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Hot Spring Jetsetter LX Review (2026 Update): Owner Verdict
I own the Hot Spring Jetsetter LX, so this is an owner's verdict, not a spec sheet recap. Here is how it holds up in daily use and who should buy one.
30 min read
Last updated
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I do not work for Hot Spring. I have no affiliation with Hot Spring or any other spa company. I bought my tub with my own money and I am writing only as an owner.
Last updated October 7, 2026: owner updates. The Moto-Massage jets failed again and I had them replaced. A new salt cartridge fooled my control panel until I fixed the salt level. The small leak is still unfound and now needs a top up about once a month. Details are in the 2026 owner update section below. The ownership facts here still come from living with this tub since April 2021.
If you are considering a Hot Spring Jetsetter LX with the FreshWater Salt System, I get it. On paper it looks like the easy button for water care. In real life, most of it actually is.
I have used my Jetsetter LX since April 2021. I originally wrote this review in August 2021. I updated it at 16 months, again in November 2022, and again on December 11, 2023. This 2026 update pulls all of that together so you do not have to dig through old updates to find the point.
My short verdict is simple. I am still very pleased with this purchase. I would buy it again. The salt system works. The water feels soft. There is no strong chlorine smell. And I still look forward to my nightly soak.
Two honest caveats before the praise. My Moto-Massage jets failed again in 2026 and had to be replaced, and I still have a small leak that I have not yet been able to identify. I cover exactly what I know and what I do not know in the 2026 update section. Open issues, front and center. Not hidden and not spun.
The Short Version
- Best for: one or two regular soakers who want a true 3 person tub with a lounger and low hassle water.
- Salt system: Yes, the FreshWater Salt System works in my tub. My first cartridge lasted nearly 9 months, not the 4 months on the warning clock.
- Upkeep: Test weekly. Adjust rarely. Change water about once a year in my routine.
- Watch out for: cartridge price, dealer price games, and on my tub, a Moto-Massage failure plus a small 2026 leak that is still unsolved.
- Buy again? Yes. Even knowing the cartridge price, I would still pick the salt system and the Moto-Massage DX lounger.
In This Review
Table of Contents
Hot Spring Jetsetter LX specs at a glance
This is a small tub and it does not pretend otherwise. It is built for one or two people who will soak often. Three can fit. That is the honest way to think about the size.
| Seats | 3 with a lounger |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 7 ft by 5 ft 8 in by 33 in. Manufacturer lists 213 cm by 173 cm by 84 cm. |
| Water capacity | 250 gallons. Manufacturer lists 950 liters. |
| Weight | 515 lb dry. 3,125 lb filled. That is why the slab matters. |
| Electrical | Current manufacturer spec is 230 volt. My install uses a dedicated 220 circuit with the included GFCI box. Confirm the current option sheet with your dealer before you pour or wire anything. |
| Jet to know | Moto-Massage DX in the lounger. It moves up and down your back. No other brand has it because Hot Spring holds the patent. |
| Water care | FreshWater Salt System with a replaceable salt cartridge, plus the silver ion cartridge in the filter standpipe. |
| Manufacturer list price | $18,499 on the Hot Spring site when checked for this update. Dealer and street prices vary by region and options. I bought in 2021 at 2021 money. Get your price in writing. |
Specs and list price above are from the Hot Spring Jetsetter LX page checked in October 2026. Model years change. Verify dimensions, electrical, and price with your dealer before you buy.
Hot Spring holds a proprietary patent on the Moto-Massage jet. You will not find it on any other hot tub. The Moto-Massage in the lounger is still my favorite seat in the tub.
I debated the Jacuzzi J-315 and the Bullfrog A5L before I bought. They are in a similar class. The Jetsetter LX was a few thousand more. I picked it for three reasons. I wanted the salt water system. I wanted the Moto-Massage. And the build quality felt a bit higher to me. I do not regret the call. Jacuzzi and Bullfrog are also good tubs.
I also love the lighting. The color range looks great at night. And I use the removable remote a lot. It controls jets and lights without me climbing out like a wet raccoon.
