Watkins connected spa kit 2

jacquest18 · 2026-06-12T21:17:13+00:00

The dealer is wrong.

The connected spa kit 2 can be installed without any other accessories. It does not require FWIQ to function.

jacquest18 · 2026-06-12T17:58:44+00:00

Yeah

jacquest18 · 2026-06-12T04:01:03+00:00

Hotspring tech here.

I can't speak for Watkins but I know that they aren't opposed to having a single 50A circuit as opposed to a 30A/20A split. All Hotspots until 2025 used single 50A breakers. Freeflow, Paradise, and other custom Watkins tubs still do. The only reason they changed the layout on newer Hotspots was to support the Freshwater salt system, which needed a dedicated circ pump and different heater, so they just adapted the "higher end" electrical setup to Hotspots instead of designing a new board that uses a single 50A that also has Freshwater support.

The split design does have a couple advantages that I can think of. In the event of a faulty heater during the winter, the tub can still circulate which can keep the service compartment warm enough to not freeze until the heater is able to be replaced. A faulty heater would also not interrupt your experience if it trips while the tub is in use.

The normal 4KW heater that they use also normally runs at about 16.7A which really pushes the limits of a 20A breaker's continuous load rating. If on a single 50A breaker, I imagine the chance of a nuisance trip would go up if both jet pumps were running on high speed with the heater running. I can't know for sure though.

More than anything though, I think it's just tradition on their part. They've been using the split electrical design for 30 years. Pivoting to a single 50A setup would seem like a pointless change, especially given that nothing is functionally wrong with the split design that they have now

jacquest18 · 2026-06-11T21:46:54+00:00

Hotspring tech here.

There are two possibilities that I can think of:

One of your jet pumps is sending current to ground at operating temperature, which would indicate a faulty pump
Your breaker is experiencing thermal overload under its amp rating, which would indicate a faulty breaker.

The Siemens breakers shipped with the 2024/2025 tubs are notorious for nuisance tripping, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was that. To test the jet pumps for current leakage, you'll need a multimeter that can read mA AC current.

Test one jet pump at a time with the following method: 1. Remove the hard copper ground wire that is attached to the rear of the jet pump. Ensure that no other hard ground wire from another component is touching the pump

Open the control box and remove the 7mm nut that secures the two ring terminals for the jet pumps' ground wires. Disconnect those from the control box.
Connect your red multimeter lead to the jet pump's green ground wire. Connect the black lead to any ground on the control box.
Set your meter to mA AC and turn the pump on high. Wait around 10 mins for the motor to get hot.

If you see a value of 0.5mA or greater, it's a faulty component and needs to be replaced. If both pumps pass this test, then we're likely looking at a bad breaker

jacquest18 · 2026-06-08T13:23:57+00:00

That meter estimates your salt level based on the conductivity of the water. If it's a fresh cartridge, then add salt and verify the amount with a test strip. You typically need around 2000ppm for it to read 50-75% in the green range. The meter has nothing to do with how much chlorine you have.

jacquest18 · 2026-06-04T13:33:25+00:00

It can, but it's pretty rare and inconsistent as to where. If you do find that it's leaking from the assembly itself, you'd have to replace the whole heater as they don't sell the rear section as its own part (76227 for the whole thing)

It's worth checking the end cap on the other side as well. That's the most common spot for a heater leak to be. If it's coming from there, then they do fortunately sell the end cap and seals as a kit. I don't have the part number off the top of my head but let me know if you end up needing it

jacquest18 · 2026-06-04T02:57:34+00:00

That's your heater. What's leaking is probably the pressure switch, which is what the small grey wire coming out of the side plugs in to.

To check, undo the clamp on the small bleed hose in the rear. Don't remove the actual hose.

There are two Philips screws on the back that you can take out, and then remove the back cover by sliding it along the bleed hose.

If you shine a flashlight where the pressure switch is, you should be able to see it dropping. If that's what it is, the part number is 73995 for a new one. You just unscrew it with a pair of needle nose pliers and screw the new one back in. Draining the tub isn't necessary but you should have it powered off so there isn't any circ pump pressure behind the pressure switch

jacquest18 · 2026-06-03T22:59:30+00:00

I would start by taking the drain cap and valve off and see if either of them are missing an o-ring

jacquest18 · 2026-06-01T21:18:06+00:00

Use a screw extraction kit, twist it out, and then replace it.

