JonSmall

I have a 2013 Sundance Optima 880 that I spent about $10k on. Within the past 2 years, I've spent around $750 on replacing a control panel and repairing the circuit board. I'm now once again with a non-operational tub because of what I suspect is another failed control panel - see attached pic of burnt resistors. The panel shows nothing and doesn't respond to any button pushes. So, I'm looking at another $500 to replace the control panel ! I find this absolutely ridiculous that first of all a tub of this caliber has this many issues within 6 years and secondly that the control board fails 2x in 15 months. So, my quandary is should I bend over and pay the $500.....OR.....should I go nuts and for roughly the same price replace the entire control system from a manufacturer such as Balboa, Gecko, etc.? Really appreciate anyone's feedback on this. I'm just afraid of this becoming a perpetual problem. Thank you!!! BTW - The pc board is covered in epoxy, so I can't simply replace the resistors myself

My tub has completely stopped functioning to where the panel is now blank and none of the pumps can be triggered from the control panel or by power cycling the spa. The stereo works, I can control the LED lights from the control panel just fine, but nothing else works. As the title suggests, it is a 2013 Sundance Optima 880 with 240vac supply and two pumps. I just had the control panel replaced 6mo ago under warranty. Here are the troubleshooting steps I've followed thus far: Completely shut off power at circuit breaker for 24 hours and turned it back on. No change in status. I cycled the power after removing the control panel connection to the PC board hoping the recirculating pump would come on, but no luck. I removed the WiFi module that was in-line with the control panel, cycled power and no change in status. Checked power throughout the PC board including incoming 240vac, transformer input/output, and continuity of all fuses. All check out fine. By process of elimination, I suspected that it must be something with the PC board, so I decided to pull it out for closer inspection - after labeling the wires of course. I heard the capacitors could swell over time and you'd see a bulging at the top, but this wasn't the case. I then noticed something peculiar. There is a small integrated circuit chip adjacent to the capacitors that just didn't look right. It was surrounded by what looked like burn marks instead of the crisp green color of the PC board. I flipped the board around and noticed an indisputable dark spot where that chip is. See attached pics. Apparently, this chip is a voltage regulator. So, my question to this forum: Based on the troubleshooting I've done and the discoloration/deformation of this chip, would you conclude that the source of my problem is the PC board and I need to replace it? Pictures Burnt IC Chip Back of PC Board PC Board Model # PC Board Really appreciate any suggestions or wisdom on this matter. Much appreciated, Jon