Cusser

I have a 1988 Calspa, way different than your modern one. Mine can set on either thermostat-actuated or by the timer. I had a malfunctioning clock motor in my own timer this summer, so intermittently was not turning the clock time, so I installed a replacement timer to fix that. So check your clock time.

If mine, I'd make sure there was no crack there, and try a new thicker O-ring. And maybe use some pool silicone grease on it, maybe even some automotive RTV or Permatex Aviation. The O-ring has to compress to seal. This reminds me of my old 1984 Jeep Cherokee, the mechanical fuel pump leaked oil where it bolted to the engine. I got a new gasket for it from the parts store, noticed that the O-ring seemed too thin to compress, and of course that leaked oil too. Sine the fuel pump was lifetime warranty, and I figured maybe its flange was warped, I exchanged it for a brand new one; guess what: the new fuel pump came with a thicker/different design O-ring and that never leaked. To get additional torque for tightening, I use a ViseGrip 12LC or a rubber strap wrench. You're not tightening to the point of breaking anything however, just to compress the O-ring some.

mg/L is milligrams per liter, so essentially ppm EC is electrical conductivity, a rough guess of how many ions are present in the water I've owned my CalSpa since 1988, and I only measure pH and bromine levels....

Phoenix, Arizona. From 1988 through 2000 we didn't heat our CalSpa during the summer, used it as our "pool". For those of you not "blessed" with Phoenix weather, 115F high temperatures in summer are not uncommon (still over 100F after midnight), and frequently the lows never drop into the 80s, even by 4am. So not uncommon for the water temperature to creep over 100F on its own. We'd fold the cover back at night one or two times a week to reduce the water temperature by evaporation to use as the "pool", and the kids loved it.

Hey - I'm a computer-idiot, don't even know how to type. I have VCRs, 1970 and 1971 VWs, and a Flip Phone, use Windows 7. Consider it a miracle that I can post ANYTHING !!!

You have experience with this, and your water supply is consistent. This is analogous to a chemistry titration. You have a finite amount of base, and are neutralizing with acid. So the amount of acid needed is finite to the amount of base in your specific gallons of water. So whether you add the acid in increments (instructions state this for safety reasons, and that it gets complicated if one overshoots and adds too much acid) or all 6 ounces, end result will be the same. Just have the jets on and add slowly to the jetted/moving water area, the acid-base reaction is extremely fast. Test the water after 30 minutes. Me - retired industrial analytical chemist, Magna cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. My chemistry knowledge is more than my spa knowledge, even though I have a 35 year old spa still running !!!

True for most bleaches. I believe there are some bleaches on the market that contain fragrances, or viscosity additives/thickeners, so stay away from those for pool/spa use; their labels will state that.

I worked 4 decades in the soap and detergent industry. Fats and oils are what soap is made from. So any lotions, body fats, detergents used for cleaning, laundry detergent residues in swimsuits can all cause foaming. Some silicone anti-foam (a few drops) before each use will typically be a band-aid fix, but I think you'll need to drain/rinse/fill several times. And clean out the filter real well too, or replace that. If one has softened water, that will typically make the situation WORSE, as presence of calcium from the water will generally cause insoluble calcium soaps to precipitate out, and settle on the bottom or in the filter.

OMG -a zillion water jets !!!! My 1988 CalSpa has like 5 total !!!

New Intermatic PB913N timer installed, straightforward. Seems to be working fine (overnight observation).

Yep - why I tested it. Should be installing late this afternoon when I get there.

Usually, finding the problem is 95% of the difficulty !!!

See https://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/56826-cracked-manifold-nut-1988-calspa/

OK, received my new replacement timer, Intermatic PB913N as pictured above, plan to install that Monday. It would've been nice if the timer body was labeled like "clock" or line/load, but no. So I figured "look up on Internet", and best I could find was the same label on the back of the timer. So I pulled out my trusty ohmmeter to test which pair of terminals opened and closed when I rotated the timer face by hand. The two parallel terminals at top are load (240V), and the two in-line terminals are for clock motor (125V). Guess it's cost savings not to use ink or mold that information onto the timer case.

