Hot Tubs, Hot Weather And Great Expectations.

I gotta tell you, the Neotimer is impressed by new and innovative technology and is quick to share when something is a stand-out product.  One of the most recent projects the Neotimer has been involved in was upgrading Ms Helen's hot tub to current technological standards.

Now I have to tell you that the Neotimer, in his old timer vein, tries to be pretty thrifty.  I think hot tubs are way over priced and, until last year, had successfully resisted Ms Helen's suggestions of adding one on the deck off the master bedroom for quite a while now.  But ... Son JR bought a home that had a hot tub in the back.  He and Stacy didn't care for it that much and he offered me a good deal on it and help with transporting it from his house to the Neotimer's back deck if I'd consider it.  Thinking it was a good way of staying in or getting back in the good graces of Ms Helen, I took him up on it.

Well needless to say, it took some serious maintenance to keep the controller going, this being an older model with all mechanical relays and air switches.  First I had to replace the circulator pump, then one of the air switches, then the water heater, then one of the heater relays.  When the 110/220V selector relay burned out, I just bypassed it and kept going.

All the while, as I was Googling for parts, I kept getting hits on a site called SpaGuts.com.  They had everything I needed, were reasonably priced and had inexpensive and quick shipping.  They also had something else on their web site.  A statement that said, "If you're having to keep replacing parts in your controller, you will probably come out cheaper to replace you old electromechanical one with a new all electronic controller".  When that last heater relay burned out, I gave up and ordered the new controller.

The Neotimer is a pretty good jack-leg plumber in addition to his electrical/electronic skills so I figured I would be able to do everything required to put this thing into service.  It was easy, I did have to replumb my low flow side to the new low flow heater required with the new controller and had to drill a couple holes in the fiberglass of the tub to mount the temperature sensor and the new keypad control panel that replaces the air switches.  But it is in, it looks good, it works great and Ms Helen has never been happier with the hot tub.

A couple weeks ago Utah Terry, the farrier, was over trimming the horses feet.  I told him about the the new controller, about my skillful craftsmanship in the installation of it and insisted he come and take a look at, what I think is, one of the most beautiful installations of a SpaGuts.com hot tub controller in the world.  He looked at it, rubbed his chin a little bit and said, "Well where is the remote control?  It does have a remote control doesn't it?"  I said, "Dang it Terry, it's people like you that just break the Neotimer's heart."