urban Posted March 3, 2017 Report Share Posted March 3, 2017 I have been having an issue with my hot tub for a while. Long story short, it quit heating and I went through a process of elimination. Got new heating element because it started leaking really bad so I figured that was the problem. Then it still didn't work so tried to put in a new thermostat which didn't fix it. Got a tip from here how to decipher b/w circuit board and pump and realized it was the pump. The low speed wouldn't turn on on the pump. I actually used it with only the high speed for a month while I was waiting on the new pump. It worked reasonably well but only circulated on the high setting. Basically I inverted the high and low speed wires. Yesterday I finally got around to installing the new pump. Everything went pretty well but I realized I had the wires wrong when I fired it up and it came on and circulated, heated up, but it didn't cycle through the settings like it should. I took a look at the diagram on the back of the pump, which I forgot to do when I set it up and figured out that I had my wires switched. Anyway, now it comes on and circulates like it's supposed and goes through the proper progression of settings, but doesn't heat. It just doesn't kick on. I thought, well, maybe I did have the wires right and switched them back and it still doesn't heat. I'm relatively certain the wiring is correct now, but what could be causing it to all of a sudden not heat when it was working for an hour or so before? It heated from 50-68 during that time so I know it was working and I'm not just remembering wrong. I only started to question my wiring when I cycled it through and it didn't seem to go: lo, high, off like it should. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jersey Hot Tub Repair Posted March 4, 2017 Report Share Posted March 4, 2017 A pump running at high speed generates a lot of friction and will heat your water. In summer, pumps can heat a tub to about 92-94 degrees (in New Jersey summers, outdoor temps 85-90). In winter, pumps only can still get you to 80 degrees (with outdoor temps in the 30's) What kind of hot tub do you have? 115VAC or 230VAC? Did you replace an entire heater assembly or just an element? I would get a voltmeter and test the heating element. You should see 115VAC between either terminal and ground. You should see 230VAC across both terminals. If you get 0 across both terminals, than your circuit board is not sending voltage to the heater. Let us know what you find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urban Posted March 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 Thanks for the reply. I figured out what you just said about the pump heating it up. I noticed a slow and gradual heating but the light never came on to say the heater was on. I do feel though like the light came on the first time when I had my wires incorrect. I may just be imagining that though. It's a Cal Spa 230v. I replaced the entire heating assembly. I should point out that the heater was working fine before I swapped motors. You actually helped me with that too. I figured out the pump problem by switching the wires around. The low speed wouldn't work but the high speed was ok. We actually just left in that way while waiting for the new motor and it heated to 104 and kicked on like it should for cycles and heating....just in the high speed all the time. That's why I'm a little confused about this starting only after I swapped motors. Everything but the circuit board had been replaced and it was working besides the motor issue. I'll get a voltmeter and let you know what I find... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jersey Hot Tub Repair Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 If the heat LED isn't coming on, then the circuit board isn't calling for heat. Are you sure you haven't disconnected any sensors or put one in backwards or in the wrong place? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urban Posted March 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 I'm going to look at it. I didn't mess with any of the other wires and I checked all the connections when this started happening, but maybe I just need to go over it more closely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urban Posted March 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 Ok, I did figure one thing out. I did go ahead and buy a voltmeter but wanted to look at my wires first. I couldn't find anything that was loose or seemed corroded. I made sure everything on the circuit board was pressed in good. After doing this and trying it, I did note that the light comes on and it seems to start heating in the hi speed mode, but not the low speed. I did the poor mans test and swapped the high speed and low speed, same thing, just at different phases on the control panel if you follow. I have a voltmeter and am reading the manual because I haven't really ever used one and don't want to electrocute myself. This does seem to tell me that the heater is getting it's voltage though, right? I checked all the wires on the thermostat, hi limit, and flow and everything seems fine. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urban Posted March 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 Ok, So I checked the voltage and I get 115 across each one and ground but nothing across both. When I put it in the high speed setting, the light comes on, I hear the heater kick in, and I get 250 across the poles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jersey Hot Tub Repair Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 So, if I got this right, your pump works at low speed, but you don't get 230VAC across the heater terminals. At high speed, you do get 230VAC across the heater terminals? