Kingwilly Posted December 7, 2014 Report Share Posted December 7, 2014 It's an older tub, but still in great shape...besides the wood paneling. I replaced the filters when it got cold when it struggled to get above 80. After the filter change it heated up to about 104 and then slowly dropped back down to 100 degrees. I adjusted the temp control dial on the front to past the #9 setting (the setting at the time was almost at 9) ....I could here it click a number of times once it was set (it sounded like it was tripping on and off)....I just adjusted the dial back to around 9 and am waiting to see what happens now. The recirc pump is running and the main pump seems to work fine. I am completely lost as to what to do now. The hot springs repair guys charge almost $200 bucks just to show up... Any suggestions would be appreciated. KW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Spring Official Posted December 9, 2014 Report Share Posted December 9, 2014 Hi, In 1995 and 1996, Hot Spring Spas had a heating system that was protected by an in-line flow switch. If there is inadequate flow as a result of a dirty filter or a weak circulation pump, the flow switch may be disengaging the heater when low flow occurs. That may explain the "clicking" noise you hear from the heater relay in the control box. You can remove the filter dedicated to the spa's heating system and see if the spa gets back up to temp with less restriction affecting the flows switch. It may also be that the spa control thermistor/sensor is failing and out of spec and is giving a false reading to the control system. If you have a multi-meter, you can check the resistance of the control sensor which should be 5.326 KOhms of resistance with a water temperature of 104 degrees F. (If it reads 5.776 KOhms, than that would explain the 100 degree water temperature.) The control thermistor would need to be replaced if the meter reading does not match the 104 degree water temp setting. If your spa heater has been replaced at some time over the past 18 years, the in-line flow switch should have been removed and you would then look specifically at just the control thermistor resistance. If you unsure how to test or replace the sensor, we would recommend contacting your local Hot Spring dealer for service. Regards, Keith, Watkins Customer Service Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingwilly Posted December 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2014 Thanks for the response....I have been trying different things since my post. I turned the temperature dial down to 7, from past 9, for a day and the temps dropped to about 85. I then put the dial up to 9 and it went up to about 98. I decided to turn the dial almost as far as it would go (no numbers) and the spa went up to 107. I backed it down to just past 9 and I am sitting on 105. What is up? I feel like I am in a Spinal Tap movie with my Amp set to 11. I am confused. I did tap on the heater housing and recirc pump just in case there was a chance of an air pocket...I doubt it though. It's back working, but what is going on is a mystery to me. KW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Spring Official Posted December 9, 2014 Report Share Posted December 9, 2014 HI KW, Doesn't sound like an air lock of any type. Most likely a sensor issue BUT may also be the heater contactor/relay inside the control box is sticking. It's had 18 years of cycling opening and closing contacts so may have carbon buildup on the points. I would definitely recommend using a trained service technician to drop the control box and open the back to access the internal heater contactor for replacement IF the sensor Ohms out correctly. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PreservedSwine Posted December 9, 2014 Report Share Posted December 9, 2014 As Keith mentioned, most likely is an intermittent flow switch- caused by either a defective flow switch, a filter that could use a bath, or the circ pump flow that has slowed down over time. If it's not the flow switch, in addition to the items Keith mentioned, another possibility is the thermostat itself...the reostat on the control thermostat PCB may sometimes make intermittent contact as well, and simply pushing, or pulling on the stem of the t-stat will get it work/not work. The heater is fine. If you don't know how these things work, you can't simply guess at what's wrong. The exact same symptoms could be caused by a variety of different issues. You need a qualified, competent tech, and he'll be able to diagnose and repair your tub in no time. There is no single advice/part to repair/replace to fix your spa based solely on the symptoms you have given, sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingwilly Posted January 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 Brand new filters installed 2 months ago.....problem fixed. Yesterday, the water temp was at 101. I have not changed anything. I pulled 2 of the 3 filters and the temps went back up to 104. I can't believe I have to replace or clean the hot tub filters every 2 months. Any suggestions what would be the issue? maybe the filters need to be replaced again? I have a feeling I will spend a ton of money to have a service guy come out and just tell me the filters need to get changed. If that is the case, I will order up a new set. I have to believe it is something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PreservedSwine Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 You should clean the filters monthly- simply spraying them off with a high pressure nozzle on the end of a garden hose should do the trick. Replace them every 2-5 years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingwilly Posted January 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 Living in Michigan makes it more of a challenge. I guess I will try a utility sink first and see how that goes.....I guess I have never had this issue in 19 years, so it is odd to have to clean them so often. But from what I have read, most people clean there filters a lot compared to what I am used to doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sovereign2000 Posted December 12, 2020 Report Share Posted December 12, 2020 I know this is an ancient thread, but I want to share several experiences that might be helpful to others that might be googling for answers. I have a Hot Springs (Watkins) Sovereign circa 2000. This is a 20 year old spa and it has been awesome an well worth what I paid for it. Nevertheless, it has caused me a bit of pain and endless Googling as you would expect for a 20 year old spa. So here goes... First, I have had the above problem with the spa getting stuck at 97 degrees and never coming all the way up to temperature. As I understand it, this will happen if the heater is dead and the friction of the circulation pump will keep the tub warm to some degree (this obviously depends on the outside temp). For me, the no-fault heater had tripped. The model I have doesn't have a reset button and requires you to shut the spa down for 30 seconds to reset the heater. I had power cycled my tub before, but being impatient never waited the required 30 seconds. Once I shut the power off and waited a few minutes and then restored power, the problem was resolved. Second, my spa would periodically trip and I would get a blinking "high limit" light. Initially, this would happen when it was warm outside, but eventually it got to the point that it happened all the time. I checked the resistance of the thermistors and thermostat and they read fine. The circulation pump was fine as well, the filters were clean, and there were no clogs. Turns out I had a "Control unplugged" light on the control board. The *actual* problem was some type of short with the flood light that illuminates the hot tub. Unplugging the light from the control board fixed the issue. Unfortunately, a replacement light is not available without replacing the control board, control head, auxiliary panel, and the light. But I can live with no light for now. Third, my auxiliary panel died long ago and I could live without that as well. At some point, my hot tub started "ghosting". Turing on and off by itself. This was annoying and I was concerned that it would end up causing damage to the hot tub. For me, it turned out that this problem was caused by the failed auxiliary panel. When I unplugged the panel from the board (it has an RJ45-like connector) the problem stopped. Finally, please note your mileage may vary. All the standard warnings apply: I am no expert, just a hot tub owner; I am just reporting my experience here; I am not suggesting that you do any of these things; if you are not qualified to work on your hot tub, get professional service; most importantly, if you do work on your tub, be sure to shut off the power first. I hope this helps someone. p.s. The folks at backyardsplus.com are amazing. If you are having a problem with you hot tub, it is worth your time to give them a call. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.