GPinBarrie Posted February 26, 2021 Report Share Posted February 26, 2021 So it seems I need a new topside panel. On the main board, the light for panel not connected\detected is lit. The topside panel is no longer available. What are my options here? I know I can update the main board and the topside but I'm not into paying 2g for them and I wouldn't dare present that as an option to my wife. LoL Is there a repair option? Maybe another panel that works? Any help is appreciated Thanks GP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
castletonia Posted February 26, 2021 Report Share Posted February 26, 2021 Only option is to either find a used control panel or upgrade the electronics. $2k is a high estimate. I would expect parts to be around $1,000 and then whatever labor and service call fees your dealer would charge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianSpaTech Posted February 26, 2021 Report Share Posted February 26, 2021 If you have to "upgrade" the electronics I would go with a Balboa VS bundle (pack topside light and pump wire if needed) way cheaper. Have done a couple. Would need to know number of pumps, if it has a circulation pump. It will be easier to fix in the future as well. $429... https://www.spadepot.com/Balboa-VS-Spa-Control-Kit-P3185 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPinBarrie Posted March 1, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2021 On 2/26/2021 at 9:05 AM, CanadianSpaTech said: If you have to "upgrade" the electronics I would go with a Balboa VS bundle (pack topside light and pump wire if needed) way cheaper. Have done a couple. Would need to know number of pumps, if it has a circulation pump. It will be easier to fix in the future as well. $429... https://www.spadepot.com/Balboa-VS-Spa-Control-Kit-P3185 Thanks for the reply. My tub has 2 main pumps, 1 heater and 1 circulation pump. How hard are these to install for the common person? Also, I found a wireless remote that's available. Would you know if this works without a working topside panel? Looking for the easiest\cheapest route here. https://www.hottubspasupplies.com/catalog/product/view/id/5648/s/76301-iq-2020-remote-control/category/2/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianSpaTech Posted March 1, 2021 Report Share Posted March 1, 2021 57 minutes ago, GPinBarrie said: How hard are these to install for the common person? Most can figure it out. 59 minutes ago, GPinBarrie said: Would you know if this works without a working topside panel? I do not know if you can bypass the original topside by using that remote. @castletonia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
castletonia Posted March 1, 2021 Report Share Posted March 1, 2021 5 minutes ago, CanadianSpaTech said: Most can figure it out. I do not know if you can bypass the original topside by using that remote. @castletonia I've never seen or heard of this product before but because it is referencing 2004-2008 Hot Spring and Tiger River I'm guessing it was meant to work with the "PUG" electronics and not the "ORCA" that this Limelight Flair care with. On 2/26/2021 at 8:05 AM, CanadianSpaTech said: If you have to "upgrade" the electronics I would go with a Balboa VS bundle (pack topside light and pump wire if needed) way cheaper. Have done a couple. Would need to know number of pumps, if it has a circulation pump. It will be easier to fix in the future as well. $429... https://www.spadepot.com/Balboa-VS-Spa-Control-Kit-P3185 Just to peak my curiosity, would a Balboa pack be able to work with the Hot Spring heater? Or could you even retro it with a M7 heater and that circulation pump? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDspaguy Posted March 1, 2021 Report Share Posted March 1, 2021 The circ pump will not move enough water to keep up with a 5.5kw balboa heater. The circ pump moves a max of 14gpm with no head (so only in the lab) and closer to 10gpm in a spa with a clean filter, and the heater requires 20gpm minimum to avoid overheat. The heater circuit can be wired to 120v (by connecting the single relay leg of the heater to neutral) and it will run ok, but heat slowly. You can get a 4kw heater and it might, and I stress might, be ok at 240v. The HS heater could be wired in to a vs system, but the sensors aren't compatible and using the m7 sensors at the pack with a remote heater will eliminate low flow overheat protection at the heater. With a vs system you are best off plumbing the main pump into the heater and use the circ pump, wired to the a/v circuit, for ozone injection only. Balboa has systems designed for use with remote heaters that have sensors that mount to the outside of the heater and in a thermowell. The thermowell will have to be installed, either in the plumbing or the shell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianSpaTech Posted March 1, 2021 Report Share Posted March 1, 2021 My bad I missed in the post that it was a circ pump driven spa. The 2 I have done with discontinued topsides were both 2 speed pumps for heating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDspaguy Posted March 1, 2021 Report Share Posted March 1, 2021 Yeah, hot springs, caldera, sundance, D1, and a few others that use the small laing or grundfos circ pumps are problematic with a vs