ratchett

Water chemistry absolutely plays a critical role in lifespan of motomassager jets. OEM parts can last 10+ years with proper water chemistry 7.4 is the lowest you should maintain. I personally boost whenever it drops below 7.5 - because the dichlor I use is acidic so it pulls the pH down with use. The silicone rubber is aging prematurely due to improper water chemistry and corroding faster than it should No the problem most likely is that the silicone tubing is fully round. And the Hotspring Silicone tubing is special spec - two sides are shaved slightly so the silicone tubing has an "oval" shape on the exterior. Using Silicone tubing without modifications which can cause issues with the movement of the jets.

The motomassager jets are considered a consumable - they are meant to be easy to replace. You can order a replacement Motomassager DX jet online and watch some youtube videos for instructions on how to replace - takes a few minutes and easy to do.

My 2019 Jetsetter also has it - your water line is too low and should be covering this hole. This is part of the circulation system - it keeps water moving around the filter compartment 24/7 even when the tub isn't in-use. This ensures the filters and water in that compartment don't go stale from sitting too long. Like I said, water line too low - it should be covering all jets in the tub including the neck jets

Dude, it's a two year old post, OP hasn't posted since June 2020, pretty sure they're gone lol

I'm no expert on these things - but you can absolutely re-foam. There is a hotspring 2-part foam repair kit for their spas, and I'm sure Jacuzzi also sells a foam kit. Basically mix the foam, and pour into the spot after performing your repairs. Use a long knife to slice off excess foam after it cures.

New tubs are filthy from factory assembly/testing - lots of nasty stuff festers in the plumbing before delivery day. Additionally, internal components are still pH neutralizing. Your water chemistry is going to be a mess for the first fill. Plan on using extra sanitizer and pH/TA balancing chemicals for the first few weeks, and then plan on a purge/drain/refill after the first 4-8 weeks. I promise water chemistry is much easier after the first refill.

Was it used? Did you buy it from a dealer or from the classifieds? Was it fully functional when you saw it, or was it disconnected/drained when you bought it? Temperature sensors are a safety feature. They are a common point of failure and easy to diagnose/replace. Might have loosened the nut too much and caused a seal to come loose. But releasing an air-lock is beneficial for a pressure flow-switch sensor issue, not a temperature sensor issue. I'm no expert, but if the seal has been damaged or misaligned, you might need to drain the spa and reposition/replace the seal then re-assemble.

Start a new thread - post photos. Are the orange LED lights on the charging dock for the wireless remote blinking, or solid color (they're really hard to see in sunlight) Do the buttons work to control the spa? Does the circ pump work?

Rubber seals can dry/shrink/crack in as little as one week after a spa has been drained. Air can also cause internal metal components like the heater to rust. Overall hot tubs have the best lifespan when left filled with water and running. The *only* good thing is that being a 2003, it possibly still has the old pressure-treated lumber framing (which still contained arsenic) - arsenic infused PT lumber has a much longer lifespan than modern copper-infused PT lumber, especially when exposed to moisture and wet conditions (like a leaking pipe in a hot tub lol). From the various people I know who have had hot tubs and how they maintained them, I know you're not alone. Heck my best friend bought a home two years ago and it came with a hot tub in the backyard. It had developed a leak so the owner shut it off and stopped using it. Without any protection from the elements, it has gone through multiple snow-loads and freeze/thaws over who knows how many years. Given that it was a lower-end brand I told him to trash it - not worth the hassle. Given the size of your tub, it may be worth fiddling with. I'd do the bare minimum to repair the plumbing and see if it even holds water - you might have more leaks than the Titanic! Once you get the unit holding water at ambient water temps, then you get to try powering the sucker up and getting it to run and heat up to temp - you might find more leaks once things heat up. I think it depends on your local climate - do you live in a very dry arid climate, or relatively moderately humid all year long? The better insulated a hot tub, the more energy efficient the tub (because the heater will kick on less frequently, so less power consumed to maintain temp). A cheap budget grade modern spa will be just as energy inefficient (or worse) than the tub you have. You can always increase energy efficiency by adding extra insulation between the cabinet and shell walls, as well as replacing the cover (which will most likely need a new cover). Really depends on a lot of factors - the condition and how much money you're willing to throw at fixing the spa. Master Spas uses mostly off-the-shelf components so you won't have hard time finding replacements or upgraded components for all the electronics and jets/plumbing. And if you have copper-infused pt lumber, or the older arsenic infused PT lumber (which was discontinued in 2002). I'd open the access panel and check the condition - how's the framing and insulation look? Any infestations? Or is it all rotted away? How about the exterior of the cabinet? Holding water at ambient temperature is one thing, holding water without leaks heated to 100F is a different story.

