Hot Tub Owners Help Page

Hot Tub Owners Help Section

Ask Dave FAQ’s:

My logo light is flashing and / or the water drop icon is flashing on the display

The spa may need to have its 30-day check. The Ace water care icon will flash at the end of a 30-day cycle if the spa wasn’t confirmed.

  • Confirm usage level
  • If the usage level was confirmed and the logo light is still flashing, access the Water Care system by pressing the Options hard button, followed by the Water Care soft button. Limelight spas–press the Mode button, until the Ace menu is reached, then press the on button to enter the Ace menu
My Ace salt water system says it's offline- inspect cell / check salt

The spa water may have a low salt level, high salt level, or the cell may be scaled up.

  • Test the water with a salt test strip, make adjustments if needed
  • Inspect the salt cell/clean cell, repeat if needed.
  • If the salt level is normal, the cell isn’t scaled up and it has just been cleaned, our service department for a service call.
My Ace salt water system says High Salt
  • Test water with a salt test strip
  • If the test strip shows the salt level is high, drain 25% of the water from the spa and refill with clean water, run the jets for 5 minutes, and conduct another salt test with the test strips. If the salt level is still high, repeat with draining 25% and refill. If the salt level is high after the2nddrain and refill, the whole spa will need to be drained and refilled.
My Ace salt water system says - Low Salt/Check Cell

Low salt reading can be affected by cell age, scale build-up (dirty cell), cold water, high chlorine, dirty filters, or dirty water.

  • Test water with a salt test strip
  • If the test strip shows the salt level is low, adjust with adding1 cup of salt, (½ cup of salt for smaller spas) to the filter compartment, circulate for 5 minutes, and conduct a second salt test. Repeat if the test strip level is still low.
  • If the test strip shows a normal salt level, the cell may be clogged. Turn the spa power off. Clean the cell with 3 tbsp of pH decreaser or Hot Springs Cell Cleaner, repeat if there is still a low salt reading. The filters may be clogged, clean the filters with filter spray or filter cleaning solution. (Instructions on cell cleaning are in the Ace Owner’s Manual)

NOTE: Always use a Vanishing Act Calcium Remover Bag with every refill even if you have a water softener. If the Vanishing Act is not used at refill, the Ace cell will corrode with scale build up which can cause the cell to fail.

How do I drain my hot tub?

Many hot tubs have bottom drains that you connect a hose to and run to a drain. If you do not have a bottom drain you can purchase a submersible pump and drain the spa just as easily.  Depending on the size of your spa, it should take a couple of hours to drain using the hot tub’s drainage spigot, or ten minutes to drain with a submersible pump.

How do I drain my hot tub using a submersible pump?
  • Turn the power to the spa off at the circuit breaker.
  • Place the pump inside the spa.
  • If your pump’s outflow hose isn’t long enough to reach a drain, connect it to a garden hose.
  • Turn the pump on and let the spa drain.
  • When the hot tub is empty, turn off the pump, remove it from the spa, detach the hose, and return it to storage.
How do I drain the hot tub using the spigot?
  • Turn the power to the spa off at the circuit breaker. You don’t want the pumps or jets to run while there isn’t any water in the spa.
  • Next, find your drainage spigot. Your spa model may have two spigots, a primary and auxiliary spigot. Use the primary spigot to drain most of the water, and then open the secondary spigot to drain the internal bleedlines.
  • Attach the garden hose to the spigot, being careful not to cross-thread. The spigot’s threads will be plastic and may break if you apply too much force.
  • Run the other end of the hose downhill or on level ground out to your drain. If you try to run the hose uphill, you’ll drain some water but not all of it. It’s best to transport the water to an existing drain, to avoid damage to your lawn or patio.
    Open the ball valve on your spigot so the water can drain.
How often do I have to change hot tub water?

Your hot tub is great at keeping itself clean. Whether you use a chlorine, bromine, ozone, or salt water system to purify your spa, you enjoy pristine water, free of contamination, for months on end. With every system, you’ll need to change the spa water now and then.

If you use a traditional chlorine or bromine system, you should change the water in your spa about every three to four months. If you use the FreshWater Salt Water System or ACE Salt Water System, you’ll need to change the water in your hot tub a lot less often—just once a year.

Why is my hot tub cover heavy and waterlogged?

Hot tub covers are made of dense polystyrene wrapped in polythene and then put in to a vinyl cover. When new this is a light and strong way of keeping the heat in and the garden leaves and children out of the spa.

However, as the cover gets older the corrosive chlorine and ozone that is used to kill bacteria in the spa water also starts to break down the polythene wrapping around the polystyrene core.

Over time usually about 3-4 years the polythene becomes porous and allows the steam from the Hot tub to rise up in to the core until it becomes too heavy to lift.

When this happens, it is too late and a new cover is required.

My control pad is not responding when buttons are pressed?

If your controls aren’t functioning, i.e. the jets will not turn on, lights do not change functions, and the control panel is not responsive in any way, it is very likely that the Spa Lock feature has been engaged.

To confirm that this is your issue, look for a closed padlock symbol on your panel. To disengage this feature on the traditional panel, simply hold the ‘Options’ and ‘Lights’ buttons for approximately 3-5 seconds until the lock icon disappears.

For the floating remote, simply tap the settings button, then HOLD the off toggle next to the ‘Spa Lock’ option for approximately 3-5 seconds.

I just drained and refilled my Hot Tub and it’s not heating?

Your spa possibly has an air lock.

This is a very common issue that generally occurs after draining and refilling a tub.

An Air lock happens when the hot tub is being filled with water. It is possible for both ends of a plumbing system to simultaneously fill up with water at both the suction end and the return end. This sometimes leaves an air lock in the plumbing. This can cause both heater and pump problems.

It is important to note that properly filling your hot tub is the best method of preventing an air lock. To properly fill your tub, make sure that you insert your hose into the filter standpipe while filling your tub. The standpipe is the area left vacant after you remove your filter. The standpipe is the one with an opening at the top of it. Only one standpipe is like this in units with multiple filters in the compartment.

If you believe you have an air lock, there is one simple step that you can try prior to calling for service.

With the filter removed and power off, insert garden hose all the way down into the filter standpipe and turn hose pressure to high.

With water running, turn the power back on to the tub. This may assist the tub in burping itself and removing the air trapped inside. On some models, it may help to activate the jets. If an air lock has occurred the tub will not heat.

How do you clean a hot tub filter?

Filters will over time clog with dirt and grease until they no longer allow water to flow through. When this happens jets can feel less strong and heaters may cut out.

On a regular basis it is important to thoroughly clean your filters.

For a deep cleaning you would remove the filter or filters from the spa and soak them for 24 hours in a bucket full of our white river cartridge cleaner and rinse thoroughly. This will chemically break down most blockages and resolve minor flow issues.

Why will my hot tub not stay hot?

This could be caused by a faulty part like a failed heater, circulation pump or thermostat, or even simply that there is not enough water in the hot tub.

Dirty Filters can also cause a tub to stop heating - If a filter becomes too dirty it can prevent your hot tub from properly circulating and heating itself. This can also lead to reduction in jet pressure. Rinsing filters monthly and soaking them in Filter Cleaner every 3-4 months prevents most problems. If your hot tub is unable to run and heat itself you may be forced to remove your filters until they can be properly cleaned or replaced. After removing your filters turn off power to spa for 30 seconds, then restore power and allow the spa several hours to reheat.

If the spa still does not function properly contact us for service.

Spa Chemical System Help

Click below to find a set of instructions for operating a spa using either Hot Spring FreshWater Salt, or Simple Blue Spa Manager.