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Daniel Lara's Posts

Prevent Waterborne Illness in your Spa or Hot Tub

May 6th, 2013 by

healthy-spa-water

“Recreational Water Illness” is a term used to describe the effects of different pathogens that can survive and thrive in pools and spas.

According to the CDC, “Recreational water illnesses (RWI’s) are caused by germs spread by swallowing, breathing in mists or aerosols of, or having contact with contaminated water in swimming pools, hot tubs, water parks, water play areas, interactive fountains, lakes, rivers, or oceans”.

Of course, in this discussion, I’ll focus on preventing RWI’s in hot tubs and spas.

RWI’s IN HOT TUBS & SPAS

The two largest Recreational Water Illnesses that we see in poorly maintained spas and hot tubs are Pseudomonas and Cryptosporidium. The first is a form of dermatitis, or skin inflammation (a rash), and the second is a germ that causes diarrhea.

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa

Pseudomonas is sometimes referred to as “Hot Tub Rash”, although I don’t particularly like that term! It is a form of bacterium that is present everywhere in nature. It is naturally occurring in soil, air and in all bodies of water. It produces a red rash, with small dots to the size of a pea, which resemble chicken pox. Hot tub folliculitis can be painful and is quite itchy, similar to poison ivy. The rash usually lasts about 7 to 10 days, but can leave marks on the skin for several months. Antibiotics and ointments may be prescribed in some cases. The extent of the rash depends on the length of exposure; those who soak longer in an infected tub may display more acute symptoms.

Cryptosporidium

Crypto, as it’s known for short, is one of the most common Recreational Water Illnesses, and is spread through Fecal matter. It has a hard outer shell that makes it incredibly resistant to environmental factors, including chlorination. It can survive days in chlorinated water, until a sufficient oxidation potential is reached with bromine and/or ozone treatment. Crypto can remain in the lower intestine for up to five weeks, and can be transmitted from the feces of an infected person to a new host.

PREVENTION OF RWI’s IN HOT TUBS

For most of you reading this, you’ll never have to worry yourself about these germs and bacteria in your home hot tub. Public pool and spas, with large bather loads are the more likely place you can pick up one of these water illnesses.

With spas and hot tubs, we filter, circulate and treat with sanitizer, to prevent bacterial colonies from forming. Let me say that again – In hot tubs, we control Pseudomonas and other germs – with proper Filtration, Circulation and Sanitation. RWI’s only survive and thrive in poorly maintained spas and hot tubs.

I should also say that Crypto, in particular, is primarily released in the spa from users that don’t shower thoroughly before using the spa. We all know, toilet paper doesn’t get everything – and if you go into the spa with a dirty behind, and you are infected, you will release the germs into the hot tub. The germs can be absorbed by others by water that gets into their mouth, nose or eyes, or even through small cuts on the skin.

Adding an additional form of spa sanitation, such as ozone or mineral sanitizers, can aid your primary sanitizer (Bromine or Chlorine, or Biguanides) in fending off the onslaught of bacteria that escalates quickly when several adults get into the tub, and the sanitizer level takes a nose dive.

Protect Your Spa

  1. Keep a constant residual of sanitizer in the tub, at a high enough level to control Pseudomonas. Chlorine – 2-4 ppm, Bromine – 4-6 ppm.
  2. Limit guests to 30 minutes per soak, and no more than the recommended user load. Shock the spa after use, or at least twice per month.
  3. Drain and Refill your hot tub every 3 months, or 30 uses, whichever comes first.
  4. Filter your Spa continuously and effectively. It should never stagnate longer than a few hours.
  5. Clean your spa filter regularly, and replace the cartridge every 12-24 months.

Protect Yourself & Others

  1. Take hot showers before using the spa, being sure to wash “thoroughly”.
  2. Don’t drink the water! Remember “Montezuma’s Revenge?” Same thing.
  3. Shower after using a public pool or spa, and remove wet swim clothes.
  4. Don’t use a pool or spa if the water quality looks questionable, or there are too many users.
  5. Don’t use a pool or spa if you have had diarrhea in the last two weeks.

