Did an overnight at our Nest in Seward this weekend. Needed to empty and refill the hot tub. Something happens to a tub of water kept at 89 degrees or warmer for 4-5 months that I’m concerned may render it incompatible with human immersion. The water kinda smelled weird, too.
First, I remembered to drop the power to the tub — don’t want the pump coming on when the tub is empty! That would be a very costly mistake.
Next, hooked the garden hose to the drain plug and let her rip. Later, I hand bailed the remaining water best I could with a plastic trash can, then Happy Wife (HW) stepped into the tub in knee high pants and bare feet like she was fixin’ to mash grapes, wearing on one hand a terry cloth mitt impregnated with surface cleaner. First she sponged the last stubborn puddles of water then a wipin’ she went.
Next, I refilled the tub with forty degree water direct from our well deep in Alaska ground.
When you turn the power back on red warnings start flashing on the hot tub’s control panel. ICE ICE and then FL1 FL1.
I pat the console reassuringly, “There there tub, you’re in Alaska, you’re not going to freeze, just the new water is a little cold is all.”
FL1 means the filter(s) are clogged. How can this be? They weren’t clogged before I emptied the tub, nor have they been moved. This is the nature of things generally, isn’t it? Make any change to a system and everyone’s upset.
“Crap,” I said to HW, “now I have to reach into icy water and change the filters.” (We have several spares).
“No worries, I’ll do it,” she said, “I’ve waded water that cold or worse in the back country.”
“Okaaay.”
“Holy crap you weren’t kidding that’s cold!” She exclaimed.
Finally, the red light indicating that the heater is operating came on. This only happens if the filters are happy. In the meantime the ICE ICE warning keeps flashing and if the console had arms I imagine it would be like Robot in Lost In Space — “Warning Will Robinson! Warning!”
And then the heater light went out again, and FL1 FL1 reappeared.
Dunked my hands in the icy water and partially unscrewed one filter. Heater light goes back on. Yeah!
I go inside and begin to imbibe a Nestarita — 1 can frozen limeade, 1 can Tequila, 1 16 oz Pabst; stir ‘n serve over ice — which HW had prepared for us. I take a peek outside at the console:
FL1 FL1 … ICE ICE
Crap.
Dip hands back in icy water and further unscrew filter. Heater light comes back on.
Two Nestaritas later, same thing, water had warmed eight degrees to just under 50 before the heater light went off again. This time I just remove the filter entirely from its base. Light comes back on.
Much later, after dinner and a movie, I look again and the ICE ICE warning has disappeared, water temperature is over 65. Goal is 103. I daringly screw the filter I’d removed back into its base. Heater light stays on. I turn on one bank of jets. Pump works, jets work. I switch on the other bank of jets.
Jets no work. I hear the pump laboring. Crap. Then the heater light goes out. Crap Crap.
Unscrew filter, heater light comes on, puzzle over non-functional bank of jets.
I see one of the jet nozzles in the tub is not completely submerged. Air in the line!
Fill trash can with water from bathtub and decant into hot tub. Repeat 3 times. Jet is now completely submerged. Try again. Jets no work, at least not very well, although I see one or two sputter. Come on, you can do it. I cycle the pump by turning the switch on and off repeatedly.
Success! Eventually all jets are functional, the temperature is by now close to 80, I screw the filter back in, the heater light stays on!
Next day, mid morning, we both slide into a 103o tub, naked ‘n giddy.