Jacuzzi J-315 Hot Tub
We were in the market for a hot tub spa and decided on the Jacuzzi Model J-315. Here are some things to consider when buying a hot tub, and our review of the J-315.
We looked at several different hot tub brands, both online and at local retailers. The problem with online shopping is the inability to try the actual spa you’re interested in. In effect you pay several thousand dollars for something sight unseen. That ruled out online sellers, even though their prices were a little cheaper, and also local retailers who didn’t stock the model we wanted.
It turns out that was a wise decision. Most models we did try at local retailers were unquestionably wrong for us. We found seats that were uncomfortable, difficulty entering and exiting the spa, cheap construction, and jets that stabbed us in the back as we sat in the seats. Imagine buying online or by special order only to find we couldn’t use or enjoy the spa.
We also wanted a small hot tub, and that presented a problem. Manufacturers offer mostly larger models and retailers only stock those larger models. We supposed the seat design would be similar across different models from the same manufacturer. But, the smaller tubs are also smaller in height so it’s difficult to guess whether we’d be comfortable in a smaller tub, based just on trying a larger tub.
They say you should do a “wet test” and bring your swim suit to actually experience the model you want. In practice, retailers only have one model filled with water for customers to use, and that’s usually the top-of-the-line, largest spa. Again, it’s not much use in evaluating the model you want.
We eventually decided on the Jacuzzi Model J-315. Although it is advertised as a 2 or 3 person hot tub, we can’t see room for a third person, unless they are a very close friend, or a child. The J-315 holds 210 gallons of water and is just the right size for our 10-foot by 16-foot screened porch.
Lounge seat (upper) showing 2 large jets and 4 small jets. Second seat (lower) with 2 large jets.
There are three seats. The reclining or lounge seat has a hump that elevates your knees. It has the most jets, two large jets for your lower and middle back and four smaller jets aimed at your upper shoulders or neck. Two small jets are also positioned at your feet, one for each foot. If you’re short, you may have difficulty keeping your rump in the seat without floating upward. If you’re tall, the smaller jets won’t reach your neck unless you put your rump on the hump, which defeats the purpose of the lounge seat. This seat faces the filter compartment.
The seat beside the lounge seat has two large jets aimed at your middle back. This seat faces the third seat, which is directly across the tub. That seat has two large jets aimed at your lower back at your hips and one at the center of your middle back. Since these two seats face each other, if two people were to use them at one time, they both would have to sit cross-legged, or with knees up. However, we have found it is comfortable to sit sideways in either of these two seats, and prop our feet up on the wall adjacent to the lounge seat while resting the head on the wall without headrests.
Third seat showing three large jets.
Note that there are no jets that hit the legs or thighs, or the side or front of your body. All jets are aimed at your back, except for the two jets aimed at your feet in the lounge seat. When we use the spa, we tend to sit a few minutes in each of the three seats. This massages all the spots: Lower, middle and upper back. If you get too hot, you can sit on the hump of the lounge seat. Although not very comfortable, it does allow you to cool your upper torso while still sitting in the water.
The J-315 has only one water pump motor, but it runs in two speeds, high and low. (Other Jacuzzi models in the J-300 line have two pumps.) We tend to always use the pump on low speed. High speed seems to be too aggressive, but it’s good sometimes for variety. This of course depends on personal taste. If you can stand more aggressive jet action on your back, you will want to use the high speed setting. We don’t consider the spa too noisy at either pump speed.
We found there are actually eight combinations of massage possible by varying the pump speed, the massage action selector and the air controls.
Massage selector switch and waterfall.
With the pump on low, the massage selector at position A (combo) and the air control off, you get the most gentle massage action. We find this good for a nice quiet, relaxing massage, especially in the seat with jets aimed at the lower back. For a little more forceful massage, open the air control toggle to get an effervescent massage. For even more force, turn off the air control and move the massage selector all the way to position B or C (depending upon which seat you’re in). For the most force at low speed, now turn the air control on. With the pump on high, you can repeat the above combinations of massage selector and air control for four more combinations.
There is also a waterfall feature. We find this a little too noisy, and prefer listening to the birds in our backyard instead. You can adjust it to a small trickle or fully open. It’s more powerful with the massage selector in position B (lounge seat), and more powerful still with the pump on high speed. There are always some drops of water coming out of the waterfall even when off. The valve does not seem to close completely.
LED lights provide colorful lighting. Light comes from the waterfall, the Jacuzzi logo on the headrests and from one underwater light mounted on the sidewall. The cup holders are not lighted on this model. The intensity of the light has three modes, high, medium and low. You can choose from seven different colors. We like the red light on low intensity at night. It’s a low level light and easy on the eyes. Near white is our next favorite. There is also a high-speed blend mode where the colors change repeatedly, but we find they change too quickly and it’s distracting. There is supposed to be a low-speed blend mode, but this doesn’t seem to work on the J-315.
The air control toggle switches are somewhat non-responsive. You can press in, but sometimes the expected action doesn’t happen. That is, the air is not turned on as expected or off as expected. We have to press the opposite way and then press it again.
It’s interesting to note that the jets and switches are counter-intuitive. To open a jet so it is active, you turn the ring clockwise. To close a jet, you turn it counter-clockwise. To turn on the air control, you flip the toggle down, and to turn it off, you flip it up. I would instead expect to close a value by turning it clockwise, or to turn on a toggle by flipping it up.
Although our dealer said the hot tub cover was light enough to lift on and off, in reality it will be too heavy and bulky for some people. The dealer didn’t have any on the showroom floor to demonstrate for us. Incidentally the cover folds in half length-wise, not width-wise. You’ll want to factor that into where you’ll place the hot tub to allow room to slide the cover off.
As for ordering and delivering a Jacuzzi there are a few things to consider. Be skeptical of the local dealer’s quoted time frame. We were told 7 to 10 days for factory delivery, but it actually took more than three weeks. If you’re trying to juggle a schedule between deck construction, an electrician, and hot tub delivery, don’t count on any specific time frame.