Setup and day to day ownership
Put it on concrete. Not wood. This is my second hot tub. My first sat on a wood deck. It looked fine at first. Then the wood faded, cracked, and slowly fell apart.
I tore that deck down and poured a slab. I paid a local company $1,000 for a 13 by 10 foot slab. Well worth it. Hot tub pads are another option. A wood deck is the one choice I would not repeat.
Get a roof if you can. My last tub sat open to sun and rain. That punishment is hard on the tub and it eats covers. Now my tub sits under a metal roof with gutters. I can soak while it rains. That never gets old.
A local contractor did the metal roof for $950 with materials and labor. They also covered the path to the door so I am not sprinting through rain in a towel. In my older notes I called this tub my $10,000 investment. The roof is how I protect that investment.
The roof and slab setup I wish I had bought the first time.
Go with 220 if you can. My tub could be installed on 220 or 110. The Jetsetter included a free 220 GFCI box. I paid an electrician $150 to install it. I am glad I did.
A 110 outlet cannot run the jets and heater at full tilt at the same time. Why pay real money for a good spa and then kneecap it at the wall? The 220 box also adds shock protection that 110 does not match.
Delivery day was easy on my end. I was not home during setup. The dealer filled the tub right away. They had tested my water before delivery and my water was perfect. They added salt and a little chlorine to jumpstart the system.
Take a water sample to your dealer before delivery. Some homes need a pre-filter and some do not. It depends on your water. I cover the pre-filter I link below in the costs section.
I changed the water after the first year, which is what Hot Spring recommends for this system. It went smoothly once I found the drain valve on the bottom. That valve is not hard. It is just well hidden until you know where to look.
I also negotiated free spa steps with my deal. Steps run about $150. Ask before you sign. Dealers suddenly remember a lot of flexibility before the paperwork, not after.
FreshWater Salt System: does it actually work?
Yes. In my tub, it works. I say that after living with it, not after a weekend demo.
Early on, I tracked exactly 18 weeks of use for my first review. The water stayed clean and clear. It still does the same job now. The system takes the daily hassle out of keeping spa water clean, clear, and sanitized.
I will be honest. I almost talked myself out of it. I read tons of horror stories online. Everyone I asked online told me to buy a traditional system with an Ozonator and avoid saltwater. I am glad I ignored that advice.
My last spa used Bromine and an Ozonator. I was always chasing the chemistry. Test, adjust, test again, overshoot, fix the fix. I did not want that hobby again. I wanted to soak.
The salt water feels different in a good way. It feels soft. It has no strong chlorine smell. After I get out, I rarely bother with a shower. I do not feel itchy. I do not smell like a pool bag. I feel clean.
I asked a ton of questions on the two main hot tub forums before I bought. You can see my posts at What’s the Best Hot Tub and at Pool and Spa Forum. If you are buying any brand, join both. The advice there is deep and free.
One warning about those forums. Most saltwater skeptics there are judging the old ACE system. That older system did not use cheap replaceable cartridges like this one. It was expensive to replace after a few years. Fair gripe about ACE. Different system here.
My Jetsetter LX in daily use. Weekly test, rare tweaks, nightly soak.
My weekly water routine
Here is the whole routine. I test the water weekly with test strips. I let the strips tell me what to do. Most weeks, the answer is do nothing.
I run the FreshWater system at output level 4. The scale goes from 0 to 10. Heavy use needs more output. If you host a crowd every night, you may need a level around 6. For my normal use, 4 is the sweet spot.
On rare weeks the pH reads a bit high. Then I add about half a capful of pH reducer. About every two weeks I add a small capful of unscented Clorox bleach as a shock. I use unscented only, with no additives. Then I run the clean cycle.
If chlorine or salt reads a little low, I add a tiny bit. For salt, I add about one quarter of the scooper from the salt bag. I did that about three times in my first four months. I also add a capful of stain and scale remover now and then. And I have nudged pH only twice in that early stretch. Tiny inputs. Long gaps between them.
Compared to my Bromine tub, the chemical juggling is almost nothing. The test strip is nearly always right where it should be. It feels like fine tuning, not firefighting.
How long does a salt cartridge really last?
