Thanks Tahoejoe!! I received a new and improved (?) lenses (3rd one) from Blue Falls this spring and I am waiting for a local hot tub dealer to install it. I'm going to try the 2x4 and cross my fingers. I'm sure we're not the only ones with this problem! Question. Have you tried different types and/or brands of silicon for your repairs?

Gentlemen

I'm sorry to hear of your lens problems. I have combed our technical forum to see if I could find something that would help.

First, here is a post from one of our R&D staff:

I believe there are a couple of different (but related) issues:

• When the outer flange is cracked this is partly due to over-tightening the nut
• When the lens is cracking at the seam I believe this is related to the water chemistry. I have inspected many different lenses and typically these were baqua-spa related...I have also seen this on abused chlorine and bromine spas. [Subsequent testing confirmed this - Tom]
• We have since improved the chemical make-up of the plastic used [to resist biguanides and hydrogen peroxide as well as Br/Cl].
• This issue is not related to any particular model [or year - Tom]

...This is not a problem with the shell but rather the lens itself.... In the meantime remember to not over-tighten the nut when replacing it (hand tight plus 1/4 turn is fine)

The 2x4 prop is apparently a common fix on Hot Springs spas with a similar issue--don't think this stuff happens to Arctic alone--but in the HS spas there were also shell cracks reported, and we have not observed this in our product. Two dealers reporting multiple lens replacements had tried either a 2x4 prop or fiberglass reinforcement under the light area, neither of which had any great success. The lack of improvement with a brace and the absence of shell cracks indicated that shell flex was not the most likely cause of the lens problems. The extra support should do no harm, but take care that the 2x4 is the proper length and does not force the shell up at that point.

Another dealer reported finding that repeated leaks were the result of his technician not installing the lens properly. The incidence of lens leaks went down after the tech was retrained.

Speaking of proper installation, our Warranty Manager posted these instructions for replacing a lens:

The [most] common reason for a light lens failure is cracking. Spas produced before April 2004 would have been manufactured with an early style light housing. Since then, the lens has changed in thickness and materials used to manufacture and has proved a much lower failure rate.

If you have a light lens that requires replacement, please ensure that the replacement was issued to you after April 2004. To remove the lens, cut the back nut off. (A Dremel tool with cutting disc is fast and easy.) Then remove the nut and push the lens through the shell into the drained spa. Do not remove lens by smashing or chiseling, as this can result in unwanted damage to the spa shell.

Once the area has been cleaned, silicone the front flange of the new lens and position it in the hole. Silicone the back around the threads and hand tighten the nut. Clean off excess silicone.

Note: It is possible that the leaking lens is not cracked, but rather the nut has skipped a thread. In this case, replacing the lens is not necessary, but rather remove the assembly and apply Teflon tape to the threads. Before removing the nut, mark its position on the threads and then apply the tape at that point so that it is positioned under the nut when replaced. Be sure to apply the tape in the opposite direction that the nut spins or it will get caught in the nut and move out of place. If no tape is available, an adequate amount of silicone would produce the same result if it was applied to the surface of the threads.

A few individual spas with repeated issues but no chemistry damage were found to have an unevenly ground lens seat; tightening warped and stressed the lens, causing premature failure. This was corrected in either of two ways: shimming the low side or using extra silicone and hand-tightening the nut only until it touched the high side. Both methods produced good results with no further leaks.

The silicone we recommend is Boss 801.

It is my hope that something in this lengthy post will be of assistance to you.

Happy hot tubbing
Tom

Tom, are your dealers aware of these installation instructions? geenooo, I have not paid attention to the silicone that was used. I assume the dealer service guys know what they are doing. Anyway I got the cavity of my tub all dried up now and am waiting to hear back on a replacement lamp. Going back to original question posed in this thread, I have had two other parts failures (both of these were during the warranty period).
1) The seal in the #1 pump started leaking.
2) The heater failed at about year 3 and had to be replaced.
Other complaint that I have is the fit and finish of the cabinet panels It seems the insulation could be tighter around them. Also, why not put the threaded inserts for the cabinet panels like the motor/cpu cabinet panels have all the way around? You only have to remove those other panels a couple of times before the deck screws start to strip out in the cabinet. Maybe the newer powder coated aluminum cabinet is the way to go. Despite all this I am happy with the tub, the heatlock concept is clever and makes repairs much easier. Interesting that my friend that has a different model Arctic (I think a 2003), has had no problems with the lamp leaking but has had one or more jets leak.

