Problem with Spa Controller or Controller Panel

[DanAbshere]

Hello all,
I have a spa with an ACC Smartouch Digital 2000 Controller and the panel seems to have gone out (see picture). Tried to reset it on the panel and by cycling power, but no luck. I paid a spa repair person to look at it, and he says the whole controller needs to be replaced. It's been over a month, and the new controller isn't in yet, so I'm thinking of fixing it myself. A couple of questions if you don't mind:
1. Is there anything else I can try to fix it?
2. Is replacing a controller and panel something a newbie can do without too much trouble?
3. Any recommendations on controllers to replace this one with, or should I just replace it with the same brand? The repairman said this isn't the best.
Thanks in advance,
Dan

 

[cowboycasey]

Dan,

You can replace it with a balboa system.. They make them to replace everything except pumps

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[RDspaguy]

It should be a pretty simple swap. And I agree with your spa guy about ACC.
Many parts are on backorder right now as a result of covid shutdowns. The factories haven't been making any, and the warehouses are running out of stuff. You can certainly try to find it yourself, most likely your guy uses a single supplier and doesn't look any further. Maybe you will get lucky. But I'd suggest yanking out that system and putting in a balboa vs instead, just like @cowboycasey .

 

[norcalpool1]

>> 1. Is there anything else I can try to fix it?

The topsides (the LED display/keyboard panel on top of the spa) fail sometimes. Mine did. I purchased a new one from Acura spa directly and replaced it myself. It was my first spa repair a month after owning one for the first time. It is not hard for a newbie to change it, but just make sure you get the accessories that their company website suggests. While you are at it, consider getting the wifi module. I got one and installed it too. I now mostly use the browser on the phone or computer to do the basic things like setting the temperature or changing the jet speed.

Are you sure the controller is broken? Sometimes just the display is broken and the controller may just be fine. When you don't do anything to the display panel, does the water get heated? Does the controller run its filtering cycle? Try setting the temperature to the highest and press SET to see if it starts heating. Those are just ways to tell if the controller is broken or just the keys have failed.

>> 2. Is replacing a controller and panel something a newbie can do without too much trouble?

When you say 'panel' do you mean the one where you read the digits and set the temperature? You can easily do that one. It is pretty simple 5V electrical stuff. No 110v/220v part there.

When you say 'controller', you probably mean the board inside the aluminum box or the whole aluminum box with the board in it. Either way, that involves connecting 220v/30A circuit to it. If you are familiar with replacing a switch or a wall outlet at home taking all the precautions, you may be able do connect the spa controller too. If it were me, I would let the spa tech do that job.

>> 3. Any recommendations on controllers to replace this one with, or should I just replace it with the same brand? The repairman said this isn't the best.
My contoller is ACC Smartouch 1000 and it works well.

There are some advantages with the newer controllers and heaters. If the electrical circuit is set up to carry more current, you can install more efficient heaters (8KW or 11KW) and that will actually reduce annual energy usage. My heater is only uses 5KW, but the electrical circuit can handle 50A. So technically I could at least get a 8KW heater which is what I would have done if I had to replace the whole Smartouch 1000. I would have gone in that route if I had had to replace the controller.