n1oty
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Posts posted by n1oty
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Have you pulled the filter or filters??
John
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The heater gets AC voltage, not DC.
John
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There are two heaters that will fit into the Watkins tubs, a 4kW and a 6 kW. Assuming your meter works properly and your probe wires are OK, that is approximately what I would expect when ohm testing the 4 kW heater.
John
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The filter is so small in this tub that you'll have to clean it constantly. The 3/4 BHP motor rating really means its no more than a true 1/2 HP pump/motor.
John
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I agree with Dan the Spa Man. That is definitely a two-pump Caldera hot tub from the 1999-2000 time frame. Built like a tank. If it is only cosmetic problems with the side panels and the tub is fundamentally good, someone could have a great tub for the cost of moving, a cover and making some new panels. That particular tub is equivalent to the current Tahitian or Geneva.
John
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This site probably has the most independent servicers who work on multiple brands and have valid opinions of those brands. Unfortunately, we generally get bashed by newbs when we give our opinion. As far as comparison web sites go, most of them are simply shill sites that rate the brands by how much money the tub manufacturers pay them.
John
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I'm not there to check it myself, but it sounds like it is the high limit going off.
John
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Confirm water flow through heater. Confirm that you calibrated the new pressure switch properly. Confirm that the pressure switch contacts actually open and close with a meter, depending on whether the motor is running or not (check it both ways). Confirm that the wires from the switch to the board are good. If all checks out OK, you have a bad circuit board.
John
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I spent five minutes rolling around on the floor having a severe laughing spell.
John
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Make sure that everything meets the minimum 60 amp standard before doing this. The biggest mistake I encounter is the use of #6 NM-B or #6 UF conductors which have a maximum ampacity of 55 amps before applying de-rating factors per Table 310.16 of the NEC. These are 60 C rated conductors. #6 THHN, on the other hand, is rated at 90 C, yielding a maximum ampacity of 75 amps before the application of de-rating factors. #6 THHN would probably be adequate for a 60 amp circuit barring unusual de-rating issues.
John
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FYI, this thread has not had any activity in about 7 years so I don't think you are going to see much of a response.
Well, if he or she is advocating for the brand, it is really a waste of time. Keys Backyard went bankrupt and out of business a long time ago. I hope he or she doesn't have one of the 240 volt only models. Those boards are impossible to find now.
John
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A couple of points of caution:
First, heater elements are purely resistive loads, not inductive like motors. As such, when the voltage drops to the heater, the amperage also drops and the heater output as measured in watts also decreases. This is the principle that is in play with hot tubs that can be connected to either 120 volts or 240 volts. For example, let's take Watkins 4 kW heater. At 240 volts, it draws ~16 amps (give or take) in order to achieve nearly 4 kW of heat output. If that same tub is only connected to 120 volts, that same 4 kW heater now only draws approximately 8 amps and the heat output drops to approximately 1 kW.
Second, don't do this to a tub in warranty. It will void the warranty.
Third, anyone who has been servicing tubs for over 20 years will remember the use of these old style, larger relays that didn't burn out as frequently. I still occasionally work on old Jacuzzi Avanza hot tubs from the early 80's with it's large 12 kW heater element (actually a pair of 6 kW elements) controlled by large Potter & Brumfield contactors. Now that was quality.
Fourth, I would not use stove wire in your modification. Any design modification to a tub voids it's UL or ETL listing and transforms it into a "Field Constructed" hot tub. As such, it is your butt on the line if something goes wrong. Much of the stove wire on the market is NOT rated for damp or wet environments. When working on Watkins tubs, I always reach for the 90 C rated THHN/THWN-2 conductors.
Fifth, you should run your conduit all the way into the IQ2020 box. Ending the conduit where it just enters the equipment compartment is not code compliant. It also appears that you may have exceeded the allowable conduit fill percentage and may require larger conduit.
Sixth, you'll need conduit between the IQ2020 box and your field constructed box. Alternatively, you may be able to use some SO hard service cord, as long as you get some rated 75 C or better.
