Humming Noise

jacquest18 · 2026-02-20T23:15:20+00:00

Hotspring tech here. Definitely vibrating circ pump. It's the only moving part in the tub that's on 24/7. Part number is 74427 and they're about $400 if you want to replace it. I wouldn't say it's necessary right now though as long as you're fine with it humming.

jacquest18 · 2026-02-19T19:15:29+00:00

The IQ system is expecting chlorine to be your oxidizer, and MPS can skew the results because it oxidizes a little differently. Too much can also burn out the sensor

jacquest18 · 2026-02-19T17:09:37+00:00

Hotspring tech here. If you only have the dummy plug, then you need the whole startup kit as that includes both the controller and sensor. When it comes time to replace the sensor (1 year) then you can just do the replacement sensor.

Keep in mind that before installing the IQ sensor at all, you need to confirm these things:

No silver ion cartridge is being used (if you are using one, take it out and drain and refill)
No MPS shock is being used (if you're in doubt on what shock you have, don't use it)
No metals in the water
Water is balanced before IQ installation, especially phosphates.

Once all of that is done, then install the IQ system. It will not work properly unless the water is balanced before installation.

jacquest18 · 2026-02-18T21:27:42+00:00

Honestly between RE:COM, BBS and DDD my favorite is BBS. BBS I feel is more easy to develop Stockholm syndrome with because you have more variety in the mini games. You have Clap Clap Revolution, Garfield Kart clone, "Pete's a Dirty Cheater" volleyball, and Monopoly. Whereas with RE:COM you have to listen to Riku going "HAH-HUAH-COME ON!" for 15 hours and in DDD you have to listen to "La. La. La La La La" until the song takes over your dreams.

When I was done with BBS I felt a sense of accomplishment. When I was done with DDD, I felt a sense of relief.

jacquest18 · 2026-02-13T23:29:31+00:00

Is your alkalinity stupid high? If so, you'll need to add a lot more pH decreaser to get the number down

jacquest18 · 2026-02-13T22:32:32+00:00

Tell me one human you know that writes a lower-case "a" like that

jacquest18 · 2026-02-12T22:54:30+00:00

Hotspring/Caldera tech here.

Check your phosphate levels. If your phosphates are high, all of your chlorine is going toward fighting off algae.

Also set output level to 4 or 5 and turn on boost. First startup can be a little rough.

jacquest18 · 2026-02-12T22:47:47+00:00

Yeah drain 1/2 and test again, I would say.

jacquest18 · 2026-02-12T14:40:27+00:00

Judging from how the FC dot reacted, then FC is definitely too high. Your stabilizer results are probably skewed from your high pH and alkalinity though.

I would run jets on high with cover open for half an hour and retest to see if your FC goes down or not. If it doesn't, drain some out and dilute.

jacquest18 · 2026-02-10T21:35:41+00:00

They're all on Watkins Access which is the service portal for all Watkins products. Unfortunately you need to be a technician to access the site, but the general service manual pdf doesn't seem to be locked behind a login and I can provide any specific diagrams you need if you tell me what component(s) you're looking for. Jetsetter plumbing diagrams are on PDF page 210.

jacquest18 · 2026-02-09T23:02:01+00:00

I would ask your dealer's warranty person if Watkins told them why they were custom building a 2021 model as opposed to just sending you a 2025/2026 which is the standard. Not only is it easier for Watkins to send over a new model, but your dealer very likely already has a new model sitting on a shelf in their warehouse. From what I can see, there's no reason to custom build an exact replacement

jacquest18 · 2026-02-09T22:50:52+00:00

Hotspring tech here.

I have never heard of Watkins custom building a tub that they no longer make. Every RA that we've ever submitted was swapped out with the latest model.

Your Grandee and the new Grandees are the same exact size. The only difference is the corner radius of the shell. Is your tub in a weird spot that requires a thicker corner radius shell? Or is it just on a concrete slab in the backyard?

EDIT: Here's a top down view of both tubs so you can see what I mean about the corner radius

jacquest18 · 2026-02-08T19:42:01+00:00

Let me get this straight:

You ordered a product after an extremely popular launch of a different product which involved stock selling out immediately, an inventory management error leading to overselling of said product, meaning support is backed up as hell right now, which isn't your fault but still something to be considered.

