Diverter Valve Issue with Caldera Niagara

[wrobo]

One month into owning my hot tub, one of the diverter valves stopped operating properly.  After having the tech come out for the second time (first where I was present - proved the failure to him), he replaced the faulty valve.  A month has gone by, and now another diverter valve is failing.

Are diverter valves in general prone to fail (i.e. are they a high incident warranty item relative to other failures).  Are Caldera diverter valves specifically prone to failure?  At this rate, will I have a tech come out 12 times a year, 60 times over the 5 year warranty period?   Can't see this as being cost-effective for Watkins.  Is there perhaps a likely possibility that Tier 1 or 2 supplier had bad quality control on this specific batch of valves that were used in creating my tub?

I'm just looking for some feedback, because I can see my dealer probably getting a bit peeved, thinking that I am a problematic customer, calling him out repeatedly.  But the point to me is that I plunked down $8k for a premium spa, and I expect it to operate perfectly during the 5 year warranty period (and longer with proper care given the tub).

Thanks in advance for your help,
Jeff

[hottubber]

wrobo,

What actually is failing?  :(Is it the gate that turns, maybe grit is getting in there and binding it up. If you have a seconary pump in the system, it usually doesn't filter the water. It picks up the grit from the bottom of the spa, through the pump then runs it through the diverter valve then out to the jets.
If this is the case, get yourself a spa vacuum, it will pick up the sand or grit on the floor of your spa.
Don't get too concerned if this is the case, it is NOT uncommon in the industry.

Enjoy,,, let us know how you make out.

[Spatech_tuo]

Diverter valves are not really prone to "failing" and in fact we need more info to completely understand what you mean by the fact that they've failed.

[rick]

Don't worry about the dealer getting "peaved".  If he is also servicing your problems himself, he is not as peaved as you might think.  Watkins is paying him for the labor of his service at a pretty good rate I believe.
Warranty work for dealers who do their own servicing is a win/win situation as far as I can see.  
Of course I'm not a dealer, just going by how my dealer operates.   There is no skin coming off his back for warranty repairs especially when he receives over $60 an hour from the company for his labor.

[hottubber]

rick,

Why do you think a dealer should be satisfied with getting ONLY $60.00 for a service call? It actually cost the dealer about $125.00 to put a certified technician on the road with a truck, insurance and proper equipment to do any repair. By the way, $60.00 is a very good reimbursement from ANY manufacturer. Most dealers get between $40.00 to $50.00.
That really isn't alot for the dealer, but it is part of doing business. Maybe that is why consumers feel that dealers make too much profit on a spa sale. We dealers just want to make sure that we can still maintain our margains so we can be there when you need us, as you would expect us to be.

[rick]

I was only referring to the dealer who does his own servicing.  In my case, my dealer and his son are the servicing technicians.   They seem quite pleased to be making $65 an hour for labor from their company, MAXX.

[wmccall]

Not sure, are you moving the diverter with the pumps running? On high if its a two speed pump?


When I had a handle pop off my dealer said its in the manual not to move them with the pump running on high, which is hard to do.  With them off its as smooth as silk. (I never did verify it was in the manual)

[wrobo]

Responding to SpaTech...

My nomenclature was bad.  It is not the diverter I am having trouble with, it is the venturi valve.  To further define the issue, full travel in the clockwise direction should produce a stream of water with no air in it.  Full counterclockwise travel would put full air saturation in the water.  There is some slipping going on within the valve which does not allow me to control the flow of air into the water.  I also do have a grit-getter and my spa is free from debris.

Jeff

[Spatech_tuo]

Responding to SpaTech...

My nomenclature was bad.  It is not the diverter I am having trouble with, it is the venturi valve.  To further define the issue, full travel in the clockwise direction should produce a stream of water with no air in it.  Full counterclockwise travel would put full air saturation in the water.  There is some slipping going on within the valve which does not allow me to control the flow of air into the water.  I also do have a grit-getter and my spa is free from debris.

Jeff

Now I understand. That certainly sounds like a defective valve (not a common issue IMO). As you said earlier, maybe there were a few defective valves from the supplier. Your dealer should be able to take care of this.

[Chas]

Some folks have more grit in their tubs than others. You should be sure to know how to open and clean the valve yourself. If you are getting lots of grit into the tub, you may have to do it every so often. It's not tough, and doing it before it gets really tight is the key.

[hotubinn]

Just to clarify, if the problem is due to dirt/ debris, aka a non warranty issue- factory will not reimburse.  Remember to verify problem before callling for service, as these situations will more than likely result in a charge to customer.

[Chas]

That's true, but most dealers will turn in a warranty claim and get paid to go out and free up a stuck diverter - at least in the Watkins world.

But as I said above, if you watch how it's done, or arrange to go into the showroom and have it demonstrated, you'll find it's not tough to open it and clear it of grit. It's good maintenance to keep ahead of this. Plus, it takes less time to just do it than it does to call and schedule an appointment, and you will want to know how to care for this after the warranty.