Spas & Hot Tubs

By Caleb LLC is fully capable of the service and repair of any and all portable spas along with in ground concrete, stainless and copper spas. Electronic controls and older electro mechanical control systems are not a problem. We have a complete service department and full electronic testing capabilities. Custom spa covers, cover removal devices and hot tub chemicals are all available. Contact us for your solution.

Heating Problems
Heating problems are caused by a variety of problems. Check your hot tub control panel to see if one of these errors is present: 

• FLO error: FLO errors are most often caused by clogged filters. Turn off the power, remove the filter, floating sponges, toys, and any debris that can be sucked into the pump. Reset the breaker. If the FLO error returns, you likely are having pump or switch problems. If the FLO error doesn't return, clean your filter using a filter cleaning soak and a high pressure hose nozzle.

 

• OH error: OH errors are using caused by sensor failure. Use a thermometer to determine if the hot tub is really over-temp. If the temp is cool, but there is an OH error present, you are likely having a sensor or relay issue. If the hot tub is really over temp, verify the duration of your filter cycles. Extended filter cycles (over 2 hours) can cause excess heat build-up via heat transfer from the motor. Verify that the pumps are cycling on their own. Pumps self-activating on high speed can cause excess heat to build very rapidly. This is most often caused by shorts in the control panel buttons.

• Watchdog error (----) : Watchdog errors can be caused by a range of issues.The most common cause is interruptions in power supply. These need not be complete loss of power, but rather, brown-outs and rapid resets of feed power. Turn off the breaker and leave it off for a period of at least 15 minutes. If the watchdog error returns, you likely have a sensor, transformer, or component issue. If the watchdog error doesn't return, monitor the hot tub and watch for temp irregularities, FLO errors, or component problems.Provided that the hot tub stays on for 48-72 hours, the watchdog error was likely caused by the power feed. Frequent resettable watchdog errors do warrant having a technician check components for feedback problems. Failure to address these problems can result in critical failure of the mother board.

• Heat icon is on, no heat: If your heat icon is on and the tub isn't heating, there is very little you can do to solve this problem. The most common causes of this problem are element failure, wire failure, and relay failure. The heater is almost never fuse protected. If the icon is on, this indicates that the logic system is satisfied that there are no problems and is trying to heat the hot tub. Clogged filters, sensors, or switch problems are not the cause of this condition.

• Heater boils, then stops: Newer logic systems such as the M7 from Balboa use an set of sensors, one at each end of the heater to determine whether or not water is flowing. If the sensors are close enough in temp reading, the heater will be activated. If you can hear the heater boil momentarily and stop, it is likely that your circulation pump has failed of you are having logic or relay issues.

Jet Problems

• Jets popping out: If your jets are constantly popping out you will need to check a couple of possible causes. The most common cause is kids turning the jets to the extreme where they are designed to pop out for servicing. The other likely cause is wear of the internal. There are two clips which hold the jet internal into the wall fitting in the tub. Check the condition of these clips. If they are thin, flexible, or chipped the jet won't stay in. Improper pH balance is the most common cause of jet internal failure.

• Jets won't turn: Unfortunately, if your adjustable jets won't turn, they are probably seized in place with fine grit. Using a jar opener or a set of pliers with tape on the jaw to protect the jet face, remove the jet internal. Lightly sand the internal with fine grit emery cloth and use a clean, soap-free rag to wipe out the wall fitting in the tub. Use of lubricants should not be necessary. In extreme cases, it is advisable to call out a technician who has the experience of removing and cleaning hundreds or thousands of jets rather than risking destroying numerous jet internals.

• Jets won't spin: The most likely cause is worn out jet bearings. Remove one of the affected jet internals. Is the spinning center flopping around? If so, it's time for some new internals. Take pictures of any jets that you will be requesting. Almost every tub manufacturer has its own jet face design. The only way to get a close match is to have pictures available for the company you're dealing with to review. If the bearing feel intact but tight, ther might be scaling built up in the bearings. This often the case with tubs that haven't received a regular dose of a sequestering agent like Stain & Scale Inhibitor. Remove all of the affected jet internals and soak them is a diluted product such as CLR for several days and then wash out thoroughly. If scaling is the cause, this should remove enough mineral build-up for the bearings to begin to move again.

No Display

• No display, no button response: Verify that there is power going to the hot tub. Some tubs have a power indicator on the equipment pack. If not, go to your GFCI breaker. Hit the Test button on the breaker. If it turns off, wait 15 minutes, then turn the breaker all the way off and then on. If it fails to trip off when tested, it is already tripped. It must be turned completely off and then on to reset. If you push a GFCI breaker from its tripped position to on, it won't turn on even though it appears to be on. The easiest way to tell if you're resetting properly is to hit the test button. The breaker should trip when tested. If the breaker immediately trips to center when properly reset, call your service provider. This is almost never an issue with the breaker. There is likely a short in one of your hot tub's components. The main fuses in hot tubs are slow blow fuses that are fiber wrapped. They can not be tested without a continuity meter.

• No display, buttons respond: This condition usually indicates a failure of the control panels display component. In some cases, it can be caused by logic issues. Turn off the breaker for 15 minutes, reset the breaker, and check the display. If the display returns, note the date and keep an eye on the display for issues. The other main cause for this condition is damage to the information ribbon that connects the control panel to the mother board. Usually this is caused by mice. Look for obvious chewing of the ribbon cable. If you're capable of repairing these fine wires, you can turn off the power, strip back the outer cable shield and repair the internal wires. This is very delicate work. Most technicians will opt to replace your entire panel rather than attempting to repair these wires.