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urban Posted March 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jersey Hot Tub Repair Posted March 6, 2017 Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 Okay, so measuring across the heater terminals, 0 volts at at low speed means the tub isn't turning on the heater, and 230VAC at high speed means it is. There is a pressure switch in your tub that tells the circuit board that water is flowing. If it isn't activated, the circuit board won't call for heat. The fact that you're getting heat at high speed and not low speed suggests that at low speed you don't have enough water flow to activate the pressure switch. Take the filter out of the tub and see if the heater comes on while at low speed. If the heater comes on, it means your filters are dirty. Just because they look clean, doesn't mean they're not clogged with minerals, shampoo, body lotion or hair conditioner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urban Posted March 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 ok, I'll try that. Would it have anything to do with the hi flow switch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jersey Hot Tub Repair Posted March 6, 2017 Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 Do you mean hi limit sensor? Yes, dirty filters can cause a hi limit sensor to trip and shut down the heater. If water's flowing through the heater strong enough to activate the pressure switch, but not strong enough to move the required volume of water, it could conceivably get hot enough in there to trip the hi limit sensor. I say conceivably, - it doubt it's very common in a system protected by a pressure switch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urban Posted March 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 So, I have an update that perplexes me. I took the filter out and now it still doesn't show that it's turning the heater on. Now, I get 115 on each pole with ground but nothing across them in low speed. Still getting normal activation and voltage in high speed setting. I was actually referring to the pressure switch on top of the heating element. If I crossed wires or the adjustment that come on it is off could that be an answer? I'm ordering a new filter anyway because it's at least 3 1/2 years old and won't hurt to get a new one. I'm letting it run to see if I get any heat, although I'm assuming it won't if I'm not getting 230 across the poles. I'm not electrically minded enough to understand why I'm getting ok voltage at each pole but not across them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urban Posted March 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 Another update....I took it upon myself to just start fiddling with the adjuster on the pressure switch at as I turned it counter-clockwise, eureka!, the heater kicked on. Now everything seems to be working appropriately in all settings. Thank you for all your advice. It helps a novice do-in-yourselfer to have someone to bounce these things off of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jersey Hot Tub Repair Posted March 6, 2017 Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 If the adjustment knob came off the pressure switch, that could be a problem. Swapping the two wires on the pressure switch doesn't make a difference. It's a switch that's either open or closed, no polarity. using a paper clip, connect the two wires from the pressure switch while your pump's on LOW speed. If the heat comes on, the pressure switch is the problem. Be careful, if you hear something boiling, it's water in the heater can and you don't have enough flow. Disconnect the pressure switch before you burn up your heater element. obviously your near high voltage so be careful. You won't get a shock from the current in the pressure switch wire, it's only 12 VDC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jersey Hot Tub Repair Posted March 7, 2017 Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 19 hours ago, urban said: I'm ordering a new filter anyway because it's at least 3 1/2 years old and won't hurt to get a new one. I'm letting it run to see if I get any heat, although I'm assuming it won't if I'm not getting 230 across the poles. I'm not electrically minded enough to understand why I'm getting ok voltage at each pole but not across them. Just thought I'd mention - you're playing with fire i you're messing around in a 230 VAC appliance and aren't knowledgeable. No insult intended, I'd just hate to see you get shocked because you're doing what people on the internet tell you to do. As to your question, you're getting 115 at each pole because you're reading the same signal. Think of it this way, you have a red power lead coming into the tub providing 115VAC from one electrical source, and the black wire provides 115VAC from another source. I'm over-simplifying, but imagine that the red power input is connected to the left heating element terminal and the black is connected to the circuit board where it goes through relays that are connected to your sensors, and ultimately ends up at the right heating element terminal. A bad sensor opens (or closes) one of those relays and the black power input never makes it to the right heating element terminal. So, when the red power line reaches the left terminal, it goes through the heating element and reaches the right terminal. So your meter will show 115V at either terminal if you measure from terminal to ground. Measure across the two terminals and you see zero because you're reading the same signal. If the tub were working properly, the black power line would be sending 115 VAC to the right terminal, but a different 115VAC than the red line is sending. So, your meter will still show 115 VAC at either terminal when you measure it to ground. But if you measure across the two terminals, you see the additive value of both power leads, 230VAC. Be safe - 115 VAC near water is dangerous. 230VAC is worse. And don't do any of this barefoot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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