Digital systems may use pressure switches or temp sensors to determine if there is enough flow for the heater to fire. If the system detects no water pressure, or temp sensors detect temp levels outside the realm of their settings the system will return a Flow error. This is often expressed as “flo” on the digital panel of the hot tub.

When you get an error like this, the first thing you want to check is the pump.  If the pump is either not coming on.. or running, without pumping, you will get this error code.  If you’ve just drained your hot tub, and the pump seems to be running (as opposed to Humming)  but you have no water flow, you need to check for an air lock at the pump.

To check for an air lock, turn off all power to your system at the breaker.  Locate the pump plumbed to the heater and loosen the female nut part of the union on the front of the pump by unscrewing it slightly and wiggling it to break the oring seal.  Keep your hand under the union so you don’t lose the Oring.  If your pump is airbound, when you release the oring seal, you will hear air hissing out of the pump.  Let all of the air hiss out until water starts to come out.  Let the water leak a bit until it is a steady stream and then tighten the union nut back up to the pump.  This should be hand tight only!  When you have the union snugged up and the water is not leaking anymore, turn your breaker back on and see if  the pump starts pumping water again.  If it does, your flow error should be corrected.

If your pump is not running when you get the error code, you need to check for cause there.  If the pump is not getting power, you could have a spa control issue.  If the pump is getting power, you may have a pump problem.  An electrical meter is the only way to know for sure if your pump is getting power or not.

Checking voltage to the pump is a little tricky because you need to know if the pump is a 120 or 230volt pump.  ALL 2 speed pumps have 4 wires, usually a white, black, red and green.  The green wire to the pump attaches to the pump ground screw.  In both 120 and 230 volt pumps, the white is considered “common.”  In a 120 volt pump the white will be “NEUTRAL.”  Black and red on both 120 and 240 pumps are “switched lines”  feeding low or  high speed connections.  The most common scenario is that the black feeds the high speed pump windings and the red feeds the low speed pump windings, but some control manufacturers may do it the opposite way with red being high speed and black being low speed.  On the pump motor itself, you can see a small H for high and a L for low as well as a C for common where the wires attach to the motor.

The hot tub control system only feeds ONE speed at a time, either high or low, but never both. (if both high and low are fed at the same time which can happen if there is a bad relay in the system, the pump will sound buzzy, will not work efficiently and will eventually shut off by the motor overload.

Testing a 120 volt 2 speed pump, involves voltage tests between  the COMMON (Neutral) and either High or Low speed connections.

Most systems will energize the low speed pump on startup and in heating situations.  After energizing your hot tub, the pump should start on low speed.  Your test to be sure the pump is getting voltage will be between the common and low speed connection on the pump.  If the pump is to work properly, there should be 115 to 120 volts at this connection.  If you have voltage here, but the pump is not coming on.. you have a pump problem. If there is no voltage here, the problem may be in the control system.

Testing a 240 volt 2 speed pump will also involve a test from the COMMON (LINE 2 in a 240 situation) to the Low speed connection on the pump.  You should have 220 to 240 volts if the pump is to work properly.  In a 240 volt pump, the common is always hot! Readings of 120 volts do not indicate that the pump is getting sufficient power. You are simply reading the voltage coming from line 2 that is always present.  When the pump is energized for High speed, your 240 volts can be read between the common and high speed connections.

Always, disconnect power at the breaker before opening or removing any panels from any component.  These tests are best performed immediately after energizing your system.  High voltage can kill you!  Plan your moves  and understand your multimeter! If you are uncomfortable with these tests hire someone qualified to do them for you but make sure they perform THESE tests.  

Please evaluate your skill level before attempting this test.  All tests performed by you are at your own risk

Power Off At Breaker

Disconnect heater element from any wires attached to it.  Be careful when unscrewing the nut holding the wires in place on the element, you do not want to twist the “cold pin” that leads to the element.  There is usually a fixed nut below the removeable one that will allow you to secure the cold pin.

It is not necessary to remove the heater assembly! You want water in the heater manifold during this test!

Continuity Test:

With your meter set on the most sensitive  ” ohms” setting (the OMEGA symbol on the meter)  put one probe on one element lead and the other probe on the other lead.

If you meter does not change,it is showing no continuity, the element is bad

If your meter measures resistance then it is showing continuity which indicates the filament inside is intact, but the heater could still  be bad!

