Marquis Spa with Balboa Spa Pack - call for heat causes a spark/short and trips GFCI

[ChuckyDee]

Spa is about 12 years old, came out recently to find the gfci tripped and water cold so it had been off a few days.   After restarting, spa ran normally but heater was not heating.

Replaced the heater with a 4.0kw replacement and refilled.  Touched nothing on the motherboard and re-used the 2 electrical leads that go from motherboard to heater tube. Spa starts normally and pumps and controls work.  After system calls for heat, a loud crack and spark and smoke appears near the relays and the GFCI trips.     If I leave the heater tube disconnected, the spa runs and the motherboard wires are putting out 240.

Of course, these relays are soldered on the board, so not easy for me to replace.

Question:  worth trying to find a shop to remove/replace the relays or just buy a whole new spa pack?  This one is Balboa 56286-01 and its no longer made.

Thanks!

[CanadianSpaTech]

1 hour ago, ChuckyDee said:

Question:  worth trying to find a shop to remove/replace the relays

Repair relay is cheaper. Where are you located? 

Remove the board and look on the back for damage

Looks like a Balboa revolution pack with a small circuit board on top of a larger circuit board on top of the heater. Is it possible the middle board is touching something metal below it?

[CanadianSpaTech]

Do you have pump 1 (2 speed- 4 wires) and pump #2 (1 speed 3 wires) in correct position?

[ChuckyDee]

Hi, I'm in Texas.   The middle board does not appear to be touching anything.    The pump wires have not been touched or moved in 12 years, so I would think they are in the correct position.

In the 3rd picture above, look for the C 2009 imprint on the top left of the circuit board, You can see a slight discoloration on the board there, and below J24.   That is the only damage I can see... 

[CanadianSpaTech]

Usually it is the heater relay but you state you still get 240 off the board.

Did you install just the heater element?

Did you look down the tube and ensure the element was not touching the sides of the heater tube?

I would be checking.

@ChuckyDee

[Fred M]

If there is v220 at the heater leads the relay is already closed...correct? No flash until its hooked to element, possible you were sold a bad element?

[Siouxboy10]

Hi, just wondering you came out on this. I have the exact same model and a similar problem. Did you ever find a better wiring diagram?