Quality Spa Parts at Discount Prices

Quality Spa Parts at Discount Prices  … Are Not the Same as Cheap Spa Parts!

Ancient Chinese Secret

Remember the old laundry detergent commercial? I’m sure you do. The commercial plays out with a typical American woman talking to an Asian woman about how “white her white’s are” and “how bright her brights” are. The typical American woman asks her “What’s your secret?” and the Asian woman replies “Ancient Chinese Secret!” The audience fully buys into it until the Asian woman turns toward the camera, hides her box of Calgon while motioning for us, the audience to keep it a secret.

The Chinese
No news here. The Chinese are working hard to sell U.S. consumers anything and everything they can. Everything from children’s toys to hot tubs; but there has been a few bumps along the way and almost always at the cost of the U.S. consumer.

Be Informed
Chinese companies don’t have quality control policies and laws for manufacturing consumer goods. They are on a learning curve, a really fast one, but a learning curve none the less. This has meant lead in paint, faulty tires, and drywall that makes people sick. Meanwhile, we pay the price. They keep on selling.

Chinese Spa Parts
When it comes to spa parts there are typical spa parts and then there are Chinese made spa parts. In the U.S., spa components have been manufactured and in use for decades. There are stringent quality control methods and product testing with feedback that allows for continued improvement to the safety, durability and performance of spa parts.

When it comes to Chinese spa parts, the focus has typically been on cost of manufacture and price. This has translated to lower density plastics in jets, filters, and other performance parts like suctions and skimmers. Often, the electronics have no history of use which leads to mistakes being made regarding the quality of relays and connections. Translation – House fires, poor performance, high failure rates, inefficient spa pumps, poor fit and finish.

The Damage
Cheap Chinese spa parts look the same, they may even function the same -for a while, but in the end the few bucks saved at the time of purchase will never be worth the hassle of having to go through the process again 6 months later.

When in need of spa parts, buy from a trusted source - not where the product history is an “Ancient Chinese Secret!” I promise you will be glad you did!

Do You Have Ghosts In Your Hot Tub?

Ghosts in the Hot Tub

We have been getting a lot of inquiries about hot tubs that seem to “come on by themselves.”  This epidemic of apparitional visitation from the spirit world is nothing short of a programming issue designed to keep your spa properly heated, filtered and trouble free.

Most hot tubs made over the last 5 years are designed for ease of use. The spa pump, the spa pack (or sometimes called controller) and the topside control keypad are all programmed in unison to purge the water lines and filter the water automatically.

Set the Temp and Forget It!

Today’s spa pack technology will allow the homeowner to set the spa water temperature and forget it. The spa pump will automatically come on during the day to purge the water lines for proper water filtering. This ensures that the water will always be clean and ready for use.

Watch Out For Long Filter Cycles!

When it comes to filtering a hot tub, there are many who believe that the water can never be “over filtered” and in many cases this can be true, but when considering the cost to run a spa pump 24 hours a day, it may be a good idea to adjust the filtering cycles to no more than 2 hours twice a day. Not only will this cut down on unnecessary electrical consumption, but it can significantly extend the life of your spa pump and spa motor.

Reducing energy consumption should be something we all work towards. Savings can be seen in the monthly electric bill and in the long term cost of hot tub ownership. Check the status of your spa pump filtering cycles and make the adjustments. It’s easy to do and it will save you money right away. You will be glad you did!

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Spa Pump Replacement Tips and Tricks

Spa Pump Replacement Tips and Tricks -

4 Things You Need to Know

When replacing a spa motor, there are 4 things that you will need to know. The information can be found on the motor data tag.

The data tag is located on the side of the motor. This tag contains all the pertinent information regarding amperage, voltage, frame size and number of speeds (spa pumps are typically one or two speed).

1 or 2 speeds?

If you are unsure of how many speeds your spa pump has, replace it with a two speed motor. A two speed motor can be wired for both a single speed application or a two speed application.

Can I upgrade my spa motor for better performance?

Upgrading your spa for improved performance sounds great, but before you begin to hook up that 10 horsepower spa motor, there are a few things you should be aware of.

1.  More is not always better – By hooking up a spa motor that pushes more water than the plumbing can handle, the water will wind up on your floor rather than in your hot tub.

