Need Help Identifying a Used Hot Tub

[bradNjen]

Hello guys!   We recently moved into a new house and decided we'd like to add a hot tub to our landscaping plans.     We were able to find one used at a shop in town.  Apparently it had been donated to them and the price was ridiculously low, so we went ahead and jumped on it with the plans of refinishing it and bringing it back to it's former glory.   

The problem is we don't know what kind of hot tub it is, or anything about it.  There was no details included with it at all, so we'll have to figure out exactly what it is so we know what kind of filters to buy and parts, if it needs any replaced.    So if anybody here can identify what kind of hot tub this is and give us any information about it at all, that would be amazing.

The only kind of wording I was able to find out it was 'Spa Control', and a quick google search for that brings up nothing but control panels and that sort of thing.  It's fairly distinctive, and I've seen a couple pictures of similar units online but there was no information with those either.

I hope you guys can help us out.

[Jacuzzi Jim]

 It's old.    Possibly an old Jacuzzi mid eightys maybe?  There should be a mnfg plate on the equipment pak if it's still the original one?  Looks to be in decent shape..

[bradNjen]

I found the Mnfg tag inside the door,  the only kind of name it had on it was UL with the following information:

Model 1100

Serial # SH01617

Mfg date of 8/19/94.    So not quite mid eighties, but still closer than I'd like. lol

[Tman122]

Catalina?

[bradNjen]

Hmmm, possibly.    Is there any kind of telltale sign I can go looking for to see if it is a Catalina?      A google search with that doesn't really bring up anything with my particular design, but I think the age of it makes it tough to search for.

It originally came with a Gazebo type thing that looks similar to the ones on the Catalina website though, with lots of tinted glass/plastic and sliding doors.

The only other logo looking thing I've found on the unit anywhere is a W that was where the filter is supposed to go.  Not sure if anybody can gleen any information from that, or if that is something that is on many types of units.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

Thats the Waterways logo.... They make lots of parts, various spa manufacturers, incorporate into their spas

[Tman122]

Yea Waterway has been around a long time but this also means that your pumps and likely your jets manifolds and other misc. doodads are made by them and pretty common.

[bradNjen]

Well, at least that's good then.  Though I'll still need to know exactly what brand I've got before I can order parts or even a filter accurately, right?  It's a bit scary not being able to find out what the heck brand it even is.

I know there is a number near that Waterways logo, and googling that number with waterways in the search I found this schematic:
http://www.ezhottubs.com/parts/filters_mount.htm

Could I pull the filter number off of that and assume that's what it would need or is that specific part/part number on a variety of spas?

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

Incorrect. Almost all spa manufacturers, especially of that age, take "generic" parts, assemble them into a spa, and slap their name in it. PICTURES of everything you have (equipment under the spa), and there's probably a dozen people here that will recognize it. Exact measurements of your existing filter cartridge is all that's needed to determine the correct replacement.

[bradNjen]

Okay, good to know, thank you.

Took a few photos of the equipment in the cabinet, so maybe that will be able to help.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

That's a Brett Aqualine controller (I think). There's a label on the top right that should have some identifying information (serial number, catalog number etc.)

[bradNjen]

Well here is a closer look at the label from the top right.

[Chas]

A couple of points:

If the spa is not well insulated, I would give it away. The cost of putting a new cover (around $400), new filter - as Doc said above, you only need exact dimensions of the filter to get one - and then a new shaft seal or new wet-end (pump) would put you at around $750, give or take.

If anything in the control box is bad, I would update to a newer box, complete with heater. If the pump motor is noisy, I would replace it with all new.

At that point you get back to my first point: if the tub is not well insulated, your energy bill could cover the cost of a monthly payment on a brand new spa.

Then, there's the issue of the rotten wood underneath the tub...

If you can look up under the spa shell, you should find a tag, most likely set right into the final layers of fiberglass, which identifies the shell maker. That should point you toward the overall tub maker.