Upper temperature limit hack for Hot Spot SX?

[sundogjax]

Here we go... just bought a 2013 Hot Spot SX after 18 years in a Hot Springs Sovereign.
When the dealer came to install, I asled that e set it at 110 degrees and he said UL has stepped in and the industry now limits temps to 104.
Deal Breaker! I told my dealer to find a hack or take it back.
He immediately jumped on his cell, and after an hour had a "jumper" solution... that gets to 108 MAX, not a bit higher. Drops to 107 after 5 min with the cover off.

Is there a way to boost heat to 110...or do I have to adjust my taste to 107?
Please do not pass the nanny warnings - have been using a 110 degree setting for the last 8 years and "accept the risk".
Anyone have ahack to help me boost the temp to my tatse?
Appreciate your support, and this forum.
Thanks
Sundogjax

[Spatech_tuo]

Here we go... just bought a 2013 Hot Spot SX after 18 years in a Hot Springs Sovereign.
When the dealer came to install, I asled that e set it at 110 degrees and he said UL has stepped in and the industry now limits temps to 104.
Deal Breaker! I told my dealer to find a hack or take it back.
He immediately jumped on his cell, and after an hour had a "jumper" solution... that gets to 108 MAX, not a bit higher. Drops to 107 after 5 min with the cover off.

Is there a way to boost heat to 110...or do I have to adjust my taste to 107?
Please do not pass the nanny warnings - have been using a 110 degree setting for the last 8 years and "accept the risk".
Anyone have ahack to help me boost the temp to my tatse?
Appreciate your support, and this forum.
Thanks
Sundogjax

I'm not going to question why you want it that hot, to each his own. UL has cracked down on things so at least they had a way to get you up to 107.

[sorebikr]

Here we go... just bought a 2013 Hot Spot SX after 18 years in a Hot Springs Sovereign.
When the dealer came to install, I asled that e set it at 110 degrees and he said UL has stepped in and the industry now limits temps to 104.
Deal Breaker! I told my dealer to find a hack or take it back.
He immediately jumped on his cell, and after an hour had a "jumper" solution... that gets to 108 MAX, not a bit higher. Drops to 107 after 5 min with the cover off.

Is there a way to boost heat to 110...or do I have to adjust my taste to 107?
Please do not pass the nanny warnings - have been using a 110 degree setting for the last 8 years and "accept the risk".
Anyone have ahack to help me boost the temp to my tatse?
Appreciate your support, and this forum.
Thanks
Sundogjax

I write so you wont feel ignored, but I've never come across anything referencing getting you above 108.  You could...Oooh.  Ok, you rig an on-demand hot water heater to the side of your tub, and when you first get in turn that on for a little bit, or think of it like a "waterfall" option on the tub.  You'll get water coming out of that at 160 easy.  Sure its not entirely..."safe". 

[sundogjax]

Guess I could strap a GE T-700 turboshaft engine onthe side of my new SX as well... it would put out some heat too (http://www.geaviation.com/engines/military/t700/). Bit noisy though.

What I really had in mind is that the heater in the SX likely puts out a higher temp than the UL-Nanny limited 104 degrees, and that capability could be tapped with some knowledge and brain power.

That the heater puts out more than 104 degrees is in fact clear, because my well-intentioned dealer managed to reach 107-108, and I am grateful for his effort.

He did well...it's just that I was hoping there was someone in the industry who like's it HOT (like me), and becuse of that affinity, has come up with a temp-raising hack. Hope still abides.
Thanks again to all.
Sundogjax

[hottubinthetrees]

I am no electrical engineer, but I do know that you have two temperature sensors that tell the control board what temperature the water is and turn the heater on and off accordingly. These sensors give this information by changing their resistance depending on the water temperature. The lower the temperature, the higher the resistance. If you could splice in a potentiometer uniformly between the sensors and the control board you could trick the system into heating above it's max.

This hack could also create new problems in the spa, but if you are technically-minded, it is possible.

That being said, I would just try getting used to a little lower temperature. Maybe after a while you will like it more. Who knows? Be safe, and enjoy your new spa!

[Spatech_tuo]

I am no electrical engineer, but I do know that you have two temperature sensors that tell the control board what temperature the water is and turn the heater on and off accordingly. These sensors give this information by changing their resistance depending on the water temperature. The lower the temperature, the higher the resistance. If you could splice in a potentiometer uniformly between the sensors and the control board you could trick the system into heating above it's max.

This hack could also create new problems in the spa, but if you are technically-minded, it is possible.

That being said, I would just try getting used to a little lower temperature. Maybe after a while you will like it more. Who knows? Be safe, and enjoy your new spa!

To me this falls in the category of "I'm not going to be the one to suggsest it even if I know it'll work" category.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

To me this falls in the category of "I'm not going to be the one to suggest it even if I know it'll work" category.

