The Central Iowa Pool & Spa service team is one of the most knowledgeable and skilled in the industry with over 30 years combined experience. Once a year our team undergoes factory training and certification as well as attending trade seminars to keep up to date with the most current technology available.
Installation and completion of each project is only the beginning of our commitment to our customers. Whether its opening and closing your pool, or servicing your Sundance Spa, give yourself peace of mind and allow our specialists to take care of any problems that may arise.
You went out to your Sundance Spa and you see that it’s not working and the display panel shows “—-”. This is the Watchdog error. What’s that mean? What do you do now? I’ve got some answers!
Most of the time, you ARE going to need to call a technician. BEFORE you do that, though, the best thing to do is shut off all power to your hot tub and give it at least 15 minutes for everything to reset. Go do that now, if you’re having this problem, then read on!
Alright. What causes the Watchdog error? MOST of the time, this is caused by a faulty temp sensor or flow switch, possibly a circuit board. On very rare occasions it could be the control panel or a transformer. It could also just be a power spike, which is why we want to give it a chance to reset before you call anyone out to work on it.
If it is the temp sensor or the flow switch, it will be fairly quick and inexpensive to replace, and those are the most common problems. A Sundance Certified Technician won’t have any problem replacing the faulty parts and getting you quickly back to enjoying your hot tub. When they come out, they will test different jumpers on your circuit panel to diagnose which component of your spa needs replaced.
Now that you know more about the Watchdog Error on Sundance Spas, go ahead and try powering your spa on again (as long as it’s been at least 15 minutes) and see how it does! If it’s working like normal again, don’t worry about it. If it goes into Watchdog again, call your local service tech–and don’t worry about it!
Thanks for reading!
Jen Allen
Central Iowa Pool & Spa
jen@soakandswim.com
Other articles of Interest:
FLO error on Sundance Spas
4 BIG Problems with Sundance Spas
I share my office with Eric, who is our technical lead. All day long, he’s on his speaker phone, talking to our technicians out in the field, making orders for parts, and talking with customers about what repairs are needed for their hot tubs or pools. We get TONS of calls, many of which we can’t help….because we are not the dealer for the tub in question.
We are a Sundance Spa dealer, and proud of it. We’ve worked with many hot tub brands over the years, and went with this one for a reason–it’s the best. Now, you came here to hear about problems, so let’s go over those! I actually had to do quite a bit of online research for this, so strap in!
1. LEAKS! I’ve read a bunch about leaking issues in Sundance Spas. Well…ones from 1994. If your 1994 Sundance Spa is finally leaking…I really wouldn’t count that as a problem. I’d be very happy if something I spent good money on almost 20 years ago was still up, running, and providing me with entertainment and therapy. In general, the only leaks we repair on newer Sundance Spas are ones that were caused by improper winterization. If you leave water in the lines when you shutdown your spa over the winter, you will have very predictable problems…with ANY brand of hot tub.
2. Problems with Electronics. I have read quite a few complaints about circuit boards failing after 5 or six years. Personally, I find that to be pretty exceptional. How many appliances in your home put wires, connections, computer parts, right next to hot steaming water, chemicals, and condensation….and are just fine for 5-6 years? To me, this says excellent craftsmanship and the kind of repairs you would EXPECT to do on a long term appliance or product.
3. Customer Service/Warranty. Sundance Spas has been around for 32 years and their warranty covers pretty much everything on the spa, 5 years parts and labor, and 10 years on the shell! So, it always surprises me when I hear something negative about the spa brand being associated with bad warranty or customer service. I will tell you right now, the Sundance Spas company is very helpful and reliable. If you see bad reviews, I would question whether the issue came from Sundance or from someone’s local dealer. Here at Central Iowa Pool & Spa, we’ve been servicing, selling, and helping the Des Moines area for over 15 years. We take pride in our work, our product, and our service. You won’t hear those complaints from OUR customers, and you won’t be making them yourself.
