did you hire an electrician to hook it up or did you do the work yourself?

Get the electrical checked out first, then see what happens....you may not have any actual problems once it's hooked up right. Looks like that fixed it. I called the electricians back in today and we created a jumper for posts 4 and 5. So far, so good. The jet pump is working now. Thanks for the help! -Joel

I noticed some cracks in my Everwood cabinet. I was wondering if it was possible to fix these with some sort of caulk or wood putty. Anyone ever tried it? -Joel

Thanks Dan, My serial number is clearly an "I" but maybe it's not a convertible tub after all. I'll check with the dealer and see what they did on the original hookup. Do you think I need to send the board back or is this something that can be corrected one the electrical work is done correctly? In the mean time, I hooked the pump up to a 110v outlet to check out the jet pump and it's working fine. It's jury rigged but it is working now. At least I can proceed with getting the tub cleaned up with Spa Swirl. -Joel

Was there a known problem with the original relays? Had you tried to power up the spa before you sent the board in? (Sorry if I missed that in an earlier post) If the electrician did not hook up one of the legs of the 220 properly I can see the circ pump and the control board working, but not the heater. I am sure your heater must be 220 if the rest of the spa is (not sure, my sovereign is 115). I would call them and tell you what you are seeing. I am afraid that the board may have to go back.... but they should be able to tell you exactly what you should be seeing to verify that is it. Good luck. Same problem I had before I sent it in. I got the heater working. One of the sensors was not plugged in correctly (my fault). See my other post for detailed photos. -Joel

Here are some detailed photos of my testing. http://flickr.com/photos/joelspics/sets/72157611554579133/ The only problem I can see is that there is no B block installed at the power terminal. If you look at the instructions on the cover, they indicate that there should be on on the last 2 terminals. But as you can see on this photo, there isn't anything. -Joel

Ok. I found the problem with the heat pump. One of the sensors was not connected right. I checked the entire board with a voltage meter. I'm getting power everywhere except at the posts for the jet pump. The relays are kicking on but there is no power coming through. BTW, the far right is where the ozonator hooks up. I don't have one installed. I'm going to wait till I get a green ready light and try it again. At this point though. It looks like this part of the board is still dead.

I can't seem to get the jet pump or heater to come on in my 2004 (Model I) Hot Spring Sovereign. Here's some background info. I bought the tub not running and had an electrician come in to wire it up. After it was moved and wired up, the circulation pump and heater would work but not the main jet pump (Wavemaster 9000 v2). I drained the tub and took out the jet pump and took it to an electric motor re-builder to see if it needed to be re-worked. He tested it and the pump worked just fine. I then took it back and figured that there was something wrong with the controller board. I sent it to Spa-Boards. They had the 2 pump relays replaced with 20 amp relays. I got the board back in and had the electrician reconnect the tub to the GFCI. Now, when I flip on the breaker, the circulation pump comes on just like before but I get no heat this time. The heater LED light on the board briefly lights up at start-up then cuts off. I am also still not getting any response from my jet pump. When I press the jet button on the control panel, I get a red LED indicator light on the controller board and the control panel indicates that the jets are working. I can hear the relay clicking as well. I have looked for breakers on the motor and heater but I can't find anything. Anyone have any ideas on where to go from here? I really don't want to replace the entire board but it look like I'm going to have to take that step if I can't get past this. You can find photos of the controller board and the spa at it's previous location here: http://flickr.com/photos/joelspics/3069158...57610393862901/ http://flickr.com/photos/joelspics/3069157...57610393862901/ -Joel

Sounds like a fair price for a spa that's hooked up and running. That model of Hot Spring uses a Wavemaster 9000 v.2 jet pump. It's a single speed pump.

I have read that Armour-All is not the best cleaner to use on a spa cover. I'd like to know what everyone is using to keep their cover clean and how often should it be cleaned. -Joel

That's a beautiful cabinet. What is that? Redwood?

I would pull the pump and dismantle the wet end. It's most likely an AO Smith pump so you could probably get parts for it at an industrial supply place like Granger. I pulled mine last week and it wasn't that difficult. I'd probably go ahead and take the motor to a re-builder and have them check it out as well. Even if you have to rebuild the whole thing, it shouldn't cost as much as a new pump. Spaguts.com can send you an entirely new AO Smith pump if you prefer to go that route. They can configure one any way you like. -Joel

I was JUST about to order the 'Grit getter' mentioned above (looks like good gear). I like this one better (cause I am pretty cheap.) Thanks for the replies. I did this same thing with a garden hose last week to get trash out of my tub.. Works well.

