Hot Tub Forum
Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: Venissa on July 03, 2006, 03:21:58 pm
-
I have a coleman model 461 Spa......We wanted to use the hot tub in the summer nights......But the hot tub is soooooo hot ranging between 109 and 114 degrees F......Is there anyway to cool a hot tub so it can be used comfortable in the summer or is a hot tub only good for winter months? Reading the owners manual there is no way to turn the header off completely so I cant cool with cold water because it will cause the header to turn on. If I cant use in the summer, can I drain this hot tub during the summer and wait to refill in the winter? Will it hurt anything for it not to have water in it during the summer months?
-
Place a tennis ball under two corners of the cover it will prop the cover open and vent the heat out , I have exra clips to accomodate the extra height so I can still lock the cover. good luck!
-
Is the cover being on it what makes it so hot?
-
Is the cover being on it what makes it so hot?
A large part of it yes. I'm not familiar with the Coleman Controls, but I bet one of the Coleman dealers might speak up. In the summer I turn down the length of the filter cycle so the pump is running less. I also go out 1/2 hour before we want to soak and open the cover. what is yours set at?
-
Venissa
Go to page 3 in the Hot Tub forum and look up, 'Hello, I'm New!' by VV. There may be a little info in the threads that can help you.
Good Luck.
-
I live in Tucson (very hot) and I have a big swing umbrella that I put over the spa. This helps control the temperature. I have a 20,000 gallon pool and the water temperature is already 90 degrees.
-
What kind of temperature controls do you have?
Can you dial the thermostat down to 90 degrees or something like that? I think we can turn our Optima down to as low as 80.
That'll keep your heater off.
Your pumps will also contribute some heat when they run, so another possiblility is to reduce filtering time, but not so much that your water gets bad.
Prop the cover open and try to keep direct sunlight off the spa are other tricks.
-
Is the cover being on it what makes it so hot?
It could be the filter cycle if set to more then 2 hours per cycle.
Also you can set the spa to filter late at night and early in the morning when it's not that hot outside.
I have a Dimension One Chairman II, and it did the same thing until I set the filter times to early am and late pm.
On mine I turn the heater off, and still it keeps the temp at around 100F during the summer. To cool it down we open the cover for a few hours and the temp drops.
-
I have a Coleman 461 and what I do is set it to economy in the summer so that it won't heat unless it hits a certain temp. I also put a tennis ball on each corner under the cover to keep it from getting to hot.
I've never heard of a hot tub getting that hot though mine will only go to 106 top temp
-
I turned the controls to sleep mode and according to the user manual in sleep mode the heater and pump would only operate during a filtration cycle to maintain the water temp 20 degrees F below the set temp.......I kept the temp set at 80 degrees F......but the temp would still remain extremely high.........I ended up draining it yesterday and noticed a blue substance around where the water line was - come to find out when I took the filter out the bottom of the filter had melted.....I guess from the extreme heat. So now I have a new problem....can anyone tell me what I can use to clean the blue plastic like substance from around the tub without damaging the surface? I plan to leave it drained until this fall - letting it set without water will not hurt anything will it?
-
I checked out this thread and funny - I am in Georgia too - maybe we are just to hot and humid to try to use a hot tub in the summer time.
Venissa
Go to page 3 in the Hot Tub forum and look up, 'Hello, I'm New!' by VV. There may be a little info in the threads that can help you.
Good Luck.
-
Venissa,
I have a Hot Springs Grandee...live in Warner Robins GA....the weather has been particuarly HOT right now. I put the temp on my hot tub at around 98-99 and use the tennis balls to prop the cover. It really does help control the temp. If I don't prop the cover, then the temp can get up to 105 or higher with the sun beating down on the cover in the afternoon. Good Luck!
Peachy
I checked out this thread and funny - I am in Georgia too - maybe we are just to hot and humid to try to use a hot tub in the summer time.
-
Get a service tech out there. It shouldn't get that hot!
