ratchett

How old is the spa? Some 110v spas can be converted to 240v which allows the heater and jet pumps to be run concurrently, but you should hire an electrician if you don't know what you're doing with that. Did you test the temperature sensors before replacing the heating element? Temp sensor failures are common and can prevent the tub from triggering the heater.

So you aren't balancing water hardness, TA, pH? Not testing phosphates either I'm assuming. That totally looks like you burnt out the salt cell prematurely. Phosphates come from many sources - soapy suds in bathing suits, lotions on skin, moisturizers, fertilizers on grass, etc so it's not hard for them to build up in the water. Watching your phosphate levels is extremely important when working with any saltwater setup in a hot tub - it will kill a salt cell exponentially faster than normal depending on the concentration of phosphates (with hotspring salt setups, a 4-month cell can be killed in as little as 4 weeks with improper water chemistry). Also for what it's worth, any salt system is only testing the conductivity of the water between the cells - it is not a true measurement of salt levels or pH (over time the electrodes can build up a calcium layer giving false readings back to the system). From time to time you should confirm the data with a titration drop test kit (for salt setups that would be the Taylor K2006-SALT test kit) to ensure you're not missing something

No photos for us to look at. However that is not a top name brand, so they are likely using generic off-the-shelf industry standard components from one of the top brands - balboa or gecko. Pretty much nothing on your hot tub is unique or proprietary. Sadly most owner's manuals are garbage and only contain the basics like how to turn on jets, which diverter knobs control which jets, and liability legal BS - there isn't really anything about water care or technical support. Instead of trying to chase down a specific model number, how about just firing off the questions you have about your spa and I'm sure someone can help answer them.

Yep, can confirm it's a conduit with a chase-line to assist technicians when installing speakers in the spa. All Hotspring highlife spas are built from the factory compatible with every upgrade available (speaker holes cutout with blank covers installed, coolzone conduit holes, saltwater system etc) Funny story - when they tried installing speakers in my tub, one of the speaker wire conduits was crimped/pinched such that he chase wire wouldn't budge for one speaker and they had to cut a channel out of the foam to run one of the speaker wires lol.

I'm no expert on inflatable spas, but it could be a clogged/dirty filter - the filters on those tubs is extremely under-sized (my luxury 3-seater spa uses about 4x more surface area on the filters for the same amount of water so I need to clean less frequently) - regular weekly cleaning is required for inflatable spa filters

Was you filter installed while purging? Is it possible the filter clogged up and is causing the system to trip? Many spa purge cleaners require the filter removed for this reason

Love my 2019 Jetsetter - best three seater in the industry! That looks like your screen is burning out - could be due to water/moisture, or just the age of the screen. The tough part is going to be finding replacement parts. If I'm not mistaken Watkins/Hotspring had an issue with a supplier going out of business and they had to completely rebuild new parts which are not cross compatible with each other. You may be able to get a replacement top-side panel cheap, but I think you might have to replace the entire spa pack if you want to go new. Some people sort through hottub junkyards and ebay to find replacement parts, other people have successfully removed the screen and replaced just the LCD panel (I seem to recall the screen used the same display as an older HP PDA device, but that's a long shot to find the exact part and have the skillset to solder dozens of pins on the panel). Personally I say if the screen display works sometimes and you can still use the spa without the display, just do that for now until you need to replace it or the whole tub.

I believe there are two temp sensors on the spa, but I may be mistaken - did you replace both of them? Did you test the temp sensors with a multimeter to confirm they were reading within proper range before installing?

Did you wire up the spa correctly? Most 220v Hotspring spas use two breakers (20amp and 30 amp) instead of a single 50-amp breaker - a common thing I see is people who try to wire the tub to a single breaker like a traditional hot tub this can cause all sorts of issues with the tub. Assuming it's wired correctly, does the circulation pump still work? It's possible the tub is in protect mode - this can be caused by faulty temp sensor which is preventing the tub from accurately reading the temperature of the water. In this scenario the heater will never kick on because the tub doesn't know what temp it's at. If you know how to use a multimeter you can check the temperature sensor to see if it's reading within range, if not they are cheap and easy to replace. That'd be the first thing I'd check out.... assuming the circ pump is actually working as intended.

