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ratchett

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Everything posted by ratchett

  1. Not all spas are insulated the same. Caldera uses a moderate fibercore insulation, although they aren't the best insulated spas. My 2019 Hotspring Highlife Jetsetter uses spray foam insulation. I'm on Florida's Space Coast so the heater is rarely used haha, although I do use the spa every night of the year including summer time. In the summer time my small 3-seater consumes about $12 a month, and in the winter time that jumps up to about $15 😄
  2. As CanadianSpaTech mentioned - Jet pump horsepower numbers can be heavily inflated when testing on the bench - basically they test at a higher voltage to force the motor to run at a higher horsepower (which would kill the jet pump very fast, but doesn't matter for a 2 minute test). Back in my car stereo days we called that the "ILS Standard" for car amplifiers - because the only way you'd hit the advertised wattage is "If Lightning Strikes" 😄 As CST said - pump amperage is a much more useful number, and of course this never really mentioned in the marketing/advertising. The only way to know for certain is to pull the front access panel and read the specs on the pump motor itself. Also know that plumbing designs play a role in jet pressure - hard 90-degree bends in plumbing cause cavitation which decreases flow pressure. Some brands use angled and curved plumbing to ensure no hard bends slow down water flowing to the jets. Also know that "Jet count" can also be inflated - some cheaper brands love to toss tons of tiny "bullet" jets into the spa to increase jet-count numbers because to the average consumer more jets = better hahaha. The reality is these tiny jets can sometimes cause the skin to itch when they're running making it uncomfortable for the user. My luxury 3-seater spa (which currently retails for around $10k USD) only has 14 jets total in the entire spa, but they are all full size large jets with enough pressure to give you a massage (when I close other jets in the spa and send full pressure to the lounger seat my wife finds those 7 jets TOO powerful and painful for her comfort lol) Honestly "jet feel" is a very subjective topic and it's really impossible to determine that you will find one spa more or less comfortable than another spa without physically "wet-testing" a spa from that collection (doesn't have to be exact spa model, but should be something from the same product collection/tier). Before covid wet-testing was highly advised and it was considered a red-flag if a dealer refused a wet-test. Speaking of which, be sure to research the dealer thoroughly - you're often stuck with them for the duration of the warranty so be sure to read what existing customers say about the dealer (not the brand). Find out what is covered under warranty, and more important - dispatch fees for warranty service (some crummy dealers only give you 6 months free dispatch before they try to charge $150+ for warranty service calls)
  3. What do you mean the screen is "way off" There really isn't a way to calibrate screens on a Hotspring - you may need to replace the topside controller
  4. Never heard of symptoms like that so I don't really know what could be causing it. Could be a loose wire or failing board. Watkins doesn't really share repair guidance (or service documents) with customers as they prefer you work with an authorized dealer/technician.
  5. If you're comfortable with electronics and multimeters, I'd start measuring voltage to confirm the tub is getting power - could be a failed breaker (or gfci plug if you're on 110v)
  6. God, in-ground hot tubs were such a popular thing and people still try to do it - but it's dumb because it's much harder to access all four sides of the spa if/when something needs to be serviced or replaced (like a jet nozzle or something). Sounds like that shell is wearing out and those cracks are due to stress from holding water and running all these years. At some point you'll need to throw in the towel and replace the tub. Very likely this is biofilm scum. When a hot tub is used regularly, a thin layer of microorganisms can build up on the surface, and this is called biofilm. Biofilm is a mixture of bacteria, fungi, and other tiny organisms, along with their secretions and waste products. Over time, biofilm can accumulate and form a scummy layer on the walls and surfaces of your hot tub. This scum is not only unsightly, but it can also harbor harmful bacteria that can cause skin infections or other health problems. To prevent the buildup of biofilm, it's important to regularly clean and maintain your hot tub, and to use the appropriate chemicals to keep the water clean and balanced. The cracks in your shell have created essentially the perfect environment for biofilm to fester/grow. A purge product like AhhSome could be used to dissolve this biofilm scum (Unlike the directions, you would need to extensively purge - run jets for 20 minutes, then off for 10 while you clean scum at water line, run jets AGAIN for 20, then off while you clean fresh scum at water line, repeat a dozen+ times until nothing fresh settles at the scum line). If you purge before every drain/refill you might get a few more years out of that shell, but it's certainly time to consider an upgrade. I believe Bullfrog Spas still sells a "spa vault" designed for in-ground installation, but I don't know of any other brands offering similar in-ground options.
