RiverwalkAbbey Posted February 16, 2020 Report Share Posted February 16, 2020 The house I just bought included a 5 year-old Hot Spring spa. It worked beautifully on the first day--no problems. The following morning, both the power and ready lights were flashing. No heat was coming out, and the tub was not circulating. I followed the process for removing an airlock and can confirm that there is none. I've reset the GFCI breakers at least a dozen times over the past week. Within 5-10 seconds of flicking them back on, both red and green lights flash. Jets can still turn on but no heat and no recirculating. If I leave them to flash, the green light goes off after ~12 hours or so, and just the red light flashes--the jets no longer turn on either. I'm suspecting it's the recirculating pump. Filters are out entirely and I've blasted water down the circulation filter tube. The previous owner says he cleaned the filters out for us, so either something has stopped up the circulation pump, the circ pump has failed, the heater has failed, or....? What should my next steps be? Many Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratchett Posted February 17, 2020 Report Share Posted February 17, 2020 The easiest place to start would be the filters (again, even though the seller said he did it). If it's a Limelight or Highlife class spa I think they are ceramic tri-x filters, correct? I believe 5-10 years is about the lifespan on them, so that *might* be your issue. A thorough cleaning might do the trick - I would try taking out the filters, wash them off with a hose and rotate them (if you want to go a step further, you can de-scale the filters with a vinegar solution and a bucket) - be sure to rotate the filters if there's more than one (because one filter is the main intake for the circ pump, and the other ones are for the jet pump). Since the previous owner said he recently cleaned the filters - you might want to try "de-scaling" them (google online - there are several methods, I prefer the vinegar method but there are other options). Try again to see if that helps. Most of the time that's the magic bullet to save you a service call. If that fixes your issue and you don't know the age of the filters, it might be worth buying a new set of filters for the tub. They're cheap enough online that it might be cheaper than a call-out fee from the dealer! Also note Hotspring Spas has an extensive dealer network around the country (from what I've read, they seem to really take care of their dealers). They are nice tubs so it might be worth taking the time to make an introduction with your local Hotspring Dealer/Service Techs if messing with the filters doesn't fix your issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
castletonia Posted February 17, 2020 Report Share Posted February 17, 2020 If you can post the serial number I can look it up and verify model and year. If the circulation pump isn't running, the hot tub won't heat. If you are DIY type person, I would check the voltage going to the circulation pump to see if its getting power. Also feel the circulation pump. If its hot, its either trying to run or it cooked itself. Without knowing anymore about the hot tub, hard to troubleshoot more. Could be a circulation pump, a main control board, a hi-limit or a control thermistor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverwalkAbbey Posted February 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2020 Thanks so much for the help. Here is the model/serial number info I was able to find on the circulation pump: E5-NSHN1W14. Watkins PN.: 301392 The spa control panel is an 1Q2020 Spa Control Panel System. Now that I've got the control panel cover off, I can flip the breakers on and use a voltmeter to test the red and white lines coming from the control panel into the pump? I'm novice with electrical (but learning). I have not been able to find any reset buttons on anything, including the Watkins No-Fault heater. Google has not been helpful 😕 Thanks again, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
castletonia Posted February 28, 2020 Report Share Posted February 28, 2020 There are no reset buttons or anything. First step is to test power going from the board to the circulation pump. If there is power, then the circulation pump is probably dead. If there isn't power, probably a control board. I would need the hot tub serial number to look up the hot tub. Unless you are set on doing this yourself, I would just have your local Hot Spring dealer come out. It will cost more than you doing the work but it will get done quicker and be done correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverwalkAbbey Posted March 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2020 Thanks castletonia. I removed the circulation pump and smelled a strong burning smell from the housing. It had voltage going to it (believe my voltmeter said 120ish), but no hum or movement. I'm starting with this and will update this thread once I get the new one in tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverwalkAbbey Posted March 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2020 Circulation pump was the culprit. Works like a charm now; thanks for the help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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