For example:

Lets say your original spa pump operated at 160 gallons per minute, but you want to hook up a suped up version that pushes 230 gallons per minute. Lets say you have 15 jets rated at 12 gallons per minute each (15 Jets X 12 GPM = 180 System GPM). This system has some room for improvement, but if we try to hook up our chosen suped up version, we will find that the water will push out through the air control valves damaging your spa and no doubt your ego.

2.  General rule of thumb is 1 HP per 5 jets. If you have 25 jets, find yourself a nice 5 HP spa motor and spa pump combination (25 Jets / 5 = 5 HP). This should provide approximately 12 – 15 gallons per minute at the jet head. Strong, but not overpowering.

3.  Want to reduce electrical consumption, Upgrade to a 56 Frame Motor!

4.  Advances in motor technology and a demand for spa motors that cost less to operate have led to a reduction in both amp draw and electrical costs overall. But if you are considering the replacement of a spa motor, you may want to look at installing a 56 Frame motor.

5.  Upgrading to a 56 Frame motor is always a good idea if the opportunity exists, but be careful. A 56 Frame motor is larger and sits higher than a 48 Frame motor. Make all your measurement prior to purchasing that new motor in order to be sure it will fit in the available space. Sometimes a 48 Frame motor has been used by the manufacturer because of space restrictions.

Watch your Amps!

Starving a spa pump motor of vital amps is the number one reason why spa motors fail. At start up, the spa motor needs a jolt of amperage to engage the points and get that motor spinning. Without the correct amount of amps, these points begin to come out of alignment and damage starts to occur to your spa motor.

Your spa motor may run two days, two months or even two years with a deficient supply of amperage, but at some point the damage will be done and the motor will die before its’ time. This type of damage is never covered under warranty.

If you decide to upgrade your spa motor, make sure your new motor will not require more amperage than what is available with your system.

Center or Side Discharge?

If you are the ultimate DYI kind of guy or gal and you want to improve the performance of your spa without changing the motor size, you may want to consider upgrading your center discharge spa pump to a side discharge spa pump. It will require changing some of the plumbing around, but a side discharge spa pump will definitely improve your spas’ performance.

Replacing the Spa Cord

Replacing the spa pump cord should only be done if the OEM cord is damaged or its safety is in question. Since there are so many different types of cords used, spa motors do not come with new cords. Keep the old cord and save yourself a few bucks.

How to Reduce Spa Pump Electrical Costs

How to Reduce Spa Pump Electrical Costs

Wanting to be a good steward of our environment and looking for ways to reduce our family’s personal electrical consumption, we have been taking a hard look at how to reduce our electric bill to a level a little more palatable.

One thing we consistently overlooked was the cost of running our spa pumps. Over the last ten years spa pumps have gone through some pretty heavy changes in an effort to improve performance, power, spa motor lifespan and energy efficiency.

It used to be that spa motors would have a life span of about 6 – 8 years. Now it is not unheard of to have a spa motor last 12 years. Spa pumps used to average around 160 gallons per minute, today the average spa pump will push 220 gallons per minute. And, finally spa motors would typically need 16 amps to run a spa with approximately 20 jets and now a 12 amp spa motor can run a hot tub with 25 water jets easily.

So Where’s the Savings?

There are a few things you can do to improve the electrical consumption of your hot tub.

1.    Adjust your filtration cycles!

Many hot tub factory settings are designed to filter your water 24 hours a day which may be great for water management (an overkill in our opinion, but that’s another subject), but it can cause your pump to run excessively. Costing you money in monthly electric bills and potential spa repairs down the road.

The average spa is about 400 gallons, if your spa pump moves 220 gallons per minute, then your spa water is filtered 33 times in an hour! Even on low speed the spa water is filtered almost 7 times over! Left to run on low speed for 24 hours your spa water is filtered 158.4 times a day. Are you beginning to see the light?

Try to set your filtration cycles for 1 hour two times a day. This will save a lot of electricity and let’s not forget a lot of money.

Note: If your spa filters through a small circulation pump, there may not be any obvious way to change the settings. Refer to your owner’s manual.

2.    Replace your tired spa pump!

With advances in spa motor technology, simply upgrading your spa motor can cut your electrical costs in half.

While trying to figure out which motor best suits your spa pump needs, look into upgrading to a high output 56 frame motor. Most spa motors from the 90’s and early 00’s were 48 frame spa motors. Compared to a 56 frame spa motor, these motors are weak and highly inefficient. The 56 frame spa motor will improve performance and save you money.