It turns out our deck construction was delayed longer than our hot tub order. The dealer offered to “hold” the hot tub in their warehouse until we were ready for delivery. However, when we later visited the store, we saw our actual hot tub on display in their showroom. People could sit in it and potentially scuff and scratch the surfaces, etc.
The local dealer could not give us the user manual or site preparation guide at the time we placed the order. You’ll want to visit the Jacuzzi website to get digital copies of these manuals. They’ll help you decide where to place the hot tub and tell you what’s required for electrical connections. This is information you’ll need when getting estimates from electricians.
There are three options for electrical connections. It comes factory configured for 120V/15A plug-in connection. You can also choose between two 240V hard-wired connections, a 30A service and a 40A service. The heater will operate when the pump is running high-speed only when configured with the 240V/40A connection. If you want to keep the water heated when running the pump at high-speed, you should choose the 240V/40A option. That’s the option we chose.
The manufacturer and the dealer both downplay the cost of the electrical connection. Nonetheless, it’s an important factor in the total cost of a new hot tub. Estimates we got ranged from $750 to $1800. That’s in addition to the cost of the hot tub. This was to install a 240V circuit breaker in our existing electrical panel, run a 240V cable to the hot tub, and provide a switch box near the hot tub, which is required by code. Even if you choose the 120V/15A plug-in option, you need a dedicated 15A circuit. Our electrician mistakenly left his paperwork behind showing his cost of materials was one-quarter the price he charged us. So you’ll probably pay the same rate no matter which wiring option you choose.
We also suggest studying the section on electrical connections in the user manual or site preparation guide. Your electrician may have a difficult time understanding it and you’ll want to verify he’s doing it correctly. For example the diagrams in the manual are upside down and backward compared to the actual circuit layout when you open up the panel on the hot tub. If you choose 240V/40A option, just remember you want to match white wire to white wire, black to black and red to red. That means you must simply move the red wire from where it is, to the empty terminal so it can be mated to the incoming red wire.
Control box wiring for 240V/40A service. Red wire moved from white wire terminal to the empty terminal. A pigtail was required because the factory wire wasn’t long enough.
Unfortunately Jacuzzi doesn’t make the red wire long enough to be moved to the empty terminal, so your electrician will have to provide a long enough wire. My electrician didn’t have a large enough spade connector so he connected a small segment of wire to the existing wire with a twist nut. That made me nervous. I’m not sure if stranded wire should be connected to a solid core wire.
Then be sure to remove the tiny jumper so the heater can run when the pump is in high-speed mode. You’ll have to hunt for it. On our unit, it’s at the bottom of the circuit board behind some wires.
You should also check that all wires are securely fastened in the control box. After our tub was delivered I found a small set screw on the deck. Before the electrician arrived, I noticed a couple wires were not screwed down tightly in their connector blocks and that set screw matched one that was missing. So it had fallen out of the control box when the tub was up on it’s side during delivery.
As for water quality, we were completely new to spa water treatment, having never owned a spa before. The local dealer simply told us to bring the bag of starter chemicals and a water sample back down to the shop after we filled the tub for the first time. We weren’t adequately trained on what chemical to use when, or how often. We finally figured it out on our own after the water went cloudy and we had a heck of time trying to clear it up again.
What we learned was, add the alkalinity increaser first until the alkalinity reaches the appropriate range. Then add the pH increaser or deceaser as needed. Add a calcium hardness increaser if required. Then add the chlorinating concentrate.
The dealer said not to add the alkalinity increaser, even though their water quality report indicated it should be added. We used a lot of pH decreaser with no effect, until we figured out the alkalinity has to be in range first. Even on subsequent water quality reports that indicate alkalinity increaser should be added, our dealer still tries to hide it with a sticker on the printout.
A maintenance dose of chlorinating concentrate should be added every day, which the dealer didn’t make clear. Then once a week or so we double the dose of chlorinating concentrate as a shock treatment.
We just recently drained and refilled our hot tub, which is recommended every three months. So far, after four months, the Jacuzzi J-315 has performed well. We like the size, it’s comfortable design, it’s quietness and it’s quality finish.
Hi Mike – Thanks for this blog. I just bought a Jacuzzi 315 and reading your experience is helpful. I am trying to determine if I paid a reasonable amount for my 315? I paid $7,200 Canadian, plus taxes. While that is more than I planned to pay I got the impression I bought a high-quality hot tub. I live in a remote area and not needing a lot of service has real value for me.The salesman gave me the impression the regular price is closer to $9,000.
Do you have any post-purchase advice on this?
Thanks, Jim
@Jim, given the exchange rate, that’s slightly more than we we paid for ours, but not much. Jacuzzi periodically has rebate offers, so one could save a few hundred by waiting for the next round of incentive offers.
BUT, I believe a hot tub is one of those items where there’s no such thing as a sale price. Our dealer did not have prices posted in the showroom. He had to “look it up.” So we got a quote at one price, and when we came back the following week to order, he tried to increase that price by $500. We had to show him our notes where he had quoted the cheaper price and then he “honored” his original quote. It’s all part of the game.
I don’t believe those large list prices, where they take a couple thousand off. The price you pay is the going rate regardless. They make you think you’re getting a deal, but you’re not.
mike thinking about the j315 was wondering if you’re still completely satisfied or if you’ve discovered any shortcomings. are the jets strong enough? thanks the blog was very informative also if you don’t mind my asking what did you pay for the tub?
@Tom, we’re still satisfied with the J-315. I like its size much better than I think I would have liked a larger hot tub. We very rarely use the jets on high speed. The low speed suits us better. At high speed, the J-315 is comparable to most hot tubs I’ve used at gyms and hotels. However at low speed, there is less aeration effect when you turn on the air control, that is, with the air bubbles. The side of the tub with the lounge seat seems to get more air bubbles than the other side when the pump is on low speed and the air control is on. Aeration is fine at high speed.