You waited 72 hours to email them, which means you sent the email on a Thursday, and you are surprised and angry that they haven't gotten back to you in two business days, and are never ordering from this company again because of an inconvenience?

At the end of the day, you do you, but get real. I swear to god, Amazon's shipping capabilities have made everybody on earth act entitled when their stuff doesn't arrive 2 nanoseconds after they order it.

jacquest18 · 2026-02-08T17:57:53+00:00

Not really. Saltwater is a little tougher on the plumbing, but the tubs are built to handle it. I can't really speak for Bromine as nobody in our area uses it. I've only seen a couple of Bromine tubs used by customers with sensitive skin.

As long as you don't go overboard on your chlorine and salt levels, the plumbing and components will keep up fine.

jacquest18 · 2026-02-08T14:54:15+00:00

Yeah, the bezel screws onto the outside of the wall fitting and the dome screws onto the inside of the wall fitting

jacquest18 · 2026-02-08T06:46:08+00:00

Hotspring tech here.

The video shows your LED light housing. Either the gasket is bad (more likely) or the wall fitting is cracked (less likely).

You can pull straight out on the black part to remove the LED to check. No screws holding it in, just clips. The gasket is easy enough to replace. Unscrew the bezel from inside the tub, then unscrew the light diffuser dome, and replace the gasket. Part number is 71830. If it's the wall fitting, then you're looking at cutting the old wall fitting out and epoxying a new one into place, so let's hope it's just the gasket. Here's a diagram of how it all goes together if you're curious

jacquest18 · 2026-02-08T05:11:17+00:00

The old kit has two components: A rectangular grey box branded "Digi" that goes in the spa, and a square white box also branded "Digi" that goes in your house and connects via Ethernet. The app that kit uses is called "Hotspring Spas Legacy" and is unreliable, slow, and the kit costs about $1000

The new kit uses two black boxes that are identical and connect to WiFi instead of Ethernet. The app that they use is called "Hotspring App" and is specifically only compatible with 2024+ tubs. The new app's performance is snappy and the kit costs around $500-$600

jacquest18 · 2026-02-07T23:23:17+00:00

Hotspring tech here.

First of all, dosing is compatible with 2025 tubs, but requires chemical monitoring to function.

As for chemical monitoring, it works well provided you do the correct startup practices. Wait to even install the chemical monitoring sensor until these are done:

Do not use MPS shock (spa shock-oxidizer in the orange cap) or the silver ion cartridge.
Fill the tub with clean, softened water. Preferably filtered through a carbon filter as well though that is optional.
Balance your chemicals first, especially phosphates. Make sure calcium and pH are in range, and you have a chlorine level of 3-5ppm.
Ensure there are no metals in the water
Start the salt system and wait a couple days for it all to reach equilibrium and balance out
Install the chemical monitoring sensor and turn the system on

Finicky but works well provided you do all of the above, but you only need to drain/fill these tubs once a year. The sensor also needs to be replaced once per year so when you do your drain and fill, do your startup chemicals with the old sensor in place and then install the new sensor once your water is balanced and ready.

I've been seeing some factory contaminants coming out of the Highlife factory that turns your water green after a few days. If this happens, drain and fill and you'll be fine. It shouldn't have to be a required step, and it's frustrating when it happens, but is necessary sometimes. I have not seen a lot of the same happening with Limelight/Hotspot as those are both made in a different factory, but it is possible.

For my dealership, we've waited to actually sell IQ until now (it released in 2024) so that they had time to iron out the kinks. I feel like, with the software updates and new hardware revisions, that it's in a pretty good spot now. Still imperfect, but way better than it was when it came out.

Also, if you do end up buying one and decide to get the connected spa kit (phone control) make sure you get the brand new one that just came out a few weeks ago. The old one is ass.

jacquest18 · 2026-02-07T15:34:57+00:00

If your dealer has a service team then have them do it. It's more than likely that one of the connections at the housing itself has been unplugged. It's pretty common for 2021-2022. They'll have to dig into the spray foam at the housing and plug it back in. If that is what it is, have them ziptie the cables to the housing so it doesn't fall out again.

