Rex, first off, with hot tubs, (like everything else) there are good ones
and there are cheap ones.
If you can't find out any brand names, most likely it is a cheap one.
I own a "Hot Springs" brand hot tub and it is always on. It never costs me
more than a few dollars a month (it is 100% electric)
Here is a basic "hot tub 101"
You have a tub. Following the water flow from the tub. First, from the
tub, you will have a "Skimmer." This collects anything that is floating in
the water. then it may pass through a filter. This brings it to the pump.
Once in the pump, it will go through a heating coil then back into the tub
through the jets. (identical as pool, except the heater)
Now, there are 2 major difference between low end units (Jacuzzi Brand and
such) and high end units (like Hot Springs and such)
1-Insulation. Low end units don't insulate their tubs as well. They also
use cheap insulation. A good unit will have closed cell foam insulation and
a ton of it.
2-Pumps. The difference here is that low end units have only 1 pump. A
good unit will have 2. it will have it's main pump, but it will have a
much smaller pump (mine is an 1/8 hp) This pump is always running when the
main pump is off. (the heater is also always running)
This means, that the water is ALWAYS ready to use. Remove the cover and
jump in. This is a much cheaper way to operate a hot tub. Keeping about
250 gals of water at temp is much cheaper then getting it back up there
over and over again. With a cheap unit, you need to run the jet for a
while before you want to use it (sometimes it may be close to an hour)
This is the easiest way to tell if your unit is worth saving is...
1-does it have 2 pumps. If so, it may be worth trying to fix. If not, go
to the next one.
2-are there any "hard water stains" in your house at all (or on the tub)
Hard water kills hot tubs. If you have hard water, chances are, it's done
damage to the whole unit. (impellers, heaters, lines, etc)
The shell may be salvageable, but you may find that replacing the pump and
motor to be more than a whole new unit.
Also, you don't need to replace parts with manufactures parts. A pump is a
pump. Just make sure you have the right diameter fittings.
Inch
Note- I don't work for Hot Springs or for any hot tub manufacture. This
info is FYI only.
PS (I once won a "Black and Decker" contest with the story of a hot tub I
"built". (using a kiddy pool, a cut up hose, and an air compressor! I
searched their site, it's no longer there. 8>( )
"Rex Burkheimer -
WM" <rex@txol.net> To: "shop-talk"
<shop-talk@autox.team.net>
Sent by: cc:
shop-talk-owner@auto Subject: new subject - old
spa
x.team.net
07/17/01 02:12 PM
Please respond to
"Rex Burkheimer -
WM"
I may wear you guys out with all the projects this new (to me) house will
require, but I'm laying awake at night considering the possibilities. 2
weeks before we close .
This place has a nice deck in the back/side yard, 80% shaded, probably
600-sf. Inset into it is a spa, non-functional, brackish water and a
couple
of frogs living there. All the equipment is there and accessible from the
underside of the deck. Fiberglass looks OK, it has been under a cover
(which
is a writeoff). I found nothing like a brand name except on a couple of the
electrical items, and they looked like they were not necessarily part of
the
base spa package.
Due to the condition and the fact that it is electrically-heated, I
planned on removing it and decking over the hole. Now I'm thinking about
getting it working. Except I don't know anything about spas. Had a pool a
couple houses back, but no spa.
So, can anyone recommend a course of action on deciding if it is worth
doing?
How about a basic walk-through of the plumbing and electrical components I
am likely to see? Some of this stuff looks pretty foreign. For example,
there is an electrical box coming up from the ground next to the deck, a
bit
away from the spa itself. Seems like it has a knob like a timer on it.
Also,
there is a stalk going up from the ground to a point above the deck rail,
which has a toggle switch and a bell-type cover over it.
Electrical usage - I figure an all-electric spa has gotta be an energy-hog.
How do I figure out what an evening of basking will cost? No gas on this
property, but solar supplement may be a possibility.
Point me to a useful URL if you know of one.
Thank you again, in advance
Rex Burkheimer
Parts Plus Marketing Director WM Automotive Whse., Fort Worth TX
It's not about who controls the money, it's about who controls the
information" Ben Kingsley, "Sneakers"
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