Hot Spring says to expect about 4 months per cartridge. The tub will warn you at 4 months. Mine did.
I did not replace it at the warning. My chemistry still tested perfect. The tub still showed the salt system working normally. So I picked Replace later and kept soaking. You will get fresh warnings. I got them and kept checking the water instead of obeying the calendar.
That call paid off. In my December 11, 2023 update, I reported that the cartridge had lasted nearly 9 months before I finally replaced it the day before. Nearly 9 months. Not 4. That is more than double the warning clock.
One newer warning twist from my own tub in 2026. I installed a brand new cartridge and the panel kept insisting it was old and due for replacement. The cartridge was fine. My salt level had slipped too low, and the system could not read the fresh cartridge properly. I tested the salt, added more, and once the level was back in range the panel accepted the cartridge and ran normally. I tell the full story in the 2026 owner update. The free lesson bears repeating: if a new cartridge reads as old, check your salt before you spend money on another cartridge.
My rules for stretching a cartridge are boring and they matter. I test on schedule. I keep chemistry balanced. I clean and wash the filters on schedule. If the water tests clean and the system reports normal, I keep running it. If tests slip, I replace it. Do not stretch a dead cartridge to win a bet. Clean water wins.
Price is my one real gripe here. I paid $299 for a 3 pack. The sticker on my box said $229.88. I noticed at home. I called the dealer. They told me the sticker was wrong and the price had gone up by $70. Sure it had. If each cartridge only lasted 4 months, that is about $300 a year for cartridges alone. Mine lasting longer helps a lot. Still, I wish Hot Spring sold these online at a clear price so dealers cannot charge whatever the weather allows.
For balance, the other side has costs too. Ozonators die every few years and they are not cheap to replace. With salt, I change water about once a year instead of about three times a year on a typical spa. Fewer drains and refills is real money and real time saved.
Cleaning the salt cartridge
Keep calcium hardness at 50 ppm or less and the cartridge should not need cleaning before replacement. That depends on use and on keeping the water balanced. To check, power down the spa, pull the cartridge, and let it dry fully. Dry scale is easy to see. It looks white between the electrodes.
- Turn off power to the spa. Open the cover and remove the housing cap.
- Pull the salt cartridge out of the housing.
- Let it dry. Look between the electrodes for white calcium scale.
- If you see scale, soak it in pH down mix, 3 tablespoons in 12 ounces of water, or in diluted vinegar. For heavy scale, the manual allows 1 part muriatic pool acid to 10 parts water, or a commercial cell cleaner.
- Soak for 10 minutes or until bubbles stop. You can soak up to an hour if scale is stubborn.
- Rinse it. Check it again. Repeat if scale remains.
- Put the cartridge back. Replace the cap. Power the spa back up.
When I inspected mine, I saw no scaling. I put it right back in. No drama. That is the version of maintenance I signed up for.
Why do some owners kill cartridges in a month or two? In almost every case I read, the cause is high calcium, high phosphates, or both. Keep both in range. If phosphates run high, use a phosphate remover. To pull calcium down, use the Vanishing Act calcium remover. One came in my startup kit.
What ownership really costs
Hot tub ads love the tub price. Owners pay the tub price plus everything that keeps water clean and a cover alive. Here is my honest ledger. Some lines are exact because I kept the receipts in my head. Some lines are dealer priced. I label every estimate as an estimate. I will not invent a tidy monthly number to make a table look smart.
First, the free stuff matters. When you buy a Hot Spring or really any spa, your dealer should give you a startup package. Mine included stain and scale remover, Hot Spring chlorine granules, alkalinity increaser, a phosphate test kit, salt test strips, FreshWater 5 way test strips, filter cleaner, FreshWater spa salt, and a FreshWater Vanishing Act pillow to remove calcium.
