How accurate are spa's built in thermometers?

[Vinny]

Gore,

The Lacross thermometers are accurate to 2º, I think.

Being in the business of calibrating things, there is a "slop factor" involved whenever something is "calibrated".

Everything has tolerences and if the spa says it's 102 but it really is 101.1 and the thermometer reads 100.2 ... they're both correct. The problem lies in those tolerences, both are accurate to within 1º but the total reading is off by 1.8º. The ONLY thermometers that I know of that are considered a "reference thermometer" is a mercury thermometer that has been made to strick tolerences (Lab grade or Pharmacutical grade). I use a graduated cylinder to test some infusion pumps and the cylinders had to be made out of glass and have an "A" on them ... the "A" represents a higher standard of that cylinder.

My advice, is to use the feel method ... whatever temp feels good, use that!  Do your kids actually sit there and soak? My youngest who's 11 1/2 now still has half his body out of the water most of the time.

[shabba34]

The real reason Hot Springs does not display current temp is so people will not call and say my tub is cooling down while they use it.

Most tubs will cool some depending on ambient temperature and the users also get used to the water (meaning that is the water is 102 five minutes later is does not feel 102). With a spa that display current temperature people will look at the panel and see if is down 1 degree and say it is cooling down and then they call and complain. With no current temp display they will chalk it up to them getting use to the water (no call to the dealer).

I wouldn't quite say that you're abiding by your avatar phrase because that's hardly an educated opinion.  It's more speculation....False speculation at that.  If you give the end users a little credit, they would just get out of their spa and notice the ready light is not illuminated, which would mean the spa is actually cooling off, which would then lead to the same cause and effect theory that you have on the HS control display. (My spa's cooling off when I use it, I need service.)  Since the ready light is still illuminated 99.9% of the time after 30-45 minutes of use even at the coldest temps, HS customers have no need to call for service.  This isn't the first time you have accused the Mfg of playing reverse phsycology brain games with their customers in regards to the temp display.      

[geekd]

gores95:

What model thermometer did you get?  How does it "connect" with the tub?  Does it have a remote display you can keep inside?



thanks,

geekd

[dsegel]

Even on the spas thermometer the temp will drop from 103 to 102 or even 101.  Have others noticed this?

I know I am being nit picky here but I was just curious how other's temps fluctuate.  I don't want to call the dealer when there is no real problem.

Thanks,

Marc

EDIT...one other note after being covered all night and set to 103 I lifted the cover this morning and the spa's thermometer read 102.  The sensor I bought showed 101.7.  Do you think there is an issue with my spa's heater?  I am concerned that the spa's heater did not reach and maintain the 103.

Our tub does the same thing.  The display generally will say 1 degree lower then the "set" temperature--even sometimes when I lift the cover first thing.  I haven't tried to take the temperature with another thermometer, I've just lived with it.  I worried at first if 103 would be hot enough (since we can't "set" our temp higher than 104) but I got in at 32 outside temp tonight (with it snowing) and 102 set temp with display reading 101 was plenty warm.  

[Chas]

Why wouldn't a person want to know the difference between set temp and real temp? Assuming there is relative accuarcy to both, of course.

Here's how my customers have done it for almost two decades:

Set the temp. When the spa is new, you may have to try a few different settings until you find one you like.

Enjoy the spa.

Repeat as needed.

 8-)

[gores95]

gores95:

What model thermometer did you get?  How does it "connect" with the tub?  Does it have a remote display you can keep inside?



thanks,

geekd

Geek,

Check out this post:

http://www.whatsthebest-hottub.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1158771765/0

Look for barshnik's message in this thread.  I bought the same unit:  Lacrosse WS-9119U and I had to buy one additional sensor with a corded probe for the spa.  The cord gores into the spa by my filter and stays under water.  The whole unit + probe was around $100.  Nice because I can monitor both outdoor temp and the spa's temp from my family room.  

Necessary?  No.  Cool?  Yes!  

[barshnik]

The temperatures displayed on my Artisian and remote LaCrosse are remarkably consistant.

I look at the min/max readings occasionally so I can see exactly what time of day it has gone low/high - for summer use, I'm using the Artisian 'economy' setting where the heater will only operate between 4pm and 9pm.  Now that it is cooling down at night, I'll switch it back to 24 hour, as the spa temp is dropping to 99 by early afternoon (sometimes I get home early and soak a few minutes.)

I actually bought the LaCrosse to monitor my wine cooler temp, and set the base unit alarm to go off if the wine gets warmer than 65 or cooler than 45.  It really does provide a little reassurance to be able to see the spa temp too from inside, just in case...

I finally had to replace the 2 AAA batteries in the spa remote sender after a year and a half of operation.  Pretty good...

I love being able to press the channel button 3 times and see in a few seconds the indoor temp and humidity, outdoor temp and humidity, wine cooler temp and humidity, and spa temp.  Like he said, 'necessary' - No, but definately a cool toy.

John F
LV, NV

[Gary]

The real reason Hot Springs does not display current temp is so people will not call and say my tub is cooling down while they use it.

