Home Warranty - Spa Jet Pump

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Ukiwis

Ukiwis

Well-known member
Jul 22, 2018
93
California
Looking for some advice here.

It's been confirmed that the Motor connected to my Jet Pump has failed and needs to be replaced.

The warranty company are claiming that because it's jet related, it is not covered....Jet's are specifically excluded. I'm disputing their assertion but I'm not sure what I can do. The Company that inspected the equipment used wording along the lines of the "motor connected to the jets" and because of that it's excluded.

Here's the policy wording...

1568762479262.png

Here's the failed bit of equipment...

1568762922741.png

So, am I wasting my time or is this worth getting a second opinion on?

Thanks in advance.
KIWI
 
I think you are wasting your time disputing it. But a new pump and move on.
 
If you have the time and patience to fight them, i'll be the first to salute you. Sadly most warranties have enough loop holes for the insurer to wiggle out of. They all look good beforehand though.
 
Does the fact that "Jets" are mentioned in the "Not Covered" section mean they're correct to decline? The motor and the connected jet pump are only connected to the jets so are they right and I'm really just out of luck?
 
Ukiwis said:
Does the fact that "Jets" are mentioned in the "Not Covered" section mean they're correct to decline? The motor and the connected jet pump are only connected to the jets so are they right and I'm really just out of luck?
Click to expand...

They say “lights” is not covered. It is reasonable to assume anything connected to the light is not covered - bulb, light assembly, lens, switch, etc. Same with “jets”.
 
Guarantee their business model assumes most people will give up after a few phone calls and runaround. And most of those who are left either won’t spend any money to fight them or can’t afford to. Depending on how California operates you could get your Attorney General involved. Also the Federal Trade Commission. I am currently debating getting them both involved on a dispute I’m having over shady business practices. Found the links last night to submit complaints with just a few clicks. Mine isn’t costing me any money, it’s just a principle thing that really irks me.
 
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I interpret "Jets" to mean the fitting in the spa wall. I would say the pump should be covered. Keep at them with this argument. Ask them for details of their appeals and arbitration process and give them a date to respond in writing.
 
When I phoned the issue in I specifically told them it was the electric motor for the spa jets. I also told them it wasn't the breaker and it wasn't the capacitor. If it wasnt covered that was the perfect opportunity to decline coverage. In any event, I do intend to take this to small claims.

I now plan to replace it myself. For DIYers where is the best place to purchase a replacement? Local pool store, amazon or does home depot stock them too?
 
Update:
Yesterday I sent an email to Old Republic area reps and mentioned that I wanted the claim escalated. I also intimated that I would be filing a claim in the small claims court if it wasn't addressed. I quickly received a phone call back. They re-iterated that if the motor was solely for the jets then it would not be covered. I disagreed and said that the policy wording regarding "jets" appeared to refer to just the physical jets themselves and not the attached equipment. They then asked if I wanted a second opinion and I said that would be pointless as I believe the result would be the same. They then said they would call the servicing company and would have a chat to them and get back to me with a decision.

Today they re-opened the service call and left me a voicemail stating that they will be honoring the claim and have instructed the service company to source the replacement parts and coordinate the rrepair. WOOHOO

#WINNING
 
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NICE JOB... I had a similar dance with the home warranty coverage for my house when we first moved in... you have to make it simple.. Its a "blower pump" period, the end.. don't let them change the designation....they are repairing the pump, not the jet. All the pumps are connected to a jet of some sort by that logic.... They sit around and come up with that kind of convoluted logic for how NOT to cover claims.

My home warranty did not want to cover a leak in the roof because they said it was flashing (which is not covered).. and that was AFTER the guy they sent out to inspect it had already approved the repair. The original construction used metal roofing sheets in a valley whereas the rest of the roof was shake... so they assumed it was a small piece of flashing.. I just had to keep reiterating it was metal roofing and their own inspector already agreed. Whenever they said flashing, I corrected them. they finally got the point and covered it.
 
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Hurricane Sandy (post tropical cyclone/whatever) ripped off the back of my roof and left 4 inch divots and holes all over the front of my roof from the rear shingles slapping across the front at 85MPH. So the insurance was going fix the back half under storm damage and not cover the front. Ok. Fine. I'll just call you the first time a foot of snow melts and you'll have to replace my kitchen and living room. They sent the same adjuster back to take the same pics and then approved me for a full roof. The adjuster told me flat out they told him to find enough to replace the whole roof. He was very upset because he already gave them the same pics and he only got paid per claim so the second time was for free.
 
So, the motor was replaced this past week while I was not home and this weekend I gave it a try. The motor appears to overheat and shut itself down after only 15-20 minutes of run-time. Is that normal or should I expect it to run for longer?

Next issue is the quality of the installation. I've asked the repair company for comments and I expect they'll be coming back but this is how they left it...

1570378105216.png

The copper wire that was connected to the previous motor was left unattached. Is it safe to use it in this state?

1570378318978.png
 
It is designed for continuous service. It should not shut down unless turned off.

That is your bonding wire. It is not safe to enter the pool without that connected to the bonding lug on the motor.
 
What Marty said. Unacceptable and dangerous.

Did you take a pic of the data plate of the old motor? Compare it to this new motor that shuts down. My guess is they put in a lower HP motor that is overheating.
 
Thanks Guys.....I did take a picture of the motor before replacement. I figured out it was a 3HP motor but my pool guy told me it was only 1 HP. He actually got a bit testy with me when I questioned him,,,,"I have 15 years in the business blah blah....do what you want"

Old motor:
1570416306308.png

New Motor:
1570416407358.png
 
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I am surprised that motor is legal in California. Unless they call this a 'booster' pump?
 

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