You can prevent Recreational Water Illnesses by following the tips above, in your own spa, and in your water activities outside of the home. Have questions? Leave a comment below.

Happy Hot Tubbin’

Daniel Lara
Hot Tub Works

 

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Hot Tub Pump Problems

April 25th, 2013 by

spa-pump-problems

 

Spa and Hot Tub Pumps. They provide the circulation for the spa filter and heater and give an extra boost when turning the spa jets on high. And when the spa pump ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy – that’s because without water flow, there is no filtration, no sanitation and no heating.

Spa pumps need to operate every day to maintain clean and hot spa water – so when your hot tub pump has problems, it’s an emergency. If your spa cover is kept on, you may have 1 day before it cools off, and perhaps only a few days before bacteria and pathogens begin to thrive.

Shock the spa with your favorite spa shock when the sanitizer level gets low. You can continue using granular spa shock, or a spa floater with tablets, for several weeks, but if you go without filtration longer than a few weeks, you should consider draining the spa after your pump troubles are fixed.

Some spas have two pumps, one is the circulation pump and the other is the jet pump. If you have two pumps, chances are it’s one or the other – either your jets don’t work, or the spa circulation isn’t working. Spas and hot tubs with one pump usually have a 2-speed motor, operating on low speed most of the time, and on high speed when using the tub with the jets.

Spa Repairs can be Dangerous! Be sure to disconnect power. ONLY qualifed personnel should attempt spa repairs. Accidents can be fatal.

Spa Pump Trouble F.A.Q.

Here’s a simple way to troubleshoot your spa or hot tub pump. Hot Tub Blogs should do this more often – These are our most Frequently Asked Questions about spa pump repair.

Q: My Spa Pump is Dead – No Noise, No Action!

A: When you hit the switch or button, and you don’t hear your spa pump come on, there are a few things simple things you can try.

First, are other equipment items powered, are the indicator lights on? If not, the Circuit Breaker may be tripped. Second, the GFCI breaker may have tripped. Look for a red “TEST” button on an electrical outlet near your spa equipment. If the GFCI was tripped, but the spa still won’t come on, check the system Fuse in the spa pack panel. If you replace the Fuse and it pops again, you have an short in the wiring equipment of your spa.

Third, check your time clock or remote spa controller, if you have one, to make sure it is not over riding the switch you are using. Fourth – is a faulty switch you are using to turn on the spa pump. Air switch buttons are often used on older spas, and you may have a problem with the switch or the hose. Modern air switches are electronic, and you can test the power coming in and out of them, to determine if the switch itself is faulty.

Q: My Spa Pump is Not Pumping!

A: If your spa pump is coming on, but not pumping any water here’s some steps to troubleshoot.

First, have you just refilled your spa? If so, there is probably and Air Lock in the hot tub. In some spa systems, when you completely drain the spa, air gets trapped in the pipes and equipment. You need to bleed the air out and replace it with water before the pump can catch prime.spa-pump-wet-end

To bleed air our of your system, first look for a drain plug on the pump and filter. Place a small pan or cookie sheet underneath to catch any water. Slowly open the drain plugs until water begins to run out. If you don’t have drain plugs, you can slowly loosen the union on the pump (but don’t remove it, or the o-ring may pop out of place). Listen for escaping air, and then once the water begins to drip, you can tighten the union up again.

Second, if your tub is full, and still no water runs out, look for any closed valves before or after the pump. Third, is something blocking the lines? Look for something stuck in the skimmer or blocking the spa drain. Fourth, is the water level high enough? Low water will allow the skimmer to suck air, and cause the pump to lose prime. Fill spa to the middle of the skimmer opening.

