cmdj42 Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 We are new to hot tub ownership. Bought a used 2002 Hot Springs Vanguard. It took a couple weeks for the electrician to get to us and wire in the 20 and 30 amp box for power. We have noticed the tub is not heating, seems like it did early on, but it could have been the honeymoon stage we were in. We did the restart where you shut both amps off, the 20 first then the 30, let it sit for about 25 min and then turned on the 30, the jets would not work unless the 20 was on also. So now we are thinking the electrician maybe wired it wrong? Our outside temps have been 100 or higher, right now the tub water is 90. Not sure if there is anything we can check ourselves? Looks like maybe the heater is different, we found no reset button on it and there are extra screw holes on the floor of the base where the pump is. Also I am thinking the board may have been upgraded a year or two ago. Thanks for any help or suggestions you can offer. Happy 4th of July. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chas Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 On a 2002 Vanguard the 30A breaker runs the heater only, and the 20A breaker runs everything else. If your heater doesn't have a reset button (check carefully, they can hide) then it just needs a few minutes of power off to reset itself. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmdj42 Posted July 6, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2012 What is the correct process to shut the hot tub off and restart it? just in case it is the heater that needs to be reset. We looked everywhere on the heater and do not find a reset button. Still waiting for the electrician to get back with us to make sure the power is connected correctly. If the jets are working correctly, could there be an air bubble in the heater? Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chas Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 To turn it off, I usually hit both test buttons on the Circuit Breakers. They are GFCI type, and are supposed to be tested monthly. Don't worry, nobody does, but using the Test button when you do water changes is a good way of being sure they are still protecting you. To turn on, start with the 20A breaker. Once the jets have run for a few minutes, shut down and wait until you know the small circ pump is running. If you have ozone, look for the small bubbles rising from the floor fitting. If not, just watch the surface to see if you can see a small amount of stacking directly over the floor fitting. If the circ pump is running, then turn on the 30A breaker. That is the safest way to assure you don't dry-fire the heater. It has protection against damage, but I have never found a reason to test that safety system when it is so easy to start up as I have line out. As to an air bubble - if the circ pump is running, then you don't have an air bubble. But if you find the circ pump is NOT running, which is often the case after a long shut-down, then you can open it and clean it out. If that doesn't do it, replace the pump. The new ones are better anyway. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n1oty Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 I agree with everything Chas has posted here, but want to add one piece of advice. When refilling your tub, pull the filters and guide rods (they thread in and out), then fill the tub for at least a few minutes through each suction fitting. This seems to help the priming process very well. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmdj42 Posted July 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2012 The mystery continues. Electrician still has not come by, but the tub water is now at 100. Could it be a sensor or the panel? My husband still thinks the power to the heater may be wired wrong. We have the temp set for 101 on the tub. Does it sound like we should call a spa technician to come check things out? We really are very new at this and have read so much but not sure what to do with the information. There is one moto jet not working, my husband replaced the little side hose and that helped, after he sticks his finger in and gives it a push start. Are the moto jets supposed to work all the time or only in a certain position? thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PreservedSwine Posted July 10, 2012 Report Share Posted July 10, 2012 If you have a voltage meter, simply test the voltage at the control box, between terminals 1 and 3, on the main terminal block (where the power comes into the spa). Terminals 1 and 3 are the 30 amp line "hot" wires, only for the heater. If you get 240 there, then don't waste time calling the electrician. It's not unusual for the spa to eventually reach 100 degrees via the heat generated by the 24/7 circ pump. There are several common, and easy fixes as to why the spa may not be heating properly, but since it's a new wiring install, you need to ensure the power was run properly before calling a qualified spa tech. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chas Posted July 10, 2012 Report Share Posted July 10, 2012 Your heater relay board may very well be bad - I would check this: if the mother board has a tiny LED marked "heater on" which is lit, but there is no voltage going to the heater, then the heater relay board is gone. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindrid Posted July 10, 2012 Report Share Posted July 10, 2012 If I remember correctly when I wired my tub Hot Springs does something a bit unique. All you have to do is look at a wiring schematic to make sure things are done correctly. If I remember correctly it had something to do with either the neutral or the ground. Follow the schematic on the back of your compartment door and doublecheck - sorry my memory sucks . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmdj42 Posted July 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 The problem was a bad breaker to the heater, so all is working! Anyone know how to cool off the tub when it is 105+ outside, we have the temp on the tub set at 95, but at the end of the day the water temp is as hot as the high for the day. We do have a Hot Springs cover on it. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PreservedSwine Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 The problem was a bad breaker to the heater, so all is working! Anyone know how to cool off the tub when it is 105+ outside, we have the temp on the tub set at 95, but at the end of the day the water temp is as hot as the high for the day. We do have a Hot Springs cover on it. Thank you Hold down temp "+" and temp "-" at the same time. After about 3-5 seconds, you should see a small sun appear on the control panel, indicating the spa is in "summer mode" The 24/7 circ pump will continue to run for about two minutes, then stop for the next 8 hours. AFter 8 hours, the circ pump will resume for the next 16 hours, then it will continue off for 8, on for 16, until you take it out of summer mode. It helps to engage summer mode so the circ pump is not running during the hottest part of the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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