That kit is easily around $350 or more in chemicals at retail. Make sure your dealer includes at least what I got. Ask for the list in writing before delivery. Shopping for salt on day one while a crew waits in your yard is a rookie tax. Do not pay it.
| Ownership item | What I paid or learned | Owner notes |
|---|---|---|
| FreshWater salt cartridges, 3 pack | $299 paid. Box sticker said $229.88. | Rated about 4 months each. My cartridge lasted nearly 9 months with weekly testing and clean filters. Calendar says replace. My test strips get a vote too. |
| Filters | Dealer priced. No honest single number from my notes. | I wash and clean filters on schedule and that habit stretched my cartridge life. Budget for cleaning supplies first. Replace filters when they stay dirty or flow drops. Ask your dealer for the exact filter price before you buy the tub. |
| Test strips and chemicals | Startup kit about $350 value included by my dealer. | After startup I use very little. Weekly strips, rare salt or chlorine, rare pH tweak, stain remover now and then. Small bottles last because doses are tiny. |
| Silver ion cartridge | Dealer and online priced. See the silver cartridge box below. | FreshWater AG+ sits in the filter standpipe and adds silver ions to slow bacterial growth. Hot Spring designs it around a 4 month life. I recommend it below as my top accessory. |
| Cover and cover lifter | Dealer priced. Get both quoted in writing. | Your cover is insulation and safety in one slab. A lifter saves your back and stops you dragging the cover on concrete. My roof also shields the cover from sun and rain. Price the lifter before delivery, not after your first sore morning. |
| Electricity | ESTIMATE ONLY. Not a quote and not a promise. | Your cost depends on your local per kilowatt hour rate, winter lows, set temperature, cover health, and how often you soak. My tub holds 250 gallons and lives under a roof with a good cover. To estimate yours, take your utility rate times your estimated monthly use, then check your first two real bills and adjust. Anyone who gives you an exact monthly dollar figure sight unseen is selling, not helping. |
| Water changes | About once a year in my salt routine. | Typical spas often drain about three times a year. Fewer refills saves water, salt, heat, and a Saturday. Still test weekly. Salt is low care, not no care. |
FreshWater salt cartridges
This is the consumable everyone asks about. The cartridges are pricey and the dealer markup story above is why I want a clear online price. Still, long life in my tub softened the sting. Test weekly. Wash filters. Do not swap a healthy cartridge just because a timer beeped.
FreshWater AG+ Silver Ion cartridge
Yes, the silver cartridge is worth it in my experience. The FreshWater AG+ silver ion mineral sanitizer releases silver ions into the water to inhibit bacterial growth. It suspends inside the filter standpipe. On my tub that is the filter with the grey cover on the far left.
One charge lasts about four months by design. I think it is a real reason my water has been so easy to hold. You can find off brand versions for about half the price. I have not tested those. Cheap is great. Unknown quality in my water is less great. I stay with the real one.
Watchdog Approved
Winston’s Pick: FreshWater AG+ Silver Ion Cartridge. Winston has no thumbs, so he cannot test water. He can nap near a tub that stays clear with less fuss. This is the accessory I recommend first. It lives in the standpipe, helps hold clean water for about four months per charge, and makes my weekly test boring. Boring water is the goal.
Test strips
You need two kinds of truth. FreshWater 5 way strips for day to day balance. And salt test strips so you know where salt stands before you add more. Guessing with salt is how owners chase their tails. Test, then touch. In that order.
Pre-filter for fills
When my dealer filled the tub, they used the tap as it was. My water tested perfect before delivery, so I did not need a pre-filter. Your water may be different. A hose pre-filter can cut scale, iron, lead and other metals, chloramines, hydrogen sulfide, odor causing organics, and hard mineral haze before they reach the tub.
Take a sample to the dealer before delivery. If they wave you off without testing, test it yourself. Ten minutes of proof beats a year of fighting source water.
Two more cabinet notes while I am here. I debated a factory purge at delivery with Ahh-Some because factories wet test plumbing and that trapped water can grow biofilm. My dealer said it was not needed. I trusted him and I was fine. At refill time I will use Ahh-Some. In my book it is the best purge, hands down.
Readers ask about ionRX copper systems and Spa Marvel enzymes in a salt tub. In theory they can work. ionRX wants very low chlorine, around 1 ppm. I have no hands on time with either in this tub. I do not know what they do to salt cartridge life and I do not want to learn on my dollar. My advice stays plain. Follow the Hot Spring manual and your dealer. Do not stack potions to fix water that is already clean.
