Sundance Spa won't stay in ECONOMY mode.. why?

[squale]

I have a 2004 Sundance Altamar spa.  I keep the water temp setting at 101 degrees and the tub is inside my garage (non-heated garage).  I live in northern NJ.  For some reason, I put my spa in ECONOMY mode, but then the next day I go and check the spa and it is back in STANDARD mode.  I am not sure why this is happening, the power is NOT going out in the house so it can't be resetting the spa.

My spa is setup to run self cleaning 4 times a day for 1/2 hour each time.  At 6am, 12pm, 6pm, 12am for 1/2 hour each time.

Also what I don't like is that once the water reaches it's set 101 temperature then the CD Ozonator shuts off and the circ pump also stops running.  Does anybody know why this is?

[Brewman]

I don't have ozone, and haven't too much experience with economy mode on my 2003 Optima, but if you basic operation is similar to mine, your circulation pump should run 24 X 7 unless you have it programmed not to.  Mine always runs.  Sounds like your filtering cycles are pretty similar to mine in length and frequency.

[Cyn]

I am still pretty new at this, but I think the Ozonater shuts off with the circ pump when the set temp is reached because they produce heat.  I might be wrong...

[Vinny]

I can't tell you why your controller is not staying on economy mode (maybe needs a battery) but as far as your circ pump - look at your settings, you may have them turning off.

[squale]

nope the circ pump is set to run 24 hours a day, but it turns off when the set temp is reached.  Basically when the set temp is reached the circ pump, heater, and Ozonator all turn off, and the water just sits stagnent.  And since the tub is in my garage, the set temp usually is maintained without much use of the heater.

[Bonibelle]

Is it possible that you have too many filter cycles set for Economy mode so the tub goes back to standard to accomodate all of the filtration cycles? My tub doesn't have a circ pump, but in economy mode it will only heat while the filtration cycle is running. Maybe there isn't anything wrong at all, it might just be a conflict with what
the tub can do in Economy mode vs what you have it set to do.  :-/
It took me a while to understand the different modes on my tub... Just a thought.

[tony]

There are only two reasons why your circ pump should stop working if set for 24/7 operation....your spa is in economy mode and the set temp has been reached or the water temp is two degrees higher than the set temp and summer logic takes over.

One thing about Sundance Spas with the LCD controllers....if you cut power to the spa, it will act as if in economy mode until it resets itself at midnight so your circ pump will stop working when the set temp is reached.  After midnight if in standard mode, the spa acts normally.  Have you cut the power to your spa?  If not it seems that your spa is resetting itself and you may need a service call.

[ndabunka]

Do you by any chance participate in the "Power Company" program that allows them to "throttle back" power from certain areas at certain peak times?  If so, I would speculate that your hot tub is on one of those circuits that the power company "conditions" (i.e. cuts power too) during certain periods of time.  This would easily explain the condition and would also explain why you don't see anything else in the house loose power (clock, etc).

As for 24-hour circulation.... There's a REASON it's called a 24-hour pump.  It operates 24x7x365.  At least mine does.  Now, the ozonator does kick in and out based on the tubs own logic butthe pump itself runs 100% of the time.  Do you have the same (24hr pump not working) problem when the tub is running under "standard" mode?

I have a 2003 Jacuzzi J-370 which uses the same (pump & electronic controls) components as the Sundance models of most years.

[squale]

yes even under standard mode the circ pump DOES NOT work when the temp is at the set temp.  I think the circ pump, the heater and the ozonator are all tied together or something..

[tinybubbles]

I'm having a similiar issue with my new Artesian.  The circ pump ONLY runs during filtration cycles.  The whole reason I bought a tub with a circ pump is too have it run 24 hours a day.  The dealer sent a service guy out Friday, checked it out and left note saying circ pump was running fine.  Ummm, hello, you checked it during a filter cycle!  I'm confused because the tub is supposed to come from the factory with the circ. pump running 24 hours a day.  I can program the filter cycles to last 24 hours a day, but I don't really want the ozonator to run 24 hours a day(won't last long that way).  I noticed inside the control panel there are switches with off/on positions.  The one for the circ. pump says non/circ with filter.  The switch is in the circ with filter position.  It has Balboa controls.  Does anyone know if switching the position of the switch will correct the problem?

