Every hot tub owner Will eventually face the decision to replace or repair their hot tub heater.  It is not a matter of if the heater will fail but rather when will it fail.  You will be forced to decide whether to replace your heater or have it repaired. Here are some tips to help you decide.

Perhaps the most significant consideration is the age of the spa heater.  An older heater is most likely to fail again.  There is nothing worse that spending $100′ s of dollars fixing your spa heater only to find another part failure a few months later.  If you spa pack is older than 5 years there is a good chance it has reached its useful life.

Is your spa pack a digital or analog controller?  If it is analog then you should really consider upgrading it to a digital spa pack.  A digital spa pack has many advantages some being, more accurate temperature control, LED temperature display and adjustable temperature at the topside controller.  Unlike analog spa packs, digital spa packs have no moving parts to break down.

Did your heater element fail?  A broken spa heater element is the easiest part to fix in a hot tub.  This is something most spa owners can do themselves without a costly technician.  This type of repair is generally under $100.

Saving on heating costs!  Most digital controllers have built in programming that allows users to adjust filter cycles and temperatures.  This means you can select a programming mode that is the more cost effective.  For example if you are away for a week you can select an economy selection that will filter the water but keep the temperature down.  Digital spa packs can reduce operating costs and put money back into the owners pockets.

Are you a handy man?  Can you troubleshoot electronics?  If not then you are looking at hiring a spa repair shop to fix your heater.  This can quickly escalate the repair costs. On site visits can run $70-$100/hour.  If they have to take your spa pack back to the shop then you are looking at most expenses.  In the end you may pay more than a new spa pack to replace a $20 part.

The bottom line is looking at which is more cost effective.  A new spa pack with full manufacturers warranty and all new parts will start around $500.   However, even a simple spa repair can cost over $400.  What if something goes wrong the next week.  You may wish you had bought that new spa pack instead of repairing the old one.

Replacing your spa with the original brand or model spa controller can cost you a large amount of money.  Most customer’s are unaware that almost any new spa controller can be used in any hot tub.  You are not stuck with the high price quote your dealer is giving you.  Shop around, all spa packs are interchangeable with others.  Don’t fall into the trap of only looking at replacing your original model spa pack.

I wish you the best of luck on your replacement spa heater project.

About the Author:  Danny Jung is President of Northern Lights Cedar Tubs Inc., an industry leader and distributor of Cedar Hot Tubs. He also manages one of the Internet’s most popular online hot tub parts stores. Here you can find the best spa heaters from industry leaders such as Balboa at manufacturer direct prices.