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timepilot

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About timepilot

  • Birthday June 4

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    Indianapolis
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    Diving, Flying, Horology, Vintage BMW motorcycles

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  1. Thank you, Tubber49. So you don't think the new pump/motor would be wildly outsized for this application? I can say that the tub it came from was not much bigger than mine and it had two of these motors. Since they're two-speed motors, and the controller knows how to switch between speeds, I was just going to use one and program it for regular recirc cycles on low speed throughout the day. Do you think it's better for me to relocate everything outside? I'm sure it would be quieter, but I don't know what Indiana winters would do to the longevity of the gear vs. having it all inside where the old pack was. I can offer it protection from snow and rain by putting it all in a dock box so maybe heat convection from the heater and pump motor operating would keep everything else warm enough. I may be overthinking how much energy would be wasted by having everything exposed to freezing temperatures during the winter versus being inside a 70 degree house. Thanks for your encouragement!
  2. I purchased a home built in the early 80s that I would charitably describe the architecture of as "Early Cocaine Party-House." Besides the concrete pool built well outside the bounds of safety and code with a mother-in-law-killer transition from the shallow to deep end (18' deep), there is also sunken fiberglass 2-person hot tub *in* the master bedroom on the first floor. I won't go into the expansive use of mirrored beveled glass throughout the ceiling of the dining room, but suffice to say I wish these walls could talk. Now, on to my issues: The tub is a generic shell with air controls sunken around a reinforced wood floor descending into the crawl space under the house. The previous owners saw fit to compliment the tub with a periphery of shag carpet (a type not meant for this duty, of course). The tub has not been used in more than 7 years. It does hold water, and I have observed no leaks from the jets or plumbing from down in the crawlspace. Who's to say what will happen when the circuit is under pressure. The machinery, which is all early 80's original and completely shot, is housed above the waterline inside this bench. I can't quite call this a spa pack since it was cobbled together with pieces-parts by whomever the homebuilder could find back then, but here's what it looks like. Water was drawn into the system from the right side after being sucked through a cartridge filter and pump primer with strainer (obscured by pump), through the pump to the heater, through another Jacuzzi cartridge filter, and back to the tub from the left side. That's the blower on the bottom left with air supply line heading through the floor to a manifold in the crawlspace. I have no idea what the vertical PCV pipe is for on the far right. It doesn't seem to be part of the circuit and goes through the floor into the crawlspace and disappears into the wall. It may be an air vent for the crawlspace. Power to all of this was supplied from the main breaker panel in the house, no GFI, and no quick disconnect. 240V heater/controller, 120V pump and blower fed from that black junction box visible at the far left on the floor with the blue cable fitting. None of the equipment in this pack works so I cut the whole thing out leaving only the flexible suction and return lines (1.5" ID) and the blower hose. Motor was a 2 speed 3/4hp-1/10hp GE unit. This is what it looked like before I let a scrapper come take it: Now, onto my plans: I had a qualified electrician come out and install a 50amp GFI breaker in the main panel, run new wire through the crawlspace to the tub and install a quick disconnect box that can be reached and actuated by someone in the tub if necessary. Not looking to recreate the Eating Raoul hot tub scene. A buddy of mine bought a new 4 person above ground spa this spring, got it all hooked up, and a week later a tree fell on it during a storm. He decided the Universe was trying to tell him he didn't need a hot tub. SO...He let me raid his for all the parts I thought I might be able to use to reconstitute my tub. I got two 230V two-speed 56Y frame Executive series Waterway pumps, SmartTouch Digital 2000 controller with remote keypad, ozonator, and a bunch of miscellaneous PCV fittings. Didn't get the blower so I know I need one as well as a filter. I saved the priming basket from the old setup and some valves. Now, it's been almost 35 years since I studied fluid dynamics at Annapolis, but I remember enough to appreciate why I'm supposed to mount a pump below the waterline unlike the original installer, and I remember a bit about calculating head, but I'm not sure that's as important on a small spa than a large swimming pool. That said, I only want to do this once and do it right. It is possible for me to remove the flexible suction and return lines, construct new ones out of hard PVC and direct them outside of the house (right outside the window in the top photo) to a small concrete pad that is probably 3 feet below the waterline of the tub. Out there I could install the pump, controller/heater, and filters, maybe inside a weatherproof dockbox or something similar. There's enough ribbon cable for the control pad to run back inside and up to the bench, where I could mount it through a cutout. I'm not worried about the aesthetics of having old air buttons and a digital panel. This house already redlines the Velveeta-meter for cheesiness. The alternative is to install everything right back inside the indoor bench where the old stuff was, but that's above the waterline by about 5". The new pump has a sticker showing 5 brake HP. Now, I know that's not an apples-to-apples comparison with my 35 year old 3/4hp GE pump, and that listing brake HP is a common marketing trick by modern manufacturers, but is this pump super overkill that will explode filter housings and decimate my bedroom? Am I overthinking the above/below waterline issue with this pump? The old system didn't have an ozonator, but I understand how they work and that I'd need to install a fitting for the one I have now. Am I in way over my head thinking I can DIY the restoration of this tub? Is any of this equipment reasonably suited to this project? Should I just pull the tub, build a floor, and put a kegerator there to help drown my sorrows over not having a hot tub? An advanced thank you to any and all that offer advice.
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