Published on 09/08/2021 10:51 am

Without a heater, a hot tub is just a tiny swimming pool. Hot tub heaters not just make your hot tub’s water warm & comforting but also be dependable irrespective of the outside temperature.

From those on their pursuit for a replacement heater, we often get the question, “are hot tub heaters universal?” The simple answer to this query is yes & no. There’re numerous hot tub manufacturers operating in the market but when it comes to electronic hot tub manufacturers there are only a few. As there’s limited number of electronic hot tub manufacturers some of the parts become universal between brands.

Spa Heaters

Here at Northern Lights, we carry all replacement Balboa spa heaters directly from the manufacturer. So, the no part of “are hot tub heaters universal” is that if you don’t presently have a balboa spa heater in your hot tub then you most probably are not going to be able to put in a Balboa heater. In the majority of scenarios the plumbing or connection is not going to be the same.

What are the

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Published on 09/03/2021 11:33 am

The topside control panel is the display and controls that one can find on the top side of the spa or where you can see them when you are in the spa. If you own an older spa i.e. a real old hot tub, you may notice that the spa controls also known as the top side controls are analog and not digital. The top side control panel of your hot tub offers you complete control for your spa experience. From the quantity of water in the tub to what is the temperature of the water,  the top side control panel tells you everything about what is going on in the water and offers you enough control to customize your soak based on what you find more comforting. The Balboa topside control is completely responsible for all kinds of functions of your hot water tub.

Balboa Top Side Controls

Based on the model of hot tub you own, you can find a variety of hot tub topside control panels with different options. In some older spas there is only one button while others have eight or more buttons. Let us take a look at the various

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Published on 08/28/2021 7:48 am

Having a home spa is one of the best ways to relax and rejuvenate while spending quality time with loved ones. However, you can achieve all this only when your home spa functions correctly. And when it comes to spa functioning, it relies heavily upon the spa pump and electrical system. It offers you with heating, lighting, jets and filtration.

Spa Pumps

When it comes to home spas or any other spa system, spa pumps play a vital role. Spa pumps are an essential component of any spa. When a spa pump gets aged, damaged or faulty, it can lead to creating problems with even the most mundane spa tasks. While some of the damages caused to your spa pump get resolved with minor repairs or part replacements, many pump issues seek complete pump replacement.

How to know when the spa pumps need repairing and when replacement? Take a look at a few signs that entail your spa pump's health!

Spa Pumps

Unusual Sounds

One of the most common and initial signs that determine that your spa pump has worn out or has aged is when it

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Published on 08/11/2021 9:51 am

Are you a hot tub owner? Have you been facing issues with your hot tubs often? Then you need to know a few expert tips and tricks to maintain them for the long run and keep these in great working condition.

  • Never turn the power off and leave your hot tub filled with water specifically during the winter. It might cause disaster in case the temperature drops. Getting a frozen hot tub repaired can be an expensive affair. A hot tub is designed to run 24/7 at the lowest possible energy use of any spa.
  • Avoid leaving your hot tub full and running if you are not going to preserve the water. Doing so will only make a way to end up with a stinky, unhygienic mess that will need a lot of work by you to get it cleaned up.
  • Never let your hot tub cover become so heavy that it becomes difficult to lift it. It will ruin your pleasure out of using your hot tub, costs you money in additional heating costs and will cause harm to the lifter.
  • Do not take out the hot tub filters from the filter compartment and
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Published on 07/24/2021 8:24 am

The topside control panel of the spa is used on hot tubs, portable spas, jetted tubs. Almost every spa uses a display panel to allow the users to control the functions of a typical spa easily that include pumps, heater, blower and lights.

And that is all the Balboa topside controls is a control panel that acts just like a remote control for your hot tub, wired into your spa controller, which is a brain of the spa system. The Balboa top side controls panel is a convenient way to turn things on and off and view equipment status lights and water temperature.

Balboa Top Side Controls

Balboa top side controls typically consist of a small LCD or LED screen, touch pad membranes and LED indicator lights that are topped with a pretty overlay. Balboa top side controls can either be digital, analog or a combination of both. These are made for air control systems as well as digital control systems for spas.

Top side controls work with a particular spa system control boards only. Top side controls work only with a particular

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Published on 07/20/2021 7:36 am

Most modern spas are equipped with circuit boards present inside the equipment area. They are commonly known as the spa packs. The spa pack works like the brain of your spa. If you are looking to replace the circuit board, you should ensure that you replace it with right one.