Joe, we do our best to ensure that dealers are aware -- we send the instructions to the dealers as Information Bulletins, we cover this in the Factory Technical Training, we review it periodically in our dealer newsletter, we have the information posted on our technical forum (any dealer who looks can find it, just as I did).


I think I saw a Production Revision for 2008 on this but I'll pass this along just in case. Thanks for the suggestion.


This product was removed from production in 2007 and is no longer available.


That's good to hear.

We purchased our Arctic, and was promised by our dealer that they would NEVER quit selling them. They belived in them 100%, blah blah blah. Needless to say, less than a year later, they quit selling them. We have NO dealerships in our state. Our display has started flashing "FLO" and we are waiting for a local spa dealership to find time to come out and replace our motor. (Arctic has sent us a replacement motor).

Yesterday, we discovered water leaking under our deck, from directly under the center of our tub. Since there are no water lines, hoses, etc running under our deck....the water could only be coming from one place: our Arctic. You know, the one with the "forever floor" that will stand up to bugs, rodents, etc., and will never leak! Oh yeah, and the jets keep popping out.

We opened the cabinet, and found some standing water inside the unit.

We feel like we have been thrown to the wolves. Our dealer no longer sells or works on them, our local pool/spa place has his own units he sells to work on, and we aren't 'handy' people. We have an incredibly expensive tub that has problems.

Anyone have any suggestions as to what we should do, or why the dang thing is leaking? My husband really wants to believe in this tub, and this company. I just feel like we made a HUGE mistake.

Hi, Tommy and Chris

I'm sorry to hear of your problems and I will do what I can to help. We stand behind our product and will do our best to ensure your complete satisfaction.

Here's what to do:

1. Note the serial number of your spa (which you will find on the small metal ETL plate at the bottom of one side of the cabinets). The S/N will look something like A04FX99999-TH

2. Send an email to warranty@goarctic.com with a cc to me (tom@goarctic.com). In your email, give all of the following information: your name, address, phone number, and the spa serial number. A customer service rep will phone and will walk you through diagnosis and, if possible, repair of your problem (with professional guidance, many owners are handier than they think!). If necessary, we will arrange for an independent service agency to come and work on your spa. A note in advance: your warranty covers parts and labor, but not travel fees.

If your spa is no longer in warranty, you may contact any local service person to handle your repair work, or you may contact us to see if we have an authorized repair center in your area.

Just as a point of interest, the Forever Floor does contain a vermin-proof valve to allow water inside the spa to drain. Prior to 2006, that valve was in the center of the floor, but in later years the valve was moved to the side of the floor.

Looking forward to getting you back into hot water,
Tom

Note: Cross-post at http://spaforums.com/Spa-Repair/Plumbing/Arctic-Leaking-Thru-4everfloor-Water-Inside_4723.html#p14312

We've had our Arctic Spa since 2003.

From the get-go it has been problematic. First the jets kept disintegrating and falling out. The store would supply us with new jets, but they would eventually disintegrate, too. I think every jets in our tub has been replaced at least 5 times so far.

Then there was a problem with the electronic control panel, so they came and repaired that.

Then the bulb in the underwater light burnt out, so they replaced that. The new bulb burnt out about 4 months afterwards, so they had to replace it again.

Then one of the pumps stopped working. They replaced it.

Then one day the tub was completely empty. Turns out the lamp cover cracked and the water drained out. They replaced the lamp cover. Also due to the water leaking through the lamp cover onto the motors, the motors burnt out and both had to be replaced.

Then the silicone around the electronic control panel began to deteriorate, and moisture got under the panel and the display did not work. They replaced that, AGAIN.

All the original "pillows", as well as the filter cover thing that doubles as a drink holder, have completely fallen apart due to moisture and chemicals. As these items are not covered under warranty, we did not pay the high price of buying new ones. Obviously they're made of an inferior material that cannot withstand being in contact with the hot-tub environment. So we have had to do without these items for the past 4 years. BTW we have had the water tested regularly, and our dealer confirms that our water chemicals are well maintained, so it's not that we were over-using chemicals or causing the breakdown by what we were doing.