Q: My Spa Pump Only Works on High Speed

A: First, rotate your timer clock and turn up thermostat to high to see if this resolves the problem.
Second, check the power at the low speed and high speed terminals, which should be either 110V or 220V, +/- 10%. Third, check the air switch button that you push to switch speeds. Check for voltage coming in an out of the switch, or for mechanical air switches, check that the device is not clogged with debris or insects, and that the air hose is in good shape and connected on both ends. Fourth, the mechanical switch in the back of the motor could be stuck in the high position, due to broken parts or insect infestation.

Q: My Spa Pump Only Works on Low Speed

A: When your 2-speed hot tub pump only works on low speed, and never kicks into high speed, there are four possible solutions to check.

First, if you are pushing an air switch button, check that the air hose is not crimped or disconnected. Newer, electronic air switches can be tested with a multi-meter, to see that power is passing through, on both sides of the switch. Second, If the pump was recently replaced or rewired, the wires could be reversed on the back of the motor.

Third, is the switch in the back of the motor, that changes to motor from low speed to high speed. With power off, manually operate the switch, looking for something loose, broken or misaligned. Insect or ant infestation could also prevent the switch from operating correctly. Fourth, is the contactor/relay that switches the pump speed. With power off, make sure that the connections are tight, and the terminals are not rusty or corroded.

Q: My Spa Pump is Humming, and Then the Breaker Trips

A: If your spa pump never actually turns on, it only makes a low noise, until the circuit breaker trips, check these things.

spa-pump-capacitor

Capacitor

First, would be the capacitor on the motor. This cylindrical “battery” provides extra starting power, and these can go bad after many years. You can test the capacitor, or simply replace it with an identical size. Second, Check the shaft for rotation. If you have an open volute, where you can see the shaft, use straight pliers to manually turn the shaft, to rule out a locked up motor, or something stuck in the pump impeller. Third, Check that input voltage is correct, either 110V or 220V, +/- 10%. Fourth, it is possible that the breaker itself is in need of replacement.

Q: My Spa Pump is On, but Barely Pumping

A: First, check the spa filter, it may need cleaning. Second, look for any obstructions in the skimmer or over the drain cover. Third, something could be clogging up the pump impeller, especially if a spa cover is not used, and lots of small debris has entered the hot tub. Fourth, an air leak, before the pump can cause this issue. Check the union in front of the pump, and look for any water leaks when the pump shuts off.

Q: My Spa Pump is Making Loud Noises

A: There are a few types of funny noises that a hot tub pump can make – none of them good.

First, if the noise is a screeching, high pitched whine, the motor bearings could be failing. Bearings can be replaced, or if the motor is very old (more than 5 years old), you may consider replacing the hot tub motor. Second, if the noise is a low pitched, grumbling noise, the pump could be starved for water. Check that the valve in front of the pump are open, and that nothing is clogged in the suction lines, including the spa filter. Third, a rattling noise – could be vibration that can be solved with a rubber pad beneath the pump. If something is broken inside the motor, it doesn’t take long (at 3400 rpm) for broken spa pump parts to be worn down to nothing. In this case, the noise would not last more than a few minutes.

Q: My Spa Pump is Leaking Water

Leaking Spa Pumps

A: First, and most probable, is that the shaft seal of the pump has failed. This is located behind the impeller, and would leak along the shaft, just behind the volute. Second, is the union on top of the pump. If water is dripping or spraying from where the union connects, the PVC threads may have shrunk (from running pump without water), or the threads may be loose and simply need to be tightened. Third, if either incoming or outgoing unions were loosened recently, the internal o-ring may have come out of place, and not be positioned properly. Fourth – is the o-ring that seals up the impeller housing, or volute. Dry-rotted, out of position, or possibly loose, along with loose screws around the face of the pump.

 

I hope that this FAQ of Hot Tub pump problems has been helpful to you. If your question was not answered here, feel free to post a comment below, or call our helpful spa tech support personnel at  800-770-0292.

Happy Hot Tubbin’

Daniel Lara
Hot Tub Works

 

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Is Bio-Film Lurking in your Hot Tub?