Have you tested the temp sensors on the tub? It sounds like the tub might be in protect mode - allowing the circ pump to run but not the heater because it doesn't "know" what temp the water is. Temp sensors are easy to test and cheap/easy to replace. But temp sensors wouldn't cause a breaker to trip..... so that could be a different unrelated issue if the breaker is still tripping constantly

Heater hissing doesn't sound good..... Is it in protect mode? Does the circulation pump still work?

For questions like these, I like to dig into Google Trends to see where topics are most popular. There isn't enough data for Hotspring Spas to get much useful information but if you search for Jacuzzi or hot tub, you can see which states search the most for the topic - you can even dig down to the county & city level. It's a really under-appreciated tool Naturally this data isn't foolproof, but I've used it many times over the years to determine interest for specific products. https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?q=hot tub&geo=US https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?geo=US&q=Jacuzzi

Oh boy lol. Rule #1 I always say when buying a used hot tub, always ensure it's fully working and not leaking before you buy or move any used hot tub. Moreover It's a Hotspring Highlife spa - they're awesome but not exactly built to be serviced by the end-user, Watkins wants you to hire an expert to service the spa when needed so they can ensure it's repaired to their standards (as such, things like technical service documents and plumbing/wiring diagrams aren't exactly shared with the general public.) So the thing to keep in mind is that About 15 years ago Hotspring's control panel manufacturer went out of business with no advanced notice. This screwed everyone who owned an older hot tub, as well as Hotspring since they didn't have enough old stock inventory to keep the existing customer needs satisfied. Watkins had to go back to the drawing board and build a new controller and topside control panel, but the problem is the new hardware doesn't talk to the old hardware. As such the "orca" and the "eagle" models are not interchangeable. It's important to ensure that both parts are compatible. Additionally, it's possible that the firmware/software is not properly configured on the board - there might be a firmware update available, but of course Watkins doesn't share firmware data with end users. I'm a huge Hotspring Highlife fanboy, but it sounds like you got yourself into a whole nasty can of worms. Best of luck to you sorting things out! Hopefully you can get the old tub back up and running.

Nordic is one of the brands I always suggest for a good bang for the buck without extra fancy bells & whistles. But as usual, the dealer you buy from is responsible for the warranty - you're stuck with them so be sure to research the dealer you buy from. Don't settle just because you want XYZ hot tub.

Careful with bleach - most "bleach" bought in stores these days contains a splashless additive. Some cheap dollar stores still sell the original bleach formula but it's not really advertised as such. Your best bet is liquid chlorine from the local pool chemical supply store - but it can be dangerous to handle and splashes can affect surfaces which is why most people prefer handling granular dichlor chlorine. So if you're not using them already, a Nature2 silver mineral cartridge can help reduce the amount of chlorine you'll need to use to keep the water clean (for example, maintaining closer to 0.5ppm FC instead of 1.0 to 3.0ppm FC) Next up, I would seriously consider purging the plumbing with ahhsome or other purge cleaner and then drain/refill before leaving - the cleaner your internal plumbing, the less chlorine you'll need to use to keep the spa clean. For a week or two away, I do a chlorine shock (3 tablespoons dichlor56 chlorine, run jets for 30 minutes with cover off, then close cover until your return). But 25+ days is a long time away. I know chlorine tablets aren't really advised for spas, but in this case it could be the exception - just ensure that the floater is working correctly and you have the floater almost entirely closed to ensure nothing but the least amount of chlorine out into the water. I would advise running a test for a few days leaving the floater in the water, and test/monitor chlorine levels to see how fast they climb or stabilize - you may need to close the floater outlet even more to ensure you don't skyrocket over 10ppm FC. Just my $0.02