  7. Personally I was in the same shoes - after waiting a decade I wanted to get the most luxurious 3-seater spa in the industry. Literally researched every option available and poured over specs and whatnot. Ultimately I personally ended my search on the Hotspring Highlife spas which are built to compete with the top-tier Jacuzzi spas. Hotspring's biggest claim to fame are the motomassager jets which are unlike any other jet in the industry. I truly enjoy closing all other jets in the spa and sending full pressure to my lounger seat with the motomassger after a workout in the gym, although my wife finds it too powerful/painful when sending full pressure to a single seat. When I rebuild my backyard I plan to trade in my Jetsetter for a larger 5-seater Hotspring Envoy which is the most therapeutic spa in the whole collection Gif on Motomassager jets for attention Fair warning - these spas are fully spray foam insulated - they are extremely energy efficient. But can be difficult to DIY repair. So expect to pay your Hotspring dealer handsomely if/when the spa needs service - but know that these suckers are built to last 15-20+ years with proper care/maintenance and their warranty is excellent (part of the $$ you're paying is for the warranty so be sure to research dealer for any brand you buy). If I didn't like/want a Hotspring, my next choice would likely be Sundance - built in the same factory as Jacuzzi spas, they share many components under the hood. The Sundance Optima 880 was one of the most therapeutic spas in the whole industry with jets strong enough to nearly blast your a$$ out of the seat.
  8. Howdy! I'm also in Florida with a Jetsetter (110V mode) No. The Jetsetter has a circulation pump which is running whenever the jets are not running. This allows water to constantly flow (important for the saltwater system if installed, or ozonator system if using that module). The heater only kicks on when needed and heat eminates from the heater vent at the bottom of the footwell (if you have an ozonator you'll also see bubbles trickling up through). There is an optional "auto-clean" mode which runs the jets for 10 minutes once a day (to flush water around the spa and prevent water from going stale in the pipes). From the factory this feature is disabled and must be enabled (at which point the system will run the jets for 10 minutes every 24 hours from the moment it was activated)
  9. Low pH, or extremely high concentrations of chlorine could cause rubber seals to degrade Pool Chemical supply stores are in the business to sell you chemicals. They aren't in the business of selling you the most efficient economical easy soak. Their advice is generalized and not specific to any one spa. That's why it's always advised to take the advice of the manufacturer or dealer over these pool supply stores.
  10. I'm no professional but I wonder if it could be a failed temp sensor. If you have a multimeter you can test the resistance of the temperature sensors to see if they are reading accurately or not (which I bet they are not). Here is a chart for Watkins temperature sensors you can use to match up numbers Temp sensor failures are common, and easy/cheap enough to test and replace. I had a temp sensor fail on my 2019 Hotspring last year (which was covered under warranty) - in my case the tub went into protect mode allowing the circ pump to run, but not the heater.
