RDspaguy
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Posts posted by RDspaguy
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Where does it get power? Does it heat, or just tell you it's cold?
In Tahoe, we would run a separate 20 amp gfci circuit to the spa and mount a plug in the equipment bay for a space heater. If running, the equipment bay will be warm, but if it gets cold the space heater kicks on. If you get power from the spa pack a gfci trip still screws you, so the extra circuit is crucial. Of course a power outage will still be an issue, but you can't have everything.
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What is that new hose plumbed to?
On 11/1/2023 at 6:24 AM, WetBubbles said:hottub is now tripping
Tripping what?
On 11/1/2023 at 6:24 AM, WetBubbles said:When restarted the first 2 leds are lit, then when the system eventually trips both these lights go out.
This suggests a thermistor issue, which could be low flow or buildup on the thermistor.
I'd start by back-flushing the heater, removing and cleaning the thermistors, and removing the circ pump face to clean the impeller. If that doesn't do it we'll talk about about what to buy.
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Post pics of circuit board, wiring diagram, equipment area, and gfci cord end (the 3 metal tabs that go in the receptacle).
Has the jet pump been replaced? Post pic of motor specs label.
Do you have an amp probe?
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On 11/2/2023 at 6:50 AM, CanadianSpaTech said:
suspect your issue will be here.
On 11/2/2023 at 10:14 AM, teddtedderson said:did test all of the connections and did get the correct voltage.
On 11/2/2023 at 3:33 PM, CanadianSpaTech said:could be miss wired with the neutral in the wrong place.
On 11/4/2023 at 12:00 PM, teddtedderson said:You nailed it with the voltage.
And that about sums up this entire forum. 🤣
Gold star for YOU, @CanadianSpaTech!⭐️
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Remove the filter. If it heats, get a new filter.
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5 hours ago, wpatters1229 said:
can not feel any water coming into the spa.
Meaning from the heat return or from any jets?
Does it have a 24/7 circulation pump?
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On 11/4/2023 at 8:55 AM, CanadianSpaTech said:
Fully on board with Balboa as a replacement
You're no fun.
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19 hours ago, sllimphil said:
Saw video where guy disconnected pressure switch and put screwdriver across contacts for 20 seconds. If 'heat' light comes on you know its pressure switch
Wow! So much wrong in such a short statement! Impressive!
Ok, first off, I DO NOT RECOMMEND YOU BYPASS ANY SAFETY DEVICES IN YOUR SPA.
That said, bypassing the PS in this way will tell you if the PS is open and nothing more, and only on really old non-digital or not very smart digital controls. Most modern systems will just show a flow error if you try this, unless you time it just right.
19 hours ago, sllimphil said:that test could ruin heater!
If left for too long (as little as 2 seconds or so) with no water or low flow it can damage the heater and other nearby equipment.
19 hours ago, sllimphil said:If 'heat' light comes on is that proof heater still good or just that heater is needed?
It proves nothing about the heater at all except that the controls want it on. If bypassing the pressure switch makes it turn on then the pressure switch is open and preventing the heater from turning on. This is usually, though not always, a flow issue, such as a dirty filter, and the switch is doing it's job.
Also, please start your own thread. Include details and pics of YOUR spa.
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On 10/30/2023 at 3:34 PM, CanadianSpaTech said:
Thoughts
Sometimes, when I can't help it.😉
Ok, from the top...
On 10/24/2023 at 6:12 PM, Tman3825 said:then replaced the temperature switch.
Not familiar. What did you replace?
On 10/24/2023 at 6:12 PM, Tman3825 said:Jumper 3 was in the right spot, but not plugged in correctly.
As this effects pump/heater operation it could cause an overheat and possibly boil-out which can damage equipment and plumbing.
On 10/24/2023 at 6:12 PM, Tman3825 said:then tested pump one and running through a cycle low to high. It tripped the breaker. Pulling off the wiring from relay for low pump and putting back in… with one element lead off, no more tripping and pump will run.
This sounds like an overloaded circuit or faulty breaker, but could be a pump issue.
On 10/29/2023 at 12:14 PM, Tman3825 said:the heater inside the tube, and yes you're correct that was causing the short.
"Short" meaning tripping the breaker? If this caused a breaker trip and moving it so it no longer touched the side of the heater tube made the breaker stop tripping then YOU HAVE A BAD BREAKER as well as a faulty element.
On 10/29/2023 at 12:14 PM, Tman3825 said:It could have been just unlucky timing or perhaps me increasing the heat.... but while I was in the tub, the pump intermittently came on / off, then died. Smelt electrical and quickly shut off the tub.
I don't believe in coincidence, but this is not what I would expect to hear next.
Usually an on-off cycle, while noticed from the pump noise, is actually a low voltage power supply problem. A bad or mis-wired pump can go into a start/run cycle that sounds like on/off until it blows a fuse or trips the thermal cutoff in the motor (which self-resets after it cools).
