JohnB Posted March 26, 2018 Report Share Posted March 26, 2018 I have a 1998 Coleman California Cooperage (Model 105) spa. Its in generally great condition but I have recently been having issues with what I thought was a heater problem... I noticed the spa wasn't running one day, the water was cold and an Error Code 'OH' was displayed. I shut the breaker off then back on to reset it and it started running again and the heat light was on so I assumed all was good. I checked it a couple hours later and noticed that it was still running, the heat light was still on but the water temp had actually gone down. I then started to check for electric issues. I checked the voltage coming in (its wired 240v) and the voltage going to the control unit and heater assembly, and all checked out good. I then disconnected the heater assemble and tested the continuity (ohms) across the element and found that the element was bad. So, I replaced the heater assembly, which also came with a new pressure switch, and fired up the tub and it worked perfect. Heat light came on and water temp started rising. I went out to check on it a few hours later and once again, the tub wasn't running and an Error Code 'OH' was displayed...Can anyone tell me what is happening that would cause this? Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jersey Hot Tub Repair Posted March 27, 2018 Report Share Posted March 27, 2018 If the element has no continuity, than it's bad. You need to disconnect the element from the circuit board before testing for continuity. OH is caused by either a bad hi limit sensor, a bad circuit board, or a heater that's gone over 118 degrees. So, the first thing you want to do is check the heater when the OH error appears. If it's too hot to touch, then it's overheating, which is probably caused by water flow issues. If the heat light is on and you're not heating up, CAREFULLY check the heater electrodes. Each electrode should show 115V to ground. Measuring across the electrodes should give you 230V. A clamp on ammeter should show Amperage in the range of 11-15 Amps, depending upon your installation. If the heat light is on but you don't have the proper voltage or amperage, that indicates the circuit board isn't closing the heating relay's, which indicates a circuit board problem. If we've determined that the heater element is okay and that the circuit board is heating properly, let's test the upper limit. While the tub is heating, turn down the temperature at your spaside. Check at the heater electrodes to see if the heater turns off. The Heat LED may turn off, but the heater could still be on. In other words, assume your water is at 95 degrees. You set the spaside to 90 degrees. The Heat light should go off and you may hear a "click" as the heater relay opens. Once again, use your anmeter to check the amperage at the heater. Is it still drawing? If it is, that means the heater relay on the circuit board is not opening, which means the tub will continue to heat until it reaches it's hi limit point, around 118 degrees. If that's the case, your 20 year old circuit board is ready for replacement. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnB Posted March 28, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2018 Thank you JHTR for your help and detailed info! I had disconnected the heating element completely before testing for continuity. There was no continuity so I replaced the heater assembly with a new one but still continued to get the OH code. I checked the voltage while the heat was on and all was good and water temp was rising, so I know the new heater assembly is working. The water never got too hot to touch, it seems like the OH code would only come on when the water reached a temp higher than the set temp (i.e.- if I set it at 90 and water temp reached 95, the OH code would appear). Based on what you said, it sounds like the relay may not be opening and turning off the heater when its supposed too. I will test both the circuit board and upper limit next, using the methods you suggested. Thank you again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Stevens Posted September 5, 2020 Report Share Posted September 5, 2020 I am getting a EC code error what does this mean? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDspaguy Posted September 8, 2020 Report Share Posted September 8, 2020 Ec is economy mode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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