Ellisz

It has only been a day but with the smaller impeller, the tub is up to temp and responds to the jets control. The air valves still don't work but I am thrilled that it is working as it was supposed to when I set it up! Thanks for all the help RDspaguy!

So that Aquaflo impeller should fit the Century Pump bn25v1 with a FMCP 1.0 HP 1.5" Pump Wet End (91040810-000)? This is just replacing the current impeller with that one? Anything thing else in there? Thanks

Agreed. I thought about adding them back in but pretty sure I would have to buy new jets, spa flex and another manifold. I did leave the option to add a manifold when I re-worked it but I would like to be somewhat confident that all else is good. When I got it, I thought the air valves were the only issue. Will have to see what that is like with a smaller impeller. Do the air valves affect flow or is it just adding air in the line for the spa feeling? Assume the latter...

Thanks. I think that is a easy solution to try. I am not sure it worked when I first tried it. Makes me think there is a blockage somewhere. There are 3 less jets working on the tub as the previous owner did not want to run ant more new pvc when he replaced all of the jets. That would support needing a smaller pump I suppose.

So this thing is still confusing me. I drained the tub and pulled the pump. Plugged it in and it ran fine and the wires did not get hot. So it would appear that I have an issue with the inlet plumbing or the outlet plumbing. I pulled the lower drain strainer and did not see anything obvious. The part that I think is odd is the inlet plumbing and how it combines the filter drain and the lower drain. I have attached a pic that hopefully shows what I am talking about. I am attaching the manifold I re-did incase you see something there as well. Thanks

Sure, thing. I redid the manifold using braided tubing to the existing 1/2" spa flex with short sections. I don't have any 90 elbows any more. The previous guy had some how modified the fitting with the hot stick and the temp probes so he did not have to replace it. Not sure how he did it but I removed it and replaced the fitting with the probes - just did not use the hot stick. Can't vouch for the rest of the plumbing. Going to see about capping the lines as I remove the pump to not have to drain and refill again Should be fun. Thanks

So a Waterway 1HP 9.5 Amp pump can be had for $250 shipped. A 3/4 HP pump can be had for $200. The Waterway 3/4 Pump (3410310-15) appears to be labeled as 3/4 & 1 hp. I think it is 10 amp. You think this wouldwork? https://lesliespool.com/308623.html I can tinker with the current one later.

I do see where most 9 amp pumps are only 3/4 HP. Probably not a big deal as this is just something for the kids to use by the pool. Would the lower HP take it longer to heat up? As for my mechanical inclination, that may be up for debate I am not opposed to taking stuff apart. I assume this will be a "free Spa" listing in a few years when my kids stop using it anyway. Thanks for pointing me in directions along the way through this journey!

That seems to be the only direction left. I see I can get a pump(no impeller) just like what is in there now cheaper than buying a full pump. Should this be a consideration? Or do I look for the actual pump that came with the tub? Not sure it is worth $350 to put a new pump in but I am in this far. Any pump recommendations? Also, I had to replace the threaded pump fitting on the outlet and I did not replace the red (hot stick) fitting. Is this an issue with heating?

I checked the wiring coming into the box and based on the wiring diagram, the pump is wired correct on the board. When I pug it in, I can see 120V at the black relay connection and I also see 120V at the plug connection on the outside of the box where the pump plugs into the box. When the pump stops, I see 120V at both of these spots as well. After about 5-10 minutes, I can hear a click, which I appears to be the pump, and 120V is present on the pump connections. One note - there are 3 relays with open spade terminals(that is what they look like). The black wire of the pump goes to one of the open connections - per the diagram. The other two relays are not being used but I get 120v on one of the open terminals on these as well. Here is a pic. Assume the open spade connections are normal. Is there anything else on the board that would cause the pump thermal protection to kick on? Or is this really pointing to a bad pump? The pump ran before so I am assuming the wiring on the pump itself is correct but I can check that too.