I just recently drained and refilled the tub for the second time. It drains in about an hour and fills in about an hour. It is also very easy to clean.
I am a widow and never owned a spa before. I have had 11 back surgeries and am considering a J315 but am concerned about size, mainly the depth of the spa. I am 4’9″ and would like to know if this tub will be too deep to take advantage of the reclining seat with the theraputic jets? I suffer chronic pain in my lower back and legs. Thanks in advance for any advice or help you may be able to provide.
Annette, my wife is 5’2″ and has trouble sitting in the reclining seat. I keep the water level lower than recommended, just above the top-most shoulder jets. She still has trouble keeping her chin above water and has to use her hands to steady herself.
With the lower water level I have to keep the upper jets turned off when we’re not in the tub to avoid gurgling sounds during its daily filtration period. I suppose you could keep the water level even lower, and keep the top jets off all the time. But then you miss the jets on your shoulders and neck.
You might try sitting on a folded beach towel while in the reclining seat. I’m not sure how that would work. Our model does not have jets in the leg area of the reclining seat (just at the feet). I think newer models do have leg jets.
You should also consider how you will enter and exit the tub if you have back pain. It may be difficult on any tub. If you will put the tub on a deck, consider recessing it into the deck so you can more easily climb into and out of a lower tub.
Mike,
How often I should put chlorine in my hot tub and should I add it before we go in or after? Is there a specific test strip that you would recommend? I also just noticed that I am having an issue with foaming.
@Glen, I’m no expert, but I add a maintenance dose of chlorinating concentrate after each day of use. That brings the free chlorine level up to 5ppm. It’s usually 0 ppm by the next day. I’ve read you should add the maintenance dose each day, but after each use seems to work fine. If you add it before you get in, then you’ll have to wait a little while for the free chlorine level to drop to less than 4 ppm.
I do the shock treatment (double the dose of chlorinating concentrate) once a week. But before I do, I always use a test strip to determine if I should add alkalinity increaser and pH increaser or decreaser. If necessary, I always add the alkalinity increaser first and let the jets run for 20 minutes. Then measure the pH before adding pH increaser or decreaser and let that run.
If you notice foaming, I think it means someone is wearing body lotion, perfume, etc. Also check the alkalinity and pH levels. Finally, it may be time to drain and refill the tub (every three or four months).
I can’t recommend a particular test strip. The expensive ones at the pool shop seem to work as well as the ones from Wal-mart. I’d bring a water sample into your pool shop every once in a while. They might recommend correcting your calcium hardness level, etc.
My wife and I just moved to Spokane from Tennessee. We decided to leave our Marquis spa at the Tennessee house which we use as rental property. As we knew we were moving, I spent a lot of time looking at different spas online so I would have a better idea of what I wanted to shop for when we arrived. We were actually very pleased with our Marquis, and never replaced a part in 6 years. We visited a few showrooms in Spokane when we arrived, and decided on the 315, which we have purchased but have not taken delivery on as of yet. Our space is limited as to size, and the 315 will be a perfect fit. We had to have a tub that would come through the front door of our house here because our deck is 10 feet off the ground with a two level stairway, so anything taller than 34 inches would have required a crane to lift the unit over our house. As for price, we paid $5,980.00. This included sales tax, delivery, cover, cover lifter, steps, and setup. Our dealer was the owner who has been in business for 33 years, and he was very knowledgable regarding his products. Mike, I do have one question for you regarding electrical hookup. On our Marquis, which was initially a plug and play 110v unit that I converted to 220v, it was a 4 wire connection from the unit all the way to the breaker box. In the panel on the tub, there were connections for 2 hot leads, red and black, a white neutral, and a green ground. These wires were all 6 gauge wires. From there they went into the GFI breaker. Inside the GFI breaker box these 4 wires connected red and black to the breaker, but the white neutral also connected to the breaker, and the green to the grounding strip in the GFI breaker box. From the GFI, again 4 wires to the breaker box in the house, two hots, red and black to the breaker, and the white neutral and green ground to the neutral strip in the back of the box. Back to the question, the GFI breaker has three poles that require a wire connection, two hots and the neutral. I’m wondering why there is not a 4th wire from the tub that serves as a ground. If you will, tell me the wires from your tub (number of wires) and how they connected to the GFI breaker, as well as how they connected to the breaker box in your home. Wiring is expensive as we all know. We were quoted by our dealer as an average of around $800. Thanks for any help you can provide. Phillip
@Phillip, I have 3-conductor wire, plus a ground, running from the hot tub, to the 40-Amp GFCI, then to the breaker box at the house. If I remember correctly it is 8 gauge wire. I didn’t get a picture of the breaker at the house, but I bet it’s wired the same as the CGFI.
@Phillip, Please let me know how you like the cover lifter. Our dealer said they don’t sell one for the J-315 because there isn’t one that works well.
Will do. Of course our dealer didn’t say anything about a cover lifter that didn’t work well, but you would think that as long as Jacuzzi has been doing this, they would have an adequate lifter, however I expect the lifter is something they outsource from another company. As for electric, our GFIC breakers had different designs, but I think I get the idea. From what I see, you had 2 hots, and a neutral that were coated wires, and then a bare ground. In Tennessee, our code required all wires to be coated wires, and they had to be 6 gauge, and the breaker had to be a 50A. Different strokes for different states I suppose. Thanks for the info, and I will let you know how the lifter works. The one on our Marquis worked great.
Hi Mike,
Thank you for your blog. This was extremely helpful. I just purchased a used Jacuzzi 315 tub. I want to purchase a new cover but I am on a budget. Can anyone provide any insight?
Thanks!
~Lisa
The Styrofoam inside a plastic wrap which is inside the cover is really your insulator. I saw someone recently take the worn cover off, throw it away, dry out the Styrofoam, re-seal the plastic over it and continue to use it just like that. Not pretty, but very cost wise and effective, and so light once dried out!
drained tub, filled got an air lock,. fixed it. the problem i am having now is some of the jets wont work when you insert the whole unit and lock it in. if you hold the jets in the right position water flows fine but when you try to lock them in it shuts off the jets. any suggestions?
