I traded some stuff to a guy for a Savannah Mirage Tub that didn't work. Looks like he got water in the controller and fried it. This is the first tub I've ever had. He only used it a short while and its been sitting ever since. Not exactly sure how long its been sitting. Its pretty grungy but I think we some deep cleaning could be real nice. This thing is huge with something like 29 regular jets, 3 foot jets, a huge master massage and four neck massagers.

I know I need a new controller. I haven't yet checked the blower and motor to see if those need to be replaced yet. Any recommendations on spa packs?

Also, I've removed all of the nozzles to soak and clean. It appears as though ants may have gotten in here somewhere. Are there any tricks to flushing out the lines easily? Or would it be easier to try and replace all of the hoses?

And last but not least, are there any chemicals that work really well for cleaning the tub itself? Or the other way, any chemicals I should steer clear of so I don't damage it?

Thanks for any info!

Mike

You gotta be kidding me. What on earth did you trade to get this tub with that many jets? Awesome man.

We prefer to belive that most of the hardened equipment is probably GOOD and not yet dead when it comes to replacing a system in order to save money. I'll bet that they're probably still ok.. the pump and blower that is.

If you're wondering what to set that thing on... I've seen them all, and I'll tell you, it all depends on the capacity of the earth to support it evenly over the space it occupies. (Duh?! From very recent experience, (in the last couple of weeks), I've seen one spa installation that was done on a full concrete pad (with rebar reinforcement) that tilted about 8 degrees aafter a year which ended up with the water almost overflowing the side on one end, and yet even with the skimmer middle level on the other.

The second was a spa shell built into the deck that had a gas heater that I converted to a STD1000 electric heater/controller install - and at 15 years old, it only had a tilt of about a couple of degrees, and it was supported by about 8 different points, with the base and seat supports end up sitting in the dirt/clay - just those concrete brick things you can buy at Home Depot for about a buck a piece.

You can never tell about the earth a hot tub sitting until you put 3000 pounds of weight on it. Pavers, rocks, bricks, right on the backyard bermuda grass - hey, they all work but be prepared to move it or do some adjustments later on if it starts to move or tilt. There are no guarantees.

For your particular self contained hot tub, be sure that the base of the spa, (the center), is supported well. That's the most important thing. You never want to hang a spa shell from the edges like in a deck installation. The best way to treat a tub shell is to be certain that all of it is supported equally. Most self-contained tubs like yours will never have a problem with this.

You asked about ants. Ants love spas. They eat the insulation right out of them and camp out.... A hot tub is like a summer home for ants (as well as squirrels and mice). Use appropriate measures (bug bomb) to get rid of them).

As for flushing the lines out... heh... get the thing up and running again, shock the heck out of the water (a couple of cups of clorox will do the trick) and you should be fine with whatever's invaded your tub territory.

Ummm... back to saving you money again (nobody likes a spa that's a money pit) -

Now on to cleaning the tub itself........ (chemicals and such)

Drain the thing and wipe it down with kitchen towel if you like. That's about as good as it gets. If you wanna get into the science of polishing perfectly good acrylic with turtle wax then fine, but don't waste your time, in my opinion.

Let it go. This is not rocket science as some make it out to be.

Oh yeah, last thingy, remember that the less stuff that you put into your water, the better you and your equipment will be. Just keep the ph straight and you'll be good. Check it once a week or so (minimum every 2 weeks), and you should be ok.

For a control system to replace what you've got, with minimum alterations/modifications, check out this one:
STD-1000
Be sure to look at the photos associated with it.

Any other questions, I'm at extension 105 - otherwise just ask for Terry, Jeff or Barb and they'll help you just fine.

Best of luck.

Thanks for all the great info. I actually traded an old motorcycle for it. Haha. I suppose that could be a sign of getting older, but hey, I'm pretty sure I made out on the deal. The bike was only worth about 1000 bucks if that.

The only reason I was asking about cleaning the inside is because the whole time the tub was sitting, it was 'mostly' empty except for maybe a foot or so of water in the bottom. And it doesn't appear as though he had the cover on it the entire time as there where some leaves and twigs hanging out. So, the inside has alot of grunge like tree sap and water marks. I'll just try scrubbing it down a bit with some milder stuff I suppose. I just didn't want to use some heavy duty cleanser that might damage the tub. Wasn't exactly sure what it was made of ya know?

But cool.. everything sounds good. Thanks again for all the info. Maybe I'll post some before and after pics.

MG

Sounds like both of you made out ok. Heck I'd do the trade both ways, I like bikes and tubs. FYI, a new SHELL, with no skirt, plumbed with that many jets ready to connect to new equipment from a decent manufacturer will cost in excess of $1200 - $1800 depending on your sourcing (and at 1200 you need have a guy at the factory selling them out the back door), so you did great. Since you've got a completely skirted spa and you can move it all in one piece you did even better. (Est - about $2000 minimum - real world - value overall).

I always watch the local cheap advertising sources for dead/used tubs - many times you can find them for less than a few hundred bucks, or just 'take it away I don't wanna see it anymore' kind a thing which is even better. Not everyone is suited for the venture.

Yeah let us know if we can be of help. We're in the business to help folks get their tubs up - it's what helps us pay the bills too. Your before and after photos are always welcome and desired.

Thanks.