dannyw68 Posted April 2, 2013 Report Share Posted April 2, 2013 Hi, I am a first time hot tub buyer and a first time poster to this forum. I just purchased a second hand Sundance Spa locally and finally got it wired up and working, and of course with my luck I ran into a problem. Basically, the problem is that the heater turns on but the pump does not. When placed into standard heating mode, the spa heater will turn on with no pump activity. This leads to a loud boiling noise, followed by a system shutoff with an 'HL' error which I understand to mean 'High Limit' for the temp sensor. If I manually turn on the low speed pump after the heater has turned on, but before the system shuts off, it will continue to heat for 20 minutes until the pump shuts off automatically. It will then shut off the heater with and 'HL' error. It sometimes gives me a 'DR' error which I understand to mean a dry heater. I dont know the exact spa model, but the control system is a Balboa VS511Z. The system has two pumps and no circ pump or ozone. Pump 1 is two speed and pump 2 is a single speed. Both pumps work just fine when manually started from the panel. The low speed setting on Pump 1 also works just fine. When turned on, the pumps appear to be flowing a significant amount of water, so this leads me to believe that they are properly primed. This system does not have a pressure switch or a flow switch. The system uses two temperature sensors in the heater for its flow detection. Before I had the tub moved to my house, everything worked just fine as the tub was at 103°F and all the jets were working. I had my 240V GFCI line installed and wired to the tub by a professional electrician. I just hired a local hot tub repair technician to come diagnose the problem and surprise surprise, he has never seen this before and thinks I need to replace the board. (Cost $125 just to show up). He called a parts supplier who said it sounds like faulty board logic and they want to replace it at like $800. I would really appreciate any help you guys can offer. I REALLY do not want to buy a new board without knowing for sure that it is the problem. Could the temp sensors be faulty? Could it be a bad relay? Thank you in advance for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n1oty Posted April 2, 2013 Report Share Posted April 2, 2013 Check the logic jumper settings and ensure that you do not have circ pump mode enabled. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyw68 Posted April 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 Dude, you are awesome. I just double checked and that is exactly how it was set. It is now working turning the pump on and heating. Makes me wonder how the previous owner got the water hot given that no-one changed these settings between when i bought it and now. One additional question if you dont mind. The heater is automatically turning on the high speed pump instead of the low. Any idea why this is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan.The.Spa.Man Posted April 3, 2013 Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 When you manually turn the pump on does it go to low speed 1st and then high speed when you hit the button again...or does it go to high speed 1st and then low speed when you hit the button? If it goes to high speed first the high and low speed wires are probably reversed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyw68 Posted April 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 When I hit the button manually on the panel, it does go to high speed first, then to low speed with another button push. I will see if it is wired incorrectly tomorrow and get back to you. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n1oty Posted April 3, 2013 Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 High and low speeds are wired incorrectly. BTW, if your local "hot tub pro" couldn't figure this one out, he's a knucklehead and you can tell him I said so. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyw68 Posted April 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 Thanks. Yeah, I've come to suspect that he isn't as good as I've been lead to believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyw68 Posted April 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2013 OK, I switched the wires and all is well in the world. The tub is working great. Strange how it could have been configured so poorly. Thank you all for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n1oty Posted April 4, 2013 Report Share Posted April 4, 2013 This is a classic example of why people need to be very cautious about who they hire to work on their tub. Unfortunately, most people hire on the basis of hourly rate rather than on ability. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyw68 Posted April 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2013 Actually, he came highly recommended by the previous owner and he was quite expensive. I think in this case I was just unlucky. But on the bright side, it has forced me to learn my own unit inside and out. Now I just have to figure this whole chemical thing out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PreservedSwine Posted April 5, 2013 Report Share Posted April 5, 2013 This is a classic example of why people need to be very cautious about who they hire to work on their tub. Unfortunately, most people hire on the basis of hourly rate rather than on ability. John Word Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n1oty Posted April 5, 2013 Report Share Posted April 5, 2013 Actually, he came highly recommended by the previous owner and he was quite expensive. I think in this case I was just unlucky. But on the bright side, it has forced me to learn my own unit inside and out. Now I just have to figure this whole chemical thing out... No offense intended to the prior owner and his "recommendation", but even the most basic technician should ALWAYS check the DIP switch settings on the VS series boards. I've seen cases where mice got into the box and accidently flipped a switch or two. You've now seen how simple it is to check these logic settings. Can you now forgive this "pro" for taking your money, but being stumped??? John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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