I’m not sure what you mean by insert and lock in the jet. I find that on some jets if you open it fully, it’s not the maximum flow. If you turn the ring fully open, then turn it back just a bit, you can get better water flow.
You mentioned using chlorine….I’m in the market for the J-315 and the guy advertised that NO chlorine is necessary because it has the ClearRay system [UV light to kill bact]. Does your J-315 not have ClearRay ? or do you find that you still have to add chlorine?? thanks for your time
Ours has the ClearRay bulb. It’s supposed to reduce the amount of chlorine you use, but not eliminate it. The manual lists the recommended chlorine levels, both with and without the bulb. It seems the water gets cloudy if you don’t use chlorine. So the bulb doesn’t make it clear, it just kills bacteria. That implies the bulb doesn’t kill all the bacteria.
Our dealer quoted $70 for a replacement bulb last year. The hot tub circuitry has a 365-day timer to remind you to change the bulb. You have to reset the timer, whether you replace the bulb or not.
I’m interested in hearing from anyone who doesn’t change their ClearRay bulb. Do you notice a difference in water quality or the amount of chlorine you must use?
Thinking seriously about this model for my screened porch in central Florida. Your blog was very helpful and I appreciate your time and attention to detail.
Charlie – did you buy it? I’m in Central Florida as well and interested in the J 315. Where did you buy it at? And if you did – are you glad you did?
Hi, I was wondering if you ever got any feedback about not replacing the Clearray bulb? My 315 is positioned next to a wall and it is impossible to remove the panels unless i drain and move the tub. If it only means adding a bit more chlorine, I think I will not change it.
Thanks1
@Tom, our bulb life timer “expired” four months ago and I did not replace the bulb. I haven’t noticed any difference in water quality. I bet the bulb is still effective though, since it’s not even a year and half old. But, it probably will lose all its effectiveness soon. Our dealer now quotes $93 for a bulb, and I see they are a little cheaper online.
If you just change the bulb, you don’t need to drain the tub. But, the manual recommends cleaning the tube that surrounds the bulb, which does require you to drain the tub. So if you were to change the bulb and clean the tube, you’d have to drain the tub anyway, and you could move it away from the wall then.
I’m still interested in hearing from anyone who doesn’t change the bulb. I imagine that if you never clean the tube surrounding the bulb, that eventually you’d have to replace the tube as well as the bulb, if you ever wanted to use the bulb again.
I have had my tub over the 365 day time expiration. I reset it and my water quality hasn’t changed. My dealer told me there is no need to change it unless it goes out?? I use a cap of chlorine a week and my water stays crystal clear. I’ve learned that water that gets cloudy is usually a build up of minerals in the water. You can purchase a de-mineralizer and that was all it took to clear my well water filled spa.
I found that the bulb lasts about 18 months. After that, it seems to lose its effectiveness. I had to start adding chlorine every day, even if we didn’t use the tub, to avoid cloudy water and an odor. I changed the bulb and cleaned the tube and we’re back to adding chlorine only on the days we use the tub.
I’ll have to look into a de-mineralizer. Perhaps well water probably needs that more than city water.
Thanks for the info you guys (gals) have posted and asked about. I just picke ups j313 for 2000 like new and used very little…Always In an enclosed porch area. It is wires for 110 current. I purchased this for our deck aside a home in the mountains of New Mexico. Our house is in a ski resort at an elevation just under 10000 (9880). Needless to say it can get nasty cold at night below zero happens. Usually in winter daytimes average 45 to 50 and nights 10 to 30 at our house. Talk to me about how this will work. Has a good cover. Recommend converting 220 or am I ok keeping it shut and maintained. Any info is appreciated…I think I got a great deal since we didn’t have a lot of space.
Hanks in advance
I think in general a pump motor operating at 220V will work more efficiently than one at 110V. It may be worth a try at 110V to see how it behaves in your climate. In that configuration, the heater will not operate with the pump on high speed.
Ours usually stays one degree warmer than what we have it set for. The cover is pretty good at keeping it insulated. But, ours is under a north-facing covered porch in a southern climate.
Love the blog! We bought the j-315 21 days ago. We love it but I have a few questions/concerns:
1. How often do you have to clean the sides of your jucuzzi. We must clean it every day in order to keep a yellow/gold ring from forming. I must clean it even if we do not use it. I do not think this is normal. I keep the spa perfect. Always crystal clear water. I had the repair guy out and I had cleaned the scum off prior to his arrival and while he was here a two inch scum line formed.
2. I think I have a leak. I have lost about one inch of water in one day. The repair guy came out and opened the sides and the bottom of the tub had water in it. He put paper towels on the bottom and could not come close to soaking up all the water. He said this could be condensation. Water leaks out of the lower left corner. I don’t believe this could be condensation. Does the bottom of your spa hold water? Does water drip out from your left corner?
3. In order to detect a leak, the repair guy placed blue dye in the spa. Now I came see what appears to be grease floating on top of the water and then clings to the side. Do you hve any idea what this could be?
Even after all these problems, I still like my spa but I need help!!!!
Sally, it appears you got a lemon. Sounds like an internal problem with the pump. I’ve had no problem with scum or condensation. The inside of the cabinet shouldn’t have any water, whether condensation or not. Good luck in finding the problem.
Thanks Mike. Alway nice to talk to someone who has the same product.
Thanks, Mike. Very helpful. I just turned on my new J315 for the first time…very exciting. Everything is working well…but the heater light is not on and not heating up. I did have it wired to 240/40…so maybe it’s that jumper…or I need to get the jets on high speed mode…going to check it out now. Wish me luck!
Julia, the heater should come on automatically to bring the water up to your desired temperature. Make sure you have it set to something hotter than the water is itself, otherwise the heater won’t come on. Press the + sign once to see what temperature you have set, and then press + or – repeatedly to set your temperature.