I also added a ZorbO scum absorber. It soaks up oils and lotion residue, up to 15 times its weight by its claims, without drinking the water. No extra chemicals. It lasts for months. Since I added it, my filters come up cleaner. Small floating sponge. Real difference.
On shock, I still use plain bleach as above. I have thought about adding a non chlorinating oxidizing shock to the two week routine. Other FreshWater owners rate the Spa Depot option well and it is not supposed to knock balance around. I have not made it a habit yet. If I do, I will update this section with dates and test results, not vibes.
Problems I have owned
No tub is problem free forever. Any review that claims otherwise is selling you something. Here is my full problem list in plain sight. It is short. Short is good.
Through my November 2022 update and my December 2023 update, I had no major problems. The tub purred along smoothly. I changed the water on schedule. I tested weekly. That was the story for years and it is still most of the story.
My remote control panel gave me one scare. One day it showed only the temperature in a huge font. No menus. No controls. Just a big number staring at me like it had forgotten its job.
The fix was simple once I knew it. Hold your thumb down in the bottom right corner of the remote screen. Hold it for about five seconds until it resets. The full menus came back. It has worked since. If your remote looks frozen in giant temperature mode, try that reset before you panic or pay for a service call.
My other annoyance is not a breakdown. It is the cartridge warning clock. The tub warns at four months even when the water tests clean. Then it keeps reminding me. I pick Replace later and I verify with strips. Annoying? Yes. A failure? No. Just know the beep is a calendar, not a lab result.
Dealer pricing annoyed me more than the tub ever did. A $229.88 sticker that became $299 at the counter is the kind of games I write this site to call out. Get consumable prices in writing when you buy the tub. That one habit will save you more than any hack I can give you.
2026 owner update: jets, cartridge, and the small leak
Here is the latest owner news, October 7, 2026, and I will not bury any of it. Three things to report. My Moto-Massage jets failed again and I had them replaced. A brand new salt cartridge played a strange trick on my control panel. And the small leak from my last update is still with me and still unfound.
The Moto-Massage jets quit again. The moving jet in my lounger is my favorite seat in this tub. It is also a moving part, which means it can wear out. Mine failed again and I had the jets replaced. Even the signature feature on a premium tub is not immortal. Love the feature. Budget for the fact that moving parts eventually move on.
A new cartridge that insisted it was old. I swapped in a fresh FreshWater salt cartridge and the panel kept telling me the cartridge was old and needed replacing. I researched it, went back and forth with ChatGPT, and experimented before the answer showed up. My water had drifted too low in salt, and the system could not read the new cartridge correctly. Once I added more salt and brought the level back into range, the panel recognized the cartridge and the system ran normally. If your tub ever calls a brand new cartridge old, test the salt before you buy another cartridge. That free check saved me real money.
The leak is still a leak. It is a small trickle on the underside of the tub, significant enough that I now add water about once a month to fill it back up. Details below, still with no guessing.
That sentence is the whole update. I am not going to guess a fitting, blame a jet, or dress up a hunch as a diagnosis. I do not know the source yet. Anyone who tells you they can name a hidden leak from a keyboard is writing fiction.
What I know is narrow. The leak is small. It showed up after years of trouble free running, including my clean November 2022 and December 2023 check ins. It costs me a top up about once a month. What I do not know is the list that matters. I do not know if it is a fitting, a seal, a hose, the drain area, or something else. I have not pinned it to one wet spot in the cabinet, and there is no obvious source staring at me.
Here is my hunt list, in the order I am working it. I mark the water line and note the drop over 24 hours with normal use and with the tub left alone. I keep the cabinet dry, then look again for the first damp trail after a soak and after a quiet day. I check the easy wins first, the drain valve area and any union I can reach without tearing foam apart. I keep power safety first. Water and electrics do not mix for heroics.
Realistically, the next step is my dealer. They will likely have to find and fix it, and if the tub has to go back to their store, this could get expensive. I am not looking forward to that bill and I am not going to pretend otherwise. When it happens I will update this section with what they find, what it costs, and how long it takes. No silent edits. The update will carry a date like this one does.
