Sovereign Pos Tub Reset

[azvike]

Could use some help with this Spa. I bought it new in '94, and it has never worked properly 2 seasons in a row. Most of the trouble has been with the thermostat, which they finally upgraded.

Anyway, this year the tub powers up for about 5 minutes, then the tub reset trips and the red LED blinks. After a bit, I can reset the tub, but with the same results. Any ideas on where I might start troubleshooting?

[Dan.The.Spa.Man]

Could use some help with this Spa. I bought it new in '94, and it has never worked properly 2 seasons in a row. Most of the trouble has been with the thermostat, which they finally upgraded.

Anyway, this year the tub powers up for about 5 minutes, then the tub reset trips and the red LED blinks. After a bit, I can reset the tub, but with the same results. Any ideas on where I might start troubleshooting?

I would start by varifying if you have any flow from the circulation pump. If not, the heater gets too hot and then pops the high limit. Once it cools down, you would be able to reset it again...but without the circ pump flowing, it will just keep repeating the problem.

[azvike]

Could use some help with this Spa. I bought it new in '94, and it has never worked properly 2 seasons in a row. Most of the trouble has been with the thermostat, which they finally upgraded.

Anyway, this year the tub powers up for about 5 minutes, then the tub reset trips and the red LED blinks. After a bit, I can reset the tub, but with the same results. Any ideas on where I might start troubleshooting?

I would start by varifying if you have any flow from the circulation pump. If not, the heater gets too hot and then pops the high limit. Once it cools down, you would be able to reset it again...but without the circ pump flowing, it will just keep repeating the problem.

Cool. Is there an easy way to check for circulation, or do I need to disconnect the hose?

BTW, I noticed that the back cover on the circ pump is loose, so I wouldn't be surprised if the teminals are corroded.

[Dan.The.Spa.Man]

Could use some help with this Spa. I bought it new in '94, and it has never worked properly 2 seasons in a row. Most of the trouble has been with the thermostat, which they finally upgraded.

Anyway, this year the tub powers up for about 5 minutes, then the tub reset trips and the red LED blinks. After a bit, I can reset the tub, but with the same results. Any ideas on where I might start troubleshooting?

I would start by varifying if you have any flow from the circulation pump. If not, the heater gets too hot and then pops the high limit. Once it cools down, you would be able to reset it again...but without the circ pump flowing, it will just keep repeating the problem.

Cool. Is there an easy way to check for circulation, or do I need to disconnect the hose?

BTW, I noticed that the back cover on the circ pump is loose, so I wouldn't be surprised if the teminals are corroded.

Usually if the red light comes on and the hi-limit trips relatively fast then the pump may not be working at all. When you reset the tub or switch, put your hand on the circ pump to see if it is vibrating (will be slight) or if it just starts to get hot. If there is no vibration and it gets hot or if you hear the water in the heater start to boil and pop then the circ pump is cooked.

You should also see a slight ripple-effect on the surface of the water if the pump is pumping well.

If the filter is really clogged that could be a problem as well, but it usually takes a longer time for the hi-limit to pop if this is the case.

If you disconnect the hose water will flow out fast just from gravity, so that won't help you much.

Most likely the pump is shot....

[azvike]

If i unplug the heater, the LED stays lit, though it takes multiple attempts to reset.. The pump appears to be running, I can feel the slight vibration and it gets warm, but not hot.

[Dan.The.Spa.Man]

If i unplug the heater, the LED stays lit, though it takes multiple attempts to reset.. The pump appears to be running, I can feel the slight vibration and it gets warm, but not hot.

That hi-limit button trips when the temp inside the heater tube reaches 112 degrees or something like that... so with the heater plugged in, it must be reaching that temp due to low flow. Either dirty filters, the pump is not pumping, or the pump is not pumping water fast enough.

I may take multiple attempts to reset the button because even after the heater is unplugged, the water in the tube may still be too hot, especially if the pump is not pushing water fast enough or at all.

Also possible that the hi-limit or thermostat is bad, but that is far less common.

How old is the circ pump?

[azvike]

If i unplug the heater, the LED stays lit, though it takes multiple attempts to reset.. The pump appears to be running, I can feel the slight vibration and it gets warm, but not hot.

That hi-limit button trips when the temp inside the heater tube reaches 112 degrees or something like that... so with the heater plugged in, it must be reaching that temp due to low flow. Either dirty filters, the pump is not pumping, or the pump is not pumping water fast enough.

I may take multiple attempts to reset the button because even after the heater is unplugged, the water in the tube may still be too hot, especially if the pump is not pushing water fast enough or at all.

Also possible that the hi-limit or thermostat is bad, but that is far less common.

How old is the circ pump?

It's as old as the spa, 14 years. Also, I've never properly cleaned (degreased) the filters, so i read.

I'll try that first since it's cheap, if not I'll replace the pump.

Thanks a bunch for all your help. Times being what they are, I'd rather fix it (if possible) than replace it.

[DonInOz]

Sometimes when a Hot Spring trips off, it's due to nothing more than filters that are dirty/clogged or too old. The filters should be replaced every 2-2 1/2 years. If they're older than that, you likely need a new set. If they aren't that old, then they should be cleaned thoroughly using a filter cleaner. Simply rinsing them out with a garden house won't do the trick. You need to use a solvent-based cleaner to de-grease the sleeves of the filter to rid it of body oils, etc.

Hope this helps out...

Don

[azvike]

Sometimes when a Hot Spring trips off, it's due to nothing more than filters that are dirty/clogged or too old. The filters should be replaced every 2-2 1/2 years. If they're older than that, you likely need a new set. If they aren't that old, then they should be cleaned thoroughly using a filter cleaner. Simply rinsing them out with a garden house won't do the trick. You need to use a solvent-based cleaner to de-grease the sleeves of the filter to rid it of body oils, etc.

Hope this helps out...

Don

I'm in the process of cleaning the filters now. lord knows they needed it.

However, if clogged filters were the problem and the circ pump were good, wouldn't it operate without the filters in place (for a few minutes)?

[Dan.The.Spa.Man]

Sometimes when a Hot Spring trips off, it's due to nothing more than filters that are dirty/clogged or too old. The filters should be replaced every 2-2 1/2 years. If they're older than that, you likely need a new set. If they aren't that old, then they should be cleaned thoroughly using a filter cleaner. Simply rinsing them out with a garden house won't do the trick. You need to use a solvent-based cleaner to de-grease the sleeves of the filter to rid it of body oils, etc.

Hope this helps out...

Don

I'm in the process of cleaning the filters now. lord knows they needed it.

However, if clogged filters were the problem and the circ pump were good, wouldn't it operate without the filters in place (for a few minutes)?

Yes it would.

[azvike]

OK. I pulled the pump out and bench tested it. Nada, zip, nothing. Tried to free up the impeller, but still nothing.

Looks like you nailed it the first time, Dan. Will get a new pump and try again. Hopefully I'll have it running before summer .

Thanks again, all. I've learned a lot more about spa repair than I ever really wanted to know, but if I can get a couple more years out of this, it's like money in the bank.