Yesterday I was watching an episode of Homestead Rescue (Season 7 Episode 3 I believe) - and they were actually setting up an old off-the-grid Alaskan hot tub using a teakwood round tub, with a wall divider and a "snorkel" fire burning stove (basically a metal box with a tall chimney stack and an air inlet to regulate fire). You can watch the full episode but from what I gather, they leave the teakwood tub empty and dry most of the year, then clean it thoroughly when ready for use, and fill with water (the wood swells up and becomes water tight again after filled with water). The stove box sits in the water and there's a divider wall between it and the sitting area of the tub. The fire box has an air intake and a tall chimney stove to heat up the water. They didn't use jets, but I'm sure you could easily add a cheap/simple 110V spa-pack with a low power pump and some jets if you really wanted to go that route. Also, my brother-in-law in europe also has a hybrid hot tub which plugs into an outlet to run the jets, but uses a wood burning stove on the side to heat the water - but I don't know what brand they are or if they're sold in the USA.

Know that most of these Chinese manufacturers also falsify UL And CE certifications giving people the false impression the spas have been tested/certified safe for use when they most certainly are not. For $13k you can buy a hell of a lot nicer spa from a better brand. But a lot of your ownership experience will come from the dealer you buy from. Not all dealers are created equal so it's best to find a dealer you can trust to properly service the spa if/when it needs repairs (preferably under warranty with zero callout/dispatch fees lol). Here are some brands I'd suggest you consider (in no particular order) instead of that hunk of overpriced garbage - Sundance, Caldera, Hotspring, Jacuzzi, Nordic, Marquis, Cal Spas, Beachcomber, Arctic, Bullfrog. I'm a big Hotspring Highlife fanboy but there are other great spas out there in the $10k-$13k range.

Hottub jets utilize the venturi principal to suck air in and mix with the jets to accelerate velocity/pressure on the outlet side of the jets. Without air flow to the jets, you will hardly feel any trickle of water flowing out of the jets (water will follow the path of least resistance) The Air control levers (marked A on the chart) control air flow to different series of jets. I don't know which one of the air control levers controls the precision jets you're trying to activate, but my guess would be that the air level is partially or fully closed - allowing some air to get to the other jets in the series before those jets, but not enough. That's where I'd start first, if you still can't get them to work, time to call the dealer for warranty service.

Can you show us a photo of the spa? We might be able to identify the model. Does it have motomassager jets (the ones which move up and down)? That generation of Hotspring highlife tubs are well known to develop a leak via a cracked/failed nipple on the drain line on the bottom of the motomassager unit. If you remove the front panel of those jets and use a flashlight you might be able to even see a crack on the drain nipple connection at the base of the Motomassager. If you can't see a crack in that nipple from inside the spa, I'd try filling with some water and checking to see if that corner of the spa is wet on the ground (or test to see if the foam insulation behind the cabinet wall is soggy/wet). If the nipple is broken, the correct fix is to dig out the old foam, remove and glue in a new nipple then re-connect the drain line and fill with spray foam. Some people go the very cheap route and simply plug the drain line (drain/dry out the tub, the insert plug with sealant to stop the leak) - but the proper way to do it is replace the nipple (if that's the source of the leak).

So you're saying when you tinker with the connection it sometimes starts to work? Just a wild shot in the dark, but maybe consider turning off the spa and using some contact cleaner to clean both ends of the plug. Let the contact cleaner dry completely, then try re-assembling and turning on the spa. But I'm not an expert by any means - you might need a replacement panel which might be discontinued for that generation (depending on what spa pack you have in that unit - it's a long story lol).

The guys round here like to start new threads so it can stay on topic of one spa's issues. Unfortunately, Watkins/Hotspring does not share proprietary schematics/plumbing diagrams/software/etc with anyone except authorized dealers and technicians. That said, that generation of Hotspring spas had a well known leak on the drain line at the bottom of each motomassager unit - that's where I'd start looking for the main leak. The nipple connecting the tubing to the motomassager unit cracks and causes a leak - you can sometimes see the crack if you remove the motomassager front panel and use a flashlight to illuminate the bottom drain hole. If you dig the nipple out from the back side, you will find a small vinyl tube connected to said nipple. You can break it off, drill what’s left of the nipple, and glue another one in. I believe the official Hotspring replacement item is part number is 33658 (but I may be wrong). Then reconnect the hose and you’re done. Alternatively some people simply block that drain hole at the bottom with a stopper - it's not the right way to do it, but if it works why not lol (it's literally only used for draining the spa completely using the drain line, it is not used as a main return for running the jet pumps. But like I said, should start a new thread on the subject of refurbishing your 2004 and fixing leaks.

