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HS heater replacement


r5ran

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Hi,

Have had a several incidents over the last six months on my 2008 HS Vanguard, where I get a flashing red light on the control panel. Circulation pump is still running, but rest of tub and control panel goes dead. I pulled the cover and saw a D17 led light on on the system board. Resetting the circuit breaker always brings it back, and it can go months before it happens again. Diagnostics on this tub are pretty crude, so I called several service people, and they all suggested it is the heater going bad. It is the original heater.

Since we are leaving the area soon for an extended trip, and living in the frozen North, I decided to replace the heater. While an after market heater can be had for about half the price of a Watkins heater, I thought this may not be an area to skimp, so I purchased a new factory Watkins heater, part # 76227, along with both replacement thermistors and the two 3/4" hoses that connect to the heater, (in case I destroy them when removing them).

Plan on doing the swap this week, but have a couple questions:

Does this error sound most likely a heater issue, as I was told?

Any hints on replacing this heater? I watched several videos on it, and it looks pretty straightforward, but you can always learn from others!

Thank you, Randy

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16 hours ago, r5ran said:

Does this error sound most likely a heater issue, as I was told?

Not really. Did you get new thermistors (sensors) with the heater? It is more likely those. Or even more likely a failing circulation pump, or old clogged filter.

Normally we recommend removing the filter, but if it only happens every few months that's not really feasible.

Let us know if the heater doesn't do the trick.

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Just an update - swapped heater and both sensors yesterday, and all went well, actually a pretty straightforward procedure. 

Only suggestion I can give others is when removing the hoses, I heated up the ends with a heat gun on low for a few minutes. Really made them come off easily.

I was concerned that after 12 years they would be stuck on their connections, but that was not the case at all.

Tub is working perfectly, but since my error was so intermittent, it's impossible to say for sure right now I fixed the problem.

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