Don’t check your jumper unless you’ve turned off your two breakers. There’s bare wire connectors in there at 240 Volts.
Hi Mike,
We just accepted delivery and installation of a brand new J-315. Wiring it was easy as was the fill-up. I was able to get the water chemistry under control and stable within a couple of days.
So far, we have only one issue. When two people get into the tub, the water level rises up enough to cover the three “toggle air controls”. These are the toggle switches that ENABLE/DISABLE air mixing with the jet’s water. The problem is that water is leaking through one of the controls fairly quickly and is draining onto the patio where the tub is installed. I’m not sure whether water is leaking into the cabinet or not.
The dealer told me that this is normal and that I need to lower the water level in the tub. But, since water is NOT leaking through the other 2 controls … the dealer’s advice sounds questionable. Plus, if I lower the water as recommended, the highest 2 jets will be partially our of the water when no one is in the tub!
Have you had any experience in this area?
Gary, the new J-315 design has changed since our model of two years ago. On ours they recommend filling it to a level half-way between the top of the upper jets and the bottom of the headrest. My wife, being shorter, found that uncomfortable. The water came up too high over her chin when seated in the tub. So I keep the water level just above the rings on the upper two shoulder jets. I then keep those two jets closed when no one is in the tub. That prevents the noise and spray when the tub goes through its daily filtration cycle. All the other jets are open.
It sounds like you should keep yours at the top of those jets, or even lower. Just remember to turn off just those jets that are at or above the water line. Remember too that 10 to 20 gallons less water might affect the amount of chemical you use.
If water is getting into the cabinet through your air toggles, I don’t think there is any way for it to drain. That may eventually cause mold and mildew, or an electrical short.
Mike,
Thanks for the quick reply.
The new owners manual recommends filling the tub to the same level as yours.
Closing those top two jets before we close the tub addresses my concern about lowering the water level. So, I’ll try your suggestion tonight. After thinking about it, I don’t think any water is getting into the cabinet. I think it is leaking through the toggle control and then flowing down through the air inlet tube which exits the cabinet. I’ll open the cabinet tonight to test that theory.
I don’t yet have a feel for how much chemical to use in the new tub, so, lowering the water by 10 – 20 gallons shouldn’t be an issue if I do it now.
We previously owned the J-480 party-sized 480 gallon tub. Once I figured it out, it was pretty easy to maintain stable water chemistry. I’ve heard that it’s more difficult to maintain stable water chemistry in the smaller J-315. Time will tell.
Thanks again. Your blog is a great resource for owners of this tub model.
By the way, I read on one of your earlier posts that your dealer didn’t have a cover lifter that worked well with the J-315. Our dealer installed on for us on Friday when they delivered the tub. It works very well. It’s not pneumatic assist like the one we had on the J-480 … but the cover is light enough that the lifter they installed works just fine.
Hi Mike,
Could you answer a simple question as I’m getting different answers from Sales/Maintenance/Customer Service. Does the Clear Ray light (blue indicator) on your J315 stay permanently on or do you manually turn it on/off?
Regards
Paul.
Paul, sorry for my delay in responding. The ClearRay light has a separate transformer box with two LED lights. One indicates power is available, the other indicates the ClearRay bulb is on. However, it is hidden inside the spa enclosure and you will not see it unless you take the side wall off. (Newer models may differ in configuration.) The ClearRay bulb goes OFF when the spa jets are active. I cannot remember if it is on continuously at other times, that is, during the continuous re-circulation. So, you cannot turn the ClearRay bulb off or on manually.
If instead you are talking about the LED lights in the headrests, waterfall and underwater, they are all controlled by a push button on the control panel. If you do not turn them off, I think they time out after two hours.
Great blog, I’m looking to buy a gently used j315. Read all the research and your blog, awesome! Thank you. Question. How hot does your j315 get at its max.
Beth
Beth, the maximum temperature is 104 degrees, above which it goes into an over-heat safety mode. My wife likes it at 103, but that’s much too hot for me, so we keep it at 99. Then 10 or 15 minutes before she gets in, we set it to 103, which is all the time it takes. I do notice that while the cover is on, the temperature is usually one degree warmer than what we set it for. With the cover off and the jets going, it cools to the temperature we set.
im going to replace the blue light myself. I unscrewed a few panels right of the control panel ( control panel side) and could not find it. As I stand in for
Front ofthe control panel, the pump is to my left. Would the light be by the pump side( close side or far side) thanks
Brian, the ClearRay bulb on mine is all the way on the right side, in the upper right corner when I have the side panel off. In this photo, you can see the ClearRay transformer, lower middle, with the green and red indicator lights. The ClearRay bulb is in a separate box in the upper right corner. It should have the ClearRay logo. Be especially careful not to damage the quartz tube in which the bulb sits. If you do, you won’t be able to use the spa until you get a replacement. All water is pumped around that tube and if it’s broken, it will leak.
Hi Mike,
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated:
My new j315 is awesome. Been in twice a day since I got it new a week ago, everything perfect. Yesterday opened up the top to discover that somehow it had been set to 104 even though I had been keeping it at 101. Couldn’t lower it. Read the owner’s manual and discovered that there is a lock mode (which I definitely did not set). We did have a brief power outage for 4 hours the day before and I was impressed that the tub had not lost much heat 1 degree. O.K. So, I try the instructions to unlock the menus. Really no luck. Doesn’t matter if I hold it for 10 or 30 seconds. Sometimes it flashes loc sometimes not. It did at one point go the PF menu but the numbers just kept cycling without my touching them. Figured maybe it was running a buffer of keystrokes like a computer will if a key is pressed too long. I shut the power off hoping to reinitialize the board. Turned it back on. It showed 888 and ran the jets but then went right back to the locked 104 state. I could get it to blink 104 occasionally but that is all and it did also flash a 174 which clearly was not temperature nor was it any listed error code. PLEASE HELP. I am sure there is some reinitialization procedure or something.
