So after a long time trying to figure out the calibration and behavior of this SmarterSpa SWCG, I've finally complained to their support team enough that they are sending me a Chlormaker control board to replace the SmarterSpa board, and disable the dumb sensor. I'm happy about this since I should now be able to turn the water temp down in the winter periodically without completely screwing up the salt cell production. The boost button runs for three times time of a normal cycle, so I could use that after a soak instead of always adding bleach, or in addition to, depending on how many bathers.
I'm looking forward to it, because this sensor triggered one has been more worrying, rather than less. Seems like any variation in the spa parameters will throw it off. Two degrees of water temperature change would swing the sensor reading by significant amounts. PH levels shifting a few points would affect it. Scale building up on the sensor wires would affect it. What kind of automatic system requires more regular maintenance than the manual method? Not a very good one.
Anyway, getting my baseline production set up will be another calibration effort, but at least this one should be more predictable, so I should be able to get it nailed down eventually.
The other thing on my mind is the cover for this spa. It's only a couple years old, but already showing signs of leaking and wearing out. The dopey pool place we bought this from includes a cover lifter of the u-shaped bar hinged at the ground on both sides of the spa that the cover folds over and hangs on when open variety with new spas. That's nice, but the trouble is that the cover straps are too short for it to hang on the bar in the stowed position with them connected, and it only takes a few times of forgetting to unhook the straps before they break. Which is what happened to mine. I don't understand why they don't make the cover with longer straps so that doesn't happen.
Anyway, that's more annoyance than anything else really, but back to the deteriorating cover. My spa is a 9 person rectangular spa, which I think is one of the reasons the cover is sagging so soon, it's bigger than a standard cover. What I'd like to get is one of those covana automatic hard covers to replace it, but they're pretty pricy and the only one they make that fits my spa has the opening in the frame for the entry stairs on the wrong side of the tub. So, I'm thinking of building my own elevating hard cover.
I've looked into aluminum skinned, foam cored sunroom/carport roofs and they make some stuff that should work perfectly, with only one seam in the middle and foam thickness up to 8 inches. It's plenty strong for snow load, and extremely waterproof and insulating. I'd get the smooth faced stuff, and use a big d-gasket weather strip to seal to the top of the tub, square or rectangular telescopic aluminum columns with an internal pulley system, either cable or roller chain actuated to raise the roof like a pop-up camper, all driven by a manual boat winch. Should be able to put it together for less than the $9k Covana wanted, though theirs is electric. Still, not having to buy a new giant spa cover every 4 years for $1000 dollars, and getting a roof that will keep off the rain without needing a building permit, as well as probably better insulating values for the tub, appeals to me.
I am an engineer, so I'm going to do this right, do the snow load and wind load calcs so it won't blow away and trash the side of my house, and make it look nice and clean and painted. I'll post updates as I get further along as to how it's going.
I'm looking forward to it, because this sensor triggered one has been more worrying, rather than less. Seems like any variation in the spa parameters will throw it off. Two degrees of water temperature change would swing the sensor reading by significant amounts. PH levels shifting a few points would affect it. Scale building up on the sensor wires would affect it. What kind of automatic system requires more regular maintenance than the manual method? Not a very good one.
Anyway, getting my baseline production set up will be another calibration effort, but at least this one should be more predictable, so I should be able to get it nailed down eventually.
The other thing on my mind is the cover for this spa. It's only a couple years old, but already showing signs of leaking and wearing out. The dopey pool place we bought this from includes a cover lifter of the u-shaped bar hinged at the ground on both sides of the spa that the cover folds over and hangs on when open variety with new spas. That's nice, but the trouble is that the cover straps are too short for it to hang on the bar in the stowed position with them connected, and it only takes a few times of forgetting to unhook the straps before they break. Which is what happened to mine. I don't understand why they don't make the cover with longer straps so that doesn't happen.
Anyway, that's more annoyance than anything else really, but back to the deteriorating cover. My spa is a 9 person rectangular spa, which I think is one of the reasons the cover is sagging so soon, it's bigger than a standard cover. What I'd like to get is one of those covana automatic hard covers to replace it, but they're pretty pricy and the only one they make that fits my spa has the opening in the frame for the entry stairs on the wrong side of the tub. So, I'm thinking of building my own elevating hard cover.
I've looked into aluminum skinned, foam cored sunroom/carport roofs and they make some stuff that should work perfectly, with only one seam in the middle and foam thickness up to 8 inches. It's plenty strong for snow load, and extremely waterproof and insulating. I'd get the smooth faced stuff, and use a big d-gasket weather strip to seal to the top of the tub, square or rectangular telescopic aluminum columns with an internal pulley system, either cable or roller chain actuated to raise the roof like a pop-up camper, all driven by a manual boat winch. Should be able to put it together for less than the $9k Covana wanted, though theirs is electric. Still, not having to buy a new giant spa cover every 4 years for $1000 dollars, and getting a roof that will keep off the rain without needing a building permit, as well as probably better insulating values for the tub, appeals to me.
I am an engineer, so I'm going to do this right, do the snow load and wind load calcs so it won't blow away and trash the side of my house, and make it look nice and clean and painted. I'll post updates as I get further along as to how it's going.