Yahoo, I am the lucky new owner of a used 95 Calypso spa. Just installed, wired in fine, but it's been sitting on the slab for a year while I got around to setting it up etc.

Apparently was working in the prior install but no guarantee. Now have filled it up but am getting FLO messages flashing on the display all the time, and no water from the jets.

When I hit the JETS button the main pump was making all the right sorts of noises but as I said no water and no air jets. Seems I have bought myself one hell of a big bathtub.

For starters, Sundance don't seem to publish a manual on the net for this version. Has a sentry 800 control system. Anyone got one they can send me?

I have an engineering degree in electronics so I am not a total dummy but know nothing about spas really if the truth be known. However, from what I can tell it's pretty likely that the pump(s) is not primed properly. I have not been able to find a decent description about how to prime this particular animal.

Exactly what I observe...the big pump hums nicely, although after a while it started making a worrying buzzing/grinding noise. The smaller heater pump kicked in also earlier, but as I was poking around I squeezed the pipe between the heater pump and the heater and it cut out. Also I observed that the outlet pipe near this pump was getting pretty darn warm.

Hopefully I have not smoked one or both pumps by running them dry. Have turned it all off now while I scratch my head and the missus is getting ticked off while I pay this lump of machinery more attention than her anyway so I'm letting it rest for a bit.

I picked up a few posts that said priming this model was a tricky business. There are a couple of outlet plugs on the heater hose so I might pull them off and see if that gets the air out.

On the panel the FLO sign is flashing intermittently. I figured out that that means there is basically no water running through the heater system, so the heater I guess gets disabled.

I thought initally a pump might have siezed after sitting there so long, so I pulled the cover off the electricals on the heater pump but there was no crankshaft access I could spin the pump with. When I find the screws I'll put it back together :-(.

Could someone be so kind as to throw me a bone on this one?

1. Make, Model, and Year of Spa or Hot Tub, (If Known!)
Sundance Calypso 1995

2. Main Power Input, eg 115 dedicated circuit, 230 v circuit, or separate breakers for pump, blower, etc.
240 V dedicated, I think 50A was installed. All on the one breaker.

3. Type and/or Brand & Model of Control - Examples:
Sentry 800 series with ozone filter

4. Topside control; Air Pushbutton, or Electronic type, or electric switches.
Topside control panel


5. Pump Configuration (Examples):
1 Main pump 115V, 1 Waterway Circulation Pump
2 Jet Pumps (230V), one is 2 Speed, other is single speed
1 Sta-Rite P2-R 230V 2 Speed next to Gas Heater
Don't know, all 240V I assume. I'm in Australia/

6. Thermostat: Knob on side of the house, knob on topside control, pushbuttons on topside control, knob on side of heater / controller.
Elelctronicly controlled via up/down push buttons with digital read.

7. Heater Type - Examples:
Straight black tubey thing, electric. water runs in at the bottom. Sits to right of control panel


Thanks.
Justin

Monday morning update...
Good news, I found the missing screws, reassembled the heater pump then took out the plug in the heater hose between the heater pump and the heater core, water and air gushed out then when I plugged it and switched the power back on everything seems to work fine. Looks like all the air and jet water is coming out of one single jet pipe at the moment which seems wierd, but I gotta go to work instead of screwing around here so I'll take a look when I get back. Any comments still welcome.

its sounds like an airlock in the pumps - easiest way now is to do one of the following (not all may work) - undo any diverter valve cap on top of the spa lip that diverts water from one set of jets to another, this may allow air to escape, loosen unions on pumps and tubing on circulation pump. when filling - fill through filter fitting to limit this problem.
we can provide local support and parts as an authorised SD service centre - located in Queensland - have a 95 SD Marin myself.
i have manual links for download from our site and any other info required.