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Can three elements (2 new) be bad? HELP!


Dano72

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Hi new member here. I have an old Leisure Bay Spa with a Balboa control box & heater. It is a 10" 4kw element that I am running at 120v - so it is 1kw.

I am having issues with the GFCI cutting out. I replaced the element and it ran fine all night (the other day). In the morning it died and the temps were about 97°ish

I 1 day fast shipped a Amazon element and switched it out last evening. This time it worked all night and when I got home it was dead again, also 97° ish

My heater collection ohm readings are 15.3, 14.2, and 16.6.  Would NEW elements go bad in less than 24hrs use?

PLEASE HELP!

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THey are out of the spa. 

SO, I have done a test (actually numerous tests). I removed the wires from the installed element - the rest of the system works this way. I then took one of the "spare" elements and connected it to the wires from the spa pack. The spare is setting on the ground on a piece of wood. I turned it on and the system functioned as it should. The element got hot fairly quickly and I turned it off before I started a fire. 

In summary, the element heats as it should and the system controls functions as it should  - only when the element is not in the water tube. So once it is installed it trips immediately. Is there a ground missing or something?

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Have you thought about replacing the GFCI ?  

Can you post a photo, or a link to the photo so we can see what it looks like?   My spa element looks like this, and available at Home Depot.  If mine had that issue I could temporarily set up outside the water chamber and run a jumper wire from the threaded part to the spa and see if it tripped immediately.rheem-protech-water-heater-parts-sp10552

 

 

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It could be a number of scenarios. I've seen water chemistry kill an alloy element in a matter of hours before. installation errors can also destroy an element(over tightening the bulk nut, or tightening the terminal stud without holding the lower part of the terminal.) if you're tripping the GFCI you are more than likely leaking current into the water.

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