The wife and I were in the hot tub for a soak the other night. She likes to have the light on- it changes to 4-5 different colors and each color lasts 30-45 seconds...usually. The last time, each color lasted about 2 seconds- it was like sitting in a disco. The grandkids had been in it that day, I figured some little fingers had found the magic combination of button pushing to cycle the light at seizure speed. I figured an overnight disconnect from power would reset things back to how we like them.
The next morning, the 50 amp GFI breaker that supplies the tub would not reset to ON and the test button did nothing. It would immediately trip. I checked the main breaker that fed it, and it was fine. Opened the power pack, checked connections there (all fine), tested fuses (all fine) and looked for anything out of place around the bottom of the tub. Nothing. I puzzled about this situation for a couple days, trying to reset the breaker every time I went by it, but it would not hold. I opened the tub's breaker box today, checked to make sure the breaker was getting power. It was. I flipped it a couple times and got it to hold once. I tested the voltage and found 110 across one leg, but only about 4-5 volts across the other leg...and the test button was still doing nothing. Slowly the light bulb in my head came on....
After searching all over town, I found a replacement GFI breaker that would fit my box. Wired it in and BINGO! Things are back to normal. Even the light works right, as well as the test switch. I guess it was trying to tell me the breaker was bad. Even though the breaker was $94, I'm sure it was a lot cheaper than a new power pack and a service call for the tub- which up to today was my main suspect in all this- and where things were headed next.
The next morning, the 50 amp GFI breaker that supplies the tub would not reset to ON and the test button did nothing. It would immediately trip. I checked the main breaker that fed it, and it was fine. Opened the power pack, checked connections there (all fine), tested fuses (all fine) and looked for anything out of place around the bottom of the tub. Nothing. I puzzled about this situation for a couple days, trying to reset the breaker every time I went by it, but it would not hold. I opened the tub's breaker box today, checked to make sure the breaker was getting power. It was. I flipped it a couple times and got it to hold once. I tested the voltage and found 110 across one leg, but only about 4-5 volts across the other leg...and the test button was still doing nothing. Slowly the light bulb in my head came on....
After searching all over town, I found a replacement GFI breaker that would fit my box. Wired it in and BINGO! Things are back to normal. Even the light works right, as well as the test switch. I guess it was trying to tell me the breaker was bad. Even though the breaker was $94, I'm sure it was a lot cheaper than a new power pack and a service call for the tub- which up to today was my main suspect in all this- and where things were headed next.