12 February 2018
 Categories: , Blog

Having a spa at home can mean hours of relaxing comfort year-round; spas can even be therapeutic, as they help increase blood flow, which often alleviates back problems and muscle pain and stiffness. If you have a spa at home, you might have a professional contractor manage its cleaning and maintenance, but note a few quick troubleshooting tips to consider if your spa should ever begin to malfunction. This can allow you to make quick fixes on your own where possible, or to know what the spa might need by way of replacement parts.

Spa runs but doesn't heat

If a spa runs but doesn't get warm, you might need to replace the actual heating coil, but a spa's thermostat might also be malfunctioning and not reading the water temperature properly. This can cause the spa to heat the water just slightly, but not as much as desired.

The spa might also not be getting enough electricity; without enough power, the heating element or coil won't operate as it should, or the thermostat might also malfunction. You can test the spa wiring with an electrical meter and note if it should be replaced, or an electrician might test the electrical power being delivered to the spa from the home's circuit box, and note if the home itself needs new wiring.

Circuit is not blown, but spa doesn't operate

If you turn on your home's spa and it doesn't circulate water or function in any way, a blown circuit is often the culprit, but if the circuits in the home's circuit panel are all fine, you might check the GFCI. This is a secondary circuit that is located where the spa is plugged in, and it can also easily trip from overuse or overheating. There is a switch at the front of this plug that resets this circuit interrupter; if this switch doesn't restore power to the spa, the unit may need new wiring.

Low speed

If the spa runs at a continuous low speed, the pump may be undersized for the spa itself, or it may be wearing out and needs to be replaced. The filter for the spa may also need replacing, as a clogged filter can keep water from flowing or circulating around the spa. The ozonator, which brings bubbles into the spa, can also be clogged so that water flows very slowly inside the spa. Give the ozonator and vents for bubbles a good cleaning, and this may restore power to the pump and get water flowing properly again.