  11. So I had a temperature sensor fail on my 2019 Hotspring (covered under warranty). General rule of thumb for Watkins/Hotspring is to replace both temperature sensors under warranty with the thinking that if one failed from a batch, there is a statistical increase in the odds that the second one did or can fail again. That said if you have a multimeter you can measure the resistance of the temperature sensors to confirm they are reading within range. Lookup on google for balboa temperature resistor chart and then measure the resistance of each temperature sensor then match up to the chart to confirm they're reading within correct range. For what it's worth, dreammaker is more of an entry level product anyway so I wouldn't put too much effort or money into fixing it lol
  12. Sounds like some radio frequency interference. Are you near a cellphone tower or some other high power RF radio source? I'm about to head out the door, but I believe there's a way you can re-pair your remote with the charging dock so it hops to a different frequency which might resolve your issue. But I forget the exact sequence of events (I just know I made the mistake of pressing and holding the lights button or jets button on the charging dock for too long and ended up going into pair-mode without realizing it - at that time my wireless remote completely stopped working until I did something, which I think was removing the remote battery for a few seconds)
  13. No real identifiers of the manufacturer on the cabinet/shell. However it is an average mid-grade spa using industry-standard components It uses a Balboa C5 Spa Pack - likely an upgrade/replacement. Balboa is one of the two largest manufacturers of generic spa parts used by dozens of spa manufacturers around the world. Don't stress about the exact make/model - the owner's manuals for these tubs are basically useless and contain very little information. Mainly the buttons on the controller, which knobs control what jets in the spa, and dozens of pages of warnings and legal mumbo jumbo. There is basically no info about care/maintenance etc. Salt systems can be fun but I'm personally not a fan of them as the water needs to be balanced specifically for the system to generate adequate chlorine, it also makes people lazy assuming it's working even when it might not be working. I'd also personally grab some AhhSome and a replacement filter for the spa. Purge the hell out of that spa to eliminate biofilm from the plumbing, then replace the filter to get rid of the "ick factor" of owning a used hot tub haha.
  14. If you're comfortable with a multimeter you might want to test the temperature sensors to see what resistance they're reading. Search online for Watkins temp resistor chart but I think it should read between 5000 and 30000 ohms if it's working correctly. Temperature sensor failures are common and easy/cheap to replace. No guarantee that will fix the issue, but there's a chance especially if you saw "LIMIT" pop up - that would mean the tub thinks the water is over-temperature (possibly due to a failed temp sensor)
  15. So I recently had an issue with my 2019 Jetsetter where it went into protect mode - circ pump and lights would work but heater and jets wouldn't work. This was caused by a failed temperature sensor. Since you hear a click coming from the control panel that would tell me it's not in protect mode. Do you have only one jet pump or two in your tub? It could be a failed motor - but I'm no expert, don't take my advice over a pro's lol Did you ensure both control board and topside are compatible? I'm fairly certain Hotspring's original manufacturer of boards ("IQ2020 Orca") for that era went out of business about a decade ago and Watkins/Hotspring was forced to make a new board/parts (IQ2020 "Eagle") which are not backwards-compatible (as such you'd need to upgrade the whole spa back at the same time, which really stinks - Watkins learned from this experience and changed policies to ensure this fiasco doesn't happen again)
  16. My 2019 Highlife spa did the same thing a year ago. Tub was in protect mode - luckily for me the tub was covered under warranty. Dealer said it was a temperature sensor and they replaced both. I know you said they read correct resistance, but I wonder if they are just far enough apart to cause an issue? But I'm not a spa tech. There is a Hotspring owners group over on Facebook which has several retired hotspring techs that might be able to help more
  17. Start a new thread. However is the leak coming from the corner where the motomassager is located? There is a very well known leak on Hotspring spas of that era where the drain line nipple at the bottom of the motomassager can crack - this is fairly well documented and would be the first place I'd look if I were in your shoes.
  18. Careful, watch your CYA stabilizer levels if using granular dichlor chlorine (Dichlor56 contains roughly 43% CYA). Once it hits 200-250ppm you need to dump/refill, there is no sequestering CYA out of the water. The salt system is using the two electrodes of the salt cell and measuring the conductivity of the water. The salt cell could either be failing, or clogged up with scale buildup - it's a smart/easy way for them to test salt levels in the water, but prone to inaccurate readings. Try taking the salt cell out of the tub and giving it a good hose down then see if that fixes the issue.
