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jlcpremier

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  1. hello again, So it turns out I was able to squeeze a little extra life out of the pump. I wasn't using it much but I found if i manually turned the drive shaft a few times then turned on the pump it would usually kick back on. The interesting thing though, is when I do that, it takes a few seconds then seems to blow a bunch of air out from the pipes. Usually I would get that after draining and refilling the spa, and then turning on the pumps for the first time. But now it does that every time. Could that be the source of the problem? and if so how do I stop the air from getting trapped in the lines? If it's not, and it's just time to replace the pump (it is about 14 years old anyway, so it's had a good run), please see my questions above regarding an aftermarket pump and it's compatibility with the OEM pump. I'm also considering dropping down from a 2.5 HP to a 2 HP pump to soften the jets a bit more, and hopefully cut down on power and noise as well. Any reason I shouldn't do that? Thanks for your help!
  2. I found this pump which looks to be an exact match specs wise, if not a little better power wise. The site states 90 degree rotation, but with the way the screws line up I would think it should be able to be rotated 45 degrees? http://www.poolsupplyworld.com/Gecko-06125000-1040-Aqua-Flo-Flo-Master-XP2-2-12-HP-230V-Dual-Speed-48-Frame-Side-Discharge-Pump/06125000-1040.htm
  3. I have a 2003 Sundance Altamar. Awhile back my blower stopped working, but I never used it, so just left that alone. However yesterday I tried to turn on the main pump (2 speed one) and the indicators light up on the display, but pump doesn't come on. I hear a low humming/buzzing instead. Is the pump dead? If so, I know the part to replace it with (Jacuzzi 6500-261) but I'm also curious if I could just replace it with a 1 speed pump and save money. I never run it in low speed anyway, so having a single speed would be fine. That leads me to 2 questions.... 1. Will it mess up the board in any way if I replace the 2 speed pump with a single speed one 2. The outlet is at a 45 degree angle on this pump. Does anyone know of a compatible pump that has a 45 degree outlet on it in a single speed? Thanks for your help!
  4. Turns out it was the circulation pump. Replaced it and all is working now. Just thought I'd let you all know in case someone else has the same problem.
  5. I have a 2003 Sundance Altamar I picked up used last year. I've been using it on average once a week or every 2 weeks, and haven't had a single problem with it. However my roommate has recently been using it practically every day. Tonight I went out to use it, and it's completely dead. no display, no power, nothing. I noticed both breakers at the box and main panel were tripped. I tried resetting them, but nothing happened, and neither breaker tripped. I grabbed a wire tester, and checked for power signal at the board. I've attached the picture that shows which wires are receiving power. The 2 main ones that are not are the 2 going to the heater. Does that mean the heater died? My roommate did tend to set the temp to max most of the time, and then he would set the temp back down to 98 and switch back to economy mode as I asked him to do. Could this constant daily changing have overrun the heater? Any other ideas, or ways I can check to determine what exactly is wrong. I do have a multimeter but not sure how to use it to test the wires to get proper readings. Thanks for your help Picture of the board can be seen here: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v385/spdj20/IMG_4947copy.jpg UPDATE: So I talked to a local spa repair guy today. he told me it was most likely the fuse, so I checked it for continuity and sure enough there was none, so I knew the fuse blew. After a trip to HD I put a new fuse in turned on the breaker and I got power and the display came on showed the temp and no error...for all of 5 seconds before I heard the fuse blow and the breakers trip. So something else is still the problem. UPDATE 2: So I decided to risk my last fuse but disconnect the 3 pumps and ozone from the board. First I turned power on to the board with no pumps or ozone hooked up. The display turned on, fuse didn't blow, but the display was flashing FLO and CIRC. Turned off breaker hooked up the circ pump. Turned breaker on. Circ pump did nothing, no water was flowing. Figured that had to be the problem. Just to be safe, powered off, hooked up high speed pump. Powered on, ran pump, no problem. Powered down, hooked up 2 speed pump. Powered on, ran both speeds, no problem. Powered off, hooked up ozone, at this point everything was connected again. Powered on, no breaker trips, but display still read FLO, and the circ pump still did not make a sound. At this point I've pretty much narrowed it down to the circ pump, but since it's 230V, not sure how I can test that to see if the pump is actually working, or if the problem lies on the board somewhere. Would a bad sensor cause the circ pump to not even click over or make any noise, cause I don't want to go buying a new pump, if the problem could lie somewhere else Any thoughts? Or at this point should I just pay for a tech to come out. Thanks for the help!
