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Beachcomber 740 project


Mitja

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Ok, i did not pay for it, And i have the spare time. Can you please explain why it would be a bad idea to continue? The retailer told me it would cost around 2000€ to buy the controller, pumps, heater and all valves ( the complete set with staircase). Is it difficult/expensive to find the leakage?

thanks

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First You have to be able to find a running working spa for what you will spend just for the mechanicals. Beachcomber is a full foam spa that the side panels do NOT come off. Any repairs to cracked plumbing will have to be made with the spa standing up. You will first have to stand it up and take the bottom off (if there is one) Then you will have to lay it back down but raised up high enough for you to be able to get underneath to see where it is leaking from once you put some water in....but to put water in you will need to either have all the pumps and everything connected so it will hold water (really hard to do with the spa 3' off the ground) or make up plugs to plug all the holes where the pumps go. Then you can try and put some water in. I would only fill the foot well area and wait for it to leak. Now if you have a frozen spa it will be most likely that the manifolds have cracked and will need to be replaced. A manifold ( If you can get to it) might have 20+ 3/4 lines coming off of it. One for each jet related to the pump that is feeding the jets in that section of the spa. You have 2 pumps divide by 2 how ever many jets the spa has. Each pump will have a string of manifolds with 3/4" lines coming off going to x amount of jets. If the manifold is cracked you will have to cut every 3/4" line coming off of it and also have to remove the string of manifolds as well (remember any time you cut a line it ends up to short to reattach to the new manifold in most cases). The manifolds are glued together in line and you can't just cut out the middle one. You have to remove everything from soft plumbing to soft plumbing and all the lines attached to the manifolds. Removing is the easy part. Now putting it all back together is where the fun starts. You will be trying to reattach all the manifolds and all the connecting 3/4" lines in a very confined space. Getting the 3/4" lines onto the manifolds can be difficult especially if you have had to add extensions onto each line because you are 1 1/2' to short from cutting them. This is level 1. At this point you have only been able to get enough water in for the lower part of the spa because it was pissing everywhere. Now you can lay it back down (up on jacks again) and try filling it up more. Now you have to find out if the jets will leak. If they do you have to stand it back up and try again. Had enough yet...Cover $500 CDN. Again for the amount of $$ you are going to spend and the amount of time you will have to invest there has to be a better spa out there running and working for less. Beachcomber is hands down the hardest spas to work on IMO and I have just scratched the surface of what you are in for. 

Perhaps I'm wrong. Lets take a poll: Who thinks this is a good idea

@RDspaguy

@castletonia

@Cusser

@ratchett

@ciderjack

@cranbiz

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That sounds like a lot of work, i was thinking about taking the wooden skirt off as clean as i can, and digging all the foam out if needed. At this point i'm not willing to buy the complete mechanical set for 2000€ if not needed to. As you said plugging the valves would do. I can not get my hands on a working pool right now.

thank you for your answer.

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I have this conversation daily this time of year. Have to be completely up front with customers and let them know yes I can fix it but it won't be quick and it won't be cheap. Beachcomber spas I have to bring in another company to stand it up while I take the bottom off and plug all the holes then lay it down on jacks. At some point I may need them to come back and stand it up again to make the repairs and then a 3rd trip to place it back where it came from once repairs are complete. The customer is starting at the cost of the movers before we even know what the repair costs will be. A lot of spas I can remove the bottom and get it up on jack stands by myself...Beachcomber no thanks call the movers.

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I like a challenge as much as the next guy but a complete refurb of a Beachcomber that had freeze damage is not one that I would ever consider. This is one that you can never break even on even though your time is "free".

 

Everything @CanadianSpaTech is true. Run, don't walk away from this.

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Lol yeah hate to break it to you - not worth it.  You'll spend months fixing the tub only to discover things like rubber seals are shot and need to be replaced all around the tub forcing you to redo everything over again.     Different leaks appear when water is at ambient temp verses heated up to 100F.

Hottubs have the best lifespan when left filled and running the whole time.  Spare yourself the headache (and wasted money) - use the money you *were* going to spend on fixing this tub, and watch the market for a used tub between $1000 and $2000 which you can see filled/working in the photos.  I see used working tubs in the classifieds which only need minor restoration work (exterior cabinet rebuilt, replacing dead pillows, or old cover for example) selling for less than $2k several times a month.   But those deals go fast so you gotta watch the market daily and sort by recently-listed.

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It's a nice looking shell. I can see why you are tempted. How is the cabinet? How detail oriented are you?

I have no idea how much 2000 of whatever that symbol means actually is or what is available where you are. There are usually fairly cheap aftermarket pumps and controls available and a stair/ equipment cover can be made pretty cheap as well. And it's easily worth the $1k I would sink into it.

Covers are a wear item and are rarely in good shape on a used tub, so it's expected that you will be buying one. $320 is the cheapest I have found here in the USA. Also not a deal breaker.

So the freeze damage is the real issue. And you don't sound clear on the extent (if any) of that damage. @CanadianSpaTech is right about how it can go, but it isn't always that bad. I would at least plug up the open pipes and put some water in it before I filled it with dirt and planted tomatoes..

With all new equipment and cover, no leaks, and a decent cabinet that tub would bring $4-5k in my market. Well worth putting $1500 in it. But if it leaks like a sieve too... and you aren't familiar with the work... plant peppers, onions, and cilantro along with the tomatoes and make Pico de gallo. Mmmmm.

 

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Yeah, it's an acquired taste. I didn't care for it at first either, and too much is still a deal breaker for me, but I enjoy it more now. My wife grew up in a house with a Mexican step father, and authentic Latino cuisine was frequently on the menu. She makes the best Chili Verde I've ever had.

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  • 4 months later...

Found this thread researching which brand hot tub to buy. We have had a beachcomber for 30 years and it's been easy to repair. It will be sheltered in an outdoor pool house but will only have 2 adjacent sides to access for repairs. Is this something I should consider when buying new. Any recommendations? Thanks

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What did you repair to call it easy? Equipment or actual leaks?

Beachcombers do not have removable sides so accessing any leaks is impossible unless you either raise the tub up to work on it from the underside or you are OK with destroying the sides.

Beachcomber does make a good tub with the exception of the non removable sides and if you stay away from the hybrid versions.

Personally, I would be looking at other manufacturers. depending on who you have for dealers in your area, I would look at Hot Springs/Caldera, Bullfrog, Artesian, Jacuzzi, Marquis and Sundance. Make sure you check out the dealer as well as the tub. A good dealer enhances your experience where a poor dealer makes your life a nightmare no matter who made the tub.

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