One word of caution. The 56 frame spa motor is a little “fatter”, so before upgrading, make sure the spa pump will fit into the space provided.

Making a dollar stretch these days is getting harder and harder to do, but with a little effort and some “out of the box” thinking, savings can be found in some pretty interesting places. Take the time out to adjust your filtration cycles, you will be contributing to good stewardship of our planet and save yourself some dough. You just might be glad you did!

Chinese Replacement Spa Pumps

Chinese Replacement Spa Pumps – Is It Worth It?

I am pretty sure you can guess where I am going to go with this one, with the latest news about Chinese drywall, poisonous toothpaste, lead based paint and Chinese made toys hurting our children, I am not exactly a sold out proponent for Chinese made spa pumps or spa motors.

Spa pumps and spa motors are not exactly rocket science, but the manufacturing process and engineering of spa pumps is something American manufacturers do very well.

I am not saying that Chinese engineers are incapable of manufacturing spa pumps, but I am saying that there is a learning curve. And historically learning curves come at the expense of the consumer. Either in the long term monetary cost or sometimes at the expense of someone getting hurt.

Spa pumps have changed a lot over the last decade. Improvements in energy consumption and overall performance have made a huge difference in how spa pump performance comes into play when engineering a hot tub. The Chinese simply don’t have the experience to know all the ins and outs of manufacturing a spa pump to make them the most efficient and long lasting or the safest.

Safety Must Always Be First and Foremost

And lets not forget that a spa pump uses electricity to move water.

Most spa motors today are made in Mexico, USA and Canada. The spa motors are reliable year after year and the quality is consistent. The difference in cost for a spa pump from a distributor’s perspective is somewhere between $20 and $40. You really have to question why someone wouldn’t sell the best for a measly $20 bucks more.

I am sure that the Chinese manufacturers make some great stuff and today’s reality is that we have a growing global economy. We buy and sell commodities across all borders, but I until we have a global safety rating, we are on our own to figure out what is good and what is harmful. When it comes to spa pumps or any electrical item that includes water, I will stick with what I know works. You might want to consider doing the same. You might be glad you did!

Looking for a Replacement Spa Pump?

SPA PUMPS

Looking for a replacement spa pump can be a pretty confusing process if you don’t know exactly what you are looking for. Spa manufacturers would often change the spa pump motor label in an effort to “out do” their competitor either by embellishing the horsepower rating or by removing the labels all together to create their own rating system.

Here are a few things you should know about spa pumps:

1.    Spa pumps come in two basic motor sizes.

48 Frame and 56 Frame. The frame size refers to the amount of copper that has been wound around the motor. A 48 Frame motor will measure  5.5” across the back of the motor and the 56 Frame will measure 6.5”. A 56 Frame motor will require less amperage to run, provide a stronger performance and use a lot less electricity than a 48 Frame spa motor.

2.    A spa pump comes either 115 volts or 230 volts.

Older spas typically come with 115 volt spa motors and are rated up to 2 Horsepower. Any spa pump over 2 horsepower will require 230 volts. A 230 volt spa pump will run more efficient and last longer than a 115 volt spa pump. Over the years spa motors have become much more powerful while using less energy. Anytime an older spa pump is replaced, you as the homeowner will see substantial savings in energy costs.

3.    Don’t trust the label!

Many spa manufacturers have added their own labels to their spa motor in an effort to “one up” the competition. Be sure to get all the data directly from the spa motor data tag. These tags will provide voltage, amperage and frame size. All very important for properly replacing a spa pump.

4.    There are two parts to every spa pump.

The spa motor and the “wet end”. The spa motor can easily be discerned because it will have the cord protruding from the back of it. The “wet end” or the part that actually pushes the water through your plumbing system is the plastic unit that the plumbing attaches to. Attempting to replace one of these components without the other can often lead to frustration and damage to your spa. When replacing a spa pump, you may want to replace it with a complete assembly. A spa pump complete assembly will come pretested saving you time and frustration.

5.    Plumbing size does make a difference.

Make sure you get the proper spa pump for your hot tub. You don’t want to get into a spa motor replacement project only to find out that you have the wrong size plumbing connection.

For free technical support we use the pros at SpaShopper.Com 866-829-3660.  We have found them to be a great reference source for everything related to hot tubs and spa pumps.

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