Caspian Spa leak/GFCI trip

[James William]

Hello,

I have a Tiger River Caspian (2005), 230 volt, 50 amp. It developed a slow leak (5-7 days) that would drop the water level to about the bottom of the filter compartment intake. It was hard to identify the leak from the equipment compartment so we had a guy out who replaced all the check valves. Leak continued, so he replaced the Ozonator and the Heater. The leak was solved temporarily but from that time forward the heater GFCI would trip pretty often, which he just said to live with (I notice this seems to happen every time I top off the spa now).

Within the year, the leak came back and again it stops at the exact same spot (top of filter intake compartment, which is also bottom of upper bench and at bottom of first jet counterclockwise from filter). I'm perplexed - would like to give this a shot myself, as it doesn't seem like a new jet leak given it's duplicate of before, but I don't want all my spas guts replaced by this dude for another $1500 only to have the ongoing GFCI trip as well, potentially, returning leak. On inspection, I do not see any leaking water around the heater. Does this sound like a check valve somewhere? Any thoughts more than welcome! Thanks.

 

[Jersey Hot Tub Repair]

"Just live with it?"  That's terrible advice.  GFCI trips are caused by short circuits.  The GFCI is there to protect you and your family from being electrocuted.  You don't live with it, you die from it.  GFCI trips need to be resolved before someone gets hurt.

I can't begin to guess where the leak is.  Hot Springs tubs utilize pumped in insulation and it's hard enough to find leaks when I'm on site, digging through the insulation.  The way to start is look to the bottom of the tub cabinet for discoloration or other signs of prolonged water exposure.  Then remove the sides and look for wet spots in the insulation.  Remember that water flows downhill, so if your tub isn't perfectly level, gravity will send the water to the lowest point.

How often does the GFCI trip?  Hourly?  Daily?  Weekly?  Look at your jet pump.  Is there water around the metal shaft that connects the motor to the pump wet end?  Any sign of mineral deposits?

Dave

[Solana X]

Hi Dave, I have the above mentioned issue. There are mineral deposits around motor shaft, so the leakage there is light but still a leak.  Would that kind of light seepage do it? Motor was replaced 2 years ago. Watkins vendor 4081 Gecko 4000 110v 2 speed. My tub trips now once every few days. I was thinking it could be heater but it just headed up to 100 degrees from 70 degrees water.  If it was the heater, wouldn’t it trip quicker? 

[Jersey Hot Tub Repair]

You say you have mineral deposits around the motor shaft.  Turn the jets on to see if water is spitting out of the wet end.  If it is, it is possibly getting sucked into the motor and shorting it out.

I've seen pumps fail when only 2 years old.  It's not that common, but could happen.  If the motor is two years old, you could probably get a new wet end to replace the leaking seal.  A wet end is under $100, and not too difficult to replace if you have the right tools.

Dave

 

 

[John Kooiker]

Hello fellas, I also have the tiger River Spa I think 12 to 13 years old. It is a Caspian. I have it inside a sunroom and just noticed water seeping out Underneath opposite side of equipment or  pump compartment. There are no noticeable leaks or drips inside the pump compartment area.. The leak seems to be very slow. I am going to lower the water level below the first set of jets then see if it stops. And go from there. I would like to empty the hot tub and raise it up and look underneath to see if I see any water stains, or water spots that might help determine where the leak is coming from. But before I do I might as well lower it a little at a time and see if that helps isolate the issue. If You fellows have any other thoughts or advice - much appreciated. Thanks John