Mistake on a Grandee scale.

[NZArtist]

Somehow, I suspect there's a lot more to this. No, not with regards to the manufacturer.

Yeah, my first guess was aliens. But, nope, looks like it's just a bad design and build of spa pool.
What's your guess as to the sinister undertones of this thread?
Because, perish the thought someone would be having a host of legitimate problems with their overpriced, underpowered, poorly designed, unreliable Hotspring spa.

[MrLobster]

Is there a possibility the spa is operating in 115v mode?  I've pulled up the 2013 Hot Springs owners manual from http://www.hotspring.com/sites/default/files/highlife_owners_manual_2013.pdf, and there's a note at the bottom of Page 31 that says when wired for 115v the heater drops to 1.5kw and you are restricted to either heaters or jets running.

Changing between modes appears to need a Hot Springs technician in addition to an electrician to do the work, so I'm wondering if it could have been left in 115v mode even if the wiring is correct for 230v operation?

From everything said about the local dealer they don't fill me with confidence, maybe worth contacting the parent company directly to ask for advice?

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

What country is this spa in?

[NZArtist]

What country is this spa in?

New Zealand.  (240V electricity, to answer the previous question too).
Also interested in any tips on keeping Orcs out of the spa.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

And how many amps is it wired for?

[MrLobster]

Earlier in the thread NZArtist said 25amps, but the wiring diagram in the manual suggests 50amps are required?

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

5 pages of posts, I'm not spending the time going back to find it. Many countries outside the US (remember, "www" starts with World Wide) have very limited power supplied to homes. A lot of homes in many developed countries only have a 20a or 30a service supplying residential homes (this is 230/240v, and there is NO 120v available). This is no fault of the spa manufacturers, yet greatly limits what the power consumption of a spa can be (basically you have a 240v spa running comparably to a 120v spa in the US...and there's NO way to change that).

[orlando1]

So the question is, is it the fault of the overseas consumer for buying a tub manufactured in the US, or is it the fault of the manufacturer(knowing what's required for their tub to operate properly) for selling that tub to overseas consumers.

But reading back the last five pages, it seems most of his issues are with his local dealer. But there's no denying that no way should hotsprings ever have shipped this tub with 1.5kw heaters. And if that's what actually happened, he's right to be upset about that. But one question I'm wondering about is....did he ever directly contact hotsprings before going on a mult-page bashing campaign? Or did he just simply rely only on his local dealer for help. If that's the case, then bashing them without giving them a chance to resolve things is very unfair.

[icenogle]

Pretty sure this is his post on reviews.hotspring.com

Heater underpowered. Bad after-sales support.
Andy B. from Auckland, New Zealand.Age:45-54Gender:maleNo, I do not recommend this product.Posted
May 12, 2013The spa heater is badly underpowered. The spa rapidly cools down to an uncomfortable level in use. There is no after sales support.
This was a phenomenal waste of money (a *very* expensive mistake).
There are better brands. Don't by a Hotspring Spa.

By Peggy, Service Specialist, Customer Service,
May 15, 2013Good afternoon - Watkins appreciates your taking the time to provide feedback about your spa. As I shared in my direct email to you yesterday, I will be contacting your local dealer to see what might be done to improve your spa experience. I appreciate your spa purchase and will do what I can to improve the situation for you.
.

[icenogle]

Appears they did not improve his situation - so far

[orlando1]

Well given a lot of his problems continued after that date of that email, then he has every right to feel the way he does, and I feel bad for his situation given how much money he has invested.

[NZArtist]

The house is wired for 100 amps, three-phase. It's a big house.
Yes, I've been dealing with Hotspring directly.
A man from Hotspring sent me an email asking me to contact him directly with my complaints, which I did, and he never replied again. In a nutshell, they want me to complain to them instead of on forums so no-one can see the problems.
The outlet for the spa is wired for 32 Amps, although the spa itself is rated 25 amps.  Note that is really just to cover the start-up current of the two pump motors.  A 1.2kW heater only draws five amps. (I = P/V where P = 1200W, V = 240V)
Yes, this all probably stems from New Zealand regulations about what can be called a 'portable spa', and is therefore subject to less safety regulation.
Nevertheless: The ACE system simply doesn't perform as advertised. The spa heater is underpowered - it cannot keep the spa warm in use in winter.  The did leak from both motors.  The technician did say any further failures wouldn't be covered by warranty.  The spa cover latches did fail. And the thing is hideously overpriced. I thought the huge price was justified by the supposed quality of the spa - that was obviously wrong. (I really don't mind paying more for quality. I'm happy to spend money to avoid stress and problems.)

[Hottubguy]

The house is wired for 100 amps, three-phase. It's a big house.
Yes, I've been dealing with Hotspring directly.
A man from Hotspring sent me an email asking me to contact him directly with my complaints, which I did, and he never replied again. In a nutshell, they want me to complain to them instead of on forums so no-one can see the problems.
The outlet for the spa is wired for 32 Amps, although the spa itself is rated 25 amps.  Note that is really just to cover the start-up current of the two pump motors.  A 1.2kW heater only draws five amps. (I = P/V where P = 1200W, V = 240V)
Yes, this all probably stems from New Zealand regulations about what can be called a 'portable spa', and is therefore subject to less safety regulation.
Nevertheless: The ACE system simply doesn't perform as advertised. The spa heater is underpowered - it cannot keep the spa warm in use in winter.  The did leak from both motors.  The technician did say any further failures wouldn't be covered by warranty.  The spa cover latches did fail. And the thing is hideously overpriced. I thought the huge price was justified by the supposed quality of the spa - that was obviously wrong. (I really don't mind paying more for quality. I'm happy to spend money to avoid stress and problems.)

What do other hot tub manufacturers do for heaters in your country?   What does hot springs say about putting such a small heater in such a big spa?

[icenogle]

Andy,

I'm two weeks out from being the proud owner of a hot tub, kind of glad I didn't choose a Hotspring.  Of course I'm still learning as many other newbies are.  Why don't you post some pics in the "Show us Your Hot Tub" section.  Maybe show me this ACE system which I read so many other complaints about on the earlier noted website.  I'm curious what it looks like.  Maybe Hotspring will read it and do what is right.  Lets see some visual aids.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

Yes, this all probably stems from New Zealand regulations about what can be called a 'portable spa', and is therefore subject to less safety regulation.

And so how is this the manufacturers responsibility???