HS Grandee delivered: no first soak for Me!

[pruned_hands]

I've been following posts and getting great info here for weeks ...all in preparation for getting my new grandee.  had delivery at 8:00am sharp, but had to wait until 5:00 for the salesman to show up to orient me, etc.  Everything fired up great, but then the ready and power lights began blinking.  My salesman/spa expert tinkered while I looked at the manual--he told me it has something to do with a relay switch connected to the heater.  He rigged a washer to complete the circuit so that my tub would potentially heat overnight and will send a tech in the a..m..

So ...day one ends with a rigged mother board, and a beautiful tub on a rainy Halloween night.

Any of you techs find this problem familiar?  What is involved in its repair?  Anything else it might be?

I hope to post pix of tub, but will wait until I have built the pergola to let you see the finished product.

any advice would be appreciated.

pruned hands

[NJDave]

Hi Pruned Hands,
Looks like your sales rep was really trying to get your spa  going tonight. Not sure what he did with the washer though. Did he say he was bringing a new board tomorrow? You have a great spa there, one more day and you will be in hot water, the good kind. Let us know how things. Dave.

[pruned_hands]

I think he is just bringing a new heater unit which has the relay switch attached to it.  Apparently, my current heater works fine (and is now working with the "rig") but is the relay switch that isn't working.

My manual mentions that the most likely culprit based upon what lights were blinking is that the "integrated pressure switch is open".

I don't care what he brings tomorrow, just as long as it keeps the heater running.

[Cola]

What a jack a@#, if he bypassed the relay, the tub will keep heating.  You should shut the power off.

[Buckee]

What a jack a@#, if he bypassed the relay, the tub will keep heating.  You should shut the power off.

I beg to differ - sounds like the salesman/rep managed to get the tub working on day one despite a technical difficulty.   What is worse - furiously looking at a dry tub, or sitting in a wet one, even if you have to pop the breaker when you're done?  As long as the followup fix is done quickly, I'd say you were treated pretty well.  

[Cola]

OK Buckee, what about safety.  Hot-wiring the heater to line power is not safe.  Does he expect the customer to go out for his first soak the next morning.  Lets face it, the tub does not work and the tech will show up the next day.  The spa pack has multiple safeties built in and he just killed the main one.  Just because he showed up at the end of the day doesn't mean he should do what he did to save face with the customer.  Hot wiring a circ. pump that has built in thermal protection for overload conditions is one thing, but the heater, no way buddy.  After 15 years of building and servicing CNC & automated machinery, one thing I know is that I safety comes first.
I hope everything turns out well with your tub p_h
Steve

[pruned_hands]

Hey folks, thanks for the posts...

Here is what I did.  Since the tub was filled with cold water I knew I could let it heat for awhile before I needed to be concerned.  The temp was rising 3.5 degrees perhour exactly and so I kept the power on, checked it at 3:00a.m. (84 degrees), 7:00 a.m. (98 degrees), and I will  check it in an hour.  Once the temp gets near 102 I will shut it off and wait for the repair guy.  This way, my tub might actually be usable once the repair is made.

Cola,  I appreciate your concern and upon reading your post immediately went outside and shut it off.  I then devised my plan of getting up in the middle of the night to watch each degree rise.  (This would be the addictive draw of the tub....I was more willing to give up sleep than have a cold hot tub!) .   Hopefully all will be resolved in a few hours.

thanks again for the feedback everyone!

[cappykat]

Cola, I'm siding with you.  I'll wait a day to ensure that things are done properly and safely.

[Spatech_tuo]

I believe the heater has it's own GFI breaker in the box. This way, you can let it get to temp and then simply shut the heater breaker off but still have power to the pumps, lights, etc which are on another breaker so you can still use the spa.

Are you sure he jumpered the relay?

[c00ter]

I also would have to agree with Cola.  

I agree, it would have sucked if my Maxxus didn't work when they delivered it, but the LAST thing I would have wanted them to do was hokey rig a safety device just to make it work.   What is one more day versus saftey.    

I'm sure HS would love to know how their dealer handled this problem.  

[pruned_hands]

The tech was out today and replaced the heater since the internal pressure switch wasn't working.  That was th eswitch that he "rigged" to work.  All seems fine now with the heater.  

thanks for the posts!

Pruned hands (from my new grandee)

[Spatech_tuo]

The tech was out today and replaced the heater since the internal pressure switch wasn't working.  That was th eswitch that he "rigged" to work.  All seems fine now with the heater.  

thanks for the posts!

Pruned hands (from my new grandee)

That's different. If he was bypassing the pressure switch (not the relay) the heater still would shut down when it got to temp.

[pruned_hands]

Yes, it looks like I used the wrong terminology..it looks like I wasn't in danger after all.  Still, I appreciate everyone giving me good advice and I agree, better safe than sorry.

tub is up to 102 again...and the family will be home soon for the inaugeral dip.

Have a good evening everyone.

PH

[Cola]

Hey PH, I'm glad to hear that everything is OK.  I always go the safe route as a service person myself and I never rig anything that will allow for unsafe conditions.
Happy Tubbing

[Chas]

Sounds like it worked out just fine - sorry for the glitch, but now get out there and start enjoying that Grandee!

May you soak long and prosper!