Most spa owners are faced with the daunting task of finding a repairer to service their spa.

Whether your spa is not working, not heating, has a leak, or generally, just needs a service, there are a few simple steps a spa owner can take before trying to find someone to visit.

Try to identify the specifics before contacting a repairman.

•  Does your spa pump operate manually, by time clock, or both?
•  Is your spa heating up, does it reach its temperature, how many hours have you run it for?
•  Is your spa loosing water - if so, how much over a day, or a week?
•  Has the water been changed recently?
•  Do you check the water balance regularly - daily, weekly, monthly?
•  When was the last time you cleaned your cartridge filter?
•  When was the last time you emptied, and refilled your spa?

When you're able to answer some, or all of these questions, only then should you can contact a repairman.

Look in your local newspaper, or search the Internet for a spa company that specializes in spa repairs.

If you're familiar with goggle search engines, try searching for phrases and companies 'specific to your area'. Some phrases you could search for are: spa repairs, spa heating repairs, spa not heating, spa servicing, spa maintenance...in your area, etc.

Don't allow him to visit until he can run you through a few scenarios of what could be the problem based on your findings. Also ask him the approximate overall costs involved. If your spa has a problem with it's heating, or maybe an electrical problem, you need some assurance that the spa technician is qualified to do the repairs.

There are many spa and pool technicians that know their job well, but not all are qualified to do electrical repairs. For obvious reasons electrical repairs can only be done by registered electricians (I don't mean serviceman who have done the basics - if they don't hold an electrical registration, they are not qualified to do the work).

Finding an electrician who can repair spas is difficult. Most spa company's can refer you to an electrician who specializes in spas.

It is often easier to find an electrician who can do electrical and plumbing repairs on spas and pools, but literally impossible to find a spa and pool technician who is qualified to do both.

When a serviceman can identify, and repair a problem, he will usually be able to tell you why the problem occurred. This alone, is a good indication that your serviceman is good value not just because he is experienced, but also because he can advise you on preventative maintenance in the future.

At the end of the day, you need to look at ways of minimizing your costs for future maintenance.

In general, be cautious when choosing a spa or pool repairer, as your ongoing safety should be the deciding factor.

Final note: As of right, the home handy man will always attempt to do repairs around his home. Spa repairs are a specialty that should be left to the experts. You cannot place a dollar value on safety where common sense should prevail. Accountability is the key.