4. So NOISY! I have to laugh when I read these complaints online. Our jets are noisy. Well…yes, I suppose. We’ve got a couple of high powered pumps pushing water through creatively designed jets, possibly up to 74 in your hot tub….that WOULD make some noise, I suppose. If you want a hot tub that is noise free, I recommend you just fill up your bath tub and soak in that, really. A hot tub is meant to have jets, and for therapy, the water needs to have some pressure behind it! That is going to make some noise, no matter what hot tub brand. That said, if you want a more relaxing, conversational time in your tub, there are many controls within a hands reach that you can use to lower the water pressure and therefore reduce the noise that is surrounding you. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I refer to this often, but purchasing and owning a hot tub is a lot like looking for or owning a new car. The oil will need changed, you’ll need to replace the tires eventually, new spark plugs, new wiper blades, new brakes….we accept that as common repairs and maintenance, but people seem to expect that a hot tub with motors, heaters, circuit boards, etc, just won’t need any maintenance or repairs. It’s not true, and it doesn’t make any sense to think that way.
Just like a car, think about having a technician come out and check things over for you once a year or so. Perhaps in the fall, to prep for winter. Like the furnace in your home, have it checked before you need it and before an electrical failure could cause a larger problem. You wouldn’t purchase a car from a dealer you didn’t trust, so make sure you trust and respect your spa dealer as well. If you maintain your spa and keep your chemicals balanced, hopefully in 20 years all you’ll have to complain about is needing to replace a rubber hose that is leaking, too.
Any questions or comments? Just ask!
–Jen Allen
jen@soakandswim.com
Other Pages of Interest:
Sundance Spa Models
Sundance Spas VS Hotspring Spas
Sundance Spas VS Jacuzzi Hot Tubs
Problems with Salt Water in Hot Tubs
We Have the Best Hot Tubs in Iowa!
What is this FLO error on my Sundance Spa?
I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays! We’re enjoying shorter hours in the store this week to help celebrate, but I’m finding more and more time to write! Today’s subject: FLO error.
Our technical team gets quite a few calls through the year on this. “My display is flashing ‘FLO.’ What’s that mean?” There are a number of things it could be indicating. Some of them are simple, and you can take care of them yourself! Some of them may require a skilled technician to come out and work on your spa for you.
1. The first thing to do if you have a FLO error is to remove your filter and clean it. A FLO error is going to indicate something is wrong with your circulation system, so start with the simplest problem: your filter. Even if you think it should be fine, give it a try. Sometimes we can’t see the problem with our eyes.
2. If that doesn’t work, you can try cleaning and refilling your hot tub, as there may be a calcium build-up in the lines of your spa, causing slow water flow. (This is part of why we encourage use of a stain and scale product.) BEFORE you empty the tub, use a cleaner such as Spa Purge or Aqua Finnesse Spa Clean tablet. Let it run for 20 minutes or longer with all of your jets running and the filter removed–this should go a long ways towards dissolving any gunk and build-up in your tubes and filter system. Drain, refill.
Still have the FLO error? If it’s still there, it’s time to call a technician. This could indicate that there is something more extensive wrong, though it could still be a fairly easy, inexpensive fix, such as:
3. Flo Switch/Sensor
or
4. Circulation Pump
or
5. Circuit Board
The only way to really be sure of those things is to have one of our certified technicians out to run some tests and diagnose what’s wrong. Then, they’ll have you fixed up and soaking in hot water again in no time.
Any questions or comments? Just ask!
–Jen Allen
jen@soakandswim.com
Hello!
I’m Jen, and as many of you know, I am one of the newest workers at Central Iowa Pool this year. I’ve had a great time with this amazing group of people, who have all worked really hard to pass their knowledge to me! Mario has taught me a countless amount about Sundance Spas, Kate has poured a TON of water care knowledge into me, and Eric (as well as others on the maintenance team) have done wonders in teaching me not only how things work, but why we need them. One place where my knowledge was lacking was pool installation, so I talked to Brett Kurth, of Kurth Construction. He does all of our pool installations for us, and he is letting me come out not just to watch and take photos/videos, but also to HELP!
We’re installing a 21′ round above ground pool with an overlap liner. This was day one, and due to a couple of difficulties with equipment (as is bound to happen from time to time on any job), we didn’t get it all done in one day. I’m okay with this–it means I get more time to process the knowledge and help out!
