Hicks6

I've confused myself by doing too much reading I think. I need some clarification on a couple things if anyone can help. Granular chlorine seems to be more cost effective in the long run for a residential pool. I use liquid chlorine currently, and I shock the pool with 1lb bags of granular calcium hypochlorite bimonthly or so. I'm thinking of switching to granular chlorine, and I'm having trouble understanding if there is a difference between "shock" and granular chlorine. So my questions are, can I use the same bags I use a shock as my normal sanitizer instead of liquid chlorine, or should I be using something else specifically for normal sanitization? Is shock just the short term for super chlorination, but the product is the same as normal chlorinating sanitizer? This might be a given fact, that I just can't seem to find a straight answer to. Thanks!!

So there is apparently a chlorine shortage due to increased usage, and a chlorine plant exploding. I can't find chlorine in my town at all now. Is there a safe alternative I can use until chlorine becomes available again?

@CanadianSpaTech Where the heck do you live? I'm about 60 miles north of LA, and I have a Lowes and Home Depot near me. I know you are in Canada, but does Amazon not deliver to your address? Sometimes the big box stores don't have what I need, so I order stuff from Amazon. I'm just curious.

Last night I used primer and glue with the jets on and the air off as @RDspaguy suggested. I had watched some Youtube videos of a guy showing how that can work since its sucking the glue into the hole. Seems to have worked. No water this morning. I'll probably put another coat on for good measure and give it the weekend before I close everything back up to make sure. I looked at some threads on here about putting new foam in there. I think I'll just leave it be... Ordered a new cover that wont be in till June. Next step, repair and paint the cabinet. This thing has been a lot of work. Work that most people probably wouldn't think its worth, but I enjoy learning about things and fixing them. And who doesn't love a hot tub?!

Cool, I'll give that a shot!

Hi! I'm back again with what is now my hot tub restoration at this point. I dug out a small leak in my hot tub and found that a connection on one of the PVC air manifolds. I want to avoid replacing the manifolds if I can because I think I'd end up needing to replace all of the tubing as well since they are pretty stiff from age. First I'm going to try PVC primer and glue on the outside. If that doesn't work I ordered some JB water weld that I'm going to give a shot. If neither of those fixes work, I suppose I'll have to replace the manifold and the tubing. Does anyone have experience with an external leak repair on PVC? Its a tiny leak, but enough to make a puddle next the hot tub, and I don't like that. I've attached some pictures. The leak is right at the glued joint where the upper manifold is white, and the lower is yellowing.

Thats pretty cool stuff. I would have to be sealed really well for outdoor use though.

Cool, that's a good idea. I'll give that a shot if I can't get the direct replacement.

@castletonia Cool, thanks for that info. I sent them an email.

One of the corner panels on my cabinet is broken. I can't seem to find that specific part for my hot tub to replace since its discontinued (2004 LA Spas HEET). Does anyone possibly know how I could make one, or some other solution?

So I "finessed" the flow switch ever so slightly to reduce the cap. And it really was very little, and now everything seems to be working. The circ pump now is closing the switch when its running on its own. I have the Ahh-some stuff coming in today, so I'll run that stuff through it this weekend. That stuff seems like its amazing, and I'm extremely interested to see what comes out of my tub (ewww). I read another forum post where you guys talked about covers, so I just emailed a couple of online suppliers to see who has a better price. This hot tub is a little odd since it has speakers sticking up on all 4 corners, so I can't fill in the parameters for that. Any who, thanks so much for all of the help and insight! I learned an awful lot about how these things work and how to work on them. I really, really appreciate what you guys do on here! Cheers!

@CanadianSpaTech, I was thinking along those same lines. I'll put that switch out and see what I can do about it. I'll get rid of the pillows and see about getting some of that cleaner you mentioned. Side note, is there any stand out good place to get a new cover from? Mine is shot and shedding stuff in the water that I'm sure is also contributing to reduced flow.

Can I safely switch the jumpers to the no CP setting without disconnecting the CR? I assume that it would change the signals coming off the board and not engage the circ pump. I could even unplug it from the board for good measure. Just so I can check it out before I have the time to pull the pump out and give it a lookyloo. So I did that while the kids were preoccupied with bath time. It did its pump purging cycle and then dropped down to P1 at low speed to reach the set point as it should with the no circ pump setting. But the flow switch was still not closing and thus the 3 light error was popping up. So this weekend I'll see if I can try to see if I can find some kind of blockage in the pipes. I can only think that its blockage, or possibly my flow switch.

I'll check the pumps when I get another chance. Probably this weekend. I feel like there is something clogging the line for the CP given what's going on. I'll pull the heater off and see if I can find anything lodged in there, or maybe in the pump. Here is a pic of all the equipment. Sorry, its dark when I get home. Can I safely switch the jumpers to the no CP setting without disconnecting the CR? I assume that it would change the signals coming off the board and not engage the circ pump. I could even unplug it from the board for good measure. Just so I can check it out before I have the time to pull the pump out and give it a lookyloo.