Most tubs will cool some depending on ambient temperature and the users also get used to the water (meaning that is the water is 102 five minutes later is does not feel 102). With a spa that display current temperature people will look at the panel and see if is down 1 degree and say it is cooling down and then they call and complain. With no current temp display they will chalk it up to them getting use to the water (no call to the dealer).

I wouldn't quite say that you're abiding by your avatar phrase because that's hardly an educated opinion.  It's more speculation....False speculation at that.  If you give the end users a little credit, they would just get out of their spa and notice the ready light is not illuminated, which would mean the spa is actually cooling off, which would then lead to the same cause and effect theory that you have on the HS control display. (My spa's cooling off when I use it, I need service.)  Since the ready light is still illuminated 99.9% of the time after 30-45 minutes of use even at the coldest temps, HS customers have no need to call for service.  This isn't the first time you have accused the Mfg of playing reverse phsycology brain games with their customers in regards to the temp display.      

I will stand by my statement and it is based off 18 years of experience. Here is how I came to that conclusion. It is extremely rare that I get a service call claiming my spa heat will not keep up on spas that do not show current temp. For the spas that show current temp it is a common call.

Maybe I am wrong but I do find it odd that 99% of my heat issue calls (with there is nothing wrong with the spa) have spas that display current temps.

[gturn]

The real reason Hot Springs does not display current temp is so people will not call and say my tub is cooling down while they use it.

Most tubs will cool some depending on ambient temperature and the users also get used to the water (meaning that is the water is 102 five minutes later is does not feel 102). With a spa that display current temperature people will look at the panel and see if is down 1 degree and say it is cooling down and then they call and complain. With no current temp display they will chalk it up to them getting use to the water (no call to the dealer).

I wouldn't quite say that you're abiding by your avatar phrase because that's hardly an educated opinion.  It's more speculation....False speculation at that.  If you give the end users a little credit, they would just get out of their spa and notice the ready light is not illuminated, which would mean the spa is actually cooling off, which would then lead to the same cause and effect theory that you have on the HS control display. (My spa's cooling off when I use it, I need service.)  Since the ready light is still illuminated 99.9% of the time after 30-45 minutes of use even at the coldest temps, HS customers have no need to call for service.  This isn't the first time you have accused the Mfg of playing reverse phsycology brain games with their customers in regards to the temp display.      

I will stand by my statement and it is based off 18 years of experience. Here is how I came to that conclusion. It is extremely rare that I get a service call claiming my spa heat will not keep up on spas that do not show current temp. For the spas that show current temp it is a common call.

Maybe I am wrong but I do find it odd that 99% of my heat issue calls (with there is nothing wrong with the spa) have spas that display current temps.

That is fine, but I want to see the Temp of my water on the display, that is one of the things that went on the Disadvantages side of the list for Hot Springs when I was shopping around.  I like the Temp display and if I were to buy another tub I would want that on it.

[shabba34]

The real reason Hot Springs does not display current temp is so people will not call and say my tub is cooling down while they use it.

Most tubs will cool some depending on ambient temperature and the users also get used to the water (meaning that is the water is 102 five minutes later is does not feel 102). With a spa that display current temperature people will look at the panel and see if is down 1 degree and say it is cooling down and then they call and complain. With no current temp display they will chalk it up to them getting use to the water (no call to the dealer).

I wouldn't quite say that you're abiding by your avatar phrase because that's hardly an educated opinion.  It's more speculation....False speculation at that.  If you give the end users a little credit, they would just get out of their spa and notice the ready light is not illuminated, which would mean the spa is actually cooling off, which would then lead to the same cause and effect theory that you have on the HS control display. (My spa's cooling off when I use it, I need service.)  Since the ready light is still illuminated 99.9% of the time after 30-45 minutes of use even at the coldest temps, HS customers have no need to call for service.  This isn't the first time you have accused the Mfg of playing reverse phsycology brain games with their customers in regards to the temp display.      

I will stand by my statement and it is based off 18 years of experience. Here is how I came to that conclusion. It is extremely rare that I get a service call claiming my spa heat will not keep up on spas that do not show current temp. For the spas that show current temp it is a common call.

Maybe I am wrong but I do find it odd that 99% of my heat issue calls (with there is nothing wrong with the spa) have spas that display current temps.

I don't disagree with your experiences with other spa control panels and customers neurosis pertaining to spa temps, but it's still not the reason HotSpring does not display the temp setting on it's control panel.  If it were truly the case, they wouldn't even use a ready light to display set temps.

[drewstar]

Regarding "the real reason hotsprings doesn't display actual temp = increase service calls/user confusion over 1-2 degrees tolerances...

I thought that too, but the fact is, a lot of OTHER manufactuers display actual temp without issue. So what's the deal with  Watkins?

[shabba34]

I thought that too, but the fact is, a lot of OTHER manufactuers display actual temp without issue. So what's the deal with  Watkins?

According to Gary, it's an issue with 99% of his service calls regarding heat.  As far as Watkins, who knows, but it's not brain games with their customers, and Caldera spas display both set and actual temps, so it's a HS thing not Watkins.  If they felt it to be of huge relevance, they would do it.  They follow these forums, so who knows....maybe sometime in the future.  It would probably help me sell 0 more spas a year.