Many circuit boards look the same; but they may be different. Take a look at important tips that will make sure that your new circuit board will work perfectly with the existing system.

Note – Many circuit boards look alike; but may not work in your spa. Therefore, you shouldn’t order a replacement circuit board as per the appearance. To identify a circuit board, you should check the part number and the chip number.

Balboa Circuit Boards

Do you really want to replace your circuit board?

If you want to know whether you should replace your circuit board, it depends on what’s exactly wrong with your spa. Different possibilities may exist that causes malfunctioning of the system. Hence, you should identify the right problem so that you don’t

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Published on 07/09/2021 10:02 am

Are you looking to buy a replacement spa pack? If yes, then why don’t you purchase the Balboa BP501 retrofit kit spa pack! This spa pack comes with a 5.5 KW digital spa controller that features wireless smart phone integration. It integrates with your iPhone, iTouch, pad and android devices.

The Innovative Features of Balboa BP501 Spa Pack

Reliability –

The Balboa BP series comes with newly designed and highly advanced spa packs that focus on reliability. They use improved carbon bases that are highly flame retardant and impact resistant. The spa packs have new features like quick disconnect heater elements, Wi-FI connectivity, press and hold topside navigation buttons, etc.

Balboa BP501

Retrofit Kit –

Balboa BP501 is a retrofit kit and is specifically designed to replace the complete spa pack like Gecko, Colman, Hydro Quip, Spa Guts, Arctic Spa, LA Spas, Beach Comber, Sundance, Emerald Spas, Hydro Spa, Maxx Spa, Hot Spring, etc.

As discussed above, this retrofit kit has the TP600 digital top side

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Published on 06/14/2021 9:21 am

When it comes to buying Balboa spa parts in Canada, there are certain things that come to your mind. Balboa spa heaters are something that needs immediate attention for your spa. The patented M7 smart sensor technology is used in the Balboa VS series spa heaters. This technology eliminates the issues of pressure switches virtually.

The main reason behind installing a VS series Balboa spa heater is the simple installation process. In addition, you won’t need to drill the holes into the spa for the installation. However, the overall cost of routine maintenance, adjustments, downtime and service charges are fairly less than their counterparts. The digitally controlled Balboa spa packs are considered as the most reliable systems available in the industry.

Their spa control systems use the field proven M7 control system which provides additional reliability and ease installation process as compared to older spa control systems. The software based M7 control systems make decisions as per the

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Published on 06/08/2021 9:54 am

Are you looking to upgrade your existing spa heaters? If you need a top-quality replacement available on the market, you should look no further than Balboa VS501Z Hot Tub Heater engineered with M7 technology. The unsurpassed reliability and unmatched quality are something that makes Balboa spa heaters unbeaten in the spa industry.

Balboa VS501Z series spa heaters utilize industry-standard M7 technology on the market and are available with complete digital circuitry ensuring less failures, more accuracy in heating range and simple operation.

This Balboa spa heating pack works at 120 VAC producing 1.5KW or at 230 VAC producing 5.5 KW heat. It fits any standard 2” or 1 ½” plumbing system, which makes it a perfect addition to upgrade almost every old mechanical spa package.

Built-in Features –

Balboa VS501Z spa package has built-in programmable features like cycle programming, sleep mode, economy mode and self diagnosis. Though the built-in freeze protection system, it can eliminate the

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Published on 06/05/2021 11:11 am

Are you looking for such a component that defines the specialty of spa experience? The answer is the hot tub heater. Balboa hot tub heaters are generally focused on the in-line heater space. They are literal pipes installed right in-line with existing plumbing fixtures. 

The configurations mount all of the needed sensors and have a built-in pressure switch, the important component that keeps the hot tub safe to use. This switch sends signals to shut down components within a fraction of seconds. The moment something seems going out of control – from water pressure to heat levels, you can rely on a Balboa hot tub heater to leap into action without hesitation. 

Balboa is the reigning champion in the spa heaters. Their parts are highly dependable. When they fail because of the damage, they’re very easy to repair. Over the use, every hot tub heater will fail. Likewise any heating element, most heater tubes have a life span of about five to ten years. 

Balboa Hot Tub Heater

Maintaining right water chemistry plays a

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