I wish I could say yes. I pulled the pump and looked at the wiring and the connections looked clean. Are there multiple ways to wire it? It did run previously as it heated the tub up twice - once when I tested it and after I moved it into place. Not sure what would have happened to change it. To that end though, I know it ran to heat up but we never did anything else other than turn the jets on and off a few times. The previous owner said the jets would stop when he turned on the "bubbles". Which based on what you told me before, I don't see how the air controls would have an impact on the pump. Should the hoses connected to the air valves have water in them? I did notice this while changing out the manifold.

Pump is pretty quiet. It sounds like it is on a lower speed. Could be considered a hum, I suppose. The pump motor itself starts to get warm but the wires coming out of the board are a lot hotter than the pump. Should I test for voltage at the pump connection on the board? I guess at this point, I need to know what to replace or fix next. I did not plan to go this far but I am here now. I am not opposed to replacing the pump or the board just not sure what makes logical sense at this point. Is there anything logical at this point?

I am back with some new results - I hope. I decided to replace the manifold. I removed all of the 90's and used braided vinyl hose to connect the manifold and 1/2" flex spa. I filled the spa and plugged in. Pump kicked on for about 30 seconds and then went off. The panel is still lit, temp is adjustable and light button works. Jet button is lit but will not turn off. After unplugging and letting it sit for awhile, I plugged it back in. I was checking the pump wires out of the board box and they were getting really hot as the pump was running. afterwards, I loosened the fitting on the pump intake to make sure I had water and all looked good. Any suggestions on next step? Can I make the leap and say it is the something on board? Not sure how to go about testing relays, etc.

I don't have a good answer but I am working on a similar spa and do remember when I was testing that I would hit the jet button and the light would come on but the jets would not come on. Mine was intermittent as sometime the jets would work for a minute and then shut down. I was under the impression that the pump was overheating but I had some plumbing issues as well. I am hoping to redo the plumbing and try everything again as soon I get the parts. I will be interested in a fix if you get one.

I have never done any spa plumbing but when I saw that manifold, I did have some thoughts of running. I was there with a trailer and it was free, so I gambled. The pump looks brand new to me, if that is worth anything. I could try to replace the manifold correctly and see where that goes. Either way a drain and some weekend work is needed. No hot tub for the kids anytime soon. I always say my wife's ideas are usually cause work for me. If anything, maybe that picture of the plumbing made you chuckle. Appreciate the info and you told me a lot about spa plumbing I did not know.

I am going to drain and pull the pump. Is there a way to check anything on it? I have seen some Dream Maker pump replacements (Gecko Aquaflo) with the same specs that are not too expensive. How do you know if an impeller is the wrong type? Is putting $250 in this tub crazy? Any inexpensive pumps that I should look for? It will need a new cover too. Old Pump Pump that is in there now

pictures should be fixed. sorry about that.

Thanks for the additional response. The 2x6 was used for testing only. Not ideal but I did not want to put it in place if it did not work. It is now on a flat level surface. It may have been frozen and repaired. I think my Hot springs tub does not have the parts as visible but when I looked at this one, the manifold was a bit disturbing. If you see the pic, I assume you will agree. When it was running and heating up, I did not see any leaks. There is not as much insulation in this one due to the re-plumb. I had hoped to drain it each winter when I winterize the pool. Not sure what I will do at this point. Adding a pump is doable but might be better to get something else.