On 10/29/2023 at 12:14 PM, Tman3825 said:The circuit board now has a black spot
That burn is on a low-voltage circuit and would not cause the breaker to trip, nor be damaged by the pump or heater, however it could have been caused by an electrical issue that would trip the gfci breaker.
Actually it could, in theory, under a very unlikely set of circumstances, be damaged by a faulty heater and bad gfci with a leaking pressure switch. Maybe.
On 10/29/2023 at 12:14 PM, Tman3825 said:I'm now tempted to upgrade the entire spa pack to the Gecko YE5
If you're going with a new pack, I'd get a Balboa. Not a fan of gecko, in spite of Canadaguy's assertions.😉 Also get a new breaker and get that pump checked out.
On 10/30/2023 at 12:55 PM, Tman3825 said:had been dried up prior to running.
🤨 Sure about that? Given the proximity to the pressure switch I wonder if that burn was from water on the board too. This would also account for erratic pump behavior and breaker tripping. Be honest with yourself, like it or not, was the board wet before?
On 10/30/2023 at 3:34 PM, CanadianSpaTech said:I'm still going with the board getting wet
Yeah, I heard you'll go with anything getting wet.😉🤣
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On 10/28/2023 at 6:56 AM, Sundancer01 said:
The Set Temp is 97/98 degrees and we have seen the Controller show 106. This is with the Cover on.
Why are you running the jets with the cover on?
On 10/28/2023 at 2:59 PM, Sundancer01 said:Filter cycle.. the Jets were on for their programmed time. They are either on or off.
The jets do not have a programmed time on a HS that I know of. They have a time-out, meaning they automatically turn off after a certain time (usually 20-30 minutes) and will engage for short periods to recirculate the water a couple times a day, but the heat and primary filtration are on the small circulation pump. But then, I never see the new ones, so maybe they switched it up. But I can tell you that any spa pump ran on high speed (the only speed yours likely has) for 2 hours straight is going to get screaming hot, and will transfer some of that heat to the water. In a tub as well insulated and efficient as a HS (and there aren't many) it will be even more. If your spa is turning the jets on high for 2 hours automatically then that's a problem, but if you are leaving them on for 2 hours then that's on you. I would think the timeout would be less, but it varies with brand.
On 10/30/2023 at 9:59 PM, castletonia said:Highlife Hot Spring don't have preset filter cycles.
I didn't think so.
On 10/30/2023 at 9:59 PM, castletonia said:Hot Spring vents the exhaust from the pump back into the insulation which essentially recycles the heat.
Really? I thought that vented to the outside. Seems rather foolish to dead-end your pump vent into sprayfoam after designing a motor to channel the forced air exhaust into a vent hose. Bet those motors get HOT.
On 11/1/2023 at 9:08 PM, castletonia said:you can probably wiggle it off without even cutting the zip tie. Then just move it away from the back of the motor.
You can. And that vent tube really should be taking heat away, not deadheading the vent blower in some ill-conceived plan to increase efficiency by a fraction of a percent. Dumping that heat into the equipment area, while a better option than a clogged vent hose, is not enough. Leave a side panel off to allow some airflow in that little box full of hot equipment and see what it does.
On 11/2/2023 at 8:18 AM, Sundancer01 said:After 90 minutes running
Define "running". If you mean "jets on" then that sounds about right. Especially with a dead-end vent. But if it's just with the circ pump on it's likely a circuit board issue.
On 11/2/2023 at 5:50 PM, Sundancer01 said:so the weather is 'correcting' the issue.
The issue, I believe, is how long the high speed pumps run, and the weather is only disguising a symptom.
I know there have been some heat-related issues with a certain pump manufacturer, perhaps HS has changed suppliers and now have pumps that run hotter than before.
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On 10/25/2023 at 11:52 AM, kevink5516 said:
So some of the specific electrical tests won't carry over to my Sundance board
Jacuzzi bought sundance almost 20 years ago. It should be good, half of the jacuzzi premium line uses that board, or used to anyway. Any model ending in a 5 as I recall.
On 10/25/2023 at 11:52 AM, kevink5516 said:Not trying to sound like a narcissist, but I'm a mechanical engineer
🤣🤣🤣 I guess you're qualified then. Braver man than I.🫡
On 10/25/2023 at 11:52 AM, kevink5516 said:you can see the remains of the missing pin
Not on my phone screen I can't, even with my glasses, but that's good to know. I'd say that's the issue, and you're qualified to fix it, so let us know how it goes.
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7 hours ago, calsap said:
checked the resistance on the temp sensor and the high limit and they both checked out.
According to what? How many ohms on each?
On 10/23/2023 at 6:43 PM, CanadianSpaTech said:would be changing temp sensor
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6 hours ago, kevink5516 said:
I'm guessing they may only be available to authorized dealers?
