Spa Service Issues FAQ | Lifestyles Hot Tubs

Before assuming a leak, rule out the ordinary explanations. Splash out from use, evaporation in cold weather, and condensation running off the cover can all look like water loss. A spa losing more than roughly an inch a week under normal use is worth investigating.

Locating an actual leak means accessing the cabinet, and on a fully foamed spa that is technician work rather than a do it yourself job. Our service department handles this regularly, and it is a routine repair, not a reason to think about replacing the spa.

Submit a service request or call our service department at 810-629-6200.

A common cause is a jammed or broken impeller, or bearings that have seized, though there are other possible causes as well. If the motor shaft can be turned by hand, the problem may be electrical rather than mechanical.

Either way, this is one to have a technician diagnose rather than take apart yourself.

Submit a service request or call our service department at 810-629-6200.

Call us first, before you do anything else, at 810-629-6200. Frozen plumbing is time sensitive, and what happens in the first day or two determines whether you are looking at a small repair or a major one.

What not to do: do not run the pumps or jets. If there is ice in the plumbing, running the equipment can turn a frozen line into a cracked line or a burned out pump. Do not use an open flame or a torch anywhere near the equipment bay.

What helps: cut power at the breaker, open the equipment compartment, and place a space heater or heat lamp aimed into the compartment, kept clear of anything flammable, to thaw it gradually. Leave the cover on to hold what heat there is. Then call us so we can get a technician out to check for cracks before the spa is brought back up to temperature.

How this happens in the first place: almost every frozen spa we see in Michigan follows either an extended power outage in cold weather or a spa that was left full of water but turned off. If your power goes out in winter, see our guidance below. If you are going to be away for an extended period during the winter, talk to us about winterizing before you leave rather than after.

Submit a service request or call our service department at 810-629-6200.

This is the situation behind most of the winter damage we see, and there are useful things you can do.

For a short outage of a few hours, leave the cover on and do nothing. A well insulated spa loses heat slowly and will be fine.

For a longer outage in cold weather, add insulation on top of the cover, such as blankets or a tarp, to slow heat loss further. If you have a generator, running the spa periodically to circulate the water is far better than nothing, because moving water is much slower to freeze than still water.

If the outage looks like it will run long enough that the water will drop toward freezing, call us. Depending on the situation, the right answer may be an emergency drain, and doing that properly matters, because a partial drain can leave water sitting in low points in the plumbing where it will still freeze.

Report your outage to DTE Energy or Consumers Energy so you have a restoration estimate to work from, then call us at 810-629-6200 with that estimate and we will tell you what we would do. You can also submit a service request online.

If nobody will be at the house to notice a problem, yes. A spa left running with nobody checking on it is fine right up until a power outage or a component failure, and then it is not.

Winterizing is more involved than simply draining. Water has to be cleared from the pumps, heater, plumbing lines and jets, because anything left behind will freeze and expand. We offer this as a service and schedule a lot of it in late fall for customers heading south. We can also de-winterize and get the spa running again before you come home.

The alternative, which many customers prefer, is to leave the spa running and arrange for someone to check on it. If you go that route, make sure whoever is checking knows what to look for and has our service number, 810-629-6200.

To book winterizing, submit a service request or give us a call.

Hot tub covers are built with a dense foam core wrapped in a vapor barrier and finished in a vinyl shell. When new, this keeps heat in and keeps leaves and debris out. Over time, the corrosive effect of chlorine and ozone in the spa water breaks down the vapor barrier from the inside, and once that happens, steam from the spa gradually works its way into the foam core until it becomes too heavy to lift comfortably.

Michigan covers tend to work harder than covers in milder climates. Snow load, repeated freeze and thaw, and the temperature difference between the water and the outside air all speed the process along. Two things extend cover life meaningfully here: brushing snow off rather than letting it sit and freeze, and treating the vinyl with a UV protectant a couple of times a year.

A waterlogged cover is also costing you money every month, because the insulation value is gone and your heater is making up the difference. If yours has become hard to lift, any of our showrooms can measure and order a replacement.

Need help? Submit a service request or call our service department at 810-629-6200.

Start with the filter, since a dirty or clogged filter is the most common cause. Remove it and run the spa briefly without it. If everything works normally, the filter was the problem and needs cleaning or replacing.

Then check the simple things: is the temperature actually set where you think it is, is the spa in a sleep or economy mode that limits heating, and has a breaker tripped. In cold weather, also check the cover. A waterlogged or poorly fitting cover can mean the heater simply cannot keep up on a cold night, which owners often mistake for a heater failure.

If none of that resolves it, the cause is usually electrical or a component failure and needs a technician. In winter, do not let it sit. A spa that is not heating in Michigan can become a spa with frozen plumbing within a day or two.

Submit a service request or call our service department at 810-629-6200.

Codes vary by model, so the reliable way to look one up is your owner’s manual for your specific spa. If a code is not resolving on its own, or you are not sure what it means, call us at 810-629-6200 rather than guessing. Some codes mean shut the spa down until it is looked at, and running through one of those can turn a small issue into a bigger one.

Need help? Submit a service request or call our service department at 810-629-6200.

We service spas throughout southeast and mid Michigan from our locations in Ann Arbor, Fenton, DeWitt, Novi, Rochester Hills and Saginaw. That covers the Detroit metro area, Washtenaw and Livingston counties, the Flint and Lansing areas, and the Tri Cities. If you are not sure whether you are in range, call the showroom nearest you or our service department at 810-629-6200.

Ready to book? Submit a service request.

Our standard diagnostic visit covers the trip and the diagnosis. Repairs are quoted before any work is done. If your spa is within its warranty period, covered parts and labor are handled under warranty and we will confirm that when you book.

For current pricing, call our service department at 810-629-6200 or submit a service request.

It depends on your spa’s age, what’s failed, and whether the issue is a manufacturer defect or normal wear. When you call, have your model and approximate purchase date ready and we will check your coverage before we schedule anything. See our warranties page for what is typically covered and for how long.

Submit a service request or call our service department at 810-629-6200.