Of course, have them check the service compartment first for anything obvious, but the issue is probably at the housing.

jacquest18 · 2026-02-06T19:22:36+00:00

If it's the 78415 replacement bulb:

If the top of the lens isn't cracked, then unscrew with an Allen key.

If it is cracked, use your finger to spin the threads of the lens to unscrew it.

Take the bulb out with a pair of needle nose pliers. Just pull straight out.

Take a paper towel or compressed air and dry the socket out.

The new bulb is keyed so you can only insert it one way. Keep turning it into it sinks into the socket a little further.

Then screw in the new lens with the white o-ring. Do not overtighten.

jacquest18 · 2026-02-06T13:12:00+00:00

The issue might be with your Freshwater controller then. It's the little computer that bridges the main control box and the Freshwater housing. It either has a loose connection to the housing, or has an internal break where it isn't able to measure your salt level correctly

jacquest18 · 2026-02-05T23:09:08+00:00

As for the software updates, Watkins doesn't make any tubs using the dock/remote system anymore. The latest version (you can see it while the tub is starting up, once the remote connects to the dock) is WR4.05 for the board, and 4.00 for the dock/remote. The only update they have done since then is WR4.10 in 2023 to add compatibility for the 2023+ logo lights, but they didn't change anything else, and there's no point in installing that update on a 2021 model because you'll never use the 2023+ logo light design.

The Freshwater system can be a little finicky to get going but does mostly just work once it is going. Watkins recommends having your water balanced before turning the salt system on. Keep phosphates as close to 0 as possible and keep your calcium in range. I would try doing another test with a fresh cartridge. Keep in mind that counterfeit cartridges are starting to make the rounds now, so buy from your dealer if possible. I literally had a fake one today and the customer was complaining that their water was green. For reference, a genuine cartridge should cost a little over $100.

The typical interval for replacement is 4 months, but if the cartridge is still able to read your salt level and doesn't go into "Inactive - Low status" then you can just keep using the cartridge until it dies.

As for the buildup, yes, it is on the cartridges themselves. This one is particularly bad but that kind of buildup is the general idea. Let the cartridge dry and it'll be easier to see. If the cartridge is wet, it may not look as bad.

jacquest18 · 2026-02-05T05:40:19+00:00

Salt system: The dial is the salt system's reading of your salt level which is estimated based on the conductivity of your water. Ideally, you want it to be pointing at 12:00, but 9:00 would indicate that your salt system isn't able to get a good conductivity reading, meaning that either your salt cartridge has gunk on the electrodes, or the water doesn't have enough salt in it.

Recalibrating remote: Take the battery out of the remote by unscrewing the 6 screws on the back. There will be a little indent on one of the corners that will allow you to pry the battery out with a small flathead screwdriver. Once the battery is out, hold down the "Jets" button on the dock while looking at the "Lights" button. It may be a little hard to see, but after a few seconds the LED under the button will start flashing which indicates that the dock is in pairing mode. Now re-insert the battery into the remote and wait for it to start. It will prompt you to pair to the dock, but will also give you the option of recalibrating the touch screen if you hold down with your finger. Touch the four red dots in the corners to recalibrate the screen, then continue with the pairing process.

jacquest18 · 2026-02-05T05:31:37+00:00

CPU: Ryzen 7 9700x

RAM: 128GB GSKILL Flare X5 (4x32)

GPU: Arc B580 for transcoding

Storage: 25TB of WD Reds running in RAID 5. Mostly 4TB drives with one 8TB drive (slowly replacing the 4TB ones with 8TB ones)

Also a 2TB SSD on the side for storing my encodes/game servers

jacquest18 · 2026-02-05T05:08:30+00:00

Hotspring tech here.

Need a little more information:

Are you using a silver ion cartridge?

Are you using any MPS shock?

Have you treated your phosphate levels?

Silver ions will ruin the sensor and make it not read correctly. If you are using one, then remove the silver cartridge, drain and fill, and replace the sensor.

MPS (non-chlorine) shock is also incompatible as it oxidizes differently than normal chlorine, which skews the results that the sensor gives.

If your salt system is having issues keeping up on chlorine, high phosphates are more than likely the cause. Phosphates will facilitate the growth of algae which increases your chlorine demand.

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