Why do I need a GFCI electrical cord on my hot tub when I have the GFCI on the outlet?
Posted by admin
The on off switch had a GFCI built into it and was part of the cord that was on my 110 hot tub but it went out and my husband cut off the box and repaired the cord without the interruptor since we had one on the outdoor outlet. It felt hot one day when I was about to unplug it when we were leaving for a trip and I had never noticed that before. We looked at buying a cord with the GFCI built in but it is 90 dollars plus shipping. Home Depot said we were fine but that the cord was getting hot because it was too long and to shorten it but it was safe as long as our box had the interruptor. It can save us money if we don't have to replace it. We have the hot tub for about 7 years and the cord came with it and is about 10 feet long and has only a few feet left over that isn't necessary but that didn't sound like we need to cut it off but what do we know?? We just need it safe and don't need to Jerry Rig it but if we can DYI , that's the way we would like to go. thanks
I am very worried about the size of your electric cord's wires. I would prefer you to use an eight gauge cord that can now handle the amps your tub needs. I always prefer seeing a hot tub hard wired and not plugged in.
Hot Tub Bills?!?
Posted by admin
We got a free hot tub off Craigslist, in decent condition, needs a few repairs. We just got approved to move into a house. We either want to put the hot tub in the back yard of our house, there's a perfect spot for it, or give it to my girlfriends parents. The reason we are considering giving it to her parents is because we are worried the hot tub will dramatically increase our bills. Obviously we don't know if this is true or not.
Does anyone know for sure if putting a hottub in our backyard will increase any bills? The owners are paying water.
Is it better to run it all the time or only right before you use it?
It will increase your electricity on average $15 a month. Some with many pumps can be as high as $40 a month. Chemicals will add another 10 bucks a month. That is if you treat it properly…which most people do not…so that only increases the future repair bills…
The answer to your question about runnng it all the time is yes. It will consume less energy if your maintainging your temp then going up to it continually. Not to mention none of them will stay in working order if you let the water just sit. Water is naturally corrosive and will destroy things like your heating element faster if the water sits. Your sanitation will decrease dramatically also. IF your tub is 240v your heater will climb in temp approx. 7 degrees in an hour.
Hot-Tub / Spa Care tips?
Posted by admin
What is the best regimine to maintaining a spa with the least amount of harsh chemicals?
My repair guy recommended:
Ozonator + mineral purifier + weekly shocks with renew, then clarifier when needed (He said this would eliminate the need for
ANY bromine)
Already I found this information to be deficient in that my water was too acidic, so I added a buffer.
What are the pros and cons of different regimines?
I am thinking of adding an ozonator to my hot tub - I have several friends that swear by them. BUT, they are still adding SOME bromine. Not as much or as often, but the ozonator has not eliminated the need for a few chemicals.
I need a Hot Tub motor. Where can I get the best price?
Posted by admin
It had a Magnatek 1.5 hp motor 2 speed which was making a loud gringing noise last year and now finally froze. When I removed it, I noticed the seal broke allowing it to rust into the bearings near the front. Lubricating it unfroze it but damage is done. Forget repairing it. I need a website or a dealer info. Thanks
You can get a Hot Tub motor from
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=Hot%20Tub%20motor&tag=search0d8-20&index=garden&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325
Good luck!
Hot tub wont work!?
Posted by admin
Bought a used hot tub. I was told it worked before the husband replaced the plug and it blew every fuse in the house. It uses 115v i plugged it into my garage and nothing….
I know its getting power because it fried the heck out of me when i was messing with the guts while plugged in..stupid i know.
Anyone know where i should start other than hiring a repair man? Do i need to start the pump some how…do hot tubs often have on off switches other than the plugging it in and the dials?
sounds like you blew a breaker, do not start the pump without water, it will burn out
What is wrong with my hot tub.?
Posted by admin
After thinking problem of motor not working was fixed with new fuse, it's down again. I had to kill the power because of this awful loud noise coming from the motor every 5 minutes for about five seconds. Actually brushed me back. Relay clicks but no running motor. When I called a repair man over and turned power on a few days later it worked again. Now this morning same probelm. Help someone please. What could be wrong, this is making me insane
Sounds like your motor has problems, but take your cell phone or video camera and videotape the noise/tub when you see it happen, so you can show the repair person.
How do I repair a leaky tub behind the access panel ?
Posted by admin
I've already caulked the chrome "hats" around the faucets and am still getting a few droplets of water when the middle nozzle is in the "shower" position. The drops appear behind the tub in the access panel dripping from the "Hot" Pipe
It sounds like the rubber seats or washers have worn down. Every tub faucet manufacture has a specific size, depth and shape of the tool you will need to extract the valve stem to replace the seats. Try to find the manufacturer of the faucet. Good luck! The name is seldom stamped anywhere. Most hardware stores sell a variety of valve stem tools in a set. They are not that expensive and not of good quality. You may luck out and find one that fits. Your next choice however is not that cheap. A plumber will probably charge you $75.00 for 2 - 5 cent washers.
my hot water is leaking out of the tub/shower spout can i repair this myself?
Posted by admin
it really depends on your skill level and mechanical ability, and on how old the faucet is which you didn't mention. new, single lever faucets are a thousand times easier to fix than faucets that are over 30 years old.
if you could elaborate more on what type of faucet you have i can give you a really good idea of what to do.
how many handles does the faucet have? 1, 2 or 3?
is there a name brand on any of the faucet handles?
as for now, i'll give you a brief explanation.
shut off water to the shower faucet or the whole house if you have to.
now start by removing the faucet handle and the trim(chrome plating)
this will give you access to the faucet stem
remove the retainer nut or pin, (depending on the faucet )
pull the stem
depending on how old the faucet is, it make require you to remove what's called a faucet seat which you may need a special tool for.
replace stem and seat (if applicable)
replace all hardware, reassemble, turn water on and test.
again, i can get much more specific if you can better describe the faucet.
turned off water to repair cold water shut off to tub. Now no hot water to upstairs bath. Why ?
Posted by admin
Did you shut off the cold feed to the heater before the repair? Check to make sure no pipes were crossed during the repair. Sometimes when you shut the water down to work on the system debris will relocate itself in some of the other fittings. Its possible that when the repair was done the pipe was pushed too far into the fitting closing up the way for flow. Is it your whole bathroom or just the tub? Some valves have integral valves on them to shut the water off at the valve, have you checked for these? If your valve is a newer pressure balanced style the piece that balances the pressure can become stuck and it will not work properly.
I own a older Jacuzzi hot tub the heater won't work wondering where the heater element is, trying to save $.
Posted by admin
The tub works but makes a buzzing noise also the heater won't work. I'm told that it could be the element, the controller or the thermistat, does anyone out there have knowlege about the older model jacuzzi hot tubs. I'm trying to save my landlord some money on the repairs so we can get it running soon. Thanks for your help! Carol K
I have an older one (1986) and I have not been able to find a part for mine but this site might have yours -
http://www.spaguts.com/?jacuzzispaparts&gclid=CPyKqqnq94kCFSoIFQodhVJzWQ
It's worth checking.
Good Luck.