True on the free. I like projects but they don't always turn out. When I brought the tub home, I propped one end up on a 2x6 and used a level to make sure I level on all sides. Filled it up by inserting the hose into the filter tube and ran the jets once I was above all of them with the water level. It ran for a few hours and I saw the temp on the rise so I shut it down and drained it. I moved the spa to a level spot next to the pool that was level gravel on top of flat ground(sod removed). Once in place, the tub was again leveled on all sides. I then refilled it again via the filter tube. This is a 110v spa so once it was full, I plugged it in. The pump came on and everything sounded and looked good. I thought the air controls were called Venturis - sorry about that. There are 2 air control valves near the Balboa control board. I was surprised by the jet replacement as I have had spas before that were over 20+ years old and never replace standard jets but these are adjustable at the jet so I moved on. The full re-replumbing was an even bigger question mark but they did assure me it ran, did not leak, and heated up. I took the gamble since it was free. Both pumps are 1 HP, 115v, 60 hz. The new one is physically bigger and the impeller housing looks the same other than color. As for the length of time being plugged in being a factor, it appears that may not be the case. The pump ran fine during the heat up process. It ran for around 15 hrs and I checked on it at night and in the morning. Once it stopped due to being at temp, I turned the jets on and off a few times. I then turned on the jets, and rotated one of the air valves - pump kicked off and the jets button would not turn off. I unplugged it and did some research. I went back out a few hrs later, pulled the board box out, tightened the ground wire on the pump as it was not tight. Since the temp had dropped, the pump kicked on once I plugged it back in and then started heating up again. I went out before bed, heating had stopped and turned the jets on for about a minute. Then turned them off and on a few more times. All appeared good. Woke up the next morning, tub was still hot but the pump was running slower and only stays for 40-50 seconds. I do hear a click when I plug it in, when I turn the pump on or off via the control board but not when the pump stops and the board light is left on. If I put it in standby mode, the pump light goes off and I hear the click. Appreciate any advice. Thanks

I always feel like I am replacing mine but I think it is mostly due to losing track of time! I am on my 3rd cover for the Hot Springs Vanguard and I have had the spa for 12 years. I put some shade cloth on my pergola to help with the sun beating down on it but I had read what he others have said about chemical burn being the biggest issue. You need to keep teenagers from sitting on the corners as well. I am on my second heater as well but I think water chemistry was the downfall of the last one. Staying up on everything is hard to do sometimes.

I picked up a free 2006 Dream Maker X5H. I was told that everything worked except it did not make bubbles. I was not sure exactly what that meant but just wanted a cheap spa to put next to an above ground pool for teenagers to use. I have an old Hot Springs Vanguard spa so I am not new to the hot tub world but this one is different than any I have had before. I have never seen one where the main pump heats the water and you directly controlled the air mix to the jets. When we got it home, I leveled it and filled it up for testing. The pumped kicked on and everything seemed ok. Water was heating up slowly and the jets were working - except for 3(more on that later). The next day, the tub was at 104 and the pump was off so I assumed all was well. I turned on the jets and all seemed ok but the it appeared to be pumping at a lower speed. Then after a minute or so, the pump stopped but the light was still on. I did notice that the pump was extremely hot to the touch. Now the particulars: Tub had all new jets put in by the previous owner. He also ran new flexspa, replaced the manifold and the venturi valves. He said he decided to not hook up the three jets farthest from the pump since flexspa was expensive. I have never ran new tubing in a tub but it looks like he cut the old flexspa and then ran new lines to all of the jets except for 3. Those he capped off at the jet. The venturi valves were replaced and the vinyl lines appear to be going to the jets. I can see the 2 closest to the pump. When you turn them it does nothing. The previous owner said it would kill the pump when you turned on the bubbles. Previous owner also replaced the pump. I have the old pump but don't know if it went bad or not. New pump is a BN25V1. Looks similar to those being sold on Ebay for Dream Maker pump replacements. While it was heating up, it seemed to be doing great. Just after it has been continuously plugged, the problem starts. I don't know if the pump is kicking itself off or if there may be something wrong elsewhere? It will cycle back on after a few minutes and run for maybe a minute and kick off again. I have to unplug it or put in StandBy mode to stop it from doing this. Sorry for the long post. Hoping for a DIY fix or should I start over? Thanks

I have a Hot Springs Vanguard early 2000 model and I replaced the heater a few months and it started off by tripping the breaker.