April 15th, 2013 by

BioFilm in spas and hot tubsWarning: Unpleasant subject coming up! This post is about biofilm bacteria that can form in the plumbing and equipment of spas and hot tubs.

The good news is that biofilm is removable (in most cases) and preventable. But first, we have to know more about the hidden bacteria BIOFILM.

What is BioFilm?

According to the BioFilms: The Hypertextbook

“A biofilm is composed of living, reproducing microorganisms, such as bacteria, that exist as a colony, or community. In other words, biofilms are alive and have a complex social structure that scientists and engineers are still trying to unravel, a structure that both protects them and allows them to grow.” Alfred B. Cunningham, John E. Lennox, and Rockford J. Ross

Biofilms are naturally occurring, everywhere. Algae on your hot tub walls is also a biofilm, but were not talking about algae in the pipes, this is more of a mixture of bacteria with solids, oils and other organic matter. Ewww, I warned you!

Today’s aboveground spas have lots of plumbing pipe, running to numerous spa jets all around the shell. Most have well over 100 feet of pipe. The interior surfaces, never getting a wipe down, develops a film of solids that coats the pipes, or finds other areas to attach itself, inside almost every part of the spa that you don’t see.

Some Jetted Tubs, common in today’s high end master bathrooms, are especially vulnerable to biofilm formation. They are used briefly, without sanitizer, and then drained until the next use. If all of the water does not drain from pipes and pumps, and it’s common that it does not – all sorts of things can grow.

Where does Biofilm come From?

Biofilm can form in spas that have been sitting unused, either full of water or drained, but still with water in the pipes. Biofilm can also come from active, normal use of your hot tub. Our own dead skin cells, body oils, cosmetics and other organic matter are used as building blocks by biofilm, as they establish colonies in low turbulence areas of your circulation system, and attach to surfaces when the pump shuts off.

Spas that are maintained poorly, such as those with old filter cartridges, or the sanitizer – not enough, inconsistent or incorrect use of (don’t use pool tablets!), or water not balanced and not shocked regularly – these practices can also lead to biofilm formation. Also, spas that have high usage, hot tubbin’ every night, with many users – can have fast colony formations, if the spa sanitation and filtration is lacking.

Even new spas can come with biofilm from the factory, although most reputable manufacturers sanitize and air dry the piping now after water testing, to ensure that while sitting in storage they are not breeding grounds for bacteria.

Used spas? You may find a low price on a used spa, but if it’s been used and abused, or neglected, it could have a big problem with biofilm inside of the pipes and equipment. I hear of this happening all the time.

Testing for Biofilm

It’s almost impossible to test for and identify as well. It’s nearly microscopic in it’s young stages. If you can empty the spa, a Q-tip swabbed inside of a few jets, main drain, the filter body or inside the pump drain plug may turn up some funny colors.

If you can disassemble part of your spa jets, you can inspect inside for any thin layers of oily or slimy substances, usually in a brownish shade. Spas with a scum ring that develops around the water line or behind the spa pillows, may have a biofilm problem.

In my earlier days of spa scrapping, I have cut up old and neglected spas for refurbishing, where all of the pipes, jets, equipment, everything – is full of a slimy film. Really unpleasant, and unfortunate, as we would have to cut all of it out, down to the spa shell, and replumb the whole spa with new pipe, fittings, jets and spa pack to restore such spas.

Biofilm in Spas

  • Reduces pipe diameter in acute cases
  • Consumes Sanitizer, affects pH and spa balance
  • Can harbor harmful bacteria colonies
  • Causes foaming and water problems

Removal of Biofilm in Hot Tubs

Spa Shock – First, lower the spa pH to 7.2, and lower the spa temperature to an unheated state. “Super Shock” the spa with a 4x normal shock dosage of non-chlorine spa shock. In extreme cases, it may be necessary to shock the spa with even more, to kill the bacteria and weaken the organism.

Spa Flush – Use a Spa Flush product, such as Rendezvous Spa Rinse or Leisure Time Jet Clean. Just pour in 1 pint and circulate the spa for an hour and then drain the spa. These products break apart the biofilm, from every hidden area.