Because if you get injured, and this being the most litigious country in the world, I could personally be held liable in a multimillion dollar lawsuit.

[TwinCitiesHotSpring]

even bringing up the words "i want it at 110 degrees" will make every pool/spa service tech run the other way, only way to do this on newer "electronic based" models would requiring "rigging" and even if it could be rigged the gentlemen doing it would have less than half a brain because he could be easily sued....I'm a Hot Spring dealer and personally if you said "get it to 110 or take it back" I'm sending guys with a trailer to take it back, again not worth the liability in a "sue happy" world

[sundogjax]

Thanks for the advice.
Response to Spatech_tuo  - no need to add any more comments for me, your first message was loud and clear - "to each his own" (eve if you are crazy). Appreciate your time.

Response to Dr Spa & Twin Cities - besides being a lawyer, and a 30 year Naval Aviator, I am also a businessman. I understand your liability fears, and respect your caution, there a are no bold, old aviators. As stated in my first post, I have been using the higher temps for many years and accept the risk. My taste is mine, and it's been working pretty well for over a quarter-century. Thanks for your responses. No need for any more safety or litigation advice, just the work around if someone has seen it. Don't need anyone to recommend the hack, just desribe it.

Again to restate - looking for advice from someone who has addressed this problem in the past. I will make the mods and accept the risk. I respect you positions, respect my dealer (20+ years with him, 30 year spa owner), and am thankful for this forum. See ya at 110!

[Hot Spring Ace]

Thanks for the advice.
Response to Spatech_tuo  - no need to add any more comments for me, your first message was loud and clear - "to each his own" (eve if you are crazy). Appreciate your time.

Response to Dr Spa & Twin Cities - besides being a lawyer, and a 30 year Naval Aviator, I am also a businessman. I understand your liability fears, and respect your caution, there a are no bold, old aviators. As stated in my first post, I have been using the higher temps for many years and accept the risk. My taste is mine, and it's been working pretty well for over a quarter-century. Thanks for your responses. No need for any more safety or litigation advice, just the work around if someone has seen it. Don't need anyone to recommend the hack, just desribe it.

Again to restate - looking for advice from someone who has addressed this problem in the past. I will make the mods and accept the risk. I respect you positions, respect my dealer (20+ years with him, 30 year spa owner), and am thankful for this forum. See ya at 110!

The hesitation by people here has nothing to do with anyone questioning why you like your water that hot. I could not care less what temp someone likes and doubt others do either. The fact you have used spas at 110 degrees in the past is also meaningless, those spas may have allowed you to go to 110, this one does not because they have to follow UL rules. If you rig it not only are you compromising the warranty (I know, you don't care and that’s fine) but also the person doing so is liable and whoever does this should ignore any statement by you that says you'll accept the circumstances. What your background is matters not (in the navy, or businessman, or postman, or helicopter pilot, or brain surgeon...) and wouldn't make me feel more comfortable bypassing the manufacturer's setup but you being a lawyer would make me hesitate more if that’s possible.

Any professional on this site should treat this like they would if they were standing in your back yard. Just because it’s on the internet doesn't change anything, any sensible pro would not rig the spa or even give the info unless the manufacturer gives them the go ahead in writing. Even a well-intentioned, knowledgeable fellow spa owner shouldn't pass on such info though I understand they'll look at it differently.

Lastly, calling someone crazy because they were wise enough to know that a pro should tread wisely on this issue was less than classy.

[Chas]

Call me crazy...

No, I mean it: Call me crazy!


 

[sundogjax]

Hot Spring Ace - Thanks again for the advice. The attempted jab in you last para was misguided...
"Lastly, calling someone crazy because they were wise enough to know that a pro should tread wisely on this issue was less than classy."

Please review the thread. The very first response from Spatech_tuo on 28 Jan essentially called me crazy - "I'm not going to question why you want it that hot, to each his own." The inference is that I am crazy... that was the point.
Again, don't know how to be any more gracious than I was in my last post.
Thanks again.

[Spatech_tuo]

Hot Spring Ace - Thanks again for the advice. The attempted jab in you last para was misguided...
"Lastly, calling someone crazy because they were wise enough to know that a pro should tread wisely on this issue was less than classy."

Please review the thread. The very first response from Spatech_tuo on 28 Jan essentially called me crazy  - "I'm not going to question why you want it that hot, to each his own." The inference is that I am crazy... that was the point.
Again, don't know how to be any more gracious than I was in my last post.
Thanks again.

Huh, how did I get thrown under the bus? I had to go back to the beginning and reread all this and I still don't get how you came to the conclusion I was calling you crazy. How did you get that out of my statement? I wasn't calling you crazy nor was I in ANY way making any such inference. I was merely pointing out what many of us here know; some people like their spas set to 98º, some 103º, some 107º... thus the "to each his own" statement... and that UL has cracked down on this, which is true. I'm still puzzled at how you could have read into it that I was somehow calling you crazy.