Well, its heating and pumping, but its still throwing the 3 light trouble code on the topside and shutting down after a while. Man, I'd really like to get this fixed.

Touché. I figured the same thing. I did take it out previously to test it while the board was out getting checked out. I thought it might be a possibility that I had bent it the wrong way when I did that, but its not likely. On a positive note though, I went and reset the hot tub and went through the programming for the filter cycles as layed out in the manual, and it seems to be working better now. Its at 80 degrees now. Started at 54 this morning. So its heating. After setting the filter cycle programming, P1 is staying on in low speed and the flow switch is closed. I don't know if it maybe it needed to be programmed after startup to work right. I'll update this thread tomorrow. (I've been juggling messing with the hot tub, painting living room ceilings, and watching two infants all at the same time, I'm pretty beat). Again, I really appreciate all the help.

Interesting question. It does not. It will only fully close if I either have P1 on high, or it also closes if I have P1 on low, and the P2 and 3 on. At risk of asking a dumb question; is it possible to pull out the flow switch and bend it a little bit so that the pressure from the circ pump will close it? Also, as a piece of probably irrelevant info, I do not have the OZ hooked up since that went bad. I let the intake tube for that suck up and fill with water then plugged it.

They run between each pump and the heater there. The pumps all have a barb on the impeller housing for them. One line goes up under the filter area, disappearing into the foam.

Ya, the filters are still out. I have them soaking on cleaner right now. I have to have P1 on, and in high flow mode in order for the switch to make contact. If P1 is off, or in low flow it does not make contact. If P1 is off, and only the CP is on, then it will throw the 3 light trouble code and turn off after about 30 minutes. I double checked and verified that the jumpers are all in the correct positions. My thoughts right now are either I have a faulty high temp sensor, or more likely a problem with the CP since the flow switch isn't making contact when only that is running.

Here is the flow switch with just the CR running. It is shutting the CR off after a while, I believe because of the 3 light trouble code.

Sure, but if P1 is not on, and in high speed mode, the flow switch is not closed all the way. I don't know if these have some type of resistance that the board can read depending on how far apart the contacts are, or if it is a contact on/off type of switch. If it is just on/off, the I suppose I do have an issue with my CR pump. If not, I might be fine, except for the 3 blinking lights on the topside. The blinking lights can mean blockage, air lock, or a high limit condition.

It is a flow switch. Photo below. So maybe I'm just paranoid and its working fine? The temp is slowly rising. I checked for flow out of the CR, and it is pumping. Does the flow switch need to be fully closed in order for the heater to engage? When P1 is off, I have the 3 blinking lights on the topside.

Although everything is pumping, the CR alone doesn't seem to have enough pressure to close the flow switch. I have to have P1 on high speed in order for it to be closed. Do I need to prime the CR, or is there some way check on the flow? It is pumping, just not enough it seems. From the owners manual: The JETS 1 key will activate a 30-minute automatic shut-off cycle (unless the spa is heating). If the spa is heating, pump 1 will run continuously at low speed until the pre-set temperature is reached. The set point light indicator will be on when the display is showing the water temperature set point. It will be off when the display is showing the actual water temperature. A new 30-minute cycle begins each time the JETS 1 key is pressed. This auto shut-off cycle is a safety device and allows for convenient filtration, immediately after use of the spa. P1 is not staying on until it reaches the set point. I set the temp to 98 and P1 turns off after 30 minutes. 2004_las_owners_manual_domestic.pdf

You sir, are a genius. I had already tried loosening the union to purge any air, but that didn't really do anything. I took the filters out, and pow! Now everything is pumping and the flow switch is closing. I just need to wait not and make sure that it is heating. I can't thank both of you guys enough for helping me with these issues. Its really cool that there are people out there that are willing to share their knowledge. Fingers crossed for heat!

Okay, I think I made this problem myself. I put the control box back in. I installed the new topside, which doesn't have the erratic blinking lights like the previous one. However it is blinking three lights at the bottom, which can mean that there is a blockage or obstruction. So pump one turns on, but there is no flow into the tub. I've tried priming it but there is nothing happening in the jet selector switch. This would also explain why it isn't heating since that runs in low speed mode along with the CP to pump in the hot water. I feel really dumb about this, but I think I may have clogged up the jet 1 piping. When everything was working, it had a leak. I didn't want to take the tub apart to find the source because where it sits, would make me have to lift it up somehow to get to the side where the water was coming from. I found that fix a leak stuff that you put in the water is supposed to fill in small cracks in the pipes, and it worked. But, I think it worked too good and now the water can't flow, thus creating my issue. Thoughts? Here is a video from right before I came to my conclusion.