LTR50001143, Rev.
Important Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . 1 Cleaning and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . 22 Preparing for Your New Portable Spa . . 3 Removing and Reseating the Pillows . . . . 22 Pre-Delivery Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Planning the Best Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Preparing a Good Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . 4 240 Volt Electrical Installation . . . . . . . . . . 5 120 Volt Electrical Installation . . . . . . . . . . 5 Testing the GFCI Breaker . . . . . .
Important Safety Instructions WARNING: DANGER -- Risk of injury: To reduce the risk of injury, do not permit children to use this product unless they are closely supervised at all times. The suction fittings in this spa are sized to match the specific water flow created by the pump. Should the need arise to replace the suction fittings, or the pump, be sure the flow rates are compatible.
Read This First! 2 DANGER -- Risk of electric shock: • Replace a damaged power cord immediately. • Do not bury the power cord. • Connect to a grounded, grounding-type receptacle only. WARNING: People with infectious diseases should not use a spa or hot tub. WARNING: To avoid injury, exercise care when entering or exiting the spa or hot tub. WARNING: Do not use drugs or alcohol before or during the use of a spa or hot tub to avoid unconsciousness and possible drowning.
Preparing for Your New Portable Spa Most cities and counties require permits for exterior construction and electrical circuits. In addition, some communities have codes requiring residential barriers such as fencing and/or self-closing gates on property to prevent unsupervised access to the property by children. Your dealer can provide information on which permits may be required and how to obtain them prior to the delivery of your spa.
Preparing for Your New Portable Spa 4 Preparing a Good Foundation Your spa needs a solid and level foundation. The area that it sits on must be able to support the weight of the spa, with water and the occupants who use it. If the foundation is inadequate, it may shift or settle after the spa is in place, causing stress that could DAMAGE YOUR SPA SHELL AND FINISH. Damage caused by inadequate or improper foundation support is not covered by the warranty.
5 240 Volt Electrical Installation These instructions describe the only acceptable electrical wiring procedure. Spas wired in any other way will void your warranty and may result in serious injury. When installed in the United States, the electrical wiring of this spa must meet the requirements of NEC 70 and any applicable local, state, and federal codes. The electrical circuit must be installed by an electrical contractor and approved by a local building or electrical inspector.
Preparing for Your New Portable Spa 6 GFCI Wiring Diagram American Spa Owner’s Manual LTR50001143, Rev.
7 1. Inspect the spa equipment. After the spa has been placed on an approved surface and has been correctly wired by a licensed electrician, inspect all plumbing connections in the equipment area of your spa. Ensure that these connections are secure and that they did not loosen during shipment. If your spa has gate valves, make sure they are all in the UP or OPEN position. Never run the spa with the gate valves closed or without water circulating for long periods of time.
8 Preparing for Your New Portable Spa 4. Turn on power to the spa. When the spa is filled to the correct level, turn on the power at the GFCI breaker. (Ensure that the 120V spas are connected to the proper electrical outlet.) 5. Prime the pump. Your spa will perform a self-diagnostic check and go into Priming Mode. The control panel will display either RUN PUMPS PURG AIR --- or Priming Mode, depending on which control panel you have. Do the following: 1.
9 New spa owners often have difficulty the first time they start their spa and the pump fails to prime. This can be frustrating, but these simple instructions can help you. Sometimes air can become trapped in the pump while filling the spa. You will know this has happened when after you have filled and started the spa, the pump does not seem to function. You will hear the pump operating, but no water will be moving. There are two methods of priming the pump.
Operating Your Spa 10 Operating Your Spa Electronic Control Operation Initial Start up When first powered up, your hot tub will perform a self-diagnostic check and go into priming mode. When the control panel displays PR, IMMEDIATELY do the following: setting will flash. • While the display is flashing, each time you press Temp button, the set temperature will change up or down one degree.
11 NOTE: Displayed temperature will only be current after the pump has been running for at least two minutes. Switching Modes • Press the Temp button followed by the Light button. • Press the same sequence to switch to the next mode. The factory has programmed the cycle to last for one hour for single pump systems and two hours for two pump systems, but this can be changed to your preference. To change the filtration cycle, press the Temp button then the Jets button.
