TTait Posted May 27, 2021 Report Share Posted May 27, 2021 I apologize if I’m not thorough enough. Just learning about my hot tub because after 5 years of owning it I’m just starting to have issues with it. I have a 10 year old rotospa, purchased second hand, that we winterise every year by flipping it upside down (too dang blustery where I have it set up to use during the winter- always dealing with high winds and power outages). This year we started it up and everything seemed to be working well for a few weeks, we had loud whining coming from the pump last year and this year it was much quieter, likely the pump at the end of its life. Anyways, so one day the pump just stopped working so we had a spa tech come and replace the pump with a brand new one, same style but newer model. $900 later we plugged the tub in and all seemed to be going well..... Just to clarify we have the rotospa hooked up as a 120v system, therefore we have the gfi 120 plug wired to the hot tub and then plugged into our gfi protected outlet outside. When I went to check on the hot tub after an hour or so it had tripped the gfi plug and also tripped our inside control panel breaker (15amps). We had never had an issue like this before. We began to troubleshoot and unwired the heater and the gfi didn’t trip after an hour so assumed it must be a faulty heater. The spa tech returned to replace the heater and $525 later I thought we were going to be in the hot tub in no time. Well 10 mins later and the breaker trips again. Back to square one.....any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Just a couple notes: We checked all wiring and it looks okay however when the tech first replaced the pump he put the tub back with the cord under it. I filled it not realizing and am concerned that the cord may have some damage. I inspected it but it looks fine and doesn’t heat up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTait Posted May 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2021 Oh also, I disconnected the ozonator and it didn’t make a difference, still tripping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTait Posted May 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTait Posted May 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2021 @CanadianSpaTech I’ve been reading your responses to other posts and feel as though you may be able to diagnose this problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianSpaTech Posted May 27, 2021 Report Share Posted May 27, 2021 Ok no pressure...Start back at the beginning and dis connect the heater again. In most cases I would have said that possibly the tech installed the element wrong and the element was touching the side wall of the tube but that heater has to be bought as a complete unit tube and all with the element factory installed so it likely won't be that. There is really not a lot involved with that set up. If you have the ozone disconnected and it trips and the heater and pump are both new I am looking at the GFCI plug next. When it runs for 5-10 mins before tripping is that GFCI hot? Have you added anything in the house that could be tied into that circuit that could cause the breaker to exceed the amperage of the breaker in the house? Perhaps open the GFCI up and check the wiring in it and see if it is damaged/corroded in any way. If you have to replace it make sure you get one that has a thick cord. There are 2 available one is smaller than the other wire size. The only other thing I can suggest is removing the spa pack and removing the back cover and looking for darkened or burnt areas on the back of the circuit board. Let us know what happens going forward. @RDspaguyanything to add? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTait Posted May 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2021 Awesome! Yes, it doesn’t look like a complex system at all and feel as though I have troubleshooted everything I could think of but today’s plan was to get a new gfci! We called our rotospa guy yesterday and he didn’t have any plugs in stock so hoping the local electrical store will have something for us! I’m also going to check to see what else is on the circuit today. I was 99% sure it was on its own circuit but now I’m going to double check. You are correct the tech replaced the whole heater, not just the element but now I’m thinking since the breaker tripping began before he replaced it that I didn’t even need a new one *slightly annoyed haha, but also strange that it stopped tripping when I disconnected it before, which like you mentioned can bring us back to the plug and not being able to support the load. Yes, the plug has heated up and melted some tbh! We had opened it up and rewired it but it must just be worn. I’ll keep you posted Just a 32-year old Highschool teacher trying to get the tub back up and running for my kids lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianSpaTech Posted May 27, 2021 Report Share Posted May 27, 2021 Did they leave the old heater. Might come in handy down the road or could be sold to recoup some of your $$ and help someone else in the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTait Posted May 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2021 Yes, I have the old one. Looks good on the inside as well! Yeah, if the gfci fix works I’ll just pay the tech and have a backup heater. Can I ask a question related to rates? Does it seem like I’m getting gouged getting charged $900 to replace my pump and $525 to replace the heater? What’s done is done now but for future reference Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cranbiz Posted May 27, 2021 Report Share Posted May 27, 2021 Around here, a dealer charges anywhere from $90-$125 an hour plus a trip charge, so no, that sounds reasonable. Do I understand you right? You have a 20A 125V GFCI protected outlet in which you plug in your GFCI cord to? If so, while it's not wrong, it can complicate troubleshooting. The 2 GFCI's can sometimes interact with each other. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTait Posted May 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2021 Yes, @cranbiz. Should I eliminate the gfci plug that the hot tub cord is hard-wired to and just replace with a regular plug? If that is safe to do so that would be great because they are so much cheaper! See photo with what I want to replace it with! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTait Posted May 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2021 This is the outlet that I have outside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cranbiz Posted May 27, 2021 Report Share Posted May 27, 2021 22 minutes ago, TTait said: Yes, @cranbiz. Should I eliminate the gfci plug that the hot tub cord is hard-wired to and just replace with a regular plug? If that is safe to do so that would be great because they are so much cheaper! See photo with what I want to replace it with! That's a 15A GFCI receptacle you have. I'm pretty sure you need a 20A circuit. You might have a 20A breaker in the panel but you really should replace that GFCI with a 20A one. A 20A circuit should be wired with 12-2 romex. If it's 14-2, it's a 15A circuit. The tub needs to be on a dedicated circuit, so you do need to follow up with tracing the circuit out. That replacement plug also looks like a 15A plug. I certainly understand why you have that but technically, both the GFCI and the plug are under rated for the tub. You can use a non GFCI cord as long as it is plugged into a GFCI circuit. The manufacturer supplies a GFCI cord for liability reasons, they are going to make sure it's ground fault protected. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDspaguy Posted May 27, 2021 Report Share Posted May 27, 2021 3 hours ago, CanadianSpaTech said: RDspaguyanything to add? Just that you're my hero and I want to be just like you if I ever grow up.😉 1 hour ago, cranbiz said: while it's not wrong, it can complicate troubleshooting. The 2 GFCI's can sometimes interact with each other. Correct. 32 minutes ago, cranbiz said: You might have a 20A breaker in the panel but you really should replace that GFCI with a 20A one. Correct again. Not just a code violation but a fire hazard as well. 33 minutes ago, cranbiz said: You can use a non GFCI cord as long as it is plugged into a GFCI circuit. The manufacturer supplies a GFCI cord for liability reasons, they are going to make sure it's ground fault protected. Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner! Those gfci cord ends are notorious for failing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTait Posted May 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2021 The breaker is actually 15A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTait Posted May 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2021 It’s the far left breaker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cranbiz Posted May 27, 2021 Report Share Posted May 27, 2021 You could have a bad breaker, it's not uncommon. Now it's been running for many years but at close to max current. Without inspecting the wiring, I wouldn't just drop in a 20A breaker though. It's not to code and not safe if you have 14 ga wire. The Gecko IN.XE-3-10-h4.0 draws 16A max according to Gecko. You are overloading that 15A breaker in a situation where you are running the pumps and heater. You got to do what you got to do but if it was me, I would pull another circuit for the tub with 12-3 romex, with a 20A breaker and a 20A GFCI at the tub. Then wire in a 20A plug and a heavy duty SJOOW cord (rated for outdoor use) either 12-3 (20A) or 10-3 (30A) to the Spa Pack. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTait Posted May 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2021 This is from the rotospa website!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cranbiz Posted May 27, 2021 Report Share Posted May 27, 2021 Not trying to be a jerk but this is from Gecko. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTait Posted May 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2021 No I completely understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTait Posted May 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2021 I replaced the gfci male end with a non gfci male end and it’s still tripping both that outdoor gfci outlet and breaker as well as the other we have been trying so likely not an issue with the breakers!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDspaguy Posted May 28, 2021 Report Share Posted May 28, 2021 7 hours ago, cranbiz said: The Gecko IN.XE-3-10-h4.0 draws 16A max according to Gecko. The amp draw is dependent on the equipment used. That heater will draw less than 9 Amps at 120v, so if the pumps are low enough hp you can get away with a lower amp breaker. 3 hours ago, TTait said: it’s still tripping both that outdoor gfci outlet and breaker as well as the other we have been trying So, it's tripping the breaker as well as the gfci? Has this been happening since the parts were replaced? Has it been making any strange noises? How long does it take to trip? Are you sure there is nothing else on that circuit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTait Posted May 28, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2021 @RDspaguy yes, it’s tripping both. This has been happening only since the new pump was installed, not before. The only strange noises were last year from the pump but sounded much better this year, assuming it’s because it was so close to dying!? Takes about 10 mins to trip. Don’t think there’s anything else on the circuit except an outdoor light but haven’t turned it on at the same time as the hot tub. We have been using this circuit for 5 years and had no issues, plus tried other circuit and it still tripped the other breakers as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDspaguy Posted May 28, 2021 Report Share Posted May 28, 2021 Post a pic of the specs sticker on the pump motor. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTait Posted May 28, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2021 @RDspaguy I’ll get one for you first thing tomorrow, I have the old pump too so will ensure the specs are the same, hoping that the spa tech would know to check that but just in case....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTait Posted May 28, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2021 Here’s the specs of the old to compare. I’ll get a photo of the new shortly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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