Great point. In our area, the dealers haven't gotten into the used spa business yet and they really don't want to let anyone know that there are used tubs out there. But there is allot of money to be made in used tubs, probably allot more than selling new. I've noticed that some dealers in other areas are into used tubs in a big way. I guess it just depends on what market you are in and how much time you're willing to wait. -Joel

I'm not sure that this is your typical soap scum or oil. I'm going to see what the Swirl Away does and then I might try using a little Dawn. -Joel

Lets see, re-painting steps, cleaning, installing new cover and lift, installing new jets.... I'd guess around 8-12 hours total. That's spread out over about a month though, mostly on nights and weekends. And yes, I ordered a new set of filters. The only chemicals I've purchased are Swirl Away and chlorine. -Joel

The only thing I would add about my experience is that I am fairly comfortable working on things like this myself. If you have to call a technician at $100 an hour plus travel, the economics quickly get out of whack. If you get a name brand spa and get the parts yourself and do the labor, you are well ahead of the game. I agree that seeing a spa in working order is far better than not. But also realize that it instantly adds $1500 to $2000 to the price. Also, my spa is a 2004 model so I felt that the chances of having to gut the whole thing were fairly low. It was a chance I was willing to take to save some money. And yes, it has been allot of work but to me it has been well worth it.

If you are looking at a spa that is used from a spa owner it is imperative that you see the spa in operation, regardless of the price. If you don't see it running then run away yourself. If this is a spa from a dealer then the key is to get some type of store warranty. If they've refurbished it then they should stand by their work and give something like like 60 or 90 or 120 days so you can be sure it truly was running well when they refurbished it. I just bought a 2004 Hot Spring Sovereign for $500. It was not hooked up but it did hold water. It was also very dirty. I am in the process of fixing and cleaning it up now. I'm getting it a new cover and lift, and I'm having to fix the controller board and a few of the jets. I found all of the parts and services I need online. The pumps and heater are in good shape fortunately. I should be done with the project by this weekend. Overall, I've found it pretty simple to work on. My advice on buying a used tub would be, stick to a quality, established brand, check out the service history form the dealer it was purchased from. Also, make sure that it is hooked up and working or else budget some money for repairs and offer less than $1000. Make sure and get an estimate for moving costs and electrical hookup. After everything, I'll have about $3500 in my tub. Still it's allot less than a new one. The best deal I could find on a new tub was about $6000. The Tiger River spas are very good. If I were buying new, I would definitely consider one of these. They seem to be made every bit as well as the Hot Spring, but the warranty is not as long. Still, I would not let that scare me away. They just seem to bump up the price of the Hot Spring line to cover the cost of extending the warranty. Otherwise, they are nearly identical. Good luck.

Try e-mailing them a photo and see if they will send you a new styrofoam insert.

I have a 2004 Hot Spring that's made with blue Endurol. I've noticed that it has a slight hazy or chalky ring around the tub right at the water line. I bought the tub used so I'm not sure what the chemistry makeup of the water that was used in it. Nothing I've tried has worked at cleaning it up. I've tried a bleach based cleaner, soap scum remover and baking soda. Is it possible that the Endurol liner has been stained or chemically altered by the water in some way?

Relays cannot be repaired but they can be replaced on the board. You should not have to replace the entire board. It sounds like Balboa is just wanting to sell you a new pack.

The part costs seem a bit high but you could probably do allot of the work yourself. The labor costs seem a bit high to me. The motor could have been taken to an electric motor re-builder and refurbished for allot less than a new motor. As far as the relays, get a price on a repair from spa-boards.com. They can usually fix a relay for less than half the cost of a new board. Just remove the board yourself and send it in. You should not have to call the repair guy every time you need something done. Good luck.

I had the motor checked out. It's in great shape. Turns out I have a problem with the board. I'm sending it off to spa-boards for repair.

More info at Spa-boards.com. Apparently these relays fail on a regular basis but they can be repaired. http://spa-boards.com/