Does the leak change my verdict by itself? No. Not yet. A small unsolved leak on a tub I have soaked in since April 2021 is a repair flag, not a rewrite of five years of clean water and easy upkeep. If it turns into a cabinet rot story or a repeat failure, my verdict will change and I will say so right here. Until then, it sits where it belongs. Front and center as an open issue, not hidden in a footnote.
One care note for any owner chasing the same thing. Do not just keep topping up and forget it. Track the drop. Photograph the cabinet dry and then wet. Keep test strips honest, because low water can drag chemistry with it. And do not run the tub low to cheat the test. Find the water path first. Then fix the right part once.
Jetsetter LX vs other compact tubs
I cross shopped small tubs before I bought, so this table sticks to that same compact class. I only print a price I checked on a manufacturer page for this update. Every other price line tells you to get a dealer quote. Dealer prices swing by region, options, delivery, and how hungry the store is that month. A fake precise number from me would help no one.
| Model | Compact class | Water care question to ask | Price for this update |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Spring Jetsetter LX (this review) | 3 seats with lounger | FreshWater Salt System with replaceable cartridge. This is the system I tested above. | $18,499 manufacturer list checked October 2026. Dealer price varies. I bought in 2021. |
| Jacuzzi J-315 | Compact 3 person class. I cross shopped it directly. | Ask the dealer in writing what water care is standard and what is an add on for the current model year. | Not listed here. Get a written dealer quote with delivery and cover. |
| Bullfrog A5L | Compact 3 person class. I cross shopped it directly. | Ask the dealer in writing what water care is standard and what is an add on for the current model year. | Not listed here. Get a written dealer quote with delivery and cover. |
| Caldera Celio | Small Vacanza class compact for two to three soakers. | Ask the dealer in writing what salt or mineral options fit the current model year and what cartridges cost. | Not listed here. Get a written dealer quote with delivery and cover. |
Why did I still pick the Jetsetter LX over the Jacuzzi and the Bullfrog? Three reasons, same as day one. I wanted the salt system. I wanted the Moto-Massage lounger. And Hot Spring build quality felt a notch higher in person. That was my call with my money. Your hands and your back get a vote. Wet test if you can.
I said it in my first review and I still mean it. Jacuzzi and Bullfrog make good tubs. If a J-315 or an A5L fits your body better on a wet test, buy the tub you fit. The best spec sheet in the world loses to the seat that fits your back.
On Caldera, think sibling rival, not knockoff. It comes from the same Watkins family as Hot Spring, but it does not give you the same FreshWater salt story as my Jetsetter LX. If a Caldera dealer quotes you, make them spell out the water care running costs line by line, just like the cost table above. Apples to apples, or do not sign.
Worth it if and not worth it if
Worth it if
- You soak several nights a week and want water care to fade into the background.
- You are a party of one or two most nights, with an occasional third seat used.
- You value soft water with low smell over saving every last dollar on cartridges.
- You can run a proper 220 circuit and set the tub on a slab under cover.
- You will test weekly for two minutes instead of rescuing green water monthly.
Not worth it if
- You need a true party tub for five or six adults. This is a 3 person tub. Buy bigger.
- Any recurring cartridge cost makes you angry on principle. Salt saves effort, not every dollar.
- You want set and forget to mean never test. It does not. Weekly strips are part of the deal.
- Your only dealer will not quote cartridges, filters, cover, and lifter in writing. Walk. Seriously.
- You cannot give it a solid base and shelter. Wood deck plus no roof is how good tubs age badly.
Owner FAQ
I see a small leak. What should I check first?
Start with proof, not parts. Mark the water line. Note the drop over 24 hours. Compare a soak day with a quiet day when no one uses the tub.
Dry the cabinet fully. Then look for the first damp trail after use. Check the drain valve area and any union you can reach safely. Photograph dry and wet so you can see what changed.
Keep levels honest while you hunt. Do not run the tub low. If the drop speeds up or the cabinet stays wet, call a Hot Spring tech. That is where my tub stands in October 2026. Small leak, source not yet found, a top up about once a month, verdict not changed by that alone. I will date the next update when I know more.
My remote shows only a big temperature. How do I reset it?