High Limit sensor out??
-
But the hot tub is soooooo hot ranging between 109 and 114 degrees F......
I agree with Hymbaw, call your dealer to discuss this. Tubs do get hotter in the summer heat but unless you're in Death Valley 114º sounds like you may have another issue besides just the outside temp.
-
If your water is getting so hot that it is melting the plastic piece on the filter you've got a problem hun. That should not do that. get a tech out quick!
-
I agree with Hymbaw, call your dealer to discuss this. Tubs do get hotter in the summer heat but unless you're in Death Valley 114º sounds like you may have another issue besides just the outside temp.
It is very common in the Phoenix area for this to happen. I dont know where th auther is but its common. As far as the heat sensor out question, the answer is most likely no, the heat is from the cabinet being insulated in a fashion that theres no way for the heat to escape and the filtration cycles are generating too much heat causing it to all transfer to the water . Thats just from my experience as a past owner of a Coleman 455 ;D
-
It is very common in the Phoenix area for this to happen. I dont know where th auther is but its common.
I agree, we can't really say wihtout knowing where the spa is located. Phoneix, Death Valley, Vegas and a few other garden spots will drive spa temps that high. If the spa isn't in that type of sweltering heat, I'd start to wonder if there may be an issue.
-
Put the spa in sleep mode.
Make sure the clock on the control panel is set to the right time. If your time is wrong it may be possible that you're filtering more hours than you realize.
Adjust your filter times to three hours each in the coolest part of the day. I have mine comming on at 2am-5am, and 8pm to 11pm and put a tennis ball under the cover to let the heat escape from the water.
IF THIS DOES NOT WORK CALL YOUR DEALER YOU MAY HAVE A FAULTY HEATER OR HEAT SENSOR.
-
I am in Georgia.......the heat and humidity are TERRIBLE!
I think the Coleman is so well insulated that no heat can escape so it keeps the temp way to hot. I dont think it is a problem with a sensor or the heater.
Anyway, thanks for all the posts - as stated previously I have drained it and will refill this fall. Next year I will try the tennis balls under the cover - maybe that will work so I can use it in the summer months.
Still waiting to see if anyone has a suggestion for cleaning the water line where the filter melted and caused a blue substance build up...I dont know what to use to get it off that will not damage the hot tub surface.
Thanks again for all the wonderful advise.
-
Are you able to post a pic of the "blue substance" ? tha wil help us decipher what it may be and where its located. Thanks!
-
Put the spa in sleep mode.
Make sure the clock on the control panel is set to the right time. If your time is wrong it may be possible that you're filtering more hours than you realize.
Adjust your filter times to three hours each in the coolest part of the day. I have mine comming on at 2am-5am, and 8pm to 11pm and put a tennis ball under the cover to let the heat escape from the water.
IF THIS DOES NOT WORK CALL YOUR DEALER YOU MAY HAVE A FAULTY HEATER OR HEAT SENSOR.
With a Coleman you can specify what hours, not just how many, filtration is done? Sounds like a neat feature in cases like this.
-
Will post tomorrow........stay tuned.
Are you able to post a pic of the "blue substance" ? tha wil help us decipher what it may be and where its located. Thanks!
-
Filter melted? That sounds way beyond what hot water should have caused. A deep blue the same color as the ends of the filter?
-
The filter ends melted? WTF? I'm not sure, but a quick google suggest the melting point of plastic to be AT LEAST above 150 F. Something is screwy.
Also, if the tub is reaching temps that high just sitting in the sun, is it a good for the shell to be sitting without any water in it?
-
Also, if the tub is reaching temps that high just sitting in the sun, is it a good for the shell to be sitting without any water in it?
Thats how Pheonix cures their spas!
You know someone was going to said it. As a disclaimer, I'm making a joke regarding previous posted pictures, I've never seen a Pheonix Spa ;)
-
I find it difficult to belive the platic filter ends have melted. If they did, I don't think you'd have a blue line around the tub, wouldn't you find melted plastic in the water not a film on the water line.