I don't use Biguanide in my hot tub. Instead I use a much more simple (and less harsh on internal components) care routine in which I sanitize the water after each use with a large dose of chlorine, and let my ozonator (paired with a circ pump) burn off the excess free chlorine before my next soak. A Nature2 Silver mineral cartridge helps me reduce my chlorine needs so my care routine is very easy and streamlined. Essentially every night I'm soaking in chlorine free water (literally my bathtub has more chlorine with a fresh fill of tap water), but my care routine ONLY works because of the extra accessories in my tub (Ozonator hooked to circulation pump running 24/7, and the nature2 silver mineral cartridge). From your description of a rash and recurring irritation, I'm wondering if you have a bacterial infection called hottub folliculitis ("hottub rash") - this can be caused by improper water chemistry (likely with your experiences using the inflatable tub as a novice user - it happens to many people). The thing about this bacterial infection is that it *will* take hold in your spa and is very difficult to eliminate (chlorine and other sanitizers won't easily kill it). If you still have a folliculitis infection, you are re-contaminating the water every time you use the hot tub - chlorine and other sanitizers won't kill this bacteria easily. If you had an infection with your inflatable tub and tried to move to a hardshell tub, you likely introduced the bacteria to your new tub's water the first time you used it. Here's my advice: See your dermatologist and specifically have them test the rash to see if it is a bacterial infection. If he confirms you have hottub folliculitis, he will need to prescribe you medication. Follow the directions and use this medication. *DO NOT USE THE HOT TUB UNTIL THE INFECTION HAS FULLY CLEARED UP!!!*. Next before you use the hot tub again you need to fully decontaminate the hot tub - AhhSome Purge, then use a strong bleach solution to wash/clean/decontaminate every surface above the water line (including the cover). Again, if you have a bacterial infection nothing you do with water care routines will help until you get medication to treat the issue completely and only then decontaminate the spa and use it. As you're learning, water care is no joke - water borne illnesses can be serious stuff. Just last year a viral news feed went around the internet with a story about a young teen girl who entered a poorly-maintained hot tub at a friend's party with a small open cut on her foot. She caught a nasty infection and ended up passing out a few days later, only to wake up in the hospital missing a foot - doctors had to amputate to save her life. I could be completely wrong and you're highly allergic to chlorine or some other chemical in your care routine, but it really sounds like hottub rash to me.

With my Hotspring Highlife spa, the service menu is accessed by pressing a tiny red "service" button on the main control board for several seconds.

WOW! That is absolutely terrible on Bullfrog's part. What brilliant engineer thought "Hey, let's epoxy this critical component which is made with thin plastic that can easily crack/break - no way in hell anyone would ever need to replace THAT!"

There are supposedly hot tub junkyards around the country, maybe you have one near you and can salvage some slats from another tub. Or find someone selling a dead/broken/empty hotspring spa from the same era and see if you can offer some $$ to salvage the parts you want from their spa.

So you tried to fix the existing motomassager jets by opening the splines and replacing the inner tubing? That could be your problem - some people are lucky and cut everything the exact length and get things sealed up correctly for things to work properly - but DIY fixes don't always last long or work effectively as OEM replacements. You mention air and water coming out of the jet heads but it's not moving. That indicates to me air is leaking out somewhere and preventing adequate pressure for it to move. The Motomassager jets are a consumable product - they were intended to be easy to access and replace. Lifespan naturally depends on water chemistry history. Since it sounds like you tried to DIY fix the jets instead of replacing. I'd advise you try ordering the oem replacement parts (like PN 73542) and see if that fixes the issue.

