ARTESIAN ISLAND ELITE - HEATER TOO HOT/SENSOR B 114*

[jeremycrook]

I agree, narrow it down. I opened it up this evening and noticed a filter that might be our culprit as I have never changed it. But here are some pics.

 

[A.O.]

I agree, narrow it down. I opened it up this evening and noticed a filter that might be our culprit as I have never changed it. But here are some pics.

Interesting, curious to find out about that little "hidden" filter and what its for..

 

[RDspaguy]

If you are referring to the thing in the fourth picture, it's not a filter, it's an ozone mixing chamber. It can become clogged with scale and cause a flow restriction.

 

[jeremycrook]

If you are referring to the thing in the fourth picture, it's not a filter, it's an ozone mixing chamber. It can become clogged with scale and cause a flow restriction.

I think I may remove it and see what happens if you agree?

 

[RDspaguy]

Give it a try.

 

[jeremycrook]

@RDspaguy I opened the spa up this weekend and removed that combustion chamber thing for the ozonator and it was completely free of any debris and or any blockage. BOO
I wanted to try and open other lines that may attribute to the circulation filter, but that entails draining the entire tub.
Iv'e had the pH below 7 for a while now, should I see scale debris or is it supposed to dissolve it without noticing? I need some additional direction to try and figure out the flow issue.
Last night I was looking at the spa, turned on some jets, circulated it, when I shut everything down, I heard the heater boiling the water, it must have been low and no circulation.

 

[RDspaguy]

Post a pic of the heater, circuit board, and wiring diagram.

And equipment area.
Did it show an OH error? Are you sure it was boiling? For how long?

 

[jeremycrook]

@RDspaguy Did you see the 6 pictures I posted, or please describe what part of the equipment area you need.
This is the error I received. I’m pretty sure it was boiling, I heard bubbles for mb 3 seconds. It prompted the error and shut down or protect mode. I left it for overnight, and woke it up in the morning.

 

[RDspaguy]

The area where the pumps are and the circuit board in the box with all the wires going to it. If there is a wiring diagram include it as well. You will have to remove the access panel to get to it.

 

[jeremycrook]

The area where the pumps are and the circuit board in the box with all the wires going to it. If there is a wiring diagram include it as well. You will have to remove the access panel to get to it.

@RDspaguy see attached photos requested.

 

[A.O.]

Just curious RD, what can you tell from a picture of all those spaghetti wires??

 

[RDspaguy]

Just curious RD, what can you tell from a picture of all those spaghetti wires??

System type, wiring, components, sometimes I can see burns and corrosion, and it helps me give instructions to the OP.
What is that black pipe behind and above the circuit board that appears to have been leaking at the right side hose clamp?

Last night I was looking at the spa, turned on some jets, circulated it, when I shut everything down, I heard the heater boiling the water,

Your diagram shows that your circulation pump is "programmable and polling". So, how is it programmed? The heater system does not appear to be tied in with the main jet pumps in any way, so I cannot fathom what your jets would have to do with it. If they were plumbed sharing suctions I could see the jet pump causing this when on, but not when turned off.
I assume this spa has worked properly for some time before this started?
Remove filters and set it to circulate 24/7. If the actual temp in the spa rises beyond the set temp then you have a stuck relay on the board. If it continues to shut down the circ pump and boil in the heater it is a pump or control issue, probably pump overheating and tripping off during heating.

 

[RDspaguy]

That type of circ pump is unlikely to be affected by scale, as it has a motor shaft and a fairly large impeller. The small laing circ pumps with a magnetic drive are the ones that scale will take out.
The scale could be showing up because of the boil-out breaking it loose in the heater. So it is an effect, rather than a cause.

 

[A.O.]

Good catch on that hose clamp leaking , dripping down into that control panel maybe?

 

[jeremycrook]

The black pipe is what used to be the ozonator, it was replaced the first year, and the second year and after that I couldn't keep replacing it every year. The way they designed it, was terrible and it just started leaking each time.

I am not really sure what is programmable, besides the filter cycle times. I think I can program two different filter cycles for certain amounts of time, I haven't ever tried to make it stay on 24/7 but I can try.

So after adding MA for over two weeks I kept the pH lower than 7, the water started to get a cloudy this weekend, so I drained and filled after cleaning it up.
The spa worked good for the first 4-5 years, this problem started last year or maybe a little longer and I have been limping it along ever sense. It's odd because like now the spa hasn't shut off in several days.

I didn't know if the cloudiness was scale being dissolved, or if it was just being at such a low pH.

I am going to try and program the spa to run continuously right now for my next step and I will report back.

 

[jeremycrook]

I was able to put the spa in 24/7 circulation, it seems to be doing ok at this time. I suppose the only downside to constant circulation will be electricity usage and working on the pump when things wear out?

I will be watching the tub.

 

[jeremycrook]

@RDspaguy So the spa came to a halt this morning when sensor A got up to 109 and sensor B got up to 115 degrees.

So... I guess this a relay issue.

Do you have any suggestions on what relay we should start to look at?

 

[CuckooChris]

It looks like the small board on top of your heater contains the heater relay. The first thing I would check would be the voltage going to that heater relay. If you are getting voltage to the relay when the temp sensors are already too hot, then the main board is bad. If you ARE NOT getting voltage to the heater relay and it is still heating, then it's the relay.

 

[RDspaguy]

looks like the small board on top of your heater contains the heater relay.

Nope. That is an auxiliary pump board. The heater relays (2 hi-limit and 1 thermostat) are on the main board right above the heater terminals.

voltage going to that heater relay.

That will be difficult, as the solder points are on the back of the board. But definitely check voltage to the heater when displayed temp is higher than set temp, just to be sure.
I recommend bringing the board to an electronics repair guy if you aren't experienced with soldering. You only get one chance to mess it up.

 

[jeremycrook]

It's sounding like a bad relay is a BAD thing, not an easy fix. I'd be apt to trying to replace the relay, but I suppose we need to narrow it down by checking the voltage at the specified locations. I do have a multimeter, and understand the gist of it, but when you say check it when the "higher temp is displayed" do you mean when it's in "safe mode" or when the spa is running?

It sounds like I need to be at the tub when it's just about to go into safety mode, is this correct? Or after it's already shut the power off into safe mode?