  6. Not sure what the issue is exactly, but sounds to me like an issue with the circuit board, or possbly the panel. I had a 05 Odyssey and never experienced anything like that. Contact Dreammaker, they are actually pretty helpful. Also you should never use an extension cord with a 110V spa
  7. So I just purchased an 02 Sundance Altamar. I'm taking a risk in that the spa is 11 years old, however when I checked it out I ran it for a solid 15 minutes, pulled the panels off and examined and listened to every component. The spa equipment from what I could see and hear is in immaculate condition. The previous owner stated he never really used it too often, and drained it when it wasn't being used, which seemed to match up with the condition of the spa overall. All it really needs is a new cover, as it's got a rip in it and sun-damaged My electrical panel is 100 amp, and I was running a 05 Dreammaker Odyssey on a 110/20A. One of the other reasons I decided to get the Altamar is that the 880 series from 2005 and prior can be hooked up in 240/30 configuration. Being in southern california, it doesn't get too cold here and I usually only do quick 30-45min soaks in the tub at a time, so running it in 30 amp should be fine for my needs. My electrician did express concern about possibly overloading the panel though in the 40/50 amp configurations. My old dream maker pulled about 11 amps, and the Sundance manual states in 30 amp mode that it pulls 24 amps, so I don't think 13 amps will make a huge difference. I never had an electrical problem with the Dreammaker, so I'm changing out the breaker to dual pole 30/30 and running a new line with proper gauge wiring to the GFCI breaker for the spa. A couple electrical questions? Since the main panel breaker is only a 30/30, should I get the same amp size breakers for the GFCI Panel? The manual states that the circuit board needs to be modified to change the amperage draw, but it does not show how to do this anywhere in the manual. From reading about the other Watkins spas, this is done by changing the jumper settings though. Does anyone have a link to this info as it pertains to the 02 880 series? Thanks
  8. Well back to the drawing board. Had a relative of mine who's an electrician come check out my panel. Turns out my panel can't take a 50 amp breaker, though I have 220 available, it just won't take the draw he said, unless I can find such thing as a 220/20 amp tub, but I don't recall seeing any of those. So now I guess I'm stuck with 110. Luckily I'm in LA where the climate is pretty mild so hopefully heating time won't be too much of an issue. Anyone know of any good 110 tubs out there that have a heater? Definitely not going the pump-waste route again. Learned that mistake. Also what's the typical heat rate of a 110 vs 220 tub? It's gotta be better than what I was getting on my old Dreammaker Odyssey right? I know a common recommendation is to just upgrade the electric panel as I think I have a 100 amp right now, but being in a townhouse complex, I'm not sure 1. The HOA will allow me to do it and 2. The cost may be a bit more than I'm willing to spend right now
  9. I'll be watching this topic. I'm in LA and looking for a hot tub as well. Pacific Spas & Sauna is my closest dealer for Sundance but same as you, I'm VERY leary of that place after reading the Yelp reviews. Hopefully some of the people in the know can help us both out.