I am really torn. On one hand their service has been great, and they've always been prompt and courteous to fix the problems. They were all (most) under warranty (thankfully). However, I was beginning to think that we'd received somewhat of a "lemon" because a high-quality tub such as the one we bought should not have all these continual problems. We paid over $10G for this.

Well, the 5-year warranty has just run out, and we just got a whole whack of other problems:
We needed a new cover because the original one was completely water-logged and too heavy to lift. I kind of expected to have to buy a new cover after 5 years anyway, so that was not so bad. However, the cover-lift was completely rusted, and also needed to be replaced (NOT cheap!). IMO this should never have rusted in the first place. I also could no longer get the cover off the bromine basket and filter -- it was completely jammed due to deterioration, so that had to be replaced. The display panel was acting up again, due to poor silicone seal, and had to be replaced yet again. On top of all that, the water was full of a black oily substance that would not go away, even after draining and cleaning. It turns out that some of the hoses and an o-ring were deteriorating, thus emitting the black residue into the water. That had to be fixed as well. We ended up with a very hefty bill of over one thousand dollars.

Well here we go again.....only 3 weeks after the expensive major repairs that we had to pay for, the heater will not come on, and the display is showing FLO. I was told it must be a dirty filter, so I bought a new one, but it made no difference. Tried all kinds of other things that the store suggested, including re-setting breaker, draining and refilling tub, etc. Still doesn't work! So, now we have to wait for a service technician to come out AGAIN to see what the problem is.

The silicone around the lamp lens is starting to come off, as I see pieces of it hanging and flailing in the water. I have to wonder when this seal will eventually be compromised, causing another major leak/drain/repair.

The cover panels that access the equipment are not secured, because the receptacle thingy's that the screws go into, are all broken -- probably from the many many times that this tub has been serviced. So now the panels are just sitting there, propped closed by the steps. I guess I'll have to permanently screw the covers on myself somehow before winter comes, so small critters don't get in there and make a nice warm home under the tub!

And now I'm also wondering when the remainder of the original hoses will start to melt down and ooze black goo into the water.


I will be flippin' mad if I have to pay another expensive service call, when I just had somebody here 3 weeks ago!

And to top it off, the serviceman suggested that I just trade in my current tub for a new one, to avoid future problems. He said I could probably get $2000 to $2500 credit on the trade-in. Well, HELLOOOOOO, I don't have an extra $8,000 sitting around to pay for a brand new hot tub! Sounds like they're just trying to make another sale.

YES, I THINK I HAVE AN ARCTIC LEMON! I could just cry.

Tom from Blue Falls Manufacturing....do you have any suggestions for me? Anybody at Blue Falls I can contact about this? I really feel that we were sold a Lemon from day one. This should not be happening. We cannot afford to buy a new spa, even with the trade-in credit. The store in Whitby is no help. They just want to make another sale. This particular spa obviously has a record of being problematic from the get-go. I really need help!

Sorry to hear of all your difficulties, as that is not at all typical of our product. It sounds like the Whitby store had honored your warranty throughout. Now that the warranty has expired, I'm not sure what recourse you have, but I will look into it for you.

I bought my first tub the Xmas of 2006. Leaks and more leaks. Some water damage due to humidity and poor, delayed service response. I am 2 hrs drive from the retail service outlet where I bought the tub. I too was sold on the story of quality, harsh winter ruggedness, ease of maintenance due to accessability, quality control, we-stand-behind-the-product sales pitch.

After 6 months of 4 tech visits and no resolve, my tub was replaced in the summer with a new one. Today I have the same leak issues plus jets are popping out.

I've left message after message and concern after concern with the Arctic Spa retail outlet with no response. I lose 3-4" of water level every week and have to fill these with a hose in -40deg ain't fun. I've been living with this for over a year on 2nd new tub. I too have pools of water inside my cabinet base.

I would not recommend Arctic Spa unless you live in the immediate service area and have a lot of patience because the service techs must be busy?

I do not think anyone should spend $8-15K and get this kind of stress, poor quality and service. I did not buy a tub because I like to fix stuff or babysit water levels....it was supposed to be a stress-reducer not a stress-adder!

I really enjoy getting in it, but this is overshadowed by the continuous problems I've had with these tubs since the first one and since it was first filled.