John
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That is simply ozone tubing from the ozone injector to each check valve in series.
John
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I have the jacuzzi j 330 hot tub and if I had to do it all all over again I would have never bought this tub. It's been nothing but a POS pain in the arse since the day I got it, (buttons breaking, waterfall breaks, jet's break and won't stay in, have gone threw 3 main control boards, 1 circ pump, 1 new waterfall, 1 new switch valve, 2 top control display boards, and the list goes on and on...) and Jacuzzi has never helped me once!!
Since the pool and spa depot where I bought it no longer carries this brand I am completely on my own with this waste of 8 grand!!
Anyways, the reason I am here is because (like many others) I too get that stupid FL1 flashing error at least 2-3 times a year! I have since figured out on my own a simply fix and reason for why it happens.
*I am assuming at this point you have completely drained cleaned and done a fresh water re-fill...
1. of course check your filters, they really may need mega cleaning or even replaced...
2. check and see if the little straw sized heat out put line is actually pumping water. *if so go to next step..
3. *THE MAIN FIX and TROUBLE = There is a little grey wire coming from the master control board that is attached to a little (clear see threw) sensor that since Jacuzzi and probably others brands of over priced POS tubs have that need to be simply removed, cleaned, and in certain cases "like mine" you will actually need to carefully bend the flexible metal closer to the magnetic pick-up reader switch. Pay close attention before removing this as to what side or direction the flex metal with attached round magnet is facing!!!... This sensor when working corectly and the circ pump is actually pumping water threw it will cause the flex metal with the magnet to bend and be forced closer to the pick-up reader pole thus closing the circute like a light switch telling the master control board that all is safe and water is pumping to go ahead and turn on the heater. *Yes it's that simply and easy to fix.. and can be adjusted in real time while the tub is running even though when you remove it and put it back remove it and put it back until you get it cleaned and adjusted "just right" water will gush out and you may get a little wet, but no big deal..
4. Once you've done this cycle threw all the main pump modes and watch and in about 3-10 seconds the little nice red HEAT light will come on and stay on!
)) So you are done and it didn't cost you a single penny only a few minutes of your time.I hope this helps others that may have this problem when everything else seems to be fine, Jacuzzi as company is a joke and I will never recomend or buy another product from them or anyone affiliated with them ever again! So yeah, there ya have it, a quick simple FREE fix that most pool repair techs would charge you lots of $$$ to fix when you can just DIY
))Hope this helps.. Happy "repairs -vs- enjoying" you hot-tub with what should have been a recalled product, but it looks like we are stuck with this until we buy a new GOOD better quality Spa/Hot-Tub.
djshawn
Nashville, TN
I'd recommend actually measuring the water flow through the heat circuit before declaring success. The circ pump on the J330 puts out about 12 GPM with new filters in the tub. The Harwil flow switch is calibrated by the factory to close at approximately 8 to 9 GPM. Any bending of the metal arm holding the magnet is likely to result in a switch that closes at something outside of specifications. If it closes at too low of a flow, you could damage the heater.
John
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What year is the spa is it a 2012 0r a 2011?
The J330 is quite a few years old. It was supplanted by the J335 at least 6 or 7 years ago, IIRC.
John
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Your picture does not highlight a "restrictor". It is highlighting a pair of ozone check valves. Many tubs incorporate two check valves instead of one as an extra back up if one fails. There purpose is to keep water out of the ozonator.
John
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John I have seen frame degradation on wood frames and metal frames and we all know that it is down to the frame being wet all the time... so a loose union not noticed, or a poor install site... any tech worth his salt knows this is not product related...
lets keep it relevant.
This is not leak related, but rather it seems to be unable to survive the salty air environment of the coast. Yet, I have a ton of customers with properly constructed wood frames who also have tubs outside on their beach front property with no issues.
John
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Is the transformer getting line voltage?? Is the transformer working?? Did you check fuses??
