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Bilbao heater wired wrong way round. Will it blow the element?


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Ive had a problem with the bilbao heating element burning out. I think i may have wired it with the live and neutral on the wrong terminals. There is a 50 deg. cutout device on the live connection which i have had the neutral connected to it. If the live is still connected to the element after the neutral is disconnected by the 50 deg cutout, will it burnout the element?

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I have no idea what you are talking about, and I am VERY familiar with Balboa.

There are 3 relays on a Balboa circuit board that control the heater, 2 on one leg and one on the other. Each leg has a high limit relay, which shuts off for high temp, and one has the thermostat relay, which actually turns on the heater. If ANY of these relays is open the heater will not work, so cannot "burn out". 

Heater element failure is usually the result of poor chemistry or loose connections. If a new element is installed touching the sides of the tube it will burn out in no time. Also, if the terminal post gets twisted while tightening the nut it could fail as well.

The fact that it isn't heating does not mean the heater is bad. Have you tested it with a voltmeter?

Post a picture of your circuit board, wiring diagram, and equipment area so we can see what you have there.

Where are you located? 

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Hi. Located in uk. The heater has as you say 2 x cutout relays, one on the live connection and one on the neutral. One is a 50 deg temp cutout to protect from hi temp damage, the other looks like a hi current trip. Before putting new heater in it measured 18 ohms across the two element terminals with no connections to it, and infinite resistance between either of the terminals and the body of the heater. So all ok resistance wise.

Fitted heater and started system. Water flowing ok and the heater getting hot. After 30 seconds system stopped. Measured element and it is now open circuit (infinite) resistance across the two terminals and infinite between either terminal and body of heater.

I noticed that i had connected the live wire to the hi current trip and the neutral to the 50 deg hi temp trip, which is not the way it was originally. Is it possible that the live has to go on the 50 deg trip and not the neutral. This is the only thing i can see that is different. See picture. Screenshot_20210512-074456_WhatsApp.thumb.jpg.103c9ff88d3afdc1384f8d0b89a0697d.jpg

 

 

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That doesn't matter.

I have never been to the UK, but I was under the impression that you guys ran a 240v only setup and didn't use a neutral. Am I mistaken?

In any event, once current is flowing it makes no difference. If turned off you will have voltage present where it (technically) shouldn't be, but that makes no difference in this case.

As I said before, the element touching the side of the tube will take it out in no time, as will "dry fire", or running the heater with no water in it. Could there have been an air lock? Does the spa have a pressure switch or flow switch?

11 hours ago, RDspaguy said:

Post a picture of your circuit board, wiring diagram, and equipment area so we can see what you have there.

 

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