TIME TO REPLACE THE HEATER

Every spa owner knows that there will come a time when their spa heater will fail When this time comes you need to be ready to make a decision whether to replace your hot tub heater or repair it

One of the first questions to ask is how old is you hot tub heater. The older a heater is the more likely it will continue to intermittent breakdowns and eventually total failure. If your heater is older than 5 years I would suggest you consider replacing it. The odds of another failure greatly increase with the age of the spa controller.

If your older spa pack is analog, then you should really think of upgrading to a digital spa controller. A digital spa pack comes with a LED or LCD top side controller providing many advantages. You can change the temperature right at the hot tub without getting out of the tub.

The digital controller is much more accurate meaning your water will stay at the temperature it is set for. The topside display will also give you the exact temperature of the water. Digital spa packs have solid state construction meaning there are no moving parts to break down.

Replacing a failed heating element is perhaps the least expensive spa repair. A heater element can be repaired by most spa owners without calling a service technician. If you are comfortable with this type of repair you may find the cost is around $200.

A digital spa pack normally has built in programming options. These options give owners flexibility on temperature control and pump circulation options. If a customer is away for a week they can select an economy setting which would turn down the temperature and cycle water less frequently. These programming option help to reduce operating costs.

Are you an electrician? If you are like most people, and are electronically challenged then your options for repair means calling a pool or spa repair shop. This can quickly become very expensive. Hourly rates, bench rates and travel times mean that a faulty $100 heating component can cost more than a new hot tub heater.

Which is the better option? Cost ultimately decides this. Most people are surprised to find a new digital spa pack with full warranty and new parts starts at around $800 Be aware that one repair visit for your older spa heater can run $500 or more. What is the better investment?