John
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Spatech, what you say is not really correct...
The brands that traditionally get hammered are the ones hitting our pocket books.
Master is hammering loads of markets and costing lots of dealers lots of sales through their traveling pony show.
That is why they are getting hammered. the truth is you cant fault the build quality, component list, factory support, or the product itself, its just a high profile target.
Wait awhile... Marquis, and others are duplicating these dog and pony shows soon, so we will all have more high profile targets to hurl abuse at
What boggles my mind is how stupid people are, they go to these events and believe whatever the sales guys say and spend their money with companies that are based hundreds of miles away from them and think they will get backup.
The really stupid part is they end up paying more at these spa expos than they would from their local retailer because the events cost a fortune to run... $30k-$50k in advertising, $8 k in venues fees, 7% commissions, etc etc... How can anybody think these are good places to buy spas...
If you really believe this nonsense, send me your email address and I will forward a copy of a photo I took the other day while servicing a Master Spa on Cape Cod. The metal frame is completely rotting away!!
John
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Are you certain that you got a new board and not a rebuilt board?? The conductivity of the switching portion of board mounted relays tends to diminish with age for a variety of reasons. As the continuity diminishes from worn contacts, carbon build up, etc, the relays will heat up more with ordinary use.
John
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I am helping a friend replace his spa pack, I am very familar with installing these types of packs I have installed several of them before but we specifically asked for a spa pack set up with a 220 volt circulator pump and they sent the pack set up for a 120 volt circulator pump. When I contacted them about it they said it can be used for either but you have to have a certified spa tech contact balboa for the jumper wire conversion and will no accept a return because we have already installed the pack. Can someone please direct me to where to move the jumper wires to convert the circulator pump to 240 volt? The cover of the pack shows how to covert the blower/ozone from 120 v to 240 volt but no diagrahm for the circulator pump.
Thanks in advance for the help!!!!!
It's the same as for blower or ozone. Move the neutral conductor for that circuit to "Red AC" for 240 volt operation.
John
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Hopefully just a bad capacitor on the pump- Is there a motor repair shop near you? If the bearings are in good physical shape, there's a solid chance it's an inexpensive repair... but most spa places don't re-build motors.
Not likely given a history of GFCI trips as well. I'd test the motor windings with a megger. This is starting to sound more like a winding problem.
John
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I checked power at the ground fault breaker, both sides of breaker and power was good on both poles (120 volts each). Then I checked the power at the hot tub power connections and both poles were also good. Pulled the power out line plug on the transformer and tested those lines and found no power.
But did you get 240 volts reading across both hots??
John
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If they are not replacing the tub, ask to get the electrical GFCI panel and all the wiring you can get, sub panels can be bought at Home Depot (US) for $70, the wire will kill you, 6ga THHN is $1 per foot x 4 conductors, so $4/ft from the panel to the tub, and the 6ga Romex from the homes breaker box to the outside wall $2.75/ft. My install was relatively close to the breaker box, still cost $300 just for wire, then add in conduit, dont forget those costs.
The use of Romex for the indoor portion of many hot tub runs is generally code compliant. In this case, though, it is not. Watkins has specified the use of minimum 75 C conductors for wiring their tubs. That means minimum 75 C for the ENTIRE RUN. Romex is a 60 C conductor. In this case, the use of the 60 C conductors violates Article 110.3B.
John
Question On Which Dealer To Use For Caldera Tahitian
in Portable Hot Tubs & Spas
Posted
Since it will be in NH and not in Mass, I'd strongly recommend spending more for the local assistance. Anyone with a four hour drive will NOT be able to get to you quickly in the event of a catastrophic failure on a bitter winter weekend. This ain't California. This stuff can freeze up. I'm an independent, authorized servicer for Caldera in Mass and I don't travel to NH except for insurance investigations and commercial work. Alternatively, you could buy your tub in Mass and simply pay the NH dealer for emergency work, but a lot of dealers will only service what they sell.
John