What professional do I need to fix a jetted bathtub?

October 19, 2019 10:02 AM

This seems like a silly question to me, but I really don’t know. My house has one of those spa bathtubs with jets. It doesn’t work. Who do I ask to come figure out what the problem is and fix it?

I bought this house a few months ago after renting it for a year. When I moved in, I was told the bathtub jets had stopped working in the last year and they weren’t planning on getting it fixed. But it’s kind of gross having jets that aren’t doing anything, and now that it’s up to me I want to either get the bathtub fixed or replace it.

I don’t know if the problem is mechanical, electrical, or if it’s just old and can’t be repaired. What kind of professional do I call to come look at this thing and, ideally, repair it?

posted by centrifugal to Home & Garden (7 answers total)

If you search "jetted bathtub repair" or "spa bathrub repair" in your area, you will likely turn up specialists in these tubs, and they probably also do hot tubs and maybe pools. Not all pool companies will do indoor tubs, but some will specialize in "spas" which seems to cover all forms of jetted options. I would choose a company like that over a plumber, although I have more experience with pool companies (we have an in-ground spa pool) than plumbers so that may be my bias.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:15 AM on October 19, 2019

I would call a plumbing company you trust and ask them for a recommendation because all the spa companies I've ever worked with were kind of sleazy. In the not-unlikely event you don't have such a company in mind, I'd ask homeowners in your area for recommendations.

Remember that people you ask probably feel an onus to recommend someone, so you should watch for the cases where people seem enthusiastic. My experience is that less than 1/3 of the repair people or contractors that I engage are worth recommending and at least 1/3 and maybe 1/2 are somewhere on the incompetent-to-conman spectrum, so just randomly selecting is ... not entirely good.

Good luck. A good bathtub can make life seem a bit brighter.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 11:04 AM on October 19, 2019

Your spa likely plugs in; often behind one of the access panels. I'd try plugging something else into that outlet (lamp/radio/whatever). If the outlet isn't supplying power look for a GFCI that is tripped and if that isn't the problem call an electrician. Otherwise call a spa company.
posted by Mitheral at 6:10 PM on October 19, 2019

Just jumping in to say that I have one (actually two) of these. Also, I know absolutely nothing about plumbing or home repair. At one point, one stopped working. There was a panel on the side of the tub. I opened it, and there was something inside that looked like a switch. I flipped or pushed it (don't remember, but the required action must have been obvious for me (see above) to know what to do) and bravo, it worked! I hope whatever it is, it's a simple fix. Good luck!
posted by kinsey at 7:29 PM on October 19, 2019

kinsey'sswitch may have been something like this faceless GFCI.
posted by Mitheral at 10:42 PM on October 19, 2019

Do you know what brand the tub is? You can try calling the manufacturer for their list of authorized repair people or looking on the website.
posted by Julnyes at 11:54 AM on October 22, 2019

I finally got to this today, and the problem was that the GFCI was tripped! Getting the panel off involved an hour of swearing, trying every tool in the house, buying two new crowbars, and dismantling my bathroom shelving, but it worked and I’ll be able to take fancy baths after I get the gross mildew out of the pipes. Yippeee.
posted by centrifugal at 7:42 PM on December 1, 2019