SpaSage

If it is an acrylic shell the sunlight will cause crazing over time.

Yes, there absolutely are some options for replacing the control pack. I would recommend replacing it with a Balboa VS pack. This system will come with a new heater, new topside, new sensors... basically everything but your pumps and blowers. Just Google "Balboa VS pack" and you'll be able to find plenty of places to purchase one. They are roughly $350 from online vendors.

Eh... That's going to be a pain to replace. If it were my tub I would just seal around the plunger with it in the open position. Unfortunately, this means that you would need to drain the spa if you want to remove that pump... but that should be a very rare occurrence.

It sounds like you suspected a component may have gotten wet at one point. Perhaps you were correct. If water came in contact with the pump motor if could trip the breaker. Once the pump dried out the tripping issue would stop; usually happens that way. Unfortunately, I can't tell you if the knife valve is broken or not. If it is broken, and the valve is closed, that explains why the jets aren't working. The pump can't pull any water passed the closed valve. If the valve is working, and it is in the open position, it is possible that you have an air bubble trapped in the wet end of the pump. This is a fairly common occurrence when hot tubs are not filled through the filter compartment. In this case, since the valve was closed before the water was added, it doesn't really matter how you filled the hot tub. Try shutting the power off to the spa and cracking the union on the front of the pump. Just open it gently. Once a bit of water comes out, tighten the union back up, flip the power back on, and see if it goes when you press go. If it doesn't, your valve is probably broken.

Perhaps you can identify it here: https://www.paspdirect.com/bemisters/product.html?id=1481

The main active ingredient in brominating concentrate is chlorine... so if a person has a reaction to chlorine, they will have a reaction to bromine. There is a chance that a person could have a reaction to sodium bromide, which is obviously not contained in chlorinating concentrate. So the odds or irritation are slightly greater when using bromine. One thing to keep in mind is that you can switch a chlorine spa to bromine simply by adding bromine. To switch from bromine to chlorine, you must drain the water.

You can get a pump mounting pad to help reduce vibration. If the pump didn't come with one, you can purchase them online for around $5.00.

I missed the part about it stopping once it had already been running. That is not consistent with a capacitor failing. The capacitor failing would keep the pump from starting to work. Once the pump starts working there is a stationary switch that kicks off the power to the capacitor... which is why it would read zero once the pump has started working. Is the pump louder than normal? The pump probably is shutting off do to the thermal overload, but that doesn't mean that it isn't working correctly. Is the pump getting really hot? Does it seems like it works fine when it hasn't been used in awhile, but fails after it has been running for a bit and then won't start up?

Have you thought about the Dimension One Meridian or Latitude? They're the same size as Nautilus, but I personally like their jet layouts better. They don't have the same filtration system in them, and they aren't controllable via your cell phone... but they should also be in your desired price range judging by the price you were given for a Nautique. If you do decide to order a Meridian or Latitude it would be best to add the ClearZone option.

The four dashes probably don't have anything to do with your pump one issue. It could be the capacitor on the pump. If you can check the voltage to the pump with a multimeter when the pump icon is present, this will confirm that the board and topside control are functioning correctly.

If the price difference between the Bullfrog is only "a few hundred dollars less" than the Sundance or the Hot Springs, definitely go with the Hot Springs or Sundance. They're both high quality spas. It sounds like you like both of the dealers... so, simply buy the one that you like the best.

You could just replace the heat exchanger inside of the heater if the rest of it still works fine. Go with the Cupronickel version. I believe the part number for your model is 777070244. This version will be less likely than the standard version to break down and put copper into your water.

Shut the power off, plug the old temp sensor back in, take out the filter, turn the power back on. It sounds like there is a flow error in the spa, which is usually caused by an old filter. If the dashes come back and the SN2 code is gone the next two things to check are the circulation pump and flow switch.

Hi Jeff, The "8888" message usually indicates that the topside isn't communicated correctly with the board. It's usually a break in communication. So, I would assume that it does have something to do with the chewed on cable. If it's a small section of the cable that is damage then it would probably be best to splice out the damaged section and then reconnect each of the wires inside individually; just match the colors. If possible, try to stagger the connections... so instead of having all of the wires inside of the cable patched at the same point in one giant glob, you have a connection, a gap, a connection, a gap... it'll just make it easier for you while you're working.

If you're happy with the spa, other than the siding, then I would definitely recommend tackling the project yourself. Ordering panels from Watkins, or hiring a contractor to do it are going to cost about the same. I would wander into your local Home Depot or Lowe's store and tell them what you are doing and I bet they can give you some reasonably priced options.

