Hot Tub Repair - or - Bob gets a little crazy

OK, we're gonna' create a hot tub company. We'll have a cool name. We'll sell big whirly pool type tubs with our logo on it. We'll even say we have a lifetime guarantee - but not mean it. If anything breaks or craps out after a few years, we'll shake our heads and say, hmmm, that was guaranteed for the life of the original owner. Hey!

The original owner is still alive and well, having retired to Florida!

So, we fell for that ruse when the heating elements went out - nearly $400 to get the new one installed (10 minute install, three days to get the part). Next, it was a toss up between the controller keypad and the motherboard - something "going to go out soon". For nearly $300 for the control pad, we opted to try to fix that first. A few days later, they "found" the control pad we needed and came back out - didn't help. Yup, it's your motherboard - nearly $600. And we can't guarantee that this will be the only problem. A lot of times, you know (if I knew, I could have fixed it myself and save three months of not being able to use the damn tub), these things are an "interactive problem". One component appears bad, but the problem is really a different component making the first one look bad. Interesting. I think I saw that on an episode of The Office last week.

After over two months, I received a call that the motherboard had been "found". "Found?!?" - who the heck is running your inventory? For crying out loud, buy them a computer and update their eyeglass prescription!

Well, after two weeks of waiting and having to call for updates, I did a little research with Google! and discovered a place called SpaGuts.com

For about the same cost as the new motherboard and controller, I got new everything. Yes. New everything.

I supplied a several feet of 2-inch plastic pipe, a dozen elbow fittings, a tub of plastic pipe cement, and a weekend in my favorite spot - the middle of a pile of parts and pieces, engineering on-the-fly. OK, so it wasn't really engineering, and not that difficult. But measuring, cutting, testing, trimming, fitting, cementing, and moving on to the next piece gets to be pretty much a zen-like thing.


The old unit, preparing to make it's final exit.

The most difficult part, and it wasn't really that tough, was working around the heavy-duty sprayed-on insulation and plastic liner surrounding the hot tub shell. That stuff is tough to cut! A razor knife goes right through it, but the blade is only 3/4-inches long, so it looks like a rat has been chewing on it. A longer knife takes too much effort and is therefore dangerous to use in tight spaces. I got the best results with an old bread knife and a broken hacksaw blade.

So, knock wood, the tub has been back in operation for the past three months without a glitch and working better than ever. Heats faster, water is clearer (must be the new ozonator), and the kids and Terri and I love it.