Adam, it sounds like it’s going into its “Summer Logic” mode. If you kept it set at 101, it will probably get to 102, 103 or even more with the cover closed. I’m no expert, but if it were me, I’d turn off the power at the breaker and let it sit for an hour with the cover open. Once the water cools a bit, I’d turn it back on and look for any specific error codes on the display. If it continues like it was, it sounds like it’s time for a service call. The power outage could have something to do with it, especially if it went off and on repeatedly just before it came back in.
Also, in my case there were some loose wires I noticed when my spa was delivered. I had to actually tighten a few set screws in the blocks where the wires are connected. Of course, do not try to tighten anything unless both breakers are off and you’ve verified the power is really off at the spa.
Thanks Mike.
Hi Mike, a very nice review, thanks. In doing your research, did you find some other 3-person tubs that you were considering? And why you chose this one over the others?
Dan, I don’t recall the specific brands we sat in now. We did visit four different showrooms in the area and ordered the DVD’s from the online sellers. All of the ones we tried at the showrooms were uncomfortable except the Jacuzzi. So we didn’t want to take a chance ordering online without being able to try it.
Just bought our J315 Hot Tub today & we are excited. We live in Georgia, delivery will be in 2 to 3 weeks is what we were told. I’ll write back later on to let you know how we enjoy it & if we have any problems. I’m praying we don’t! Thanks for all your info on the J315 Hot Tub Mike.
Teresa, I hope you enjoy it. We still enjoy ours.
Hello Mike
We had problems getting our J315 hot tub after weeks & weeks went by. So my husband & I decided to buy a Bull Frog Spa in which we got it yesterday. Never owned one before, but they have good reviews and Bull Frog Spa has a little more room & more jets than the J315. Hope everyone has good luck with your Jacuzzi Hot Tubs. Thanks Mike.
I’m buying a tub now and the choice is between the Jacuzzi 315 and the Bullfrog A5. There is no Bullfrog near me with an A5, but I sat in a different small Bullfrog and the Jacuzzi yesterday. I’m only 4’8 so I’m hoping for a tub that isn’t too long or deep. I thought the Jacuzzi was way more comfortable. What have you found?
We have had our J-315 for several years now and have loved it. We seem to be unable to turn off the lights, we’ve tried everything on the control panel. They also haven’t turned off now for weeks, so the automatic 2 hour turn off is also not working. We don’t like using them anyway, do you know how we can permanently turn them off? The $100 service call fee seems ridiculous for a few lights…
Kris, I’ll no expert, but I bet you can either unplug the red power cable that runs to the light controller box, or unplug all the black cables that run to the lights.
Shut off all power to your hot tub at the breaker, and remove the side panel. On mine, the light control box is mounted on the left. You may want to make sure all the cables are seated properly first, in case it’s just a matter of one having come loose.
I just got my J-315, electric connection is A15, the outside temperature is 23*C, it is now 6 hours heating up and reached only 33*C, is that normal?
Daniela, when I refill the tub, it heats up 15*C in about an hour. Six hours seems too long even at 15 amps, but maybe that’s all the heater can put out. It might heat up faster if you turn on the jets and keep the cover closed of course. The more water that gets moved through the heater, the faster it should heat up.
Thanks for your answer, I have the same idea, if I would upgrade to a higher Ampers do you think it would be quicker? What is the Ampers you are using?
I use the 40A option and it does heat up relatively quickly. My guess is the heater would be more efficient at higher amperage, BUT the heater may be limited to a set amperage, no matter which circuitry you use. I should have mentioned the heater DOES NOT operate if you have a 15A or 30A connection and the water pump is on HIGH. So what I said about running the water pump to heat faster does not apply, unless it’s on LOW.
I have a 6 month old J315 and love it. Can’t find anything about flashing codes mixed with the temp. It just started flashing CF. Any ideas?
“CF” probably means the “Clean Filter” count-down timer has expired and it’s time to clean your filters. This is a feature on newer models than mine, so you’ll have to check your manual on how to reset the timer. I usually clean my filters every month to month and a half.
I was hoping to find something on this. I’ve used the instructions in the manual and can’t reset the CF (clean or change filter) is instructed to clear the CF flashing. I’ve had the tub for 6 mos, so the timer must have been set at 180 days (the max it can be). My dealer is going to check with Jacuzzi.
I was quoted a price of $6595.00 for J-315 2015 model, that includes Smart 2 tier steps, cover with lifter. Does this seem like a fair price?
Sounds reasonable, but if they’re saying it’s a huge sale, I’d say it’s about full retail price. Let me know how you like the cover lifter. My shop said they didn’t sell one that worked with the J-315.
My J315 is starting to turn and off. What is causing that?. You hear the motor shut off, the fountain stops and then you hear a click and it restarts. Goes on all day long.
It does have a 24-hour continuous circulation feature. Perhaps that pump motor is starting to malfunction. You can change the circulation timing to be non-continuous. That might avoid the behavior, or at least give you another clue.
Folks,
We just had our 315 delivered and it came with a cover lifter specifically a CoverMate 1 lifter. I paid a $6.600 for my spa which included steps, cover, and cover lifter.
TIP for those with this model: if you press the clear ray light button while its already on. This will turn off your waterfall… if you hit the clear ray light once more it will turn the waterfall back on. just one of those weird things we noticed being new to the spa. This can be found in the book on page 30. We like the waterfall feature and couldn’t figure out why it all of a sudden stopped.. NEWBIES!
Mike great site!!
Sounds like a good price. Was there a rebate at that time.
Just purchased a J-315 and I cannot get the lights to work. The buttons seem to be unresponsive. Any ideas? Thanks.
You could switch off the power breaker and remove the side panel of the spa. There are several cables plugged into a control box for the lighting, like computer network cables. One of those could be loose. Otherwise, it sounds like it’s time for a service call.