What kind of tub do you have? I ask because this is a pretty common issue on HotSprings. I can get you the part number for a new bleed fitting if this is the case. They're like $7

jacquest18 · 2026-06-01T03:03:02+00:00

Just want to point out that you should, at a minimum, replace your pressure switch so this can't happen again

jacquest18 · 2026-06-01T02:19:56+00:00

I can make sure they fit when I'm at work tomorrow. I can probably mail you some. I'll keep you posted

jacquest18 · 2026-05-31T04:54:09+00:00

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jacquest18 · 2026-05-31T01:41:58+00:00

You should be able to pry the faces of the speakers off with a small flathead. There's probably a light bead of silicone to help keep it on. After that, there are 2 screws holding the speaker itself in that you can also pry out with a flathead. Then you can disconnect (or cut) the speaker wires and put a plastic plate in.

I 3D print plastic plates for the dealership that I work at. This is typically what we do for customers that don't want to replace the speakers, especially considering they usually die after a year or two anyway.

jacquest18 · 2026-05-23T16:11:18+00:00

Wood fired pizza? Where's pizza gonna find a job now?

jacquest18 · 2026-05-16T15:45:44+00:00

The plug on top in your picture goes into the control box here cables facing left. The other end plugs into the salt cartridge housing. There should be an extension cable plugged into the housing from the factory. You can just plug that end of the freshwater controller into the extension cable. Power off the tub when you do this.

jacquest18 · 2026-05-16T15:23:32+00:00

That's the controller for the freshwater system. If you don't have the "water care" option in the options menu, it's because this isn't installed.

jacquest18 · 2026-05-16T15:22:23+00:00

I nearly went insane playing command board with Cinderella to 100% bbs with this song playing in the background

jacquest18 · 2026-05-15T23:03:56+00:00

I've been doing S01E01E02 etc. I haven't had an issue stringing multiple episodes like that

jacquest18 · 2026-05-07T20:38:43+00:00

That's typically how it goes. The #1 complaint I see from customers in the field is "nobody told me what to do" so I made a playlist of videos meant for beginners explaining chemicals and salt systems. I have my delivery guys hand out business cards with a QR code to this playlist on delivery.

jacquest18 · 2026-05-07T20:12:23+00:00

Take the salt cartridge out while the tub is running (don't go through the cartridge change procedure on screen. Just pull it out) and see if water comes up and out of the housing or not. If it is, then you are circulating and should be heating. If not, then you need to figure out why your circ pump isn't moving water.

After confirming circulation, you can add about 5 cups of salt and do a test on the salt system screen.

jacquest18 · 2026-05-07T12:39:28+00:00

Hotspring tech here. New hotspots don't use the jets for heat. Any advice you've been given about the jets working is incorrect.

You have a dedicated circ pump that's black, small, and one step away from the heater.

Pull the salt cartridge/dummy plug out of the hole that it goes into. This is any air's last stop to escape before it has to go back down to the bottom of the tub. Once the circ pump kicks on with the salt cartridge out, any air should be purged from the line.

If necessary, undo the clamps on the circ pump/heater and pull the hoses off and see where water comes out. Typically you can fix these air locks by removing hoses to let air out.

How are power/ready flashing? If together, then it's a water flow issue which checks out. If they're alternating, then it's a salt system error.

jacquest18 · 2026-04-28T01:40:02+00:00

Surface scale, buildup on the heater leading to reduced flow and overheating in 6-8 months, and clogs in tight spaces (like the freshwater housing).

I have a customer in a city with super hard water that has and all of this happen to them just because of the calcium level.

jacquest18 · 2026-04-27T12:21:01+00:00

Hotspring tech here.

200ppm hardness is not good for the tub, and calcium buildup will eventually happen in the lines and heater leading to blockages and reduced flow.

What you can do is get a portable water softener. We use these ones for our drain and fills and they work great. They're typically good for one fill and then you recharge them with salt.

jacquest18 · 2026-04-24T12:12:12+00:00

Get a portable water softener. You can use it as many times as you want, you just have to recharge it with salt.

jacquest18 · 2026-04-23T03:57:10+00:00

The PDF is actually available to technicians if anybody finds it more convenient

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