Hotsprings Grandee

[thomas07]

We went to use the spa this evening and the water was cold.  Temp set at 103 but water must have been around 55 degrees! It has been around 2 weeks since last used. Spa is only a year and three months old!  Is this a common problem with these tubs? I removed front panel to see if anything was suspicious...could not detect anything. What kind of warranty do the heaters have on the Hotsprings? Thank God...at least for this evening, the temps have been on the mild side. Any comments-advice would be useful.

[Chas]

My advice? Relax. You have an excellent unit with a good warranty.

First, you didn't mention if the power light was flashing or steady. If it is flashing, it simply means you need to take the time to clean the filter real good.

I would start there even if the power light was steady - turn off the power at the sub panel, pull the filters and rinse them well. One will be dirtier than the others - that is the filter which runs all the time.

Once the filters are clean, shiny, and reinstalled, turn on the power. You should be good in several hours.

 8-)

[thomas07]

thanks Chas. The light that is on is the red light-not blinking-just steady. I think the other light would be green when the temp reaches set-Is that the one thats suppose to turn green? Is there another light that is a little Hotsprings emblem.. I forget if that is suppose to be lit up. I just cleaned the filters a couple months ago. Why would that affect the tubs ability to heat?!  :-?

[Vanguard]

thanks Chas. The light that is on is the red light-not blinking-just steady. I think the other light would be green when the temp reaches set-Is that the one thats suppose to turn green? Is there another light that is a little Hotsprings emblem.. I forget if that is suppose to be lit up. I just cleaned the filters a couple months ago. Why would that affect the tubs ability to heat?!  :-?

I can't answer the light blinking part.  The HS logo doesn't light up.

The reason the heater won't work if the filters are dirty is due to the amount of flow a heater needs to properly heat.  If the flow is too low, the controller will shut down the heater to keep it from overheating.  

Spa heaters work the same as pool heaters in this regard.  If too low flow, no go.  That was one of the easiest service calls I ever had to make when I serviced pools.  A customer would call and let me know their heater wasn't working.  I'd ask the filter question and they'd always assure me the filters were fine.  I'd go out and backwash or clean the filters, turn the heat on and, ta da, the heater fired.

It is primarily a safety feature to keep your spa's heater from overheating.

If it has been two months since cleaning your filters, there is a good chance this is the cause.  Clean your filters and check it again.  If that doesn't take care of it, call your dealer and have him come look at it.

If the service tech comes out and finds the cause is a dirty filter,  you'll most likely be charged a service charge as that wouldn't be a warranty issue.

[hottubdan]

Your components have a 5 year warranty.
A few other things you can try:

1) If you have TriX filters (you should) you can put them in the dishwasher, no soap, no jet dry, no dry cycle.
2) Simply loosen grey filter cap.  Power down. wait 30 seconds or so and power up.
3) After cleaning filters, rotate them.

Let us know how it works out.

[thomas07]

Thanks for the help. I will try putting in dishwasher-light cycle I am guessing. We have a very sophisticated dishwasher with powerful jets that I do not know if they should be used.  One thing I would add is since I drained and refilled, I noticed a greater intensity of bubbles that come up at the bottom. What is that caused from and is that something that should be adjusted?

[Spatech_tuo]

Since this spa has multiple filters and since the one tied to the circ pump will always be dirtiest rotate them after cleaning. Putting that same one on the circ pump after cleaning is not the best idea as filters basically have a life and you want to spread that work between them.

[Bonibelle]

Sorry to go really off topic, but the opportunity presented itself...Thomas, can you tell me what kind of dishwasher you have?  My %$#@&&& Kenmore (top of the line) is 3 1/2 years old and I am ready to pitch it...Would love to know which dishwasher is so powerful you are concerned about washing your filters.  Thanks

[Vanguard]

My %$#@&&& Kenmore (top of the line) is 3 1/2 years old and I am ready to pitch it..

Staying off topic, sorry.  Boni, I hear you about Kenmore.  I have a %$#@&&& Kenmore frig that is 2 1/2 years old.  I've already replaced the main control board ($700 P&L), Icemaker ($150 in parts), Ice Dispenser motor ($200 P&L) and defrost fan.  This weekend my frig stopped cooling AGAIN!!  Now they say they take a week to come and service my frig.

I've never owned a refrigerator that has had anything go wrong with it.  I'll never by from Sears again.  You have no recourse with the actual manufacturer when you buy from Sears.  And Sears basically tells you to jump in a lake.

I'm glad my hot tub dealers have never been out a week.  You'd think Sears would work to get someone out quicker since the thing doesn't even cool.

[Zep]

"One thing I would add is since I drained and refilled, I noticed a
greater intensity of bubbles that come up at the bottom"

Thomas are you 100% sure the heater worked after the "drain & refill"
or did the problem start right after the drain and refill?

[thomas07]

Yes...of course...I would never have gotten in a cold tub!  Good news! I checked this afternoon and the tub was back up to 103 degrees! The bad news is, why would the heater have turned on just because I took front panel off and then checked the wires making sure there was no loose connection? Does this sound like a loose connection! If the heater shut down because my filters were truely dirty, why would it start back up? I did remove filters to clean in dishwasher (cleaning right now). There was a few bits of leaf fragments but nothing to suggest dirty that I should think the whole heater would shut down. I am left wondering... :-/ and if I call for service, it is on me if it cannot be proved there is a loose wire.

[thomas07]

Sorry to go really off topic, but the opportunity presented itself...Thomas, can you tell me what kind of dishwasher you have?  My %$#@&&& Kenmore (top of the line) is 3 1/2 years old and I am ready to pitch it...Would love to know which dishwasher is so powerful you are concerned about washing your filters.  Thanks

Boni, my dishwasher is a Kitchen Aid model# KUDP02CRBS1/architect series. We bought 3 years ago. It has a high temp scrub which I use all the time (except for hot tub filters  ) Nothing survives that setting!

[Zep]

Yes...of course...I would never have gotten in a cold tub

Yes of course?
It was not obvious in your post when you "drained and filled"
and you could have drained and filled after you soaked two
weeks ago..........Jezzzz sorry for trying to help!

btw...are you up North?

[Spatech_tuo]

Yes...of course...I would never have gotten in a cold tub!  Good news! I checked this afternoon and the tub was back up to 103 degrees! The bad news is, why would the heater have turned on just because I took front panel off and then checked the wires making sure there was no loose connection? Does this sound like a loose connection! If the heater shut down because my filters were truely dirty, why would it start back up? I did remove filters to clean in dishwasher (cleaning right now). [glow]There was a few bits of leaf fragments but nothing to suggest dirty that I should think the whole heater would shut down. [/glow]I am left wondering... :-/ and if I call for service, it is on me if it cannot be proved there is a loose wire.

I've seen issues where replacing a filter that "looks ok" after cleaning but creating a flow/pressure issue was resolved with a new filter.

You can sometimes tell when a filter has seen its day by how it looks but you can't always conclude they are still good by their looks.

[Spatech_tuo]

btw...are you up North?

Based on the way he let you know your question was lame, I assumed he was from Texas!!  

BTW Zep, I hope you're able to make it out of the house today. Your 'boys were hideous.