Today we did some very important things. The first thing to do is get the ground level for the pool. This part of the process sounds so easy, it’s deceiving! How difficult can it be to get the ground level and place your stones, right? Looking at the backyard, the owner thought it was pretty level….however, once we broke out the equipment and really checked it, we found out we’d need to come down almost two feet on the side closest to the deck in order to get to level ground. Luckily, the pool we are putting up is one that can be buried up to two feet, so it won’t need any special landscaping. The digging took quite awhile, and produced a big pile of dirt! More than I had expected!
After getting the ground leveled, we brought out the paving stones and laid them in place, using the basic parts of the bottom of the frame to make sure everything was sitting just right. Then, using the lazer level on a tripod, checked each stone to see how much we needed to dig into the ground to get them level with each other.
Then the digging began! Very precise digging. Some needed to go down 1 3/4″, some 2″. Then each one would be measured again, checked for height and level and stability. We also either dug down, or added some dirt, in between each stone to make sure that the frame piece would be supported without any buckling or raising.
When I left for the day, they were finishing up this process. Tomorrow, we’ll place the bottom of the frame, get the sand set, and put up the frame and walls! Look for more updates, and photos!
–Jen Allen
jen@soakandswim.com
Contact Us!
It’s that time of year! The kids are back in school, the days are getting cooler, the leaves are starting to turn golden….and you’re getting ready to close your pool! We get a lot of calls and emails with people asking for help closing their pool, and for a good reason! A pool closed incorrectly can lead to many problems, including broken pipes, cracked filters, structural damage, and the huge chance to open in the spring with a very green pool! All of these things can be very costly, whether you’re having to replace equipment or buy 25 pounds of chlorine to clear things up!
There are many good guidelines on the internet to help you close your pool, but it can be difficult to explain as every pool is a little bit different. Not every pool is plumbed the same, not all filters are the same, etc.
A basic rule of thumb is to make sure every pipe is drained and plugged, and to put in an appropriate dosage of algaecide and shock for the number of gallons in your pool, but unless you have done it before or are very confident, we highly recommend letting one of our service people come out and close the pool for you! If you’re home, you’re welcome to watch and learn.
There are many steps and procedures to do correctly to end up with a beautiful pool opening, and that’s what we want! We want you to take the cover off in the spring to see clear water, and we can help!
Call Eric to schedule: 515-263-6900
–Jen Allen
jen@soakandswim.com
Contact Us!
5 key points in planning for your hot tub installation.
Consider your family’s needs and desires. Do you entertain? Love family barbeques? Enjoy reading or quiet meditation? The answers to these questions will help you determine the type of setting you want for your hot tub, and which Sundance model is best for you.
Is your spa easy to get to from the house? The closer it is, the more you’ll enjoy it. Consider a patio or deck just outside the home for spa installation.
Think about privacy when deciding where to place your Sundance hot tub. Check the views into your yard. Tall shrubs or plants can form an enclosure for your hot tub installation. Sundance Spas’ SunStrong panels can add privacy and enhance the cozy atmosphere inside your spa.
Identify sun and shade spots as well as wind directions. Place your Sundance where you can use it comfortably throughout the year.
How’s the view from your Sundance? Is there attractive landscaping or a sunset view? Need to keep an eye on the children as you soak? Consider the line of sight from your spa.
Delivery day is excitingTo plan for your hot tub installation, talk to your Sundance Spas dealer. Our dealers do everything they can to make your hot tub spa installation fast, easy and trouble-free.
Drainage
When it rains, which way does the water flow? Water should flow away from your house and other structures; it should not stand or puddle near your spa.
Will you need extra grading or drains to ensure water doesn’t settle where your spa is going to be installed? If you have an existing drainage system, make sure your spa’s drainage is connected to your existing system.
Hot tub electrical installation
The electrical source should be nearby to provide power for the spa’s pump, motor, and filter system.
Electrical power from the main panel of your house may also provide for your irrigation controller and other electrical needs, such as lighting. An electrician can install an extra outlet or hard-wire additional controllers. Be sure your electrician consults the Sundance Spas Owner’s Manual for your particular model before doing electrical work.
