Hey all, been reading this forum for two days now trying to find similar situation. I have seen a few that are close, but not exact. So here goes my situation:

I recently was given a 2002 Hot Springs Sovereign Model IQ. It has all the basic pumps and heater: Fresh Water 3 ozone system, Silent Flo 5000 and Watkins NoFault Electrical heater and then the wavemaster thing. THe electrical of this tub is set up for 220.

On to the issues. Filled the tub up and noticed it leaked, took care of that and found it still leaked, taking care of that soon. Noticed the motomassage unit in the corner didnt move and had little water coming out of it. Took that apart after reading a few posts on here. Found that both the water hose and the air hose were broke. I will be replacing just the hoses and will see if it works then, before replacing the entire jet.

I also noticed that after a day and a half the hot tub was not heatin gproperly, so i started investigating. The heater pipes had lots of condensation on them if that means anything. I also noticed that when filling the tub in the filter area i could feel the cold water coming up through the floor drain if that means anything. I also noticed the Silent Flo pump was extremely hot. I read on an earlier post that you could take this pump apart and clean it and also see if there were any obstructions. I noticed the lines going in and out of the silent Flo pump had water in them, but it didnt look as if it was moving at all. So i am guessing something is goign on inside that pump not sure though.

Another item. I looked at cleaning the ozone system per the manual, with white vinegar. I took the tube out of the bottom the ozonator and stcuk it in the bottle of vinegar. Turned the jets on and expected the ozonator to start sucking the vinegar out. After maybe five minutes, there was no vinegar missing it was still at the top. Not sure what that means at all. Should I expect the process to take days?

One last thing on my leaks, the leaks are a lot worse when the jets are on. In one area that it leaks, is in the corner seat where there are ten or so mini jets. This leak will only drip when the jets arent on, but will leak abundantly when the jets are on. I was told by my parents who gave me the tub that the leak would stop once it was down below the top four mini-jets. Can i deduce that my problem lies within those 4 jets?
The other leak (that i know of, there could be more) lies i believe within the jets in the other corner seat near the pumps. This one is real bad when the jets are on, I dont see any leaks when the jets are off, but i know that doesnt mean anything. So when i turn those jets on with contol system lever, and i have the motor compartment open, I notice a crap load of water build up around the light access in the back of the motor comaprtment. I then turn the lever so that the jets in the corner arent on and the water subsides. I know water is coming out of those jets all the time, but when the jet control lever is set to certain position it really flows out of there, thats when the leak seems at its worse. Can i assuem that those jets or the hoses leading to those jets are the culprit?

Any and all help is greatly appreciated. I think i have hit all problems that can be had with a hot tub, well not all I am sure, but quite a few. As I said earleir i got this tub for nothing so i didnt think 20 hours of digging and diagnosing and fixing and refilling would be that big of deal, and the tub was still well worth it. Just seems that there are so many things now that i have second guessed myself on the worth it part. If i get the moto massage going and fix the two known leaks, get the ozonator cleaned, get the heat fixed and the silent flo pump to not over heat, then i should be good to go. Just seems overwhelming. Right now though with the 100 degree weather, its been a great swimming pool for us!

Thanks again everyone and sorry its so lengthy but i wanted to get everything out there.

Minor update:
So i have been checking the water level twice a day and for the first two days it drained almost half the tub out. It now sits about half full and i dont think its moving. My idea is that i am going to get at all the hoses to all the jets that are above the water. Their should be maybe ten jets or so, but i gotta do it. I am also going to check the nipple in the moto massage as this sounds like a common leak spot.

I also got the ozonator to suck in the full bottle of vinegar. Still no bubbles and the heat pump still seemed a little hot and the water was still not heating up. I have since unplugged the tub and am planning on doing some major repairs over the next week.

I will update as often as i get something done and have a result to post.

Wow...you have a lot of info there. The biggest problem is probably the leak. The bank of ten jets is a common source for a leak. If the tub sat through a winter where the temp is below freezing, then those lines may have blown open. If not, there may be a glue-joint leak there, which was also a bit of a problem. Take off the composite slats and check it out with the tub running.

Sounds like the circ pump is shot as well. When these tubs sit empty for a while, the circ pumps don't fair so well.