I am lead to believe the blue line is somehting else (Chemical?)
Assume the plastic is a ployurathane material, it's melting point is above the boiling point of water.
-
Heck If I know.......its the same color as the plastic on the filter so I assumed thats where it came from....and the filter looks like it melted......I will post pics of all tomorrow - maybe that will help shed some light.
-
Heck If I know.......its the same color as the plastic on the filter so I assumed thats where it came from....and the filter looks like it melted......I will post pics of all tomorrow - maybe that will help shed some light.
If your filter melted plastic, I'd shut the tub off and get a tech out thier. If heat did it. then it's dangeroulsy hot. If it's a corrosive effect, then you don't want to be in the water.
-
I live just north of Georgia and our weather here is similar to yours in that state. I have a full foamed tub and although I have adjusted the heater to 101, it was still climbed up to 103 so I changed the setting from "standard" to "economy" so that filtration cycles were further apart. This worked for me andmy Jacuzzi. Does the Coleman have such an option? Days are hot and humid but the evenings are pretty nice(usually)
-
Phoneix, Death Valley, Vegas and a few other garden spots will drive spa temps that high.
I'm still laughing at the term "garden spots". Very funny.
-
Are you able to post a pic of the "blue substance" ? tha wil help us decipher what it may be and where its located. Thanks!
OK......here is a picture of the filter and the blue substance....Let me know what you guys think. The substance will not come off with elbow grease......I need to know what I should use to clean it and not damage the spa surface.
(http://home.earthlink.net/~venissag/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/filter.jpg)
(http://home.earthlink.net/~venissag/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/blue1.jpg)
(http://home.earthlink.net/~venissag/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/blue.jpg)
-
Ohhh Spahappy!?
You're a Coleman Dealer what do you think????
-
Sorry I'm so slow but had the day off yesterday.
I've never seen anything like this. I have trouble believing that the spa water got hot enough to melt the filter.
Call Coleman and get an e-mail address so you can send that picture. Send the one of the rust as well because I've never seen that on any of our spas before.
Colemans phone number is 480-895-0598
-
It appears to me as if the pH of the water is too low and the acidic nature of it is eating away at the plastic of the filter. I had a customer who let his pH get too low and it began dissolving his pillow. There's no way the water got hot enough to melt the plastic.
Try a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and some Soft Scrub.
Terminator
-
Sorry I'm so slow but had the day off yesterday.
I've never seen anything like this. I have trouble believing that the spa water got hot enough to melt the filter.
Call Coleman and get an e-mail address so you can send that picture. Send the one of the rust as well because I've never seen that on any of our spas before.
Colemans phone number is 480-895-0598
I will do that.....I never had any trouble with this spa until the heat of the summer hit........then all hell broke loose.
Thanks for the number.
Venissa
-
It appears to me as if the pH of the water is too low and the acidic nature of it is eating away at the plastic of the filter. I had a customer who let his pH get too low and it began dissolving his pillow. There's no way the water got hot enough to melt the plastic.
Try a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and some Soft Scrub.
Terminator
You know the PH always stayed low...I would have to raise it constantly.....You may have hit this on the money. I didnt know low PH could cause plastic to dissolve.
I will try the Magic Eraser and Soft Scrub.
Thanks much for the info.
Venissa
-
Wouldn't it be sort of logical that pH low enough to do that to plastic would be REALLY noticble irritating on your skin? I mean. how could you have that kind of damage to plastic and no other repurcussions?
-
Wouldn't it be sort of logical that pH low enough to do that to plastic would be REALLY noticble irritating on your skin? I mean. how could you have that kind of damage to plastic and no other repurcussions?
I am sure it would have but we had not used the spa in about a month and a half because it was too hot. I am just thankful now that we didnt.......our skin may have melted off!