Spa Rinse – Give the spa another additional rinse and flush with your garden hose. Spray water into every jet and orifice that the nozzle will fit into. Drain remaining water and refill the hot tub. Balance the chemistry and begin sanitation and filtration.

Replace your spa filter cartridge, to be sure that bacteria is not hiding deep in the pleats of the spa filter.

Prevention of Biofilm in Hot Tubs

  • Change the water every 3-6 months – based on frequency and number of users
  • Use Spa Rinse or Jet Clean every time you drain the spa
  • Maintain proper water balance and continual sanitizer level
  • Replace your spa filter cartridge every 12-24 months
  • Shock the spa or hot tub after heavy use, or twice per month
  • If you drain the spa or jetted tub and don’t refill immediately, use air to blow the pipes dryBiofilms-hot-tub-bacteria

 

BIOFILM – sounds like a bad fifties movie, but it’s real. If you maintain your spa well, you’ll have nothing to fear – as long as you are using a Spa Flush product regularly to strip the pipes and hidden interior spaces of oily, grimy, slimy, mucky, yucky BioFilm!

 

Happy Hot Tubbin’

Daniel Lara
Hot Tub Works

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Troubleshooting a Spa Ozonator Problem

March 27th, 2013 by

ozone-2Ozone is one of the world’s strongest sanitizers. It eliminates 99.9% of bacteria and other pathogens in your spa water. It also attacks oils, dirt and nearly all contaminants. And, the only byproduct of Ozone (O3) is Oxygen (O2).

Using a spa ozonator can reduce your chemical usage dramatically, which is why most new spas are equipped with an ozonation system.

But you may be wondering if your ozonator is working? You probably don’t have a test kit for ozone, and even if you see bubbles coming out into the spa, there may be a problem.

How Does Spa Ozone Work?

In spas and hot tubs, ozone is produced by a Ultra-Violet bulb. When air is exposed to UV radiation (from a UV light bulb), some of the oxygen in the air is converted to ozone. O2 gains a third oxygen atom, and becomes O3. When the ozone molecule attacks contaminants in your spa water, it gives up the third atom, and reverts back to O2.

Inspect the UV bulb

If you can see the blue light coming from an inspection port, or slipping out of a small crack in the housing, you can assume that the bulb is functioning properly. If there is no blue light, follow the power cord, and make sure that it’s securely plugged into the spa pack, or is connected to a power source. Inspect the cord also, looking for problems such as cuts or breaks in the wire harness. Finally, if the bulb is lit, and no ozone is being released, you may have a clogged venturi injector.

Inspect the Ozone Hose

The hose carries the small ozone bubbles from the spa ozonator to the venturi injector, which pulls the ozone into the spa plumbing. Sanitation takes place almost immediately. If the hose is broken, or crimped, or disconnected, you have located your ozonator problem.

Inspect the Check Valve

On the hose, there is a check valve, which allows the ozone to flow in only one direction (towards the spa jets) and keeps water out of the ozonator. If the check valve appears to be damaged, or stuck, or if you notice that the pump basket is filling with air when turned off, you may have a faulty check valve. Be sure to replace with your exact manufacturer replacement. one that won’t be damaged by ozone, and is made to match the ozone output pressure.

Ozone bulbs usually last 3-5 years. When replacing the ozone bulb, be sure to use the exact manufacturer replacement. Or, you can replace the entire spa ozonator.

 

Happy Hot Tubbin’!

Daniel Lara
Hottubworks.com

 

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Adding Audio-Video to your Spa or Hot Tub

March 14th, 2013 by

Marquis Spa with pop up TVA Hot Tub is a paradise – soothing, relaxing and as social as you want it to be. If you want your spa to ROCK, however, jazz it up by adding some tunes to your spa experience, or go all out and set up an outdoor TV or monitor!

Newer spas can come equipped with stereos and built in speakers, like the one shown left, with an option to add a pop-up television. Manufacturer options strike me as expensive however.

