Help: Jets Don't Turn On

[garth66]

I have a 1999 Highland Series 'Apline' spa (same layout as the newer San Gabriel) that runs on 220v. It was working great and the jets would come on as soon as the button on the topside control panel was pushed, but recently it started to have a delay before the jets would turn on, and now the jets do not turn on at all when the button is pushed (well, maybe they come on 30-45 minutes later, if at all).

Normal behavior: Push the topside control button...

1x - Light on

2x - Light on and jets on 'low'

3x - Light on and jets on 'high'

4x - Light off and jets on 'high'

5x - Off

Current behavior:

When I push the topside control panel button the light turns on/off as it's supposed to depending on how many times the button has been pushed, but the jets do not come on. Instead, I hear a clicking sound in the control box where the circuit board is. It sounds like a relay clicking, but the pump/jets do not come on.

When the problem first started, the jets would come on after a short delay (1-5 minutes), but now they don't come on at all, except maybe after a very long delay (30-45 minutes, if at all).

If the pump is already on for a filter cycle the jets turn on instantly if I push the topside control button, but if I click the button to 'off' I cannot turn them back on, and the pump/filter cycle does not restart immediately.

Any suggestions for what might be the problem or what to check would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Garth