Hold your thumb in the bottom right corner of the remote screen. Keep holding for about five seconds until it resets.
Mine froze with only the temperature in large font and nothing else. That reset fixed it fully. Try it before you book a service call.
How long will a salt cartridge really last? Can I ignore the warning?
Plan on about four months. Hope for longer. Verify with strips every week.
My tub warned at four months while chemistry still tested perfect and the system showed normal. I chose Replace later. That cartridge lasted nearly nine months before I swapped it in December 2023. Clean filters and balanced water made that possible. If tests slip or the system stops showing normal, replace it. The calendar does not overrule the test strip.
Why does my tub say a brand new salt cartridge is old?
Check your salt level first. In my tub the cause was water that had drifted too low in salt, and the system misread a fresh cartridge as worn out.
Test the salt. If it is low, add salt, let the system settle, and then check the panel again. In my case the cartridge was recognized and ran normally once the salt was back in range. Run that free test before you buy another cartridge.
Should I run the Jetsetter on 220 or 110?
Run 220 if you can. My tub included a free 220 GFCI box. I paid an electrician $150 to install it.
On 110, jets and heater cannot both work at full power at the same time. On 220 they can. You bought the jets and the heat. Wire the tub so you can use both.
How often do I change the water and what keeps the cartridge alive?
I change water about once a year. That is the rhythm Hot Spring points to for this salt system. Typical spas often drain about three times a year.
Three habits keep my cartridge alive. Keep calcium hardness at 50 ppm or less. Keep phosphates in range. Wash filters on schedule and test weekly. Run output at level 4 for light use. Go higher, toward 6, with heavy bather loads.
Professor Winston Wants to Know
Our resident watchdog is taking the temperature of the room.
What would worry you most about owning a hot tub?
One tap, no account or email needed. Results are shown after you vote.
Want to say more? The comments below are open.
Bottom Line
After five soaking seasons since April 2021, my Hot Spring Jetsetter LX review still ends in the same place. I am very pleased. I would buy it again. And after I save this update, I plan to go for my nightly soak.
The salt system is the reason. Soft water. Low smell. Weekly tests and rare tweaks. One cartridge that went nearly nine months still makes me grin, even at dealer prices. The Moto-Massage lounger is the other reason. My back voted and it was not close.
Buy with eyes open. Cartridges cost real money. Dealers can play games on that price, so get it in writing. And my tub now has a small leak I have not found yet. That open issue is in this review because trust matters more than a clean story. If the leak grows teeth, I will update the verdict and date it. Today, it does not outweigh years of easy water.
If you are one or two soakers who want a small tub that feels big on care and comfort, buy the Jetsetter LX. If you need a party barge or you hate any cartridge bill, skip it and buy bigger or simpler. Either way, test weekly, cover it well, and put it on concrete.
For broader context on the water going into the tub, I also wrote up what I learned checking American tap water safety. Source water matters. Test yours before you blame a cartridge.
Happy Hot Tubbing! Tell me in the comments what you paid for a FreshWater 3 pack and where. Dealer stories welcome. The good ones deserve credit. The sticker games deserve daylight. You can find more owner first reviews from the Global Watchdog home page, and I keep this Jetsetter LX review updated there as the leak hunt and cartridge miles roll on.
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Great write-up, thank you!
I’m unclear as to why the titanium electrodes ever need replacing – they are not part of any chemical reaction whatsoever – they are inert electrodes and unless there is “scale” caused by calcium or phosphate (which can be “cleaned” off) which insulates the titanium, not allowing as many electrons to transfer, why do they need replacing?
adding “Clorox” (bleach, a solution of sodium hypochlorite) is fine to disinfect, but that’s likely why you’re seeing an increase in alkalinity – the solid compounds, commonly known as “dichlor” and “trichlor”, do not cause a basic reaction like sodium hypochlorite does.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment. My last cartridge lasted 9 months instead of the 4 it is supposed to last. I think Watkins designs these cartridge specifically not to last forever as they rightfully could be made if you cleaned off the scale as you suggested. Manufacturers love to make items that are expensive and need to be replaced frequently even when easily make 1 that could last years as you asserted.