DrGMatic Posted March 25, 2023 Report Share Posted March 25, 2023 My otherwise great working Hot Spring Grandee now runs for 20 minutes and trips the breaker. It's usually the breaker in the house on my main panel, but a couple of times, the local breaker. As soon as I reset the breaker, it'll go for another 20 minutes and then shut down. All the jets work and the red power light glows steady, nothing from the Ready light. Here's what I've observed: The Circ pumps runs continuously however, the heater tubes never get even warm to the touch. Ran with the filter removed, same issue. Then, cleaned filters, same. Circ pump is running and blowing lots of bubbles "LIM OK" LED on Motherboard lit "HTR ON" LED on Motherboard lit "Control Unplugged" LED on Motherboard NOT lit The 2 LEDs on the heater board are lit Heater getting 220V 15 ohms across heater white & black Unplugged both sensors and read 20 ohms/ 40° water temp Pressure switch open when pump off/closed when pump is running I replaced the dual 50 amp gfic in the house and now the circ pump runs fine, with the heater disconnected. When I re-connect the heater, the 30 amp breaker in the spa-side box trips immediately, but nothing on the breaker in the house. Now what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDspaguy Posted March 27, 2023 Report Share Posted March 27, 2023 Could be the heater, breaker, or both. Test the heater for continuity to ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrGMatic Posted March 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2023 Heater has 0.0 between black and green and between white and green. Still 15 ohm between black and white. New breaker still holding as long as I don't connect the heater. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDspaguy Posted March 28, 2023 Report Share Posted March 28, 2023 The heater is the only thing on that 30amp breaker. There's basically only 2 things it can be unless you've changed the wiring. If the heater tests good it must be the breaker. You might swap the 20amp breaker with the 30 to test it with the pump circuit. Just leave the heater circuit disconnected, you can't test it with the 20amp breaker. If the 30amp trips with the 20 amp wires connected it's definitely the breaker. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrGMatic Posted March 28, 2023 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2023 Thanks, RD. I replaced the main breaker and all appears well. Hot & Ready! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrGMatic Posted May 16, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2023 So, after working fine for a few weeks, or so, the tripping monster came back! Now, with the new 50amp in the house, the 30 amp in the sub-panel was tripping, whether the heater is connected or not. I replaced the 30 amp in the sub-panel and, it still trips within minutes of turning it on. The Circ pump runs The Heater and Lim LEDs on the mother board light up as do the red and green on the heater board. The heater element measures 15 ohms, 0 ohms to ground on both sides Before I changed the inside 50 amp breaker, plugging in the ozonator would trip the beaker immediately so I've kept that unplugged Both in/out sensors on the heater test 15 ohms at 59° The pressure switch closes when the circ pump runs What do I do next? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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