Ground Fault Test

Move one probe to a metal part on the heater casing leaving the other one on one pole of the heater element .  If there is any flicker of continuity from one element lead to the heater casing (ground) the element is bad, even though you may have tested good  continuity above!  This is a ground fault situation and is what your GFCI is picking up and saving you from!

If you have an intact filament and no fault to ground, the heater element  should be good and you may have a different problem.

Since gfci’s are very sensitive, you could still have a bad element and your meter sensitivity may not be allowing you to pick up the fault.

Okay it’s bad, now what do I do?

Now you need to replace the element (if replaceable) or the entire heater assembly.

The most common replacement element is the flow through element.  If your heater manifold is a stainless steel straight flow through tube, this is the element you’ll need.

Even if that doesn’t look like one you need, clicking on the image will take you to our page with all heater elements, popular manifolds and complete heater assemblies.  

Hot Tub Freezing

Yes you wanted to avoid it for sure! But the power went out in the middle of a blizzard and now you have a mess of frozen pipes.  First things first!

• Turn off your hot tub breaker  You do NOT want your hot tub energized if you have frozen pipes!  It can cause a whole lot of other problems.
• If you have a mechanical type thermostat, turn it to the off position. Time clocks too.  When you do re-energize the tub, you do not want the heater to come on unitl you are certain you have water flow through your system, AND that you don’t have water spraying from a cracked pipe or manifold.
• If you have a digital system that is going to boot up and start no matter what when you energize,  you want to be sure all pipes are thawed. before you return power to the system.

Depending on where you live, it may be awhile before you can actually go through a thaw process. But when its time you can start by putting a worklight inside the hot tub cabinet for warmth and to slowly start the thaw process. Be sure you use a GFCI  protected outlet  to plug in your work light.  If there are cracks in plumbing the area will get wet as it thaws. Use a clamp on type worklight and clamp it in an area where it will not get wet as the thaw begins. Make sure it isn’t touching or too close to anything that could burn.  They do get quite hot.

As the thaw begins you are going to notice your problem areas pretty quick.  There are several areas you will want to inspect closely.

Manifolds.  These are the pipes with spokes that feed your jets.  Typically the barb fitting at each spoke is the part that cracks.  This can be a multiple problem if you have manifold cracking.  Most hot tubs with lots of jets have lots of manifolds.  If you click on the image, you can see your various choices for manifolds at SpaPartsNet.com.  Some are male to female and you can connect several together. Some are female female so you can run pipe in between.You’ll want to check your jet bodies as well because the area where the tube attaches is just as vulnerable as the manifold spoke area.

Jet Bodies. The 3/4 inch barb connector on jet bodies is also often prone to cracking in freezes.

 Unions.  The female threaded part that connects the pump and heater to the plumbing can crack under the expanding stress of ice.  There are split nuts available so that you dont have to replace your entire union, but if this is from a pump fitting, we need to know that in order to provide the proper split nut.

 Heater Nuts.  Also a union fitting many are replacable with a “split nut” rather than a complete new heater assembly.  Most straight flow through heaters are flanged at the end so that the removal of a one piece nut is impossible.  The “split nut” allows you to replace the one piece nut without replacing your heater assembly. Cool huh?

Filter Lock Rings.  This is also a common item affected by freezing weather.  This lock ring holds the filter lid in place.  ALWAYS INSPECT BEFORE START UP!  If it fails the lid can blow off with excessive force!  Check the filter lid itself and the cannister as well before sending water through your system! Click the image  for access to all filter parts and complete filter assemblies on SpaPartsNet.com

Pump Wet Ends.  These can often crack as the result of cold.  The best thing is you can actually replace most wet ends without having to replace the complete pump and motor assembly. If your wet end is leaking this might be the right option for you.  It is a fairly simple replacement task as well. See all of our wet ends by clicking the image to visit SpaPartNet.com

Final words of wisdom? Go slow as you inspect your hot tub after a freeze.. always be aware that things under pressure can come loose with amazing force that can be dangerous!  Inspect anything under pressure like top load pressure filters!  Always start your hot tub on low speed before turning on your pump at high speed.  You want to see leaks at low speed, not exploding parts on high speed!  Know we are here for you after the cold is gone!

 
PVC cutters or hacksaw
PVC glue (we recommend pool tite or rain and shine)
PVC clear cleaner (do not use purple primer, it softens flex pipe too much)
3 M  “M-5200”  Marine sealant (for Jet flanges, suction flanges or any thru-wall fitting that will be underwater.)
17 inch channel locks
Clean Rags and paper towels. 
Power drill with hole saws …hole saw sizes listed below. 