External equipment
If you are installing a spa “shell” with separate external equipment, instead of a self-contained spa with built-in equipment, the equipment (pump, motor, filter, and heater) should be out of direct view, with adequate room for maintenance.
Check out http://soakandswim.com/ and http://sundancespas.com/ for more information, or call one of our consultative sales representatives to help find out what spa is right for you!
–Jen Allen
jen@soakandswim.com
Contact Us!
We had a question from a customer recently asking for more details on a spa cleaning tablet, so I thought we would go ahead and give some overall guidelines and instructions on how to clean and drain your hot tub, and how to use a couple different products to assist you.
First–when draining and refilling, do you NEED to use a special cleaning product? No, not necessarily. But it makes a lot of sense to ME that if you’re going to drain it and add another 500 gallons back in, it would make sense to get it as clean as possible first. So. What do these cleaning products do? Things like the Aqua Finesse Spa Clean tablet and Natural Chemistry’s Spa Purge are designed to remove built-up organic waste from your plumbing. Whatever your filter hasn’t caught has gone into your jet system, which means a build up of oils, lotions, hair products, and the like are very possibly coating the lines and jets. What does this mean to you? It means that your spa may have decreased pressure through the jets, more stress on your pumps, and that you may have a harder time keeping your water perfectly clean.
Here are some cleaning options and how to use them!
Aqua Finesse Spa Clean Tablet
This product is $22.95 and can save you a lot of work! The product recommends removing your filters and cleaning them with their brand of filter cleaner, which is a great idea….but you can also leave your filters in and just rinse them off afterwards with your garden hose. Leaving your spa full of water and heated up, you can add this tablet to a basket aboe the filter, use a floating dispenser, or just place the tablet directly into the area that typically holds your filter. The product’s instructions say to run pumps on full power for 20 minutes, 3 times within 24 hours. Depending on the kind of spa you have, if you have a 24 hour circulation pump, that’ll help you out a lot. After you’ve got the tablet in, go ahead and fire up all your pumps and let them run! That high pressure water is going to dissolve the tablet quickly, and the moving water will help loosen debris. If you aren’t in a big hurry, or if your spa is particularily dirty, let this product be in your hot tub for up to 48 hours, running your cycles periodically.
Like many products, it really IS okay if you don’t follow the directions to a “T.” If you need to drain it again after only one cycle, it won’t hurt anything, you just won’t have used the full cleaning power of the tablet. If you are going to be busy/out of town and can’t run a perfect three cycles for two days, it’s going to be okay. Be lenient with yourself a bit–after all–spas are supossed to be relaxing!
Things to not worry about–the directions say to shock your water first. Not a big deal, don’t waste your shock. Especially don’t use a chlorine shock if you are on Soft Soak products!
Rinse spa after using this product, then refill! (Remember, you can always bring us a sample of your water so that we can help you get it rebalanced for FREE!)
Natural Chemistry’s Spa Purge
Spa Purge is $18.95 and is a liquid that you pour into your filled, hot spa. It works fairly similarly to the SpaClean product, removing the organic waste from the circulation system. Basic instruction are really simple! It says to remove your filters, but again, this is mostly because they would like you to use their filter cleaning products. Great idea, always, but maybe not necessary. With your spa water at least 95 degrees, pour the whole bottle of Spa Purge in. Run your gets a minimum of 5 minutes. This product may cause foaming, so keep an eye on it. Take a break from the jets if you need to, then run them again when the foam has lowered. Maintain the temperature and let your spa circulate overnight with the jets off. Drain, rinse, then refill! And again: (Remember, you can always bring us a sample of your water so that we can help you get it rebalanced for FREE!)
I think both products are great. To me, the Spa Purge sounds a lot easier to use, except for the potential foaming, and it is a little less expensive. Both products have had great reviews, and I haven’t personally been able to compare their use side by side to see what I would end up preferring. Either way–great products that’ll help you out.
Questions? Let me hear them!
–Jen Allen
jen@soakandswim.com
Contact Us!