You can assemble your own hot tub audio and video equipment for much less expense. Here’s how.

ADDING AUDIO TO YOUR SPA

The Integrated Spa Side Stereo is an outdoor, waterproof receiver that’s used on spas, boats and golf carts. These are typically mounted to the spa skirt, on the outside of the spa. You’ll also need an Antenna if you plan on using AM/FM, and a 12V power supply, to connect to your spa pack.

Spa stereos can be purchased as AM/FM only, or with a CD port, Ipod/Iphone dock or USB port, or even with Bluetooth wireless connectivity to your mp3 player. When shopping for a spa mounted stereo, look for Marine stereos, those meant for outdoor use in boats.

The Ipod/Iphone docking stereo is another option. If you have a dry area near the tub, with a 110V outlet, plug in any Ipod player and dock your device. For something fully waterproof, look at the Eco Terra Waterproof Boom Box. Slip your mp3 player inside and let the music play! This item has the advantage of portability, so you can also use it on a boat, by the pool or at the beach.

Your Home Stereo system can be your third option. If you have a Home Stereo, wired or wireless, a set of outdoor speakers can be attached. This is how we rock my hot tub. I have a SONOS wireless home music system, with an Amplifier in the garage, connected with speaker wire to 2 outdoor, wall mounted speakers. I can control the music selection with my Iphone (being careful not to drop it in the spa!).

Spa Speakers

spa-speakers

  1. Spa Cabinet Installed. Newer spas will always have the option for an integrated stereo and speakers. If you purchased this upgrade, speakers would be mounted into the top of the spa, either round 6″ speakers, or pop-up cylinder speakers. Most spas have room on the spa shell or cabinet to retrofit such speakers. Pop-up spa speakers have some advantage in design; besides looking ultra cool, they shed water from the speaker cone.exoxgear
  2. Floating Speakers. Fully waterproof, of course, floating speakers connect wirelessly to your mp3 player via Bluetooth. Most of these available have poor reviews of low volume, short range and fast battery usage. There is one however, with better reviews, the ECOXGEAR. At only $90, this could be all you need to play music from any Bluetooth enabled device.outdoor-rock-speakers
  3. Free Standing Speakers. Outdoor speakers can be wall mounted (like mine), or can be set onto stands, or placed near the spa. With the blower running and your spa pump on high, you may want your speakers close to the spa. You don’t want to wake the neighbors! There are dozens of options in outdoor speakers, wired or wireless, although wireless speakers require a power source, using either 110V or batteries.

ADDING VIDEO TO YOUR SPA

outdoor-spa-with-integrated-tv

An integrated Spa mounted television is a high-end upgrade for today’s modern spas. These wireless monitors receive a signal from a small server that you plug into your cable box. A waterproof remote control allows you to change channels and volume. The SpaVue television is one that is used by many spa manufacturers, who build the monitor into a recessed cavity, which rises up slowly when you click the waterproof remote.

You can retrofit an existing spa with the same idea, or surface mount the SpaVue, or similar outdoor television onto the edge of your spa. Wirelessly connect to your home media, or connect with cabling of your choice.

outdoor-tv-hot-tub-2Wall mounted outdoor televisions are another option. You can mount directly to the wall, of the house or your hot tub gazebo. With this option, you can go as big as you want, and mount a full home theater style screen. However, I don’t think that I could watch an entire movie in the spa. Or at least a long movie; I tend to use the spa for less than 30 minutes at a time. For hot tub parties, as Gina blogged about earlier this week – a big screen experience could really add something.

As I stated at the outset, a Hot Tub is a paradise, all by itself. You don’t need to add music and video – you could just light a candle and use your spa to escape technology, which come to think of it – is how I enjoy my spa best.

Happy Hot Tubbin’!