Pump and Jet Flow Issues

• No flow through jets: The most common cause for this problem is a clogged filter. Turn off the power, remove the filter, floating sponges, toys, and any debris which could get sucked into the pump. Turn on the breaker. If the water is flowing, clean the filters using a filter soak solution and a strong hose nozzle. If there is still no flow, listen for the sound of the motor. If the motor is continuously humming, but water isn't flowing, the pump may be clogged or air bound. The only way for a pump to be clogged is for someone to have removed the filter with the pump running. So long as this hasn't happened, there's a good chance that the pump is air bound. Turn off the power, remove the filter. push your hose into the filter post and stuff a clean, soap-free rag in to fill the remaining space. You should hear and/ or see air move out of the jets very shortly after turning on the hose. Let the hose run for a few minutes, turn off the hose, install the filter, wait 5-10 minutes for any remaining air to escape from the filter, and turn the power back on. The water should be flowing. If not, there is something further going on such as a broken impeller.

• Motor hums and stops: If the motor hums loudly and stops it could have one of the following issues: The motor might be seized in place with rust. Was the tub shut down for several months? Try turning off the power and using a set of pliers to break the motor shaft free. If it doesn't budge after a couple of attempts, call in the pros. The start capacitor might have blown. In the majority of cases, a blown capacitor is a sign of a bigger issue going on in the motor. The multi-speed switch of the windings might have failed. The low quality of most modern pumps, which are almost exclusively made in Mexico, makes them unworthy of rebuilding. Complete motor or pump and motor replacement is recommended in most cases of motor problems. Rusted motors can be freed up and minor shaft seal leaks and wet end issues can be repaired.

• Some jets don't work: The first thing to determine is all of the pumps are running. If all pumps are running, check to see what positions the diverter valves are in. Provided that the pumps are running and the diverters are in the position that they ought to be, try turning the affected jets back and forth. Most jets can be individually turned on and off in newer tubs by rotating the face of the internal.

Tripping Hot Tub Breaker

• GFCI trips instantly: This is the sign of a dead short. If you have plug in components, you can try eliminating them until the breaker holds. This is only recommended if you have some experience with electricity. We don't recommend opening the load box for any reason. This is a high voltage box and should only be approached by experienced professionals. There are times when the issue is in the breaker or the wiring, but it is a rarity. Your hot tub service provider should be your first call. He/ she will let you know if an electrician is needed.

• GFCI trips intermittently: Intermittent breaker tripping can be a tougher to diagnose. Your technician will likely disconnect components based on experience. The diagnostic process is a little drawn out as the test cycles can take up to a week. This can be a symptom of a serious problem and the breaker should not be reset over and over without professional analysis by a technician.  Most of the homes we are called to the wiring has been destroyed by the homeowner resetting the hot tub GFCI for months on end. The breaker, wires, and consequently all of the wiring around them had been melted. They were fortunate that the excess heat hadn't burned the house down. If you find your breaker tripping on a routine basis, have it checked out.

Air Blower Issues

• Dead air blower: Air blowers are driven by vacuum motors. They take air from the equipment bay and force it through a series of lines or air pans. If the motor doesn't come on at all or runs for a few seconds and stops, the brushes are usually shot. The motors are pretty cheap and usually have suffered enough wear that brush replacement is senseless. Have the entire motor replaced. The blower is not essential for the hot tub, but the air lines back fill with water that becomes stagnant if it isn't flushed out on a routine basis. The water in these lines becomes quite foul rather quickly and begin to seep toxins into the rest of the hot tub water if not addressed. Unfortunately, many blower motors are destroyed by rodents. The like to nest around the blower intakes and, depending on the intake style, inside of the intakes. Do your best to control the rodent population. Don't place bird feeders anywhere near your hot tub. Bounce fabric softener sheets seem to repel mice and chipmunks. Never use poison packs as these make the rodents thirsty and they will find the hot tub to die in. Traps are ideal. Find a place to keep a couple of baited traps and check them once in awhile. Catching mice when they first arrive is ideal. It doesn't take long take get four generations of rodents living inside a hot tub.

• Clogged blower/ lines: Again, the reason for blower clogs is usually rodents. In most cases, the organic contaminants must rot away before full pressure will return to the affected area. Snaking out the blower lines with flexible weed-whacker cord might help speed up the process, but can be very tedious.

Recycling
Hot Tub Recycling and Disposal Hot tub recycling means many things. In the best case scenario, it means the tub is in solid enough condition to be rebuilt and re-marketed to a first-time buyer.More often than not, this is not the case. Usually, the tub is in such condition that it must be dismantled. What does By Caleb LLC do that is different from many other companies? We begin by removing most of the frame and cabinet to be used as kindling or slab wood.Next, we remove most of the insulation in order to expose plumbing and components.We remove all metal components and separate the metals for recycling.Finally, we stockpile the shells until we have a sufficient amount to transport to a facility in Central Denver where they a chipped into small pieces (less than a couple of inches in diameter). These chips will make their way into a landfill, but they are far more environmentally friendly than dumping whole hot tub shells into landfills or worse...  We're certainly not saying that all hauling companies hastily dispose of hot tubs, but why take that chance? What is the cost of this service? The service typically costs between $300 and $600 depending on difficulty of removal, weight, and condition.