A modern spa is an amazingly complex piece of equipment. It consists of water pumps, heater, air pumps, computers, control systems, Ozonators, fiber optic lighting, sanitation systems, misters, stereo system, TV systems, filters, etc .etc. Learning the basics of Spa Repair will save you thousands of dollars over the life time of your spa.
In this 10 part series we will take you through the most common issues facing a home owner.
Let start with the most common problem; My Spa Is Not Getting Warm.
There could be many different reasons for this;
Your spa filer (s) could be dirty. Most of the time the spa is not heating is simply a matter of removing your existing spa filter, rinsing them with a high pressure hose and re-installing them again. The purpose of the filter is to catch debris. That debris needs to be removed from the filters a couple of times per month. If your spa is not heating and you know that your filters have not been cleaned for a while.... Try it first. Now there is always the chance that your filters are 'beyond all hopes of recovery', in that case, please just go and get new ones. Good filter are important, not only for the heat in your spa, but mainly for your health. The best method for testing this is remove the filters and see if the heat comes on.... If it does, your filter is the culprit
There are situation where the spa filters look perfectly white and clean but they are actually completely clogged. This happens if your spa water has high pH for a while. With high pH come calcium deposits. It is very hard to see, but if you remove your spa filter and the heater turns on,you have a filter issue
Another reason why your spa is not heating could be that your pump is clogged with debris. This could happen if your filter was removed, for even short period of time, and something got sucked into the pump.If you suspect that this has happened, you can either take out your toolbox and attempt to repair is yourself, or call your local spa repair company.
One of the main reasons why your spa is not heating is that your heater is not working.;There are mainly two kinds of spa heaters, gas or electric. Most above ground spa have electric heat. An electrical heating element only last so long. The heating element is in contact with the water all the time. And its lifespan depends on how well the water chemistry has been kept up. For example; if the pH has been too low for a length of time, which means that the water is acidic. Acid eats metal and the heater is made of metal....
Always check your incoming electrical power to the spa. It is very common that the problem is as simple as a tripped circuit breaker. Just turn it back on again. A word of caution here: If you turn the circuit breaker back on and it trips again right away. Call your local Spa Repair Company immediately. You have a problem here. Do not go inside the water until they have repaired it.
The Pump.... A faulty pump will prevent the spa from heating up. The pump circulates the water over the heating element, causing the spa to get warm. If the pump stops the control system will not let the heater turn on.;One of the more common problems with the pump is that the pump seal has broken.Most of the time it is hard to notice this problem early on. It typically starts as a small tiny leak in the pump. The leak is progressively getting bigger and bigger and by the time you see a trickle of water coming out from under the spa, you pump is in bad shape. Sometimes the seal can be replaced, but many times you will have to get a new pump. If you hear a "funny" sound from the pump, call your technician. If you caught it early enough you will have saved yourself 0-0 typically.
