Dr. Spa

The stated pump size should be considered irrelevant. There's so many different ways a pump can be rated, stated horsepower doesn't necessarily have a lot of meaning. Add to that, different efficiencies of plumbing configurations, and different jets requiring different flow rates, and the ONLY way you can know what's best is to WET TEST and stick your body in front of the jets.

Almost certainly "bull". Warranty work typically pays SIGNIFICANTLY less than what an independent tech will charge (typically around me, ISP's get from $90 - $120 an hour, plus travel time. Some charge say, $100 to come to your house, which includes the first 15 - 30 minutes of repair time). A common warranty reimbursement is all of $40). Most manufacturers require the retailer to do their own warranty work, the cost of which is subsidized in the retail price of the spa...and further subsidized by the recent "mileage fees", or "trip charge". Now if you've talked to the manufacturer, and they verify it (in writing)....well, I might want to speak with who ever they think will be fixing it. (One brand in particular used this as a very successful sales tactic, and anyone that wound up needing service was left out in the cold as no one would work on them). I'm also curious what brand you're considering.

Motors are normally very hot to the touch (until you get into much larger 3 phase motors).

And the way your "plugging" the jet, you're simply forcing, or redirecting the water back through the air intake. What you have is supposed to be exactly the way it is...it's not malfunctioning in any way.

First off, and no offense intended, but from the questions you ask, it really sounds like you should call an experienced professional. ***deleted everything below *** Please call in a professional.

Pavers or stone is a BAD idea. The slightest uneven settling can cause the tub to shift and leak. If you can get pavers or stone into the back yard, you can also carry 60# bags of concrete in.

Ok. so the valve that you're turning to adjust the amount of air allowed to enter into the jet has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the issue. Most likely the problem is some type of blockage in the actual jet, preventing the venturi action for drawing in any air. You should be able to fix this, from inside the tub. If you look in the center of the jet, there should be a piece you can unscrew. Once unscrewed, turn on the pump briefly and any debris should come out. There then though is the question of what and where this debris is/came from. Quite possibly it's the bypass valve in your gas heater that disintegrated.

It says I need a user name and password to access the file(s)

Don't put them into a word document (why do people always try to do this? What do they think is wrong with just the images?)....or any other document. You'll also need to have them hosted externally and link to them. ( photobucket.com )

I've also seen the exact opposite. Low flow through the heater, and the water just starting to boil, making all kinds of noise. Yup, sounds like some kind of flow issue.

Do the jets look like this (if not, I'll need a picture of them...from the outside of the tub)?

Yup. I have some 3000+ manuals, none for Sequoia, and that panel doesn't look familiar. If someone else recognizes it as being use on another brand, I may have that manual and it would work for the control system. ,

Post a picture of the spa side control panel

Post a picture of the spa side control panel, and someone should be able to come up with something relevant (FYI, the year is extremely important as things can change dramatically from year to year)

Probably not. A good spa tech would most likely just reach in, unscrew it, and screw in a new one. Somewhat blindly. Tough to say though, without a picture

Depending on how much it's been power washed, and the degree of pressure, it's possibly you degraded the fabric to the point it's clogging itself...but would still "look" fine

The overall depth of the spa has nothing to so with how much of your body is under water. It's the depth of the seats that matter (distance from the waterline, down to the top of the seat). Pretty much any and all spas, of any overall depth will put you in water up to your neck. The question is how far is the floor below the top of the seat.... Think of it like your desk chair, and raising and lowering it towards the floor. The only difference is how your legs are positioned. As a side note, there are some that claim the added depth, puts more pressure on your feet, adding to the therapeutic value. Additionally, a shallower tub generally means less foot room, but also typically less water and reduced operating expenses (you should also look at the total gallon capacity of each spa).

Ever drive a Toyota Spyder?

More bells and whistles, and proprietary parts.

Unlikely. You're asking for a consumer than has some experience with both these spas? "Unlikely" is probably an understatement. You may come across someone that actually owns one of these spas, but they'll only be able to tell you about the one they own.

$1000 more? IF, it saves you $10 a month on electricity, it will take 100 months, 8 years and 4 months, to make up the difference. That's assuming nothing ever breaks (out of warranty), as I'd bet the Hot Springs will be more, even a lot more, to repair.

The "salt" option is CHLORINE....produced in the spa by electrically converting salt into chlorine.

Yes. ALL stores charge for freight. Most just add it into the total cost(i.e. hidden cost). Some actually itemize it on the invoice (there can be huge advantages to this as it gives you the opportunity to negotiate on individual items). Either way, you're going to pay for it (spasdirect IS charging you for it, they're simply not itemizing it on the bill). Your real question should be, is $4,565 a reasonable price for a Nordic D"amour, including cover, ozonator, added insulation and delivery to your home? FREE = Something you pay for that's not itemized on the bill

WHY ARE YOU YELLING???? Please turn OFF your caplok

Most likely the GFCI is wired up incorrectly.