system. A vs can run a circ pump, but it has to be a bigger one with a higher flow rate, and correspondingly bigger plumbing. I have tee'd in an additional suction to the plumbing drain hose or pressure side pump and added a return at the jet pump suction pipe to accommodate a bigger circ pump, but I wouldn't recommend it for an amateur. Not alot of room in there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPinBarrie Posted March 3, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2021 Good morning Gents. I just wanted to add 1 more thing to see if you guys have seen/heard of this before. Every evening for the past week I go out and flick the GFCI breaker on/off and every so often, and after a few tries, the tub powers up normally and will start heating the water. I even went as far as taking the topside panel out and opening the covers to let it dry out in case moisture was the issue. I leave it to heat the water and when I check in the morning, it has tripped itself again but the water is warm so it was operating normally all night. This was the scenario last night. I reset the breaker last night and the tub powered up. I left it to heat the water (trying to avoid freezing and also draining at this time) overnight but the POWER icon on the LCD was flashing in the morning. I reset the breaker again and the tub powered up normally again. Is this indeed a faulty topside? The flashing POWER also indicates bad thermistors from what I have read. I actually had enough (and the wife was on my ass lol) so I called the local Hot Springs dealer and had a guy come out to have a look and change the thermistors. He called me when he was there and said the TOPSIDE NO CONNECTED light was lit on the panel so it needs to be replaced. I'm now wondering if he even did anything like swap the thermistors to see if it cured the issue. Considering they charge $149 an hour, I'm guessing he had a quick look and made bank without actually doing anything. I will be calling him today to confirm exactly what he did. The fact that the tub will power up correctly has me thinking that this may not be an issue with the panel at all. Im thinking its an issue with the info the top side panel recieves and when it sees bad info (like from a bad high limit thermistor) it wont power up correctly. Am I wrong with this train of thought? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPinBarrie Posted March 3, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2021 From the owners manual. it says the POWER icon will flash when theres an issue with the thermistors. And the POWER icon will NOT be illuminated if theres an issue with the control panel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmythegreek Posted March 4, 2021 Report Share Posted March 4, 2021 I would just order a pair they are cheap enough and easy to swap. Reading this thread makes me cringe as I have a flair as well amd I'd hate to lose the topside, I didn't realize they were discontinued I had seen them online but looked and sure enough cant add to cart anywhere. I'm guessing if swapping out to a universal pack the LED lighting would no longer work, that would suck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPinBarrie Posted March 4, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2021 11 hours ago, jimmythegreek said: I would just order a pair they are cheap enough and easy to swap. Reading this thread makes me cringe as I have a flair as well amd I'd hate to lose the topside, I didn't realize they were discontinued I had seen them online but looked and sure enough cant add to cart anywhere. I'm guessing if swapping out to a universal pack the LED lighting would no longer work, that would suck My LEDS are **** to bed. I changed to small power pack thing and they worked for a week or so. i dont feel like chasing/replacing every single light. Its cool and all but we actually prefer no lights on so no big deal for us if they dont work. I think I might just swap out to thermistors and see if that fixes it. I have a strong feeling that it will, but maybe its just me being overly hopeful. Fingers crossed. LoL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmythegreek Posted March 4, 2021 Report Share Posted March 4, 2021 Hopefully you get lucky and I think you will. Usually when it goes it's done, it wont work intermittently like you describe. Have you ohm'd them out to see if anything obvious with them? I spent a few days over the summer and replaced almost every bulb, a few sockets, and rewired several sections to get mine working. I prefer no lights too, but when kids or others are over the lights are essential. They use resistance to change color and brightness, a single bulb out can fry the control pack. The Oring weakens and lets water into the back of socket and causes issues. I used a blob of di-electeic grease on re assembly and has held up great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPinBarrie Posted March 4, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2021 I haven't ohmd out the thermistors yet as I dont have a thermometer. The resistance will change with temps. FWIW, Ill just swap out the High Limit first and see if theres a change Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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