Wow - I've had my CalSpa since 1988, and I've never done any Post-Usage Dosing. I also use the OTO and phenol red dropwise test kits, I test maybe once every two weeks, use a bromine tablet floater in mine.

So it's been 2 weeks since I noticed the cracked coupler nut, but no leaks noticed there or elsewhere, so the split coupler nut has not been replaced. I did notice that the water temperature has dropped even though I swapped in an element two weeks ago to replace a shorted element. Fortunately, my old spa takes a hardware store element, inexpensive, 4500W or 5500W. Anyway, it looks like my timer mechanism is malfunctioning, like the clock inside the timer is intermittent. I replaced this timer back in the 1990s, the CalSpa part is ELE098000030; my replacement unit has both ELE098000030 and Intermatic B913N26)CalSpa # ELE098000030 (my replacement unit has #B913N26) So I ordered INTERMATIC INC PB913N from Amazon because I can return it readily if it doesn't fit. My ELE098000030 in the unit has blue dial settings, this is listed as the replacement, we'll see. Anyway, it's an easy swap in, should have before next week. I'm sure this one will have https://www.amazon.com/INTERMATIC-PB913N-PANEL-TIMER-24HR/dp/B001DSLJ7Q/ref=sr_1_1?crid=S2WIXX8B0ZFE&keywords=PB913n&qid=1686611146&s=lawn-garden&sprefix=pb913n%2Clawngarden%2C254&sr=1-1-catcorr

1. The 2-piece split nut arrived, and is the same outside diameter as the cracked one, so good. But I won't install that until I need to, not leaking from there. 2. It's only been a week since I tightened up the pump seam bolts/nuts, but I did not have any apparent leakage - but it's only been one week. I only visit that site once per week in summer.

That's a huge leak !

I was thinkin' maybe to just keep an eye on that, unless it develops a leak there. Would you use both a rubber washer AND silicone sealant?

Hayward pump #1152UN2 1 hp. Doesn't look like a leak at the flat rubber washer under the cracked plastic nut. Looks more like a seam leak at the pump housing, so I gently tightened most of the bolts/nuts there, will re-check there next week. About 25 or 30 years ago I had a leaking pump shaft seal, but can't remember if I fixed that myself or just carried my pump in to the repair shop. Yes, it's tough to access the pump, but I did do that once....

Hmmm - could that tiny leak have been the leak I've had for several years, and have been using Fix-a-Leak a few times each year????

So the question is: has anyone here had experience with these 2-piece plastic retaining nuts??? Thanks. Online reviews of them are good, provided one orders the correct size. As you can see from the photo, the CalSpa manifold was especially made with a large flat to mate up with the Hayward pump.

OK, maybe I have of the oldest spas here, a 1988 CalSpa. I replaced a leaking/burned out heating element a week ago, so checked to ensure that the leak was truly stopped. It was. But I noticed a tiny leak at the seam of the pump, maybe caused by the drop in water temperature. So I tightened up the bolts I could reach with screwdriver or 5/16" box wrench, being careful not to crack anything; this went well. Then I noticed that the large nut securing the manifold to the top of the Hayward pump was cracked in a few places, but was not leaking from there. Apparently this stainless steel manifold is no longer available, but I did order a 2" split nut to replace that WHEN/IF it starts leaking there.

Sorry - I don't know you well enough !!!

I have an above ground pool and a couple of times torrential rain storms (yes, Arizona) have gotten the pump motor wet and the GFCI breaker kept tripping. I let it dry out for a couple of days and then it worked fine. I have made a little cover/table to shield the pump from the rain (I call it my "pool table" as a joke) and have elevated the slab (for pump and filter) a little to try to prevent such damage. So I'd rig up an electric fan to blow air over your pump for a couple of days, then try it.