Just remember not to touch the ceramic seal with your bare hands- the oils from your skin will cause the seal to break down. Changing the seal isn't very difficult. Changing the front bearing will be a bit more difficult. So.. if the lady has been knowingly running the pump with a leak for awhile the bearing is probably damaged... even if it isn't howling yet. You might get out of this fix for less than $20 and a good ol' college try. Even if you needed to replace the bearings (front and rear,) the impeller, and the seal, it shouldn't be more than $100... about $50 depending on where you purchase the parts. $400 sounds like the price to replace the pump. A lot of companies will not rebuild pumps.

(I am assuming that you mean just for the next four weeks...) You need to keep the lid on it, the sun can damage the shell. Don't put water in it until you are ready to turn it on. The water needs to be filtering and be balanced to stay clean and safe... otherwise you'll get water mold and bacteria can grow.

It should be good straight out of the box.

How did you learn that there is not a replacement topside available for your Coast spa?

Eh... I don't think your HL sensor is tripping the breaker. I think your heater is tripping the breaker. When you disconnect the HL sensor the spa goes into a high limit error, which means that it will not allow the spa to heat... so the heater isn't getting any power... so it isn't tripping the breaker. Shut off the spa, plug the HL sensor back in and disconnect the heater. Turn the power back on. If the spa calls for heat and runs normally (minus not heating because the heater is disconnected) then it is the heater. There is probably a part number on the heater. If you need help finding a replacement just drop a line here on the forums and I'm sure someone can point you in the right direction.

Dr.Spa is right, the Hot Springs will definitely cost you more to repair. If you take care of your Nordic's water you will barely ever have to replace anything in it. But, it will cost you more to run the Nordic... although that can be fairly minimal as shown in Dr.Spa's math. The Hot Springs should come with the breaker panel, which will cost you a couple hundred if you have to buy it extra for the Nordic. If you think about it in terms of cars the Nordic would be a Toyota and the Hot Springs would be a Volvo. They're both great cars, but the Volvo is a bit more fun to drive and, after the warranty, is more expensive to fix. The Toyota isn't very flashy, but its still a great car and you can get parts for it anywhere... although you won't need to buy parts for it often. Which Nordic are you looking at? The height of hot tubs mentioned on the dealer's websites are the exterior heights. If you're looking at the Nordic D'Amour the two seats are actually different heights. One is two inches lower than the other. Nordic also releases a few series for the same tubs. For instance, the D'Amour can be ordered as a 110v only, an MS (100/220v; 1.5hp pump,) or an SE (220v; 2.5 hp pump.)

Your best bet for a "chemical free" hot tub is to add an EcoSmarte system, which will completely void your factory warranty. "Salt system" is just a fancy way to say "chlorine generator." A Hot Springs will have better insulation, a longer warranty, and more bells and whistles. You'll get a better jet massage from a Hot Springs. If you're looking for a lounge seat then absolutely go with the Hot Springs, as Nordic's lounges are not impressive. On the flip side, a Nordic will need way less maintenance than a Hot Springs. It's a much simpler spa and it is still built with high quality components. Nordic's spas can be ordered with a layer of title 20 (fiberglass insulation) around the outside. This will help insulate the spa, but it will not be as well insulated as a Hot Springs.

I like both Caldera and Dimension One spas, but I would go with the Meridian as long as it comes with D1's Clear Zone (circulation pump and ozone) option. The Meridian has a really nice cool off seat; more cool off "area" than seat. There are also jets in the cool off seat, which is uncommon and awesome. The Meridian has a 2.5 hp pump, which is the same size pump of the Reflections Series units. It's the only @home spa with the larger pump. Its second pump, the single speed pump, is 2.0 hp. Both of the pumps in the Niagara are 2.5 hp. The Niagara does come with a longer warranty and a slightly better filtration system, although the Meridian's system is nice and is dealing with a lot less water. I would go with the Meridian as long as it has the circulation pump option.

It's water balance over time that is causing the diffusers on the backs of the jets to break down. They will become thin and brittle, and eventually they will dissolve. Calcium hardness increaser will retard the erosion process. When your water becomes corrosive it will search for minerals. It will pull them from plastics, breaking them down over time. If calcium is present in the water it will help satisfy the corrosive water's need for minerals.

That's what I meant by "you're in a weird window." Sundance used 6600-164 in the Marin model from May 09 to Sept 11. Unlike a lot of other Sundance boards, this one cannot be replaced by any other board. If you get the wrong board there are a bunch of possibilities: The sensors won't fit, the topside won't work, the board won't fit inside of the pack, the power connection could be different. You really need to make sure that you get the correct part, especially in this case.