Problems with new Grandee

[PJ234]

We have had our new Grandee for about 3 weeks now, and have had 2 problems since it was first installed.  I would appreciate any advice or feedback.

Moto-massage: The Moto-massage jets work intermittently, with most of the time spent not working at all.  Looking in the manual it appears that this is mainly related to flow, such as dirty filters or diverter settings.  We have washed the filters twice in 3 weeks and have tried every possible combination of diverters, with no success.

Auxillary control panel: This panel has been non-functional from day one.  Service says they are on backorder and would try to get us one more quickly since we just got our tub.

Now 3 weeks into this, I am starting to feel frustrated with my $10K purchase.  Service has still not called back, and the moto issue seems to be getting worse (ie, spends more and more time not working vs. working.)

Thanks for letting me vent.  I would appreciate any advice on the moto problems, or just simply some moral support that Hotspring Service will take care of our problems.

[stuart]

Feel free to call the factory! They will add some heat to the dealer getting out there. As far as the moto Massage goes, take the filters out completely (make sure nothing can get sucked into the pump) and try the jets to see how they work. It's not uncommon to get oils in the filter in the first week or so that you would not normally deal with. If this is the case get some filter clean from the dealer and soak the filters (we actually give a small bottle in the startup kit).

[Lori]

I'm a fellow HotSpring owner (Vanguard) and have had one minor problem with it for the year I have had it.

You can email HotSpring directly from their website, that may "light a fire" under your dealer's service department.

The only problem I had was a tear in my cover.  I called my dealer to find out they were no longer a dealer.  I asked about the warranty on my cover, they said they would take care of it.  After a few weeks of waiting, I emailed the service techs on the HotSpring website.  I received a call from the HotSpring company verifying the tech from my dealer would take care of it.  They had conferenced my dealer to determine the service issue.  It was fixed within a few weeks.  Just to point out, I love my dealer, eventhough they stopped selling spas (only pools and ponds now) they have taken care of all of my needs!  I do not regret buying a HotSpring product from them, because I know they (my dealer and HotSpring) will take care of it!

Good luck.  Please keep us informed as to your progress.  Maybe Chas or Bruce will chime in here.  They are both well respected HotSpring dealers who hang out on here from time to time!!!

[ebirrane]

I'm a grandee owner, and boy what you are describing would be inexcusable to me.

Not only did you pay for your tub, you paid a premium for your tub and your dealer needs a kick in the pants.  Without question I would elevate this to HotSprings/Watkins.  Your dealer may drag their feet, but I seriously doubt Watkins will.

If the moto-massage doesn't get enough water pressure to it, it will not go up and down. i.e. it is possible to turn off the moto from either the controller near the seat, or from the diverter valve.  However, a majority of the divert valve settings keep the moto on (by settings I mean 360 degrees of turning).  It should not be hard to turn on the motos if things are running properly.

Unless you are getting in your tub covered in mud and eating potato chips your filters aren't *that* dirty, and you've got 5 of the things in the tub.  This sounds like dealer excuses to me.

There are some great hot springs dealers on this board who may be able to help you out.

As for the moral support, Watkins has an incredible reputation for taking care of their tubs. Without any more information it sounds like you have a bad dealer, which can make owning *any* tub difficult.  I would e-mail Hot Springs immediately. Even when I e-mail them with a general question, not a problem, I get a response the same day.

-Ed

[Chas]

I would relax - they will take care of you.

Without knowing the dealer - I would bet that if they say the Aux panels are on backorder, it's true. You can sure call the factory to find out.

1-800-999-4688

[newtotubbing]

I was having intermittent problems with my aux control panel on my HS Vista as well.  It seemed when it got cold outside at night, the panel wouldn't work.  When it was warmer at night, it worked just fine.  I called the dealer on Monday at noon, and they were here today and swapped out the aux panel.  I am not sure if they had to order the part or not but I got one in 2 days.

Good luck with your spa.

Jonathan
 

[stuart]

If there was a series of faulty Aux. panels then they would have gone through them fairly rapidly.

From a manufactures standpoint they have to not only replace the faulty ones but insure that the new ones don't have the same glitch. This means that everything that came in around the same shipping time is "Suspect" and a manufacture at the level of HS would not want to send you another bad one only to pay the dealer a service call more than once and frustrate you.

Many dealers will be lucky enough to have old stock before the problem arose and be able to take care of it or had the foresight to grab up any that where available.

I'm not suggesting that HS is having this type of problem but giving you a possible scenario as to why your waiting when others haven't. Hopefully you can get some comfort from the many posts here relating to HS level of customer service and that will make the wait less irritating.

[PJ234]

Thanks for all of the replies!  Local service finally called and said the aux panel was in and would look at the motos while they are replacing it.

An interesting symptom I've discovered (not always true, but sometimes) is that the motos work better, and sometimes well, when only one pump is running, leading me to think maybe the pumps are starved or something.  I do notice that when both pumps are running, the water level in the filter compartment falls to at or below the tops of the filters, perhaps allowing air in place of water?  Does anyone else with a Grandee know what the water level does in their filter compartment with both pumps running?

I'll keep this post updated with the results of the service call.

[stuart]

You have 2 diverters on the front top of the spa the direct water flow, I can't help but wonder if one of them is in wrong. You should probably wait for your service tech but it might be as easy as popping the lever off, unscrewing the cap (with the spa turned off) and adjusting the diverter valve inside 180 degrees. There might even be some debris there.

[Chas]

If the water level is dropping below the tops of the filters, something is wrong. I could be as easy as needing more water, or the sliding weir door could be sticking.

Try pushing the wier down while the two jet pumps are running and see if there is a change in wate level in the filter area. If so, call the dealer and have then fix or replace the wier door.