wilthis Posted April 2, 2008 Report Share Posted April 2, 2008 The breaker on my tub keeps shutting off. I turn it back on and about 15-30 minutes later, it's off again. Any ideas? I've cleaned the filters. Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly Hot Tub Posted April 2, 2008 Report Share Posted April 2, 2008 The breaker on my tub keeps shutting off. I turn it back on and about 15-30 minutes later, it's off again. Any ideas? I've cleaned the filters. Thanks in advance! What kind of tub? What is running when it kicks off? Have you tried unplugging each component to see if one is causing it? Have you checked pump seals to see if they are dripping? Do you have a soft breaker? More information could help determine the cause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spatech (the unreal one) Posted April 2, 2008 Report Share Posted April 2, 2008 The breaker on my tub keeps shutting off. I turn it back on and about 15-30 minutes later, it's off again. Any ideas? I've cleaned the filters. Thanks in advance! It could be a pump, blower, heater, etc. You could unplug one at a time but I'd first guess on the heater and to confirm this you can power it up but turn the temp setting down to its low point so you know the spa won't be energizing the heater. Come back in an hour and see if you have power. If you do still have power turn the temp setting back up and see if its trips with the call for the heater to come on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilthis Posted April 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2008 Well, I turned down the heater and its seems to be running fine (2 hours). So what does that mean? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilthis Posted April 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 I turned the thermostat up until the red light came on. It ran for about 4-5 hours until it shut off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toiler Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 On my old tub, that meant the heater element needed replacing. Eventually the breaker would not stay on at all. They told me that bad chemical balance may cause the element to die faster. The good news? It is not an overly expensive part. I use to replace it myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilthis Posted April 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 Well it is an old tub - over 10 years old. Not even sure of the make. I did replace the heater element about 3 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly Hot Tub Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 Well it is an old tub - over 10 years old. Not even sure of the make. I did replace the heater element about 3 years ago. It sounds as if you have a bad heater, before long it will probley trip the breaker right away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wireman Posted April 4, 2008 Report Share Posted April 4, 2008 If you're breaker isn't a GFI one I'd replace it first if you don't have a amp meter. Breaker = 10$. See if it fixes it. If not you have a tub problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilthis Posted April 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 Yesterday, I changed the water and then loosened and tightened all the connections in the breaker panel. Today, its still running!!! I'll keep you posted - thanks for all the help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilthis Posted May 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2008 Well, it works fine until the outside temperature drops. Then the heater kicks in and it shuts off. I guess its something to do with the heater, do I just replace it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason G Posted May 8, 2008 Report Share Posted May 8, 2008 Replace your GFCI first. If the heater is bad, the GFCI will trip instantly. It's so extreemly rare that the heater will run for a period of time then trip the GFCI. I'd say that you have a bad GFCI. Put a new one in then if it trips, you'll know you have a reliable GFCI. All GFCI's become more sensetive the more they are tripped. I'm betting this one has tripped many times. Reply after you replace the GFCI. I can walk you thru the next steps. Good Luck!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckone0814 Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 Replace your GFCI first. If the heater is bad, the GFCI will trip instantly. It's so extreemly rare that the heater will run for a period of time then trip the GFCI. I'd say that you have a bad GFCI. Put a new one in then if it trips, you'll know you have a reliable GFCI. All GFCI's become more sensetive the more they are tripped. I'm betting this one has tripped many times. Reply after you replace the GFCI. I can walk you thru the next steps. Good Luck!! I had a simliar breaker issue that seemed to have been caused by a bad pump that was installed by a local hack spa shop. The pump has been replaced and the breaker trips a lot less but I'm now concerned that the breaker is soft. How many times over how long a period till they are "soft"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilthis Posted October 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2008 Replace your GFCI first. If the heater is bad, the GFCI will trip instantly. It's so extreemly rare that the heater will run for a period of time then trip the GFCI. I'd say that you have a bad GFCI. Put a new one in then if it trips, you'll know you have a reliable GFCI. All GFCI's become more sensetive the more they are tripped. I'm betting this one has tripped many times. Reply after you replace the GFCI. I can walk you thru the next steps. Good Luck!! I had a simliar breaker issue that seemed to have been caused by a bad pump that was installed by a local hack spa shop. The pump has been replaced and the breaker trips a lot less but I'm now concerned that the breaker is soft. How many times over how long a period till they are "soft"? OK, here's the dumb question, how do I know if I have one? I have a GFCI in the bathroom, but where is it on the tub? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Posted October 8, 2008 Report Share Posted October 8, 2008 OK, here's the dumb question, how do I know if I have one? I have a GFCI in the bathroom, but where is it on the tub? Wow 6 months and your still working on it. I guess like alot of us prioritys are sometimes with other parts of our lives. The GFCI should be on the wall by your tub is, or a post or deck or someplace where the power feed for the tub is, upstream of the tub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilthis Posted October 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2008 OK, here's the dumb question, how do I know if I have one? I have a GFCI in the bathroom, but where is it on the tub? Wow 6 months and your still working on it. I guess like alot of us prioritys are sometimes with other parts of our lives. The GFCI should be on the wall by your tub is, or a post or deck or someplace where the power feed for the tub is, upstream of the tub. Yeah, life can be busy! Acutally, didn't use the tub all summer. Is it possible I don't have a GFCI? I don't have any other extra switch coming from the house to the tub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Posted October 8, 2008 Report Share Posted October 8, 2008 OK, here's the dumb question, how do I know if I have one? I have a GFCI in the bathroom, but where is it on the tub? Wow 6 months and your still working on it. I guess like alot of us prioritys are sometimes with other parts of our lives. The GFCI should be on the wall by your tub is, or a post or deck or someplace where the power feed for the tub is, upstream of the tub. Yeah, life can be busy! Acutally, didn't use the tub all summer. Is it possible I don't have a GFCI? I don't have any other extra switch coming from the house to the tub. Anything is possible. I have seen them wired directly to a non GFCI breaker in your main breaker box. Is this a 110V tub or a 220V tub? How are you turning it back on after it trips? Is that a non GFCI breaker that your turning on and off? How many amps is that breaker if that's what your using? And what's it look like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilthis Posted October 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2008 OK, here's the dumb question, how do I know if I have one? I have a GFCI in the bathroom, but where is it on the tub? Wow 6 months and your still working on it. I guess like alot of us prioritys are sometimes with other parts of our lives. The GFCI should be on the wall by your tub is, or a post or deck or someplace where the power feed for the tub is, upstream of the tub. Yeah, life can be busy! Acutally, didn't use the tub all summer. Is it possible I don't have a GFCI? I don't have any other extra switch coming from the house to the tub. Anything is possible. I have seen them wired directly to a non GFCI breaker in your main breaker box. Is this a 110V tub or a 220V tub? How are you turning it back on after it trips? Is that a non GFCI breaker that your turning on and off? How many amps is that breaker if that's what your using? And what's it look like? Its 220V. I've enclosed a picture of the breaker, under the tub. This is the one that trips. Breaker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Posted October 9, 2008 Report Share Posted October 9, 2008 Its 220V. I've enclosed a picture of the breaker, under the tub. This is the one that trips. Breaker I am going to stick with the original assesment of a bad heater, unless that breaker right there is getting soft. Do a continuity test on your heater with the power off first and make sure you have good contact to both legs. Then it gets a little tricky if your not familiar with electrical I would hire some one to do resistance on your heater and a breaker test because these are power on tests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeanie Posted October 18, 2008 Report Share Posted October 18, 2008 I had similar breaker issues. I updated the breaker box and that didn't work. I then disconnected the ozonator that looked like it was leaking and that didn't work. I then tightened things up and it came on longer before tripping....then I came across the two buttons on top that control the jets. I checked the clear hose and one had a hole and so I cut it off and reconnected it.....that didn't work but it did stay on longer. I was up to about 30 seconds. That in itself was good to me...at least I knew it could work.. finally my brother looked at it and just disconnected the jet button that was the high pressured one and it works now. is there somehow I can put a new piece on there to make it work? I don't know if it is the button you push down itself or the other end that hooks into the pump like a puzzle piece.....? I still don't know how to work those controls and I can't find a filter. If I leave the heater on continuously it heats....too hot sometimes....so I am adjusting that and now it is too cold. I can't figure it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilthis Posted October 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2008 I had similar breaker issues. I updated the breaker box and that didn't work. I then disconnected the ozonator that looked like it was leaking and that didn't work. I then tightened things up and it came on longer before tripping....then I came across the two buttons on top that control the jets. I checked the clear hose and one had a hole and so I cut it off and reconnected it.....that didn't work but it did stay on longer. I was up to about 30 seconds. That in itself was good to me...at least I knew it could work.. finally my brother looked at it and just disconnected the jet button that was the high pressured one and it works now. is there somehow I can put a new piece on there to make it work? I don't know if it is the button you push down itself or the other end that hooks into the pump like a puzzle piece.....? I still don't know how to work those controls and I can't find a filter. If I leave the heater on continuously it heats....too hot sometimes....so I am adjusting that and now it is too cold. I can't figure it out FIXED! I had my buddy the electrician come over and check things out. He couldn't see it being the heater. He figured if there was a problem with it, it would trip the breaker all the time, which it didn't. He pointed to the breaker on the tub. The one that was always tripping. He figured there must be a problem with it. So, we replaced it and so far the tub has been running for 2 days and not tripping! Yeah! Of course now I find that after 2 days, with the heat on full, its not really hot enough. Crap, does this **** every end? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lormik Posted April 10, 2021 Report Share Posted April 10, 2021 My spa pump kicks out when it is on one outlet but when I plug it into another outlet on the same circuit it will work. What would cause the one to work and the other not too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianSpaTech Posted April 10, 2021 Report Share Posted April 10, 2021 @Lormik Please start your own thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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