Why did my hot tub or spa stop working?
In general terms, most modern, portable hot tubs & spas are assembled from the same basic components and operate in a similar manner from one brand to the next.
This is partly because the hot tub industry has evolved to seek the most efficient design but also becaue portable hot tubs & spas are built for certification under various international safety standards such as U.L, C.S.A. and E.T.L.
Regardless of brand, make, or model most hot tub & spa problemss can be narrowed down a malfunction in half a dozen basic components common to all hot tubs. Details can vary between hot tub brands and models but basic trobuleshooting and problem solving is essentially the same for any modern hot tub or spa.
Top 5 Hot Tub & Spa Problems
Nothing works or no power
- Input power problem
- Tripped circuit breaker
- Blown fuse
- Control system failure
No heat or low heat
- Dirty filters
- Low water level
- Programming error
- Heter failure
- Pump failure
- Control system failure
Error code displayed on control panel
- No water flow through heater
- Low water flow throug heater
- Sensor, flow switch or pressure switch failure
- Proramming error
- Control system failure
Loud grinding or buzzing noise
- Pump motor bearing failure
- Motor capacitor or winding failure
Leaks from bottom
- Loose fittings in equipment area
- Gasket or o-ring failure
- Pump shaft seal or wet end failure
- Cracked or broken fitting or pipe
- Glue joint failure
- Rodent damage
Schedule an on-site service call to determine the cause of your hot tub or spa problems.
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Where can I buy a new cover for my hot tub or spa?
You can order a hot tub cover online from a website but first you'll have to measure it and then you'll have to order it and then you'll have to be home for delivery and then you have to haul the new cover to the backyard and then...
What do you do if the color doesn't look right or the cover doesn't fit right???
Our Hassle-Free Hot Tub Covers include:
- Free on-site measurements
- Free delivery and installation
- Free removal & recycling of your old cover
Our covers are locally sourced from a small business in San Marcos, CA. Your purchase contributes to the local community and supports local jobs.
Hassle-Free Removal of Your Old Cover!*
Even if your new on-line cover fits right and looks good... You still have to haul the heavy, waterlogged, moldy, stinky, dirty, falling-apart, old cover out of the backyard and somehow get rid of it.
Let us do the dirty work! We take all the hassle out of ordering a hot tub cover!
Hassle-Free Recycling of Your Old Cover
Whenever possible, we remove the polystyrene (Styrofoam) cores of your old hot tub cover and recycle them at EDCO in Lemon Grove.
The large, Styrofoam cores are put in a compactor and compressed into tiny blocks and then recycled! You don't have to worry about your old hot tub cover sitting in the landfill for a century or somehow polluting the environment with plastic micro-particles.
We even remove the aluminum support rails (and sometimes D.I.Y. hinges) and recycle all the metal parts at Miller Metals in El Cajon.
The only part of your old cover that will end up in the landfill at Miramar is the outer vinyl skin which is usually paper-thin, falling apart and already decomposing into dust before it leaves your backyard!
Click the button below to order a Hassle-Free Hot Tub Cover
*Must purchase new cover to qualify for free removal & recycling. Actual price may vary based on cover size, options and delivery distance.
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What chemicals do I need for my portable hot tub or spa?
- Test Strips
- pH Decreaser (Sodium Bisulfate)
- pH Increaser (Sodium Carbonate)
- Chlorine (Sodium Dichlor)
- A fresh batch of water (When in doubt: Drain it out!)
Hot Tub Chemsitry Shouldn't be Complicated
Simple Hot Tub Chemistry starts with the idea that a whole batch of water in a 400 gallon hot tub costs less than $3.00. Let that soak in for a minute...
Do the math yourself: Calcualte Hot Tub Refill Cost
Even here in San Diego with 'the highest water rates in the country' you can refill a 400 gallon hot tub for less than $3.00 worth of water! You can't buy a single pint or pound of any product sold to treat the water for less than $3.00.
Yes... It really is that simple. Drain and refill your hot tub more often and you can keep your portable hot tub fresh, clean, clear and sanitary with just three products and the same, simple routine every time you sit and soak. Hot tub chemistry doesn't have to be complicated, expensive, frustrating or time consuming.
Simple Hot Tub Chemistry Routine:
- BEFORE each soak: SANITIZE
- Turn on jet pump(s)
- Dip a test strip
- If needed: Adjust pH by adding pH Up or pH Down
- Minimum pH: 6.8
- Maximum pH: 7.4
- If needed: Add 1 to 2 Tablespoons Chlorine to SANITIZE
- Minimum chlorine: 3 ppm
- Maximum chlorine: 5 ppm
- Run jets for 60 seconds to mix chemicals
Simple Hot Tub Chemistry Dosage Tables
- AFTER each soak: OXIDIZE
- Dip a test strip
- If needed: Adjust pH by adding pH Up or pH Down
- Minimum pH: 6.5
- Maximum pH: 7.4
- If needed: Add 1 to 2 Tablespoons Chlorine to OXIDIZE
- Minimum chlorine: 5 ppm
- Maximum chlorine: 10 ppm
- Run the jets for AT LEAST 5 MINUTES WITH THE COVER OPEN to mix the chemicals and vent caustic fumes
Simple Hot Tub Chemistry Dosage Tables
- When in doubt: Drain it out...every three to four months or as needed:
- Whenever Cyanuric Acid (CYA) reaches 100 ppm or higher
- Whenever you can't solve a problem with pH Up, pH Down or Chlorine
- Whenever buying a specialty product to solve a complex problem costs more than $3.00
Visit the Simple Hot Tub Chemistry page for more information on how you can maintain your portable hot tub with minimal chemistry, expense and complication.
Visit the Simple Hot Tub Chemistry Explained page for an in-depth explanation of pH, Total Alkalinity, the difference between sanitize and oxidize and the role of cyanuric acid in your covered, portable hot tub.
Simple Hot Tub Chemistry: When in doubt; Drain it out.
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