Thanks for the Blog. I purchased a unit from the state fair in minnesota. I am very happy with the J 315. Use it almost every day. I have trouble getting someone out to take care of items under warranty. I wish there was a way to contact the main office and not the local dealer. I had mine set for 110VAC but now having wiring run so I can change it over to 220VAC. I will look for loose connections. Thanks much
I have owned a Hot Springs hot tub for about 20 years. It has worked with minimum problems (replaced new heater, had one leak). It is time to replace the hot tub. I tested the Hot Springs product and Jacuzzi (specifically the J-315) and the Jacuzzi seats felt better than the Hot Springs.
I’m concerned about the reliability of Jacuzzi, since I know how reliable the Hot Springs hot tubs are. Those of you that own the J-315, have you had any problems? How do you like the recliner? Since it takes up half the hot tub, I was wondering if I should go to the J-325. I like the size of the J-315, though.
We’ve had our J-315 for only three years and we’ve not had a problem. Hopefully people who’ve had theirs longer will respond to you. The newer J-315s have a different jet configuration and I think they now target your legs while in the recliner seat. As I mentioned above, I’m too tall for the recliner and my wife is too short. We still use it and it’s not that big of deal. But, we tend to just flip the cover open and use the non-recliner side most of the time. You would probably feel comfortable without it if you do get a different model. I’m sure they designed it for a particular demographic and if you fit the recliner, I bet it would be the most comfortable. I really like the size of the J-315 though. I don’t think I’d like one any larger.
Thank you for your review and comment.
I ordered a J-315. I just got rid of my old Hot Springs hot tub and am in the process of cleaning the porch to prepare it for the Jacuzzi.
I really appreciated all of the comments and your review.
We have ordered a new j-315 and we are counting the days until it arrives.
This blog has been very helpful in making our decision.
We are brand new to hot tubs, so this whole ordeal will be a learning experience for us.
Congratulations, and good luck. We still enjoy ours.
We have had our Jacuzzi j315 for about 3 weeks now and we are loving it. We had some very good weather lately (-20 c) and the hot tub felt great after a hard day at work.
I am starting to get the hang of what amount of chemicals to add after every use.
I will give the Jacuzzi j315 two thumbs up!
Are there any other filters besides the one with the removable one? If so, where are they located?
I’m not aware of any other filters besides the two side-by-side removable filters.
I just purchased a J315. I am preparing a area off my deck to save deck space. The area is next to the deck and house. My question is this. How much access is needed around the tub? I need to check the to make sure there is adequate space to the right of the control panel to access the breaker box inside the house for the electrical connection.
Tim, unless they changed the layout since my version of the J-315 (2013), you need access to remove the entire side of the tub under the display panel. On mine, you have to remove all the screws on the side panel from corner to corner in order to take the whole side off. They may have changed that on newer models. However, you would do this only to change the UV bulb about every 18 months. Since there would be no water in the tub then, you could probably shift the whole tub temporarily to get more room. And, it’s just that one side. I’ve not had to remove any other sides for routine maintenance.
Mike – How tall are you ? I am 6 feet – and hoping the Lounge Chair side will comfortably accommodate that size, while still able to use the heard rest, and keep my rump off the hump. ???
I’m a little taller, but I think you will also not be able to rest your head on the head rest.
Hi Mike, Great blog. Very helpful. We just purchased a J-315 a few weeks ago. Had the electrician come out to convert to 240. filled it and turned it on last night, but the heater does not come on while the pump is activated. I’m wondering if the dip switch is in the incorrect position. But don’t want to to mess something up and void the warranty. Plus, I’m noticing there is only one pump speed. You were saying you had 2 speeds and that the heater worked when it was at high speed. How do you turn it to high speed, or are the 2 speeds a different feature on older models?
Press the jets button once for low speed and once more for high speed, and once more for off. I assume you did that, so it sounds like something is not wired correctly if you’re getting only one speed. Perhaps your user manual mentions that condition in the troubleshooting section.
As for heat, the heater will not come on if it’s already hot enough. So you might not see the heater LED come on for a while after turning on the jets. Also, there are two 240V options, one 30 amp and one 40 amp. If you have 30A, heat will not come on with the jets on high.
As for the DIP switch, that is something you can do as long as you turn off the power at the breaker first. It’s difficult to find the tiny DIP switches, which might be hidden under other wires. It’s just a matter of removing the one little jumper. Since there are deadly bare wire connections at 240 volts, you must be sure the breaker is off. I would turn off the breaker at the house electrical panel, and the one near your hot tub. You must also confirm you have 40A service and not 30A before removing the jumper. That’ll be indicated on the breaker switch.
Finally, after we’ve used the tub for a few years, I don’t think it makes much difference if the heater runs during the high-speed pump cycle after all. The water stays hot enough during the 20-minute cycle, and remains hot enough even for another 20-minute cycle.
Just received Our J-315 a week ago, just the right size for our 13X12 ‘ All season room, we refinished to cater to the expected moisture, A lot of what I read on your Blog help us to decide, Thank you
A back doctor, not a general physician, but a back doctor can write you a prescription for the hot tub, meaning no sales tax, here in Texas anyway. My hot tub dealer already had the paperwork ready to hand me to take to the doc.
Bought a 315 in 2012 and have loved it. I mostly use it solo. I use a cap of chlorine once a week. Have replaced flow switch once and UV light twice without problem. However now my heat pump doesn’t seem to be working so I’m having a technician come.
I think they figured out exactly when to have the warranty expire.
Does anybody have experience with the optional “ClearRay Pro3Tect” add-on? Does it entirely remove the need for Chlorine (or Bromine)?
I don’t know about that option, but you still need to add chlorine using the older ClearRay, just not as much as you would without it.
Mike,
How has been any dealer support? We have a 2 year old J-335 model that we paid 11K for. We have had warranty issues but they were covered no problem. What has been a problem is it takes about 10 days before a technician is dispatched. So 10 days no hot tub. Have you ever had such long waits for service.?