  10. My father originally had a 2003 Hot Springs Landmark, so I was very happy with that spa. We used it probably 3-4 times/month on average. It wasn't until 5 years in that we had a problem with the electrical system. I think it was some kind of short in the heater. But only cost a couple hundred to fix. When it came time for me to get my first hot tub, I had to be a bit more budget minded, so I started looking at the Softubs. Eventually I decided to spend a bit more money and went with a used 05' Dreammaker 110V which was a nice spa, but the heating method, just didn't work out for my needs. I live in a townhouse, so having that pump running for most of the day, wasn't kind to my neighbors nor my electrical bill. So here I am looking at my options for my 3rd spa. I started looking around on Craigslist some more and found a couple Sundance Marins which look like a perfect fit in price, size and seating/jet needs. I've seen 3 or 4 over the past week and they all seem to go for around 1-2 grand which really is where I would LIKE to stay budget wise. I also found a 02 Sundance Altamar which looks to be in really great shape, aside from needing a new cover from sun fading/damage. The guy is asking $1000 but my concern is the tub is 12 years old. This leads me to another concern of buying used vs new or used from a dealer with a warranty. With my townhouse, anything besides the smallest softtub needs to be craned in over my garage, so with the Dreammaker, I paid $1200 (actually thinking it was a 2010, but the guy lied) plus $250 to transport it and another $300 to crane it. When I sold it I had to pay another $300 to crane it out. So $1200 ultimately became $2050 So this time around that's in the back of my mind, because if I buy another used spa and it ends up being a nightmare electrically or mechanically, I would have to pay to get it out again. Now back to the used vs new argument. Do I have the money or means to buy a new spa? Yes. Should I be spending that kind of money...no. I do need a spa though as I suffer from high anxiety and need it solely to combat the ongoing stress in my life. That said, I noticed my last spa, actually caused me more stress, so that's why I needed to get rid of it. Sorry for the incredibly long back story but I feel the more info you have about my situation the better advice I can get. So my questions are, if I decide to go used, what would be a year cutoff I should consider...say don't bother looking for a spa if it's older than 5 years? Would this still apply if I went through a dealer or place that sells used spas but includes warranties? If I were to go new, I doubt I want to spend any more than 5-6 grand tops, and that would have to be financed to a point where I'm paying less than $30/month As far as the type of spa specifically, Sundance/HS or any of the Watkins are at the top of my list just based on past experience, but I've also looked at the Marquis, D1and Bullfrog Spas as well. hot tub models I'm considering... Hot Spring: Sovereign, Aria, Flair (limelight) Hot Spot: Relay, Tempo Sundance: Peyton, Montclair, Certa, Hamilton, Marin, Altamar, Cameo Marquis: 425, 545 Bullfrog: R6L, R7L D1: Latitude, Wayfarer, Aurora I have no idea how many of these fit into my price range, but based on the size and look, those are what I'm looking at Thanks for taking the time to read through that, and your help is most appreciated!
  11. I just put a deposit down on my first hot tub, a 2 year old Dreammaker Odyssey I found on Craigslist. The guy is moving and needed to sell it so I got him down to $1200 total including cover, steps and all his remaining chemicals. The first time I saw it, it was empty, so I was able to inspect the jets and overall condition of the shell, and everything still looked brand new. The seller was nice enough to fill the tub with water and I came back the next day to check it out. The water was nice and hot, all jets work, no leaks that I could see from inside the equipment panel. Only thing that wasn't working was the LED for the waterfall. The buttons all light up on the control panel, though it's possible the light one may not work. The only thing I'm leary of is he said he's only used it about 10 times and they drained and unplugged it when it wasn't being used. Hopefully that hasn't messed with the equipment too much. I'm pretty excited to get this thing home as originally I was in the market for a Softub since I'm limited to 110V and didn't have the money for a more traditional 110V like the hot spots or new Dreammaker/Fleeflows but to get a spa like this one for almost 70% off and it only being 2 years old, I couldn't pass that up. I really hope it works out, or in worst case needs some minor repairs (light and/or control panel) I'll let you all know how it goes
  12. Had the same problem with my 03 Landmark. Turned out to be a short in the heater somewhere. I don't remember exactly what it was but it cost about $1500 to fix
  13. I have a 6 x 6 area, could possibly go 6.5 on one side if needed, but that's all I have to work with. Orginally I was looking at going with a Softub, but now I'm thinking of something a little better. Ideally I'd love to stay under $3000 so I would most likely be looking for used, but so far all I've found is the Hot Spot/Solana SX. Are there any other spas you all would recommend that fit that footprint? Orginally I was also looking at staying 110V so I wouldn't need to run a new electrical line, but being in southern california it's not usually too cold here so not being able to have the water pump and heater running at the same time shouldn't effect the temp that much I would think. I've also heard mixed feelings about which voltage 110 vs 220 is actually cheaper on the monthly electrical bill.
  14. I'm looking at buying a used Softub off craigslist. I see them all the time in the $300-500 range for the 220 model. I have a small patio in my townhome and that's really all that would be able to fit in there. What do I need to look for when I go to check these out? Obviously I need to make sure it's filled and the jets work but are there any other things I need to look out for? I don't know why these things sell for over $3,000 new yet you can find them on craigslist for under $500. I do notice that most of the ones I see online are the older pump packs with the dials as opposed to the new ones with the digital readout. But does that really make a huge difference? Thanks for the help
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