The average hot tub owner hosts guests in the spa 3-4 times a year. Unless you're REALLY cozy with the neighbors/friends, my advice is to focus on a spa large enough for the family living at home. Instead of buying the largest spa your wallet can afford, consider a smaller more luxury spa. Lounger seats are build for the average height and average BMI in America. Not all loungers are created equal - you may or may not have buoyancy issues. Half the people who buy a spa with a lounger opt not to get one with a lounger in their new tub. I personally love the lounger in my Jetsetter, but the general rule of thumb is that you should always wet-test a lounger from any brand you're considering and skip the lounger if you cannot wet-test to confirm it's comfortable for you. Most brands sell multiple product tiers to fit every budget. Lower tiers will generally have less jet power, less insulation, and fewer jets as well as built with lower quality materials. These are fine if you only want to soak in hot water, but you may need to consider a higher-tier spa if you want a therapeutic spa experience. Again jet-feel is subjective, horsepower numbers can be faked/inflated, jet counts don't matter (some use tiny itchy "bullet-jets" to increase jet count numbers) - wet testing is the ONLY way to know how comfortable a spa really is for you personally Industry average lifespan for spas these days is 7-14 years depending on care/maintenance. A budget-grade or bottom-tier spa will be on the shorter end of that lifespan, while a top-tier flagship spa from the top brands might last 15-25+ years depending on care/maintenance. Last piece of advice - the dealer you buy from is responsible for warranty labor costs. Not all dealers are created equal - do your research on the dealer, how long they've been in business, if they have technicians on payroll or outsource service, customer feedback online, etc. Do not settle for a shady dealer just because you want XYZ brand of hot tubs - I personally saved 20% because I didn't like my hotspring dealer so I found another dealer equidistant from my rural location (rare for that to happen, most dealers won't overstep into another region) - no haggling needed, just very different business models and operating margins.

I would start raising hell with Bullfrog until they fix the problem or extend your warranty - that is garbage, I thought the issue had already been revised/fixed by now. As with many things in a hot tub, water chemistry will greatly affect the lifespan of various plastic components in the hot tub. Bromine is more harsh than chlorine on components, and there are accessories you can use to reduce your need for chlorine. Now may be the time to assess your water chemistry routine and look for possible ways to reduce sanitizer usage - things like purging twice a year can also help keep the plumbing clean which can help reduce chemical needs. Not saying this is guaranteed to help, but doing so now before the warranty expires might help you figure things out while the manufacturer is still covering the cost of replacement parts (which should be beefed up to avoid this issue in the future!)

An ozonator generates ozone via a spark of electricity. Hot tubs use what's called a mazzei injector to suck this ozone gas (and air) into a stream of water flowing through this injector shown in the diagram below. Ozonators can only run when there is a flow of water through the injector. For budget grade spas this is paired with the jet-pump to run when the filter cycle happens twice a day, and for higher end spas the ozonator is hooked to a low power quiet circulation pump running 24/7 (ozonators are most effective when constantly injecting fresh ozone into the water). Ozonators do fail over time, but you will still see tiny air bubbles emanating from the port in the footwell of a tub. This indicates that the hot tub circulation pump is working and water flowing through the injector is sucking air into the line (many people incorrectly assume that seeing bubbles means that the ozonator is still working) Note that many ozonator replacement/repair kits include a replacement mazzei injector because they are known to fail and eventually start leaking - so they should be replaced when replacing the ozonator unit.

Yeah, it stinks to drain/refill so soon - think of it like airing out a new car by rolling down the windows for a few days. Water chemistry will be much easier after the first drain/refill anyway. Especially if you take the time to properly purge the internals before draining and refilling.

Oooh! I actually know the answer for this from experience with other inflatable devices. I use a Ryobi inflator/deflator 18volt battery powered device (older model, but current model would be Ryobi P747) Basically I hook the high airflow inflator hose to the air-intake side of the device. Plug this into the inflatable item (for me, it's an i-SUP, but I imagine it'd work for for an i-Spa) - then turn on the air flow and let it suck the air out of the device. Be sure to keep the item as flat as possible because once it sucks all the air out it's hard to re-position the shape aside from folding up. I use this trick all the time for de-flating those inflatable air-mattresses for camping - you can actually fold them up and put them back in the original cardboard box when you suck out all the air!