George
Hi George, We haven’t needed a service call–yet. I think a 1 to 3 day wait for a service call would be acceptable, not 10. Does anyone else out there have a service call experience?
We just purchased this hot tub today . I am nervous about the 2 side seats not having leg room. My husband loves the one recliner. Any comments on the leg room? Thanks
There’s plenty of leg room as long as there’s only one person at a time on a given side. I’m 6’2″.
Thank you for all the great info. Mike, my husband and I are looking at the J-315 at the moment here on Vancouver Island, BC. We are both over 6 ft so its good to know there is leg room. I am looking at it mostly for therapeutic reasons and need calf massage along with back etc. Its a good bit more then we originally planned on spending, so I am in the research phase.
This helps a lot,
Cheers Lynda
hi my hot tub has been just started up temp around 50 but keeps saying it’s 102 so it won’t heat
Sounds like you need a service call.
Just bought our J-315 and it will arrive in 10 days. We’re very excited and so glad I found this blog!
We’re going with the 110, plug-and-play option for now to see how it works for us. Just my wife and I using it in northeast Ohio climate.
Can anyone tell me what I should do first when it arrives? The dealer said the delivery guys will just place it where I want and leave so it’s up to me to figure it out from there. So… Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
Mike your blog is awesome!
I was thinking of a hot tub but listening to all the issues that people have thrown at you I am beginning to wonder whether it is worth all the likely aggravation.
My question is this: I live in southern Ontario and winter in Florida. I was hoping that in the fall I could simply drain the tub but was told that I had to fill the tub with anti freeze. Obviously getting rid of the anti freeze in the spring is problematic. If you drain the tub surely there can’t be much water left in the lines to freeze…or am I missing something here?
Thanks,
Dave Cossette
(Sorry for my delay in responding.) Unless they make nontoxic antifreeze especially for hot tubs, I would advise against antifreeze. There’s no way to completely drain and flush the tub. There’s always some residual water in the lines.
As for draining the tub completely, you could probably snake a small tube connected to a hand water pump/siphon down one of the filter inlets. I don’t know if that will get all the water from every pipe, and from inside the electric pumps. It’s probably OK to have a little water left, as long as it doesn’t exert pressure on anything when it does freeze. If there’s any water left in the pumps though, freezing will probably do damage.
New J-315 coming. I want to pour a 4″ thick slab 80″ 70 ” or so to place it on.. For electric we will wire for 220vand I intend to bury 1 1/2″ electric conduit from the box on the house and then come up thru the cement slab. Where should I come up thru the slab to access the hole into the front compartment control panel?
My Dealer said to get it near one of the front corners and cut the conduit at top of cement. I thoight I woild add a sweep (90 elbow) to the access hole into the access compartment…any diagrams or pics of where this access is, how big a hole. Thanks, hope this makes sense.
(Sorry for my delay in responding.) Different model years probably have different layouts. On mine, there are two access hole punch-outs, one on each corner along the side having the control panel. You simply puncture one hole to run the conduit through. I recommend leaving a sufficient length of conduit available to run uninterrupted from the slab over to the hot tub and then several inches inside.
A little slack also allows you to reposition the tub slightly if necessary. On mine, I left slack in the conduit under the deck so I could pull more up if I needed to reposition the tub. For example I could add a cover lift mechanism, which requires more room on one side.
Great Blog Mike
We are in the UK and deciding on either a J315 positioned very close to our house (Most dealers say if it’s too far away you will not use it often in the winter) Or the J-335 under pergola about 40 yards down our garden. Our only concern with the Jacuzzi brand is the timber frame and being fully foamed in are we being over cautious compared to other brands ?
(Sorry for my delay in responding.) The frame has held up well over the years, but it is sheltered within a screened-in porch. Inside it’s not fully foamed in on my model. There does seem to be a sufficient amount of insulation sprayed onto the tub itself though.
Hey Mike, we’re looking to purchase a J-315 and I just wanted to tell you thank you very much for taking the time to write the blog and answer peoples questions for years!! Our dealer made no mention of heater/pump restrictions if using less than 220…do you happen to know if that is an earlier model restriction that you can only use the heater and the pump on high with 220? Also what’s the problem? Does the hot tub not heat up as fast with the pump at a lower setting? Thank you again for your review and blog…really fantastic service!!
(Sorry for my delay in responding.) I assume that is still the situation. You’ll have to download the manual for your particular model year to verify.
Yes, the water will heat sufficiently and stay warm at low speed. It’s only if you use the jets on high speed for more than one 20 minute interval that you notice the water losing heat. As soon as the jets turn off, the heater will kick in again. If you like the water to remain constantly hot, you should opt for 220V. If you can stand the water getting cooler while you use it, 110V will be fine. The point is, there’s not much difference in cost of materials for 220V versus 110V. Most of the electrician’s bill is labor, and that’s the same amount whether you choose 220V or 110V.
Just got a J-315. Nothing about two pump speeds, one speed with option of air and diverter to side. Also, priced much higher than listed in blog. There was a rebate from Jacuzzi, but when I asked about it, I was told that it was already figured into the price. Still waiting for water to heat up.
(Sorry for my delay in responding.) Yes, I think rebates for big-ticket items are marketing gimmicks. You always pay the full price. Our dealer quoted us one price when we were shopping. When we came back to order, he wrote up a higher price and we had to show him our notes to get the price he originally quoted.
Same way with HVAC companies. Their price is like $5750 and the rebate is $750. They just increase their price by the amount of the rebate and collect the manufacturer’s rebate. So the dealer gets twice the rebate value by charging the customer more and getting the kick back from the manufacturer. The manufacturer is none the wiser.
ClearRay Bulb: I find that a ClearRay bulb lasts about 18 months. After that, the water tends to get cloudy quickly, even with normal chlorine treatments and periodically draining/refilling the tub. The bulb does well to keep the water clear during periods when we don’t use the tub and we don’t add chlorine.
What does a Clear Ray bulb do?
It’s ultraviolet light to kill bacteria.