dirtrider

It's working perfectly. I did all the work myself. Ended up being able to set the temp on the hot tub as normal through controller. As a user, there is NO WAY you can tell if it's being heated by the OWB or electric. Just a "flick" of a switch changes between the two. We keep it at 104 with no electric needed for heat Here's a little thread I had on it: http://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.ph...wb+heat+hot+tub Any questions, ask away.

I agree. It sounds like you may have lost one 110 leg. I'm guessing it's 220volt. On mine, there is a fuse for each line in the spa pack and I accidentaly blew one and my spa did kinda the same thing....some pumps didn't work, circ pump did... If it is a blown fuse, then you need to check to see what blew it.....I "know" how mine blew

MAY???? You better read some more. There is a lot of great info here but there are several "agendas" here. After reading here a while, you get to know which posters to just skip over..

Well, Just in case anyone cares, I have been heating my tub with an external water to water pool and spa heat exhanger and using an outdoor wood boiler for a heat source. It is working flawlessly. It feels nice to know that my tub is being heated for free (well, minus the cutting wood thing ). I use the same controller to heat my tub with either the wood boiler OR the original electric element with an installed 2 pole 2 position switch interupting 1 leg of the heater circuit. In wood mode, all it does is turn on a 24volt transformer (when tub calls for heat) which opens a 3 way valve to circulate the hot water in the exchanger. Anyway, Thanks again for the technical "look out for's"

I do believe that they are very sesitive but I am planning (I use that loosely) that the hot water coming out of the heat exchanger, going and mixing with 460 gals of water will not give me a rapid increase in temp of the water after it goes through my filters and back to the heater. (This is how I calculate my rate of heat rise) That's why I am not trying to heat the water before it goes directly into the heater. That's why in my mind the water entering and leaving the 2 probes, although, slowly rising in temp, will be the "same" temp across both. What I am hoping is that......when my tub is "calling for heat" and probe one, before the element, is reading 100 degree water and probe 2 after the element is also reading 100 degree water..... the controller doesn't say...."hey, my element isn't working" do to NO rise in temp. Thanks again for your input, it is "greatly" appreciated.

Thanks for the reply, OK, a little better description On my tub, I have what looks to be a 2" (may be larger) line coming from my filters directly to my heater, it comes out of the heater and goes to a pump I haven't pulled that side off, but coming back from that side is a 1 to 1.5" hose going back into my tub which is from the 24/7 circulator pump. This is also where the hot water comes into the tub when the jet pumps are off. The heat exchanger will be just before where it dumps into the tub now. I will not be restricting anything to my heater, or controls, nor any water flow when all pumps and jets are running. The heat exchanger has a flow rate of 44.9 gals a minute so a restricted flow is a non issue. It is also designed for "chemically treated" water. I am very knowledgeable on automotive and equipment hydraulic, electrical AC/DC, spraying, engine, transmission.......systems but I just could find no "technical" info on the probes. I did call where I got the tub, the tech guy was pretty sure that I would be OK but wouldn't give me a definate "yes" answer. I already know I can heat withn an external heat exchanger (I have already seen one in operation) but it uses an independant thermostat, temp probe, relay, and transformer to operate. I am looking to take that set up one step further and use the existing temp control. The answer about the probes (my original question) that they should not be affected by NOT (water coming into and out of heater will be "same" temp) seeing a difference between them is the "same" answer I did get from the dealer Tech I spoke with. So, 2 independent same answers is good for me I going to give a shot. I won't be firing up the OWB till October but I will definately post back how it worked (or not worked ) Thanks again and any other comments are surely welcome.

Hello, Let me first say that I have been on this site many times and have found most of the info I needed (general stuff) and also have learned some things just from passing some time reading here. I would like to thank the folks that "know" these things for sharing with others. I am an Auto Tech by trade, and we do the same on our end. That saying, "What comes around goes around" doesn't always have to be a bad thing. I have a Master Spa with a Balboa spa controller part # 54493 with a 5.5kw heater with dual heat sensor probes. I am guessing, and from what little info I can find, that the two sensors monitor each other to keep things running. I also figure that there is a differential in temp from the "in" side sensor to the "out" sensor while the heating element is on. My question is, what if the water temp before the element and after the element is the "same temp" while the controller is calling for heat? To clarify somewhat what I am attempting to do is interupt the "hot" side of my heater element with a double pole double throw switch which I can set to either heat my tub with the electric element, or when the tub calls for heat, it will energize a 24V transformer which in turn will open a 3 way water valve tied into a water to water heat exchanger from an outdoor wood boiler. As the tub heats in this manner, the water temp will rise, but flow through the heater at one temp. I pretty much have everything figured out but need to know about the probes "monitoring" themselves. OR, does anyone have another way for me to use an outside heat source to heat my tub BUT still use the temp control on the panel on the tub. Thanks in advance for any replies.