They are issued to participants in their technical service seminars open only to dealers. Even dealers cannot simply order one as far as I know, though it's been many years since I've worked for one. The manual is called the sundance "STA", or "standard troubleshooting approach". It's really more of a technician training manual for new techs than a reference. An idiots guide that doesn't cover half of what you see in the field. For example, it includes a whole section dedicated to using an electric multimeter, but never mentions mice anywhere.
No, I won't share the whole thing, I don't recall what I signed at the seminar all those years ago, but maybe someone anonymously shared it somewhere. Might be worth a google. I feel I already shared the only useful page in the book.
44 minutes ago, waterbear said:Sometimes if a line is not used the pin in the sicket is broken off on purpose.
Or not installed, as they can be removed before soldering. A look at the back of the board might show an issue, but I've never seen a pin pull off the board on one of these. That pin connection is flimsy in the plug, and the plug will vibrate out if the side clips are not locked. That's not to say it CAN'T happen, it's a spa after all, but it is unlikely.
4 hours ago, kevink5516 said:I'm fully capable of removing the busted connector and soldering a new one on assuming I can find the appropriate connector part number to order.
No disrespect, but that's 10 solder points nearly touching. I'm not sure you'd find a shop that would touch that, and if you don't solder electronics for a living I'm certain you should not try it.
But first check the main topside cable (ribbon cable) for damage, all the way to the topside, which you'll probably have to remove to get to the back. Mice like to get cozy in the space under the topside or behind the pack and nibble on the cable.
Those aux controls are notorious for shorting a button and thereby locking out the other buttons. You disconnected the aux control and tried it out after resetting the breaker? If you hadn't said you did, I'd be 90% on bad aux button. So are you sure?
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Post pics of equipment area. Balboa heaters have a minimum flow rate that many circ pumps do not meet.
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Most likely a bad relay on the small board. Test voltage to the heater.
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There are alot of things you can do that you shouldn't, and a few you're not allowed to if you bother to ask.
Let's start with some pics of the equipment area, pump tag, circuit board or control components, and wiring diagram.
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On 10/9/2023 at 4:49 PM, RichardSC said:
flow out the jets was very weak.
Could be a voltage drop at a bad connection or relay, debris in the impeller, broken impeller, bad start switch or centrifugal switch in the motor, bad check valve (I am assuming it has one), or clogged filters.
On 10/9/2023 at 4:49 PM, RichardSC said:would air infiltration cause a pump to trip?
Not likely as described, but it would make the jets weak.
On 10/9/2023 at 4:49 PM, RichardSC said:did replace relays
I see a burn on the bottom left, between 2 relays. Is that old or new?
I'd replace the plug and gfci, fix the leak, then see what it does. There may be a problem with the pump or board, but it's hard to say with these other issues in the mix.
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On 10/9/2023 at 8:59 PM, Boats Bros said:
think I read somewhere that the heat circuit will not be activated without the blower working, is this true?
No.
On 10/9/2023 at 8:59 PM, Boats Bros said:Currently 92 degrees 😎
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@CanadianSpaTechknows gecko.
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Just what I said on that other forum.
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23 hours ago, DinoEck said:
I could get lucky…
It happens.
23 hours ago, DinoEck said:start switch - where is it typically located and how do you test it?
It's generally behind the rear motor cover. It is an armature switch, sometimes singular others a wishbone, actuated by a centrifugal switch (throw-out) on the motor shaft. Usually a failure is a bad point (contact) in the mechanism, but I have seen bent armatures, debris blocking the mechanism, and stuck centrifugal switches as well.
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Post pics of the breakers/wiring, equipment area, circuit board, and wiring diagram.
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Ohms law:
Volts (energy) = Amps (current) × Ohms (resistance)
Watts law:
Watts (power) = Volts × Amps
A little algebra gets you the various equations of basic electrical theory.
Put into backyard terms, volts is the water pressure at the tap, amps is the gpm, ohms is the setting on the sprayer, and watts is how far the water sprays.
Post pics of equipment area, circuit board, and wiring diagram.
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You need to do something about the plug, which is a standard type used in many appliances. But it might not be the problem.
On 10/7/2023 at 11:22 AM, RichardSC said:the pump popped the internal breaker after about 3 sec.
Meaning the gfci on the spa pack or the breaker in your house? Is it on a gfci breaker? Why do you think it's the pump?
Most common cause of a gfci trip is the heater, but there are many things in a system of this type that can cause a trip, including a bad gfci.
Post pics of equipment pack with cover open, and wiring diagram.
Hot Springs Prodigy 2009 - Power but No Sign of Life
in Portable Hot Tubs & Spas
Posted
Turn on power and check the 3 led lights to the right of the "3rd board". Which are lit?
If none, turn off power, unplug controller, and turn on power. Now which are lit?