100 Reasons for Cloudy Swimming Pool Water!
- Inconsistent swimming pool chlorination. This is probably the #1 reason. If you don’t keep enough chlorine in your pool ALL the time, you WILL have problems.
- Dead algae is still in the swimming pool pool.If you had algae (the pool was green), but you killed it, and now the pool is cloudy blue or gray . . . dead algae may be the problem. Some types of dead algae are quite difficult to remove, especially with sand or cartridge filters.
- Live algae is in the swimming pool pool. 95% of the time — or more — if your pool is green AND cloudy, it’s algae. Kill it!
- Swimming pool pump oversized for sand swimming pool filter (VERY common on aboveground pools) (More info)
- Your pump not running long enough. (Adjust the timer!)
- Calcium hypochlorite pool shock or chlorinating powder used incorrectly. (NOTE: Instructions on containers are incorrect!)
- Adding sodium bicarbonate AND calcium chloride to the swimming pool at the same time. (Never, never do this!)
- Too much sodium bicarbonate (pool alkalinity increaser).
- Overdose of calcium chloride (pool calcium increaser).
- Too much sodium carbonate (pool pH increaser).
Your water shouldn’t look like this!
- Swimming pool pH level has drifted too high.
- Swimming pool saturation index is too high.(This means pH + Alk + Cal Hardness are together too high.)
- Swimming pool water has not been replaced in 5 years or more.
- Iron or manganese in the pool fill water.(Cloudy PLUS colored!)
- High calcium in swimming pool fill water.(From limestone springs, etc.)
- Dissolved air in the pool fill water.(Usually, on a private water system)
- Dissolved air in swim pool water due to tiny suction leak.(Piping leaks AHEAD of the pump can cause this.)
- Bubbles in the water from swimming pool suction piping leak. (can make water look milky!)
- Bubbles in the water from low pool water allowing pool skimmer to suck air.
- Bubbles in the water because swimming pool pump drain plugs was improperly installed.
- Bubbles in the water from leak at pool pump strainer lid.
- Bubbles in water from suction side swimming pool chlorinator connection.
- Too many people in the pool. (cloudy 24 hours later!)
- Too much pee in the pool. (cloudy 24 hours later!)
- Bather load is too high for the pool size.
- Bather load is too high for the pump/filter.
- PHMB (Baquacil, Softswim, et. al.) has been used to treat the pool for 3 or more years without draining.
- Added chlorine to PHMB (Baquacil, Softswim, et. al.) pool.
- Added copper algaecide to PHMB treated (Soft Swim) pool.
- Added incompatible stain control agent to PHMB-treated (Baquacil) swimming pool pool.
- ‘Topped off’ PHMB treated swimming pool with fill water containing chlorine, copper or iron.
- Pool filter all gummed up from long term (more than 1 season) use of PHMB (Baquacil) sanitizer.
- Swimming pool filter all gummed up for other reasons.
- Filter solidified with calcium or other minerals.
- Broken internal pool filter piping.
- DE filter not cleaned properly.
- DE has built up and ‘bridged’ grids in filter.
- DE filter leaking DE into the pool.
- ‘Bump’ type DE filter is broken internally.
- No DE in DE swimming pool filter.
- Cartridge swimming pool filter not cleaned.
- Cartridge swimming pool filter cartridge ruined improper cleaning.
- Cartridge swimming pool filter cartridge ‘pleats’ have collapsed (common on Sta-Rite System 3 and other expensive “high capacity” filters)
- Cartridge swimming pool filter has holes in it.
- Cartridge swimming pool filter improperly installed, allowing water to bypass filter.
- Cartridge swimming pool filter cartridge needs to be replaced
- Multiport swimming pool valve on “Recirculate”.
- Multiport swimming pool valve gasket damaged.
- Multiport valve plumbed wrong.
- Sand swimming pool filter has ‘channeled’.
- Sand lost out of sand swimming pool filter.(Very common on above ground pools with sand filters.)
- Sand swimming pool filter not backwashed completely.
- Sand swimming pool filter backwashed using two speed pump on low.