OK so latest update.
After many hours of digging i have found (I Hope) all the leaks. I dug out half of one side of the tub all the way to the top of each seat, so you could see all hoses and jets. I also dug out a little around where the pumps were because i had seen some water there. So got all that dug out, i bet it took oh half a day at least with a claw hammer and long huge flat bladed screw driver for the hard to reach areas. So i then tipped the tub back down and set it down on 8x8x16 cinder blocks 2 high. Proceeded to fill the hot tub and turn it on. Saw many leaks at the back of the seat that has ten precision jets in it. Saw one major leak over by the pump area and found out i had another cracked check valve. I have since then put in a new check valve. I have ordered the parts to replace the jet body of all ten precision jets in the one seat. I thought this would be much easier then trying to salvage the other jets, plus if i missed one that had a crack in it, it wasnt going to make me too happy. I also cleaned the back side of the shell of the hot tub where the jets were with a wire brush attatchment for my drill, this worked great! The parts came from Bakersfield CA to here in Lincoln Nebraska and will have taken no more then ten days, so thats not to bad. Like i said I ordered all ten precision jets, some clips for the cover and a few o rings for the jet bodies just in case i destroyed some taking the jets out. Oh one other thing the jet bodies of the precision jets all have an airline going into them as well. This was probably the most stressful part of the dig. I was told they would only be clamped to the jets but when i found them they were of course glued. I had to work at those lines pretty good to get them to come off without destroying them, ut got them without damaging a one, so thats good. So all in all it seemed pretty intimidating but i usually handle stuff like this pretty well, just had never done it before. Parts come in tomorrow for the precision jets so I will put those in and fill er back up and see what happens. Wish me luck!

Forgot one thing. I took apart the Circ pump and found what i believe to be nothiing wrong with it visually. The impeller was not stuck, it spun freely each time i spun it. I will have to do some other tests on it, when I get the tub filled back up and the pump put back in. The guy out in Cally told me it was probably the heater, the one i have (No-Fault Infinity heater looks like a bugle) apparently faults quite often. Any ideas for testing both the circ pump and heater to know if one or the other is failing would be greatly appreciated.

So another update is upon us. I have replaced all the mini-precision jets (10) in the back of one seat. I have replaced a second Check valve. Replacing the mini-prcision jets took some time, due to getting all the parts. Apparantly 3/8 pvc parts are hard to come by. I probably should have just ordered the T's and Elbows direct form a dealer, instead of trying to get the parts at a local plumbing store. So for those who are debating, make it easier on yourself and order the parts online somewhere. I only had one tiny tiny leak after putting in all the new parts. It was in an airline that went to one of the precision jets. It was located near the nipple that stuck out on the precision jet, where the air line attaches to. I had already used a clamp here, but couldnt get it to stop. So what i did was take a piece of 1/4" clear tubing and cut a piece about an inch long and put it over the tiny hole (Pin hole size). I then placed the clamp right in that area and voila! The leak was stopped. So no more leaks. So in all I replaced ten precision jets, two check valves and a few different odds and ends of pipe lengths and sizes. Last night I started filling the foam back in. Once i have that done I will set the tub back down and figure out my heating problem.
I have on order 3 ceramic filters and one of the new circ pumps (E5) i beilieve it is, they shoudl be here tomorrow. I will install those and then see what happens with the heating side of the tub.
If anyone ever has a question feel free to ask me, as i have seen and dealt with a lot on this tub.

So i put the new filters in (which are very nice, if anyone is replacing theirs i would highly recommend the new ceramic ones) and i also installed a new E5 Circulation pump. Everything works great except for the heat. The bubbles are coming out of the floor drain again and i can actually hear the water circulating around the pipes in the heater/pump compartment. So now what? Is it the heater or is it the heater board, who knows? If anyone has any ideas please help me out, as i am punting, beings that its 4th and a mile.
Edit:
Is there anyway that its a High Limit Switch or anything like that. I mean it was def. having circulation problems before so that may have tripped at one point. Thing is, i dont know where any of these types of things are. I can see the reset button on the heater, but i push that and it does nothing. Anything else i can try?

You can test for voltage at the relay where the heater wires attach. Look for burn marks around this relay as well.

Also test the heater leads for continuity.

Testing where the heater wires attach at the relay is that on the main board or the heater board? I am not the one going to be doing it obviously, but i can visually inspect this stuff before a tech comes out. What about a high limit switch or any other resets i can look for? I got this tub from my dad who said the only issues he had with it before shutting it down one winter, were the leaks. Well it sat for probably a year before i got a hold of it. Not sure why the heater would go out in that time of just sitting there i guess. Who know. Thanks for the help Dan.

ok so i guess i was the one testing this stuff, lol. I found someone who had a volt meter. So i checked things out, had someone on the phone walking me through it, these are my results:

Jet Pump one Terminals read 121-122 with Jets on.
Circ pump read 122
the ozonator read around 121
the heating board terminals for the wires that went to the heater read maybe 44. I did notice some burn marks on the front side of the board near where there are three oh inch by inch thingys? (Sorry just not sure what they are) I asked my dad about this and he said those were there when he had it, apparantly when the tech went to put the cover back on the iq2020 panel one of the screws touched the board and it sparked. Everything was tested after that and it still worked so i doubt that it means anything. Who knows. But the board could still be bad i am sure.
As for the continuity of the leads i wasnt able to ohm those out as i didnt have time to tear the heater apart. If that is something important i could try it though.
So is my board bad since it only reads at 44?

