Hi SpaPeople,

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience replacing the "ozone pump" in a Dimension One Crystal Pure Ultra model (circa 1992). The previous owners gave me an estimate from the local dealer for more than $500, and while we all have to make our nut, I'd think I could do it for less than half that (or it isn't getting done.)

I've repaired a couple standard (i.e., non-ozone) tubs in the past without electrocuting myself (as an electrical engineer, I'm appropriately afraid of electricity). Ozone systems seem to be mostly a generator, some small circ. pump, and maybe a filter... but I've not fiddled.

Anyway, the estimate only said that it needed a new "ozone pump." Looking under the tub, I see two basic pieces, the "Crystal Pure" black box and the rather large water pump. OK, so that means, I likely have to crack open the CP box to replace this-- hence my question. How complicated is it? My experience (short of resurfacing) has been that parts are pretty easy to replace, but this one's inside of something else.

OK, enough talking... anyone have some tips to share?

Thanks.

Hi again,

Just for fun, I thought I'd deslime the tub and take some pics. It appears that the former owners hadn't used it in some time, but after some pressure washing and an overnight drying... you can finally see the tub.

The thing that you maybe can't see is that I have to crawl under a gazebo to which the tub is mounted to get at the control and pump.

More questions for the person I KNOW is just about to post a detailed response to my questions...

1) Can the ozone pump be replaced "in-place." Or do I have to get that whole black box outta there? It's less accessible than it appears.
2) Any idea what's with the duct tape over the ozone generator "eye"? I understand that the O3 generator still works, but it's clearly had duct tape crossed over the front of it.

OK, on with the pics...

Couldn't fit them all on the last post...

Note that a couple of the jets don't appear to have nozzles on them... that is, they're just holes compared to all of them on the other side with the swiveling outlets.

Well, I am new the proud owner of a new ozone generator and pump. Replaced the old ones, and when I fired up the tub, the new ones started right up!

Great. But...

When I turn the heat on, there's a *click* (some relay popping) and nothing. The ozone's bubbling away, and the jets fire right up when I push the button, but there's no heating going on (or filtration) that I can discern.

So, back to the circulation pump? Circuit board? Anyone fiddled with one of these before? Anyone? Hello?

This has become like my blog. OK, what the heck, I'll keep at it.

So, yes, in fact, this is what they call "totally silent" heating and filtration. It seems that the ozone DOES actually cause the water to move over the heater and into the tub. How about that. Even a D1 rep told me that broken ozone wouldn't cause the tub to stop heating. I disagree. The bubbling action causes just enough flow to allow the heater to do its thing, more or less passively.

The tub only has a one speed pump-- for the jets. On or off. If the ozone pump isn't causing the flow over the heater, I don't know what is. Could be convection, I suppose, but it's awfully suspicious that the replaced ozone stuff made the heat come back on.

Now, we're almost there... the last remaining problem is that on MAX heat, it gets to about 98. It's usable, but barely. The control seems to think that 98 IS max. It lights up to tell me that I've made it to my temperature.

Now, it's likely no one actually has a clue what I'm on about, but again, I'd be happy to hear ideas, and sometimes it helps to write this stuff down.

My logic is:
- It's not the heater. The heat seems to come right out when it's allowed to run. It's the control that turns off the heat.
- It's probably a thermostat misreading the temp or the control misreading the thermostat. The control shuts off the heater too early, but until then, it heats remarkably quickly.

Anyone know of a way to adjust such a thing? A knob that allows the setting of max temp? Anything else that might cause such a symptom?

Tomorrow, I yank and clean the ozone filter canister. I'm wondering if the years of inactivity could have gunked up something in there enough to cause insufficient flow-- leading the thermostat to measure slow-moving (hot) water instead of the colder water outside. I.e., the water's hot somewhere, just not in the tub.

More to come for posterity. Maybe some after pics to go with the befores.

Hope I'm not interrupting

Probably just the T-stat. If the max you can set it to is 98, and it's signaling it's arrived at that temp, well, that's it.

The D1 rep is correct about the O3. A bad Ozone generator has nada, zip, zilch to do with yor heating system. There is no ozone pump. The bubbles are "sucked" from the ozone generator via a venturi valve plumbed into the "silent" 24 hopur circulation pump. If that pump fails, no ozone bubbles. The ozone generator isn't pushing bubbles or flow over the heater. That work is all done by the "silent" circ pump.

The "silent" circ pump is sometimes reffered to by some people as the "ozone pump" because you won't get ozone without it.... but that's a little misleading. It's actually the filtering and heating pump, that just happens to have a venturi line plumbed into it for the option of adding an ozone generator.

If it heats right up to 98 (farily quickly) and goes no higher, eothe ra tmep sensor or T-stat problem is very likely. I'd call D-1, and see if they'll ship you the appropriate parts.


Good luck

~Swine

Maybe he misunderstood me... I thought I asked about the "ozone pump" specifically, but I may have asked if the ozone system broke or some such ambiguous thing. The pump was shot, and replacing it got everything going again. Just for posterity again, if that pump's shot, this spa won't heat.

As for the thermostat issue, I think you're right. Based on the recommendation of the manual, I pulled the ozone filter basket and cleaned it out. It bubbles with a bit more vigor, but it's no hotter.

Basically, the settings go from cool to warm to hot. At max hot, it gets to about 98. So, if that sounds like the thermostat, I'll replace it. Now... any idea how one goes about that? I'd be happy to order from here if they carried them. They sent me a lovely ozone generator and pump.

I'll try Dimension One, but they basically told me to hire a technician to fix the other stuff, and it was pretty easy.

My story has come to an end. The ozonator bubbles away, the water is hot, and the family has a new nightly ritual.

The Spa Babe taught me that the thermostat was adjustable (D1 just told me the part number and price when I described the situation. Tsk, tsk.) A quarter turn of a hex screw, and it fired right up to 102.

The whole thing cost about $350 for everything (new ozone generator, new circulation "ozone" pump, a couple new filters, and some chemicals) and a little bit of slightly disgusting cleaning and trial and error repair.

So, there ya go. I sign off...

Be sure you turn the power off before you stick your hands in there.

Bye!