- Coarse sandblast sand used instead of swimming pool filter sand.(Some dealers sell cheap and coarse sandblast sand as “filter sand”.)
- Overdose of swimming pool clarifier.
- Overdose of swimming pool stain/scale chemicals.
- Overdose of alum (aluminum sulfate – old-fashioned swimming pool filter aid).
- Use of alum or flocculant as swimming pool filter aid instead of flocculant.
- Use of alum at improper swimming pool pH or alkalinity levels.
- Overdose of other flocculant for swimming pool water.
- Pool chlorine stabilizer WAY too high ( > 200 ppm).(Unless you compensate with corrected chlorine levels — see the ’Best Guess Chart’)
- Swimming pool pump strainer basket all stopped up.
- Pump impeller all stopped up with leaves, pine needles, goggle straps, etc.
- Pool pump impeller worn down due to sand in lines.
- Pump impeller worn down due to a piece of gravel or wire in volute.
- Pump impeller not turning due to stripped threads on impeller.
- Pool pump overheated, cracking case, and creating impeller bypass.
- Pump not pumping due to air in lines.
- Two speed pump left on low continuously.
- Old brass (or iron) pool pump impeller is worn out.
- Pool piping stopped up with chemicals.
- Pool piping stopped up with golf ball.
- Pool piping stopped up with billiard ball.
- Swimming pool piping stopped up with plastic toy soldier, golf ball, etc.
- Pool valve that should be opened, is closed.
- Pool valve that should be closed, is open.
- Gate valve stem broken, stopping proper flow
- Ball valve stem broken, stopping proper water flow, or allowing improper flow.
Properly filtered, circulated, and treated swimming pool water is beautiful!
- Epoxy swimming pool paint chalking off (normally only at beginning of season).
- Crummy non-epoxy, non-rubber base swimming pool paint (can chalk forever).
- Poorly applied swimming pool paint chalking/flaking.
- Newly plastered pool still releasing plaster dust.
- Excessive tree pollen in pool.
- Dust blown into pool.
- Rainwater runoff (mud, goo) in swimming pool.
- Oil/lotion spilled or carried into the pool by swimmers.
- Pine sap or other tree sap in pool.
- Pool vandalized with soap, detergent, motor oil, etc.
- Use of ‘chlorine-free’ chemicals, such as Chlor-Free.
- Use of copper ionizers or liquids, without sufficient shocking.
- Use of ‘minerals’ or ‘catalysts’, without sufficient shocking (oxidation).
- Repeated use of “foamy algaecides” to “prevent” pool algae.
- Repeated use of tile line, or pool water line, cleaning products.
- Use of “phosphate removing” pool algae products (ALWAYS causes cloudiness; will eventually clear!)
- Use of “phosphate remover” with marginal sand swimming pool filter. (may NOT clear up!)
- Brushing a epoxy painted pool (see #64 and #65 above). (common at start of season)
- Brushing a acrylic painted pool (see #64 and #65 above). (any time)
- Plaster dust from recently applied swimming pool plaster. (normal)
- Plaster dust from recently acid washed pool (not good!)
- Brushing a freshly plastered pool (this is normal, and will quit after the plaster cures)
. . . and 6 Common Errors about Cloudy Swimming Pool Water!
- Rain doesn’t make pools cloudy!Usually the problem is that pool owners don’t care for their pools during a rainy spell.
- Too much chlorine makes pools CLEAR, if uncomfortable to swim in!Except for calcium hypochlorite, none of the pool chlorine materials can cause cloudiness, unless something else is in the pool, that shouldn’t be.
- Low calcium doesn’t make swimming pools cloudy . . . EVER!
- Low alkalinity doesn’t make pools cloudy . . . EVER!
- Low stabilizer doesn’t make pools cloudy (but it can led to low chlorine).However, in an outdoor pool this can result in low chlorine, which results in cloudiness.
- Lack of clarifier doesn’t make pools cloudy.A properly filtered, circulated and treated swimming pool will not be cloudy, even if without any clarifier.
–Jen Allen
jen@soakandswim.com
Contact Us!
Thanks to Pool Solutions for this article.