Thanks again for all the help

If there are burn marks and there is not 220 volts for a 220volt tub then the relay board is bad.

so the heating side needs to be at 220 but none of the other ones do: Circ pump, jets or ozonator? This is just so i know i got the 110 / 220 thing right lol. I am certain this thing is set up for 220. Thanks again

Yes, 220 volts at the heater board.

OK so it as to be 220 at the board, but is there maybe any other reason as to why it might not be getting the 220. Or since the other terminals are showing the right readings does that mean there is no way i can have it hooked up wrong. I just dont want to put the new board in and it still isnt getting the 220 because i have something hooked up wrong, or worse blow that board.

Not sure where to start now, i think i am almost back at the beginning. So i put the heater board in last night. I tested voltage at all the terminals before hooking the heater up to it.
I get the following:
Heater Board Terminals are now reading: 240 (was 44)
Circ pump, jet pump and ozonator are all reading 121-122
So to me that all seems great and i am really excited.
I turn the power back off, hook up the leads to the heater and go and turn the power back on. Thats where the nightmare reoccurs. As i sat waiting / watching it took about 30 seconds to start hearing the boiling sound near the pump, then some hissing and then "click" and a green flashing ready light. I really wanted to curse more obsenities then i have ever done in my life at this point, i couldnt though because my very religious father in - law was right next to me so i held it in. OK so anyways, I thought well its maybe just an airlock or something. So turn the power off for 30 seconds or so, turn it back on but turn the jets on immediately to hopefully keep the heater cool and see if i can get rid of the air lock. 30 seconds later, complete system shutdown and a flashing red power light this time. Great! At this time i just sink back in my chair and think, what in the heck have i got myself into. So i power down the system and wait. Disconnect the heater leads. Turn everything back on and it nothing trips or clicks anymore, but thats when i notice the brand new e5 circ pump i bought three days ago, isnt working. ^&%^&%! So i check the voltage again at the board it reads 122, I check it inside the pump at where the wires attach to the pump and it reads 121 or so.
This i think is where i have to finally throw in the towel, unless some one has some great ideas. I still have a call into a tech guy, but they are out 4 weeks winterizing pools.
Does anyone know if there is a built in fuse or something for those circ pumps? Is this one dead already, and if so, my warranty should cover it, right?
Any ideas on whats up with the heater now?

minor update: At the time the heater shuts off and the system powers down i hear a lot of gurgling/bubbling noises. Is all this the cause of an air lock? If it is FANTASTIC, if not then what,lol. My father who previously owned the tub said that to get rid of air locks you just turn the jets off and on, does that seem right?

Thanks for listening.

OK so another update. I tried getting rid of the "airlock" to no avail. When i turn everything on, it last about a minute, then i get the green flashing light still. The Circ pump still isnt running. I called a local rep and they told me to turn on the 20 amp side at the panel, and I was like woah i dont have a 20 amp side i just have a disconnect. He said well then thats your problem. I said well the tub ran this way for four years prior to it moving down here to Nebraska from Iowa. He said that when I turn it on the heater is drawing all the power and not giving enough to the circ pump to run. Well I remember distinctly taking the heater leads off the heater board, and the circ pump would not run still. So now i am really at a loss. I have called three diff spa techs and no one is available to come out for weeks. I am afraid with the impending weather soon upon us, i am gonna be up a creek with no paddles. Apparantly this panel he speaks of runs 300 hundred bucks. Thanks to anyone that responds.
One more thing, whats the warranty process typically like on that circ pump. Do i need to return it to California and then they get me a new one or can i take it to the local guy here?

If the wiring worked before and is exactly the same, it should work again. I'm not familiar with any HotSpring wiring that is different from what it is supposed to be, so I can't help you there.

A couple of things on the new circ pump:

1.They are self priming, so they run for a few seconds, and if they don't have water flow, they shut down for a few seconds, then start up again...etc...

2.If that is not happening and it doesn't come on at all then I would double-check the wiring in the back of the circ pump. The new clips that hold the wires in are a bit of a pain and one of the wires may have come out.

If in fact it is no good, you would have to return it to whoever you bought it from.

I was told by the original Hot Springs guy that set the tub up that it should and has run like it is setup here. So i am leaving that alone.

