While You Need to Call the Hot Tub Cavalry
Mostly male pride in their ability to repair and maintain anything around the house, there are some things we draw the line. At least if we’re smart. Deep indoor plumbing is one type of nightmare that has scarred several Do It Yourself handymen for life – at least until the next beer.
For those lucky, rich, and / or smart enough to have a hot tub installed in their homes, the plumbing nightmare multiplies threefold as a screw-up with a hot tub’s piping can often lead to flooded basements and large bruises from the wife. Smart men know their limits, and know when to call in the experts to avoid these harsh penalties. Reliable professional to handle your best inflatable hot tub repair problems, here is a brief guide to finding a good.
The Easiest Step
If your hot tub was sold to you with either a warranty and/or a service clause, that is the first and easiest option (and also the safest). In either of these cases, the people who sold you the hot tub will have specialists on their staff that has to fix the tub or replace it if it’s faulty, depending on your coverage.
In the event that you just bought a kit and installed it yourself, or if the warranty has expired, you should move on to the next step. If the warranty has bit the dust; their staff might not be competent, or they might charge you an arm and a leg, don’t settle for just calling the people you bought it from. Start shopping around for a cheap yet reliable repair man.
First you have to know what’s broken while calling a specialist is all well and good. This may be a result of clogged pipes or a problem with the water pump if the water isn’t coming in properly. This is fairly easy to spot if the damage is directly to the shell of the hot tub. Leaks, on the other hand, aren’t restricted to shell damage.
To see if the problem lies there instead, check the places where the pipes connect to the tub. It’s often a pipe problem if one type of water (hot or cold) isn’t coming in properly. BUT may also be damage to your water heater itself or to the electric wiring of the heater or tub. Before you ask someone to make a house call, try to find the source of the problem.
There are four general hot tub specialists who can help you with your various problems once you find the problem, (or think you have!). The plumber is the most common one that most people call on. You definitely want a plumber to do the work for you if the problem is with your pipes
On the other hand, someone who remodels hot tub shells is the other type of specialist to call. If the damage is due to a leak in the actual shell of the tub call this type of specialist. Repairing a ceramic tub shell is beyond either the skills or the equipment of most DIY handy men. The first instinct of most people is to call a plumber if you’ve determined the damage is to the water pump or heater.
However, mechanics specializing in small motors and household appliances are better in this case. Not every plumber is trained to deal with a mechanical problem – their specialty is in pipe related problems.
Lastly, call an electrician if the problem is electrical in nature like a busted power outlet that runs your water pump. While replacing wiring may seem simple, remember that you’re also working with water here – the last thing you want to do is strip a cable and leave little parts exposed to all that wonderful water you’re bathing in…
How can you be sure you’re not getting ripped off?
You can’t. They can easily claim any number of damages that need “fixing” and charge you for each separate repair job. It’s a sad but true fact that when you call in a specialist they have control over the situation.
To rely on your own experiences as a Do It Yourself handyman is the only real way to keep yourself protected in this case. Ask frequent questions and clarifications as to the nature of the problem and how he’s going to fix it and keep close to the repair man as he goes over the problem.
Just assert the fact that YOU’RE the one paying his bill if he starts giving you lip about needing to work “in peace”, so if you want to ask questions it’s your right to do so. More importantly, he’ll be less inclined to fabricate problems (assuming you get a dishonest one) if you show that you’re on the ball and keeping an eye on him. Asking for recommendations from your friends and family is one of the best ways to make sure you get a decent repair man; if several people can attest that a certain person’s services are competent and prices are fair, go with it.