Maybe it's due to the exposure from high levels of the bromine in the water which is yellowing the components instead of the UV. I guess time will tell if the yellow first or if the tub wears out completely haha. There are still a few older spas from 2-3 decades ago running strong to this day. Spas have the best lifespan when left with water and filled/balanced/maintained as needed. You might get another 5-10+ years out of that sucker with proper care

Pretty sure shouldn't really need to - because the system is constantly generating free chlorine (assuming the water is within proper ranges). The only time you should need to shock is if the water becomes turbid/cloudy or things have drifted out of range and chlorine sat at 0ppm for a prolonged period of time you feel the water needs an extra dose of chlorine or MPS. The caveat to this is that your tub is new - new tubs are *filthy* internally from factory assembly/testing. Lots of nasty stuff festers in the plumbing before delivery day. You will find your water chemistry is a mess on the first fill and it's tough to maintain chlorine levels - this is totally normal for a first fill. With most spas, it's suggested to perform a purge, drain, refill after the first two months or so - water chemistry is always easier after that first refill. That is a correct assumption If the water is staying clean/clear for you with no foul odors, you're on the right track. Still if you're on the first fill of water, it's probably a good idea to plan a drain/refill in the near future. Think of it like airing out a new car to eliminate that terrible new-car-smell.

I'm no expert on sundance/jacuzzi, but my wild guess would be that a jumper hasn't been toggled on the replacement board to enable that feature. Jumpers are used to program the board for that spa's setup (how many pumps it has, optional accessories, circ pump, etc).

Lol, I love that trick - it's like magic how effective this works. Takes some effort but the results are impressive - I've seen people do that often with old video game systems. This yellowing happens thanks to a flame retardant in the older ABS plastics (bromine!). When exposed to UV light, those bromine molecules can destabilize and leech through to the surface, causing the plastic to turn yellow (or even brown if left long enough). It isn’t permanent, unfortunately, since there are still free bromides deep in the plastic that can re-surface a few years later. Additionally some people think the hydrogen peroxide process makes the plastic more brittle and fragile. Odor is not a good indication of the presence of ozone - I believe the only way to really test the unit is to install a tester to the output from the ozonator which changes color in the presence of ozone or something like that (it's not the easiest thing to test in water). There may be an easier way to test for ozone in the water, but I haven't seen anything from my quick searches. If you can access the ozonator module, there may be a manufacturing date on it, then you can do the monster math and figure out if it's new enough to still be operational. Alternatively, I have heard some people mention older spas would trip the breaker when the ozonator failed (the solution was to unplug or replace the ozonator and the system would stop tripping the breaker), but I don't know if that applies to all spas and all ozonator units.

I don't think Watkins shares that information with the general public. @castletonia is one of the few people which frequents the forum and might have access to that information

I'm a huge Hotspring Highlife fanboy. They are built to compete with Jacuzzi's top-tier stuff. Hotspring's biggest claim to fame is their Motomassager jets which are unlike any other jet in the industry. They are only available on the Hotspring Highlife collection, and two Hotspot models (SX and TX). But as mentioned, not all dealers are created equal. Research what customers say online about the service techs. Find out what is covered under the warranty (and for how long), and also be sure to ask about call-out dispatch fees - some dealers include a year or more free callouts, while some will still charge a dispatch fee for warranty service. Other dealers include 5+ years free callouts, so be sure to ask the dealers. Basically the dealer is almost as important as the brand you buy - don't settle for a terrible dealer just because you *want* XYZ brand hot tub.

Normally I say start a new post, but the answer is simple - these motomassager jets are a "consumable" (lifespan is up to or over a decade depending on water chemistry) and intended to be easy to replace. Buy a replacement jet and watch some videos online how to replace the motomassager jet

Send me a private message with some photos (if you have a ruler in the photos, even better). I have been working in the 3D printer industry for over a decade - I might be able to help (no guarantees lol) - but if that's your only option, I can get creative lol. Still concerned about the materials and lifespan - but once we have the model, it's not hard to print a fresh copy if necessary (or print a few spares at the same time so you have backups) - although I still expect you could get a few years out of a single nylon or polymide part, especially without direct exposure to the water

Yeah like I said you can go with a cheaper ozonator, but it will last half as long as the Freshwater III ozonator. So you're robbing peter to pay paul, and in the end you'll spend more and waste more time fiddling with it in the end. Up to you if you want to spend more now, or go with an aftermarket system and replace it in the near future when more funds are available. That said, search around online for Hotspring PN 72602 - that's the ozonator kit with the injector. I see one on ebay right now for $189 - new open box supposedly, but who knows if that's actually a new unit (you'll need to look at the pictures and take a chance if you want). Now we're out of my pay-grade lol, I'm just a spa geek with too much time on their hands. Maybe @RDspaguy or @CanadianSpaTech can offer advice how to swap out that elbow joint and what replacement part it'd be. But I'm sure it's not difficult