Operating Your Spa 12 Electrical Power Efficiency Your new spa comes equipped with an electric heater. Following the directions listed below will ensure the most efficient operation: NOTE: This method is only for spa usage under two hours a week. • Keep the spa’s operating temperature 5˚F below the desired usage temperature when not in use. One or two hours before use, set the temperature to the desired temperature.
13 Meaning Action Required LF Persistent low flow problems. Heater is shut down, but other spa functions continue to run normally. Displays on the fifth occurrence of the HL or HFL message within 24 hours. Follow action required for HL or HFL message. Heating capacity of the spa will not reset automatically. Press any button to reset. OH OHS Overheat protection. The spa has shut down. One of the sensors has detected that the spa water is 110°F. DO NOT ENTER THE WATER.
Operating Your Spa 14 Jets Almost all of the jets in your spa are adjustable. Rotating the face of an adjustable jet to the left (counter-clockwise) will decrease the amount of water flow through the jet. Rotating the face of an adjustable jet to the right (clockwise) will increase the amount of water flow through the jet. (See example shown below.) Neck jets adjust in the opposite directions (counterclockwise to increase, clockwise to decrease).
15 Some spa series include a waterfall. When the booster pump is on, rotate the dial on top (for the cascade waterfall) or turn the knob (for the hydro streamer -see below). Hydro Streamer Waterfall Your spa may include two to eight streamer waterfalls. When the booster pump is on, turn the 1” diverter knob to adjust the rate of flow to the waterfall jets. The waterfall jet faces are not adjustable. Do not turn the jet faces because you may accidentally remove them.
Clear Water Plan Contents of this section: Testing and Adjusting Spa Water Sanitation Filtration Bather Load Starting the Spa with Fresh Water Maintenance Schedule Troubleshooting Water Clarity Problems This section is intended for new spa owners with no experience with water chemistry. Everyone’s experience with maintaining water quality is different, but there are some general concepts you need to know. Water maintenance is not difficult, although it requires regular attention.
17 You have two types of testing methods to choose from: • The reagent test kit is a method which provides a high level of accuracy. It is available in either liquid or tablet form. • Test strips are a convenient testing method commonly used by spa owners. Balancing the Total Alkalinity Balancing the Calcium Hardness Total alkalinity (TA) is the measure of the total levels of carbonates, bicarbonates, hydroxides, and other alkaline substances in the water. TA can be considered a “pH buffer”.
Clear Water Plan 18 Sanitation Sanitizers kill bacteria and other organic waste by breaking them down to non-harmful levels and are filtered out. Before you fill your spa, you need to decide which chemical sanitizer you wish to use. Consult your Cal Spas dealer for the right decision with regards to your lifestyle and spa usage. We recommend either bromine or chlorine as your sanitizer. Both work well when maintained regularly. DO NOT use trichlor.
19 “Bather Load” is the term used to describe the number of people using a spa, combined with the length of usage, and the frequency of usage. All these factors have a great effect on the spa water. The higher the bather load, the more chemicals need to be added and a longer filtration time will be needed.
Clear Water Plan 20 Maintenance Schedule Each time you refill the spa Follow the section “Filling and Powering Up Your Portable Spa” on page 7. Prior to each use Test the spa water using either test strips a reagent test kit. Adjust chemical levels as necessary. Once a week Test the spa water using either test strips a reagent test kit. Adjust chemical levels as necessary. If your water source is high in calcium, add stain and scale preventer. Once a month Deep clean your spa’s filter.
21 Problem Cloudy Water Probable Causes Possible Solutions • Dirty filter • Clean filter • Excessive oils / organic matter • Shock spa with sanitizer • Improper sanitization • Add sanitizer • Suspended particles / organic matter • Adjust pH and/or alkalinity to recommended range • Overused or old water • Run jet pump and clean filter • Drain and refill the spa • Excessive organics in water • Shock spa with sanitizer • Improper sanitization • Add sanitizer • Low pH • Adju
Cleaning and Maintenance 22 Cleaning and Maintenance Removing and Reseating the Pillows You can remove the pillows for cleaning and maintenance quickly and easily. This method works for all types of pillows. Grab the lower edge of the pillow with both hands firmly and pull up. As you do this, the pillow inserts will pop out of the holes. Reseat the pillows by aligning the pillow inserts with the holes and tapping the pillow hard enough to insert the pegs back into the holes.