  19. As mentioned in your other post - it's an inflatable spa. They aren't built to be serviced or repaired by the user. They are built to be cheap disposable products (sadly). You will likely have to try to disassemble and fix yourself without any instructions because most people never take the time to follow up online and provide extra info/photos for future users with the same issue
  20. Inflatable spas are poorly manufactured and not built to be serviced or repaired. You might be able to disassemble and replace whatever seal is leaking yourself. But this is not an easy procedure nor is it documented. These spas are literally built to last a short while before the owner throws them out once they have started to fail. Good luck!
  21. I mean I wasn't going to say it, but look at all the brands they own..... none of which have the best reputation these days..... Source: https://lpiinc.com/shops/
  22. Does the circulation pump run but heaters/jets don't run? Did you test the temperature sensors or replace them? If the circ pump is running but no heat, that could indicate a temperature sensor has failed - they common points of failure in hot tubs and easy/cheap to test (with a multimeter) and replace.
  23. Hotspring Prodigy is going to be one of the best 4-seaters in the industry which works on 110v - but you're looking at around $10-12k+ depending on the dealer these days. Nordic would be my choice if I wanted the best bang for the buck for a decent 110V tub (they focus on quality construction at a reasonable price because they skimp on fancy features and bells/whistles found on bigger brand spas like stereo systems, LED lights everywhere, etc). Marquis also makes a few decent 110v spas (I really liked the styling on the vector series) but I haven't really had a chance to get quotes and wet test so I don't know how they stack up against other brands. I'm in a similar situation, although I'm down on the Space Coast where temps only dip into the low 40's for one or two weeks a year (This Christmas was the coldest on record in forty years - we hit 32F!) . I had a perfect location for a spa with a dedicated 110V/20-amp outlet (Hotspring Highlife spas require a dedicated 20-amp breaker for 110v model since they never every possible watt for the jet pump to get the awesome motomassager-dx jets moving like they should). So I opted to buy a Hotspring Jetsetter (3seater) which has been an awesome investment - in my climate the tub almost always maintains temperature thanks to it's heavy full-foam spray insulation making it very energy efficient (I spend about $12 a month on electricity to run this spa on average lol). During the colder times of the year I might lose 2-3 degrees during a 30-minute soak (depends on which way the wind is blowing) and when temps dip into the 30's I might see temps drop 4-5 degrees in the worst conditions. Few thoughts to add to someone shopping for a 110v spa 110v spas heat up slower than 220v (my tub's heater uses 1000watts at 110v, and switches to 4000 watts on 220v) A 110v spa's jets perform the same at 110v or when switched to 220v (you don't get a performance boost on the massage jets by upgrading to 220v in the future) Horsepower numbers are mostly BS - the figures can be heavily inflated based on the voltage used for testing on the bench (who cares if they burn out the motor in 20 minutes if it quadruples the horsepower for lab testing!) - back in my car stereo basshead days we called that the "ILS Standard" ("If Lighting Strikes" - because that's the only way you'd see that advertised power output) Jet feel is a very subjective topic. Not all jets are created equal and not all feel the same - some scummy brands love to shove dozens of tiny bullet jets into the tub to increase "jet count" numbers. On paper they sound great - the tub has 50 bazillion jets - in practice they can make your skin itch like crazy when they're running. (My $10k Hotspring 110v Jetsetter only has 14 jets total - but most of them are full size jets) - This is where wet-testing is beneficial, but most 110v spas cannot be wet-tested (dealers want you to wet test larger more impressive tubs) The better insulated, the longer it will retain heat when the cover is off (heat still rises, but the insulation does help when the temps start dropping outside) Industry average hot tub owner hosts guests in the spa 3-4 times per year - unless you have a large family at home, I would advise to focus on the best tub you can afford for the people living at home, and not the largest hot tub your budget can afford. Just my $0.02 as someone who spent months studying the market and researching literally *every* 110v hot tub on the market due to my climate (really no need for 220v this far south unless you're getting a larger tub with multiple pumps)
  24. Clicking sounds usually come from a relay - could be defective and in need of replacement. This sub is for hardshell hot tubs. You might have better success over on the inflatables section of the forum https://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?/forum/28-inflatable-hot-tubs/
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