As for the circ pump i have taken it out and inspected everything and it seems everything is still connected. I also (while the tub had power and was running) took the discharge piping side of the pump off to see if water would come through the pump and it did. So to me that meant it had water going through it. There was definetly water in tubes while the tub was on, but it def was not circulating like it should. Not sure why the thing is dead. It looks like i will have to enact the 30 day return policy.

Thanks Dan

Latest update:
So I did all this last Friday Sept. 19. I had received the new parts (a new control thermistor, a new E5 Circ pump, and a new high limit thermistor) and was ready to install. I put the new thermistors in with no problems at all. Now for the pump again. I had no problem with this previously, except for the pump quit working on me after two days. So this time i wanted to make sure i wasnt doing anything wrong, so that i would be more sure that the other pump just failed and i could claim warranty on it. So i had eveerything hooked to the boards, (heater was tripped though and i knew it, i just wanted it to start at a diff time then everything else), I did not have the circ pump wires into the back of the pump but they were attached to the main circuit board. I wanted to check voltage on everything just to be safe, so I went to my disconnect and pushed it in and as i did i heard and saw a large spark at the end of the wires that were supposed to attach to the circ pump, the stupid things were touching and i didnt notice it in time. So i pull everything off the main circuit baord and heating board to examine the damage to the main board. Fearing the worst, all that really happened was one of the tracer wires had blown or whatever you want to call it, so the power wasnt making it from one sodder joint to the next. So i tried calling to see if anyone could fix and no one could get to it for two weeks. So not wanting to wait anymore my neighbor and i soddered a wire from one joint to the next. I figured i was already out the board what else could go wrong with it. So i hook everything back into the IQ2020, heater baord main board and all the leads to each of the terminals, i then hook up the circ pump. So now i am ready to turn this damn thing on and see what blows up next. I turn it on and everything is running great, except for of course the heater because i know it is tripped. So now all i have to do is push the button in and wait for the heat. It takes me a beer and 45 minutes to get the courage up to push the thing in, because i dont want to blow another circ pump. So i finally push it and wait... still waiting.. and nothing is going wrong.. everythign is still running. The only thing at that time i dont know is wether or not the heater is actually heating. So i had to wait. Two hours and two Monsters with Vodka later, i go to check it and it seems warmer, just dont know if its me and the alcohol or the thing is actually working. I come back out an hour later, stick my hand in and now I know... it is heating i check the temp and it reads 85. I do two cartwheels and five backflips (ok not really) ... but i am totally pumped. I was in the tub by 11 oclock after about 4 hours of heating and it was around 97. By midnight i was soaking in 102 degree water. Only thing is, is i blew my fuses at the wall with everything running (lights, jets, heater going for 5 hours, circ pump and ozonator), no biggie though replaced the fuses and back in business. Only thing left to do is switch the disconnect setup i have to the one the 30\20 setup that Hotsprings wants it setup like. But its running now and has been since Friday night. I just usually only run the jets for ten minutes or so. Its been a long time coming getting this thing going and just wanted to thank all those out there that helped me.
I will be putting up pictures and cost updates in the near future when i get the courage to figure out what this free hot tub really cost me.

Cost update:
$975.00 (unless Hot Springs warranties my circ pump which they should for 147.00)
Not terrible, to me anyway, i think it is well worth it.

Pics to come.

Since you have already done so much to the tub to get it this far, and have given it a thorough service, I would suggest replacing the heater element, wiring loom, and the board.

This is a common problem with spas, often caused by a loose/dirty/corroded connection somewhere in the heater circuit, normally one of the spade clips. As a poor connection increases resisitance in such a high-power circuit, it gets very hot at the bottleneck. This will cause the wires to heat up, eventually burning out, and relays (black plastic inch by inch things) to melt. This in turn corrodes the cable increasing resistance further. It can also be caused by the heater element breaking down internally.

If you dont want to go for a new heater, then I'd check for any loose connections in the heater circuit, and try exposing the connections on top of the element and look for burning. If you measure the current (amps) and the voltage (volts), then multiply them together, you should get a result in Watts for the power of the heater.

If the heater is a 3kw, you should get 3000 watts or close to it (1.5kw = 1500watts etc). However if the results don't match, then this confirms what I've said above regarding excessive resistance in the circuit.

If it is possible to SAFELY observe the circuit with the power on and cover off, then maybe try this (at your own risk) and see if you can see any sparking on any of the terminals.

Sorry, but I don't think there is a cheap way round this one. As the board is looking a bit suspect/burned anyway, you could try replacing that, then the heater if it still doesnt work.

Let us know how u get on.