 
If you are plumbing your entire spa you will need to order the the following items for your Spa plumbing Kit.  When received, Lay them out with like parts together.

 
1. Jet bodies:  The jet body is the part that is actually installed in your hot tub. Depending on the jet type, they may insert through the hole in the tub, retained with a lock ring, or they may have a flange that inserts thru the wall and tightens against the jet body on the back side. 

2.  Jet inserts: This is the part that will provide the action. They generally screw into the jet body.  Save this step for last after all plumbing is completed and cured. 

3.  Spa suctions or skimmers

6.  Water manifolds: The "spoked" manifolds deliver the water to each jet. the most popular version is the 3/4 barbed type that uses clear vinyl tube OVER each spoke. . 

7.   Air manifolds:  The air manifolds connect to a 1 inch air control and are plumbed with 3/8ths vinyl tube from each spoke on the manifold to the air spoke on the jet body. 

8.  Air control (s) Flange mounted air valves to allow for air draw to the jets. 

9.  Plugs for any extra ports in your air or water manifolds

10. PVC caps and plugs for manifold ends (some of these are very small…)

11.Clear vinyl tube 3/8ths inch, for connection from the barbed air connector on each jet to a barb on the air manifold.

12. 3/4 inch vinyl tube  to connect from the water port on each jet to a port on the  water manifold. 

13. 1.5 or 2 inch flex pipe for connection from equipment discharge to water manifold and from the suction fittings to the equipment.  

14. 1.5 or 2 inch ball or slide valves for isolation of equipment (Optional)

Plan your holes!  Look on both sides of the spa before drilling. You need a flat surface on BOTH sides.  Mark the center point with magic marker. Drilling into an air channel or a ridge is a bad mistake you want to avoid! You need the spots you choose to allow the jet body to snug up to the wall on both sides. If you aren’t accustomed to using a hole saw this size on your drill make sure you HOLD ON TO IT TIGHTLY .  It can wrench the heck out of your arm. Drill your pilot hole and keep your rpms up as the hole saw approaches the spa shell.  Dont use excess force on the drill bit, let the saw do the work!  Apply gentle pressure and hold the drill steady. Wallow slightly. This will make the core easier to remove. Be ready for the breakthrough. You don’t want to be leaning heavily on the drill.   Remove cores after each hole. 

 If your spa shell has an inch or so of blown on foam it can be removed after drilling your hole, if you’re pretty sure there will be no surprises under the foam.  The easiest way to do this is with the hole saw you used to drill the hole.  If you put the hole saw pilot bit on the edge of the hole and make a circular motion around the hole  with the drill…the hole saw  will chew up the foam on the back… Use Finesse.  You don’t want it to mar the fiberglass.  Clean the fiberglass with pvc cleaner before you install the jet body. 

Put a bead of M-5200 or clear silicone on the flange of the jet (the part that will be in contact with the fiberglass on the INSIDE and insert it into the hole.  Put the retaining ring on the back of the jet body and snug it up firmly, but not over tight. You can put a bead of the M-5200 or silicone on the jet back as well.  Wipe off any excess M-5200 on the inside of the shell, and smooth down the bead oozing out around the jet back.   The jet back should be installed so that the air barb is pointing up and the water port pointing down.  If you are installing jet clusters  they may be cocked somewhat without adverse effect. When installing the pipe to the barbed connection use glue on the male barb only and slide the tube over the barb.  

The suction fitting installs the same way as the jets, M-5200 on the flange and on the nut of the back.   Be sure you have planned at least two suction fittings per pump. Skimmers need to be installed with water levels in mind.  The water level is marked on most skimmers.  Make sure your hole is below this line with the skimmer assembled. 

Be sure you know what is on the underside of the spa flange  before you drill your hole! 
Plan the location of your air controls so that they are positioned between the banks of jets you intend to operate.  The air manifold will plumb right to the air control.. You will glue it into place. Cap off the end.  Air controls do not need to be sealed to the shell as they are located above water level.  Each port on the air manifold will connect to the air barb on the back of each jet. Glue the male parts only and push the vinyl tube onto it as far as you can. 