Daniel Lara
Hottubworks.com

 

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Top 5 Hot Tub Heater Problems

March 7th, 2013 by

Hot Tub Won’t Heat?

hot-tub-heater-problems

A Hot Tub without heat, is … cold! And no fun for anyone. Hot Tubs are meant to be HOT, and if you’ve ever been in a Warm Tub, you know it’s just not the same.

If you’re in charge of the hot tub at home, you hear the complaints when the hot tub heater is not working properly. You need a quick solution to the problem of no heat, or not enough heat in your spa or tub.

So here we have, a quick guide to the common issues affecting common spa heaters. I won’t go into gas heaters, but restrict this to common spa pack type heaters, or electric immersion element heaters.

Top 5 Spa Heater ProblemsHOT-TUB-PARTS

LOW FLOW: A spa heater relies on sufficient water flow to operate. A pressure switch, screwed into the heater chamber, senses when the water flow is too low to properly protect the heater. It breaks the electrical circuit powering the heater element, and the heater shuts down, and will begin to heat until proper water flow is established. With a flow issue, you don’t normally need any spa heater parts to repair.

Low flow in your spa or hot tub is most commonly associated with a dirty spa filter. If your spa heater won’t heat, remove your spa cartridge and clean the filter(s), to see if you have a pressure or flow rate problem. Other flow problems will be more severe – broken pump impeller, broken valves, or clogged pipes or spa jets. These problems will be evident from the noticeably reduced flow coming into the spa or hot tub.

THERMOSTAT:  The thermostat is the dial that you turn to crank up the heat. Most new spas use a solid state thermostat, connected to a circuit board. If you have a thermostat “knob”, instead of a lighted red arrow, you can test your thermostat to see if the unit is faulty internally, or if the sensor bulb has become corroded.

HIGH LIMIT:   The High Limit is another switch, similar to the pressure switch and thermostat discussed above. It’s purpose is to prevent a run-away spa heater – one that won’t shut off. It has a preset maximum heat (e.g., the upper limit), at which the switch will open, and short the electrical circuit carrying power to your spa heater element.

hot-tub-heater-trouble

HOT TUB HEATER ELEMENT: Your heater element is similar to a kitchen cooktop element, only they are built to be immersed in water while operational. Spa heater elements burn out very quickly if operated without cooling water surrounding it. Hot tub elements can also be tested to determine if there is a short in the coating surrounding the heating element.

Spa heating elements can also develop a scale buildup, from hard water or sanitizing with salt systems. When a spa element develops scale on the outside of the element, it will reduce the element’s heat output, and could lead to element failure.

SPA-HEATER-ELEMENT-2

For those of you with newer spas, you’ll often find that your spa heater element is housed in a sleek stainless steel chamber, with unions for easy removal. On this type of spa heater, you can test the element, high limit and pressure switch for resistance, as measured in Ohms. When testing with a multi-meter or ampmeter, an “OPEN” is when the meter spikes to a high reading. A “SHORT” is when there is little to no activity on the meter. When there is no resistance, the current is leaving the circuit, known as a “short-circuit”.

OTHER SPA HEATER PROBLEM CAUSES…

This last category causes profound heartburn to many of our customers. These spa heater problems are causes that you normally don’t think about, but can be a quick solution, and isn’t that what I promised you? Check these causes of spa heater troubles first, for the quickest solution that will have you shaking your head.

  1. GFCI tripped. Look for the electrical outlet on your spa pack. The one with the red TEST button. If it’s popped out, push it back in firmly.
  2. Spa Pack Door Interlock open. Many spas have a switch that is only closed when the spa equipment door is fully inserted and secured.
  3. Spa Cover needs to be replaced. Warped, broken and ill fitting spa covers can allow as much heat to escape as is being put into the tub.
  4. Loose Wires – Connections must be tight and not oxidized. Chewed wires (rodents) is another possibility.

I have sincere hopes that this information has helped you heat your hot tub up again. If you’re still baffled, leave a comment below for me, or give our customer support hotline a call at 800-770-0292.

Happy Hot Tubbin’!

Daniel Lara
Hottubworks.com

 

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