23 1. Turn off the power at the breaker. 2. Remove all filters. 3. Using a Phillips screwdriver, remove the screws to the access panel and open it. 4. Locate hose ending with the ¾ inch hose-bib fixture. 5. Unscrew the cap. 6. Hook up the female end of a garden hose to the drain fitting. 7. Place the other end of the garden hose where you would like the water to drain to. 8. Turn the valve on the hose-bib fixture to open the drain. 9. Let spa drain completely, then remove garden hose. 10.
Cleaning and Maintenance 24 Vacation Care You can leave your spa unattended for up to two weeks if you follow these instructions. ALWAYS lock your cover using the cover locks if you plan to be away from home and the spa is filled with water. 1. Set the spa to Sleep Mode. (See instructions on page 10 for changing modes.) 2. Following the water quality instructions starting on page 16, adjust the pH. 3. Shock the water (add either chlorine or bromine sanitizer). 4.
25 Spa Cover and Pillows Due to the constant punishment your spa cover and pillows receive, you should protect them by applying a vinyl and leather cleaner as part of your monthly maintenance plan. Use a product that is specifically designed to protect spa covers and pillows from chemical and ultraviolet light damage without leaving an oily residue behind that is normally associated with common automotive vinyl protectants. Warning: Do not use automotive vinyl protectants on spa covers or pillows.
Appendix 26 Appendix Replacement Parts Jets Please visit www.quickspaparts.com to order your replacement parts. NJD 2” Neck Jet Directional Red Star Fire 100% Shut Off PLUCS2295451CAR-8 Note: All American Spa models use screw-in jet inserts where removable jets are used.
Please visit www.quickspaparts.com to order your replacement parts.
Please visit www.quickspaparts.com to order your replacement parts. Appendix 28 Covers All spa covers are designed with a tapered height, angling downward from the center to the sides to drive off rain and prevent water from pooling. Basic 4” - 2.5” 1.0 Lb. foam The covers listed below are filled with 1 lb. foam.
29 Symptom Possible Causes Possible Solutions System / Power Problems System does not work Power is turned off Reset spa Control pad and spa equipment do not operate No electrical power to spa Turn on or reset the GFCI circuit breaker. If this does not solve the problem, have a qualified electrician check the electrical service.
Appendix 30 Symptom Possible Causes Possible Solutions Water Problems Water is not clean For all water clarity problems, see page 16. High water consumption Very high evaporation or heavy splashing Use the cover and refill as necessary Low water stream from the jets Running in FILTER mode - slow speed Select high speed jets Block wall suctions or skimmer Clean the wall suction/skimmer.
31 Possible Causes Possible Solutions Pump Problems Pump runs constantly – will not shut off Problem with circuit board Contact your dealer Noisy pump Water level is too low Add water to normal level Block wall suctions or skimmer Clean the wall suction/skimmer Damaged or worn-out motor block Contact your dealer Clogged floor suction or skimmer Clean floor suction or skimmer Leakage of air into suction line Contact your dealer Debris is inside pump Contact your dealer Gate valves are clos
Limited Warranty This limited warranty is extended to the original purchaser of an American Spa™ manufactured after January 1, 2014 and installed for residential use. This limited warranty is only valid on portable spas delivered in the United States and Canada. 5 LIM WA R R A N T Y YEAR TR UC TUR S ITED 2 LIM ITED WA R R A N T Y 2 Years Shell Finish American Spas are warranted against blistering, cracking, or delaminating of the interior surface of the spa shell.
33 Warranty Limitations This Limited Warranty is void if: American Spas (the “Manufacturer”) or its designated representative determines that the spa has been subjected to alteration, neglect, misuse or abuse, or freight damage caused by the common carrier; any repairs have been attempted by anyone other than a designated representative; or if the failure is caused by accident, acts of God or other causes beyond the control of the Manufacturer.
Locating the Product Serial Number The serial number of your spa is located on a metal plate attached to the lower right front panel of the spa. You will need this number to properly register your spa and activate coverage. Write this information in the space provided below.
