Checking disconnected hot tub

[c_sicker]

On an impulse (I know) I bought a really clean looking hot tub (1998 6 person lounge Saratoga Spa - Gideon) for $250 without actually seeing if it worked. It looked great. The filters were pretty clean. The water coming out of the tubing was clear. I was TOLD it worked fine except for a broken gasket, but this was not from the owner but someone who was hired to haul it away (owner was renting the home where it was and did not want the liability). Now that my sensibilities have returned, I beginning to fear I may have acted too quickly. Here is the probelm.

We do not have anything set up for it, which means we will have to get a foundation laid, a electrician come in and hook it up, and pay someone to move it once it is ready to go. All things we will gladly do IF the thing really works. I would just turn around and resell it but I can't imagine anyone doing such as hairbrained thing as I did like buying it without knowing for sure if it worked or not (and I do not want to lie). I did local deadler did have a record of the buyer (but understandably would not divulge this info) and told me it had no maintenance done on it, ever, even though it had a 5 years free maintenance warrenty. She said this was a good sign.

Is there anyway we can check to see if it works without paying an electrician an arm and a leg? I am told the electrical needs to be hardwired into our home. Can I somehow jerry rig this for say an hour's worth of testing just to check the jets/heater/ etc.?

Thanks.

[~Roy]

Sure its esay to tempoprarily wire it into a panel box of correct amperage and give it a check out. Its stillgonna need water in it though, so make sure its setting on a suitable base like the ground, slab etc......May not have to completely fill it, but that all depends on where the inlets and outlets, skimmer and sensors are located...

Probably g>>On an impulse (I know) I bought a really clean looking hot tub (1998 6

============================================== Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked! "The original frugal ponder.."Since my statements are given freely, take em or leave em, I am entitled to my opinion none the less. My opinion and $1 is still only worth $1..... ~~~~ } ~~~~~~ } ~~~~~~~ }

[RBM]

[Steve B]

Hooking up electrical to it won't be a problem. Just get a long extension cord. I got a 100' 10 ga. extension from HD that I use with my MIG welder. It wouldn't be something that you would want to use for a long time, but it will work for the short time you need for testing.

NOW, THE IMPORTANT PART - When/if you do fire this puppy up, be sure that you crank open the bleeders. You may have to remove some of the side panels to access them. Your spa could be fine, but if you don't bleed off the air in the lines, it won't catch prime, and you will get a FLO error. Or possibly, it could heat up enough to kick out the breaker or reset.

Bleeders are different flavors. Most all are on top of the lines they bleed. They can be white or black. Even after you move this to its destination, when you fire it up, you will have to bleed it again because when you drain it, you could get air in there. For future reference, when you get a FLO error code, it means something is plugged up, or it is airlocked. Learning how to bleed and where the bleeders are will save you time and aggravation down the line.

Steve

[~Roy]

FLO error may or may not be applicable to a spa. I have had 3 spas which we owned over the years and none have ever had a flow error on any of the panels that came up.....

Bleeding is pretty esay on most spas a well......and a lot of the newer models 5 or 6 years of age or so on up have pretty decent autobleeders or methods of purging air from the lines out throught the jets...YOur just interested in seeing if it works..If the pumps run and do not leak fine, if the water gets warm fine.......no need to run it more than necessary or fil it more than what is necessary, even if it shoots water out of the upper jets..........lots of times yu can put enough water in to fill up to bottomof where the water inlet to filters pump is keep gardenhow running and turn em on, and if puymps work will squirt / flow water out of the jets just fine.........air filled here and there perhaps but if the pump did not work it owuld not put out that water......Our 2 local SPA dealers here checkout hot tubs they get in and none of them fill em up or worry much just enough water to get into pump and enough to check heaters, which for the most opart are checked with a multimeter.......I often see em check out used as well as new tubs before installing them as I usually haul off old tubs and other items like exercise equipment they want to get rid of.......

============================================== Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked! "The original frugal ponder.."Since my statements are given freely, take em or leave em, I am entitled to my opinion none the less. My opinion and $1 is still only worth $1..... ~~~~ } ~~~~~~ } ~~~~~~~ }