[Brewman]

My power company has my a/c hooked up the way ndabunka describes, but only the a/c- not the spa.  As far as I know, they don't offer the service for spas, and if they did it would be of dubious value in this climate, as they only care about power consumption in summer when everyone has their a/c blasting.  Most people in this area heat with natural gas, so the electric demand is way lower in winter.  
   Must not be enought concern (yet) for them to get intested in hot tubs in winter, but I suspect the same principle could apply.  I'd never allow it, since I don't like the idea of them not powering my spa in the winter.  In the summer it draws minimal power so then the power company doesn't care to bother.

[tony]

yes even under standard mode the circ pump DOES NOT work when the temp is at the set temp.  I think the circ pump, the heater and the ozonator are all tied together or something..

This sounds like what happens when you cut power to the spa and start back up.  The circ pump won't work (and thus the ozonator) until heat is called for.  Normally this would reset at midnight.  For instance, yesterday I swapped out my filters.  I shut the power to the spa to do this.  When I turned back on the circ pump wouldn't turn on unless my water temp dropped more than two degrees from my set temp and would stay on with the heater until the water temp reached the set temp...then the circ pump would shut down again.  Fast forward to this morning...everything working as it should.  This is normal.

As for the circ pump, heater and ozonator being tied together...the circ pump filters, delivers heated water when needed and delivers ozone when main pumps are not turned on.

[squale]

so you are saying since I have an Ozonator, if the circ pump is on then I will see those little ozone air bubbles coming up in the water right?

because when I DON'T SEE those little air bubbles, I also don't hear any pump running if I put my ear to the cabinet.  But when the bubbles start coming up (usually when the heater is also on), then I hear the pump running if I put my ear to the cabinet.

[squale]

btw, yesterday I did clean my filter.  I cut power to the spa to do this.  When I turned the spa back on, it turned on saying it was in "standard" mode.  I put the pumps running on high for about an hour to add some chemicals and such, then once the pumps turned off after their 6:00pm filtration cycle, I then put the tub into "Economy" mode.  This morning, I opened the cover and found the tub in "Standard" mode again and NO little ozone bubbles were coming up.  Of course being the tub is indoors the set temp was reached so the heater was off, but I would still think if it says it's in "Standard" mode then the circ pump should be running.  But I didn't hear anything running when putting my ear to the cabinet so I assume the circ pump was NOT running.

why does the tub reset itself at midnight?

[squale]

No I don't believe I am under one of these programs.  Nothing else in the house ever just shuts itself off unless of course I loss power to the entire house (which does happen here and there).  But when I installed the tub I just threw anohter 60amp breaker into my house panel so I don't see how it would be possible for the power company to just shut off that breaker and nothing else, unless they came in and did some sort of seperate wiring to just that breaker from the pole.

Do you by any chance participate in the "Power Company" program that allows them to "throttle back" power from certain areas at certain peak times?  If so, I would speculate that your hot tub is on one of those circuits that the power company "conditions" (i.e. cuts power too) during certain periods of time.  This would easily explain the condition and would also explain why you don't see anything else in the house loose power (clock, etc).

As for 24-hour circulation.... There's a REASON it's called a 24-hour pump.  It operates 24x7x365.  At least mine does.  Now, the ozonator does kick in and out based on the tubs own logic butthe pump itself runs 100% of the time.  Do you have the same (24hr pump not working) problem when the tub is running under "standard" mode?

I have a 2003 Jacuzzi J-370 which uses the same (pump & electronic controls) components as the Sundance models of most years.