The water manifold will plumb to the discharge side of your spa equipment.  You will plumb into it with either 1.5 or 2 inch pipe, keep in mind however, that the more jets you use the large pipe you will want to deliver the water to the manifold. 2 inch should be a minimum size for over 6 jets!   Several manifolds can be plumbed together if desired, they are designed for multiple connections.  The last manifold in line will need a cap on the final end. If you are plumbing banks of jets in certain areas, you can plumb to that area with 2 inch flex and use a 2inch by 6 port manifold under that area…then plumb to the next bank with 2 inch with another manifold in that location.  This saves on the amount of tube you need for the overall job and provides for adequate water delivery to each jet.  It is also cleaner looking than having all of your manifolds together with long runs of 1/2inch or 3/4 inch flex. 

To connect the vinyl to the barbed fittings, use cleaner on the male parts then glue, then push the vinyl over each barb..  a slight twist as you are pushing is always good. You want to leave a comfortable amount of slack between the manifold and each jet, without being sloppy. 

It’s best to wait at least 24 hours if possible, after plumbing your spa before putting it under pressure.

Jet family  inserts are interchangeable from jet to jet. They just thread or twist lock in and do not need any type sealant or thread compound. Storm jet inserts twist lock in. Save this for the very last. Many jet inserts are adjustable which means they can be turned off… be sure they are in an open position before turning on your pump. 

Fix it Yourself and Look like a Pro with SpaBabes.com!

Welcome to SpaBabes.com, your experienced  source for help with your hot tub or spa equipment issues.  The combined experience level of the hot tub techs at SpaBabes encompasses many years and we can help you with hot tubs manufactured from the early 80's, thru the 90s right up to this year! With today's economy, wouldn't it be nice to know where to get tech support  to fix your own hot tub?  You've found it!  We exist to help you troubleshoot your hot tub. You can not only do it yourself,  you can  buy your hot tub parts and equipment at a discount from people who know hot tubs inside and out!

New!  Great tips and tricks for knowing your hot tub.  Get on our list. 

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When the diagnosis is complete,we're here with the right hot tub part, spa pack, or equipment at discount pricing! Our spa parts and equipment catalog is easy to navigate, with a great selection of complete hot tub and spa packs, spa controls, spa covers, spa heaters, spa heater elements, pumps, motors, relays and more.  SpaPartsnet.com THE source for all your hot tub equipment needs is a click away!

Just so you know...SpaPartsNet.com has the best selection of spa packs and spa control systems in the industry at great pricing.  If you click on the image to your left, It will take you to the page with our ACC control systems, One of our favorite brands.  But we have more too: Balboa control systems, Hydroquip control systems, Spa Builders Systems Group Controllers, and more! So plenty of selection, plenty of good help with the choice,  based on your equipment configuration.

Want to try and  figure it out?  There is a lot of info right here!

The Glossary is a great place to start.  It goes through common hot tub and  spa equipment  and components, item by item, with helpful hints along the way.  If you are unfamiliar with your hot tub, you'll find it much easier to communicate with us once you've glanced over it.

The Spa Babes Spa Care Guide contains good simple advice for balancing water and and keeping your hot tub sanitary.  It is our most popular page at Spa Babes.

Our hot tub discussion board, SpaForums.com  is one of the most popular hot tub bulletin boards online.  You'll be suprised at  the custom in depth info you can find here.   Just lurking there and exploring the many posts will fill you in on many aspects of hot tub repair and problem solving.  Want to post?  register and please do so!

Spa Heater Problems? Don't feel alone. Heater issues have to be the most common call our support staff gets!

If your hot tub isn't heating, isn't hot enough or is too hot, click  "Heater Help" and  find an easy checklist for solving common problems with hot tub heaters.  You'll also find common hot tub  heater logic and wiring diagrams.

The tech support staff always appreciates it if you have read the check list so you are familiar and have checked for common problems that may not be directly related to your heater. Are you troubleshooting a spa control switch or relay? You'll learn to identify important switches in your hot tub or spa, how they are wired and why they are there by checking out our switch and relay section

FREE Tech Support is only a phone call (or Email ) away. We are always glad to walk you through your hot tub or spa system and share our troubleshooting techniques. That's what we're here for!

Just click "Contact us." Hey!  Are you a pool or  spa service techs? We're here for you too !  Just let us know who you are and we'll get you on our Service Technician Site: spatechs.com, and are here to help with any thorny hot tub problem you might run into.  Call from the field!  We'll be here.

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