Breaker Trippin' Out!

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So it looks like this is the pressure switch. Funny. I ASSumed it was a thermostat. I wonder where that is? I only see the high limit... or at least... that's what I thought it was.

Only 20 bucks plus a little shipping. The element and switch put it right about half the cost of the whole assembly. So I can make 65 bucks just by being careful how I install the element.

That high limit (I think it is) looks a little rough, though. If I don't replace the whole assembly, will I be replacing that part some day?

Also... do I need anything else for this job? Someone mentioned gasket sealer?
 
Roguewave said:
So it looks like this is the pressure switch. Funny. I ASSumed it was a thermostat. I wonder where that is? I only see the high limit... or at least... that's what I thought it was.

Only 20 bucks plus a little shipping. The element and switch put it right about half the cost of the whole assembly. So I can make 65 bucks just by being careful how I install the element.

That high limit (I think it is) looks a little rough, though. If I don't replace the whole assembly, will I be replacing that part some day?

Also... do I need anything else for this job? Someone mentioned gasket sealer?
Click to expand...

The element will come with new seals. If you go with the pressure switch, you just need to teflon tape the threads. Shouldn't need anything else. I suppose there's a very slight chance that you'd need new seals for the heater assembly, but that is unlikely. But maybe just in case, only $5
 
CuckooChris said:
The element will come with new seals. If you go with the pressure switch, you just need to teflon tape the threads. Shouldn't need anything else. I suppose there's a very slight chance that you'd need new seals for the heater assembly, but that is unlikely. But maybe just in case, only $5
Click to expand...
How tricky is it to calibrate the pressure switch?
 
Roguewave said:
How tricky is it to calibrate the pressure switch?
Click to expand...
It's not hard to adjust it. If you look at the pic you'll see a star shaped wheel right under the microswitch. You just turn that wheel to adjust the switch. It's really easy to do if you have an adjustable water pressure regulator, like for an RV, or know somebody that has one.
 
Roguewave said:
I ASSumed it was a thermostat. I wonder where that is?
Click to expand...
Follow the cord from where it plugs into the circuit board.

img_1793-jpg.174764
 
Sports fans.…as suggested earlier…call pro…who will have the training, experience & appropriate testing equipment…as my brother-in-law almost found out, an electric 🔥 in your spa can almost burn your house down. 😳
 
Bama Rambler said:
It's not hard to adjust it. If you look at the pic you'll see a star shaped wheel right under the microswitch. You just turn that wheel to adjust the switch. It's really easy to do if you have an adjustable water pressure regulator, like for an RV, or know somebody that has one.
Click to expand...
Yeeaaahhh... I decided to hold off on ordering the pressure switch.

Thanks!
 
Yuckypuck said:
Sports fans.…as suggested earlier…call pro…who will have the training, experience & appropriate testing equipment…as my brother-in-law almost found out, an electric 🔥 in your spa can almost burn your house down. 😳
Click to expand...
I ordered the element.

My breaker seems up to the task, thank God, and hasn't exactly been used as a daily light switch over the last 15 years. Rather 2 or 3 times a year for draining and douching.

But I'd be interested to hear... "the REST................. of the story."

(You must be at least 50 years old to understand that quote.)
 

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Well Crud.

The element was the problem alright. I fixed it. And it started heating.

But now I have a new problem.

The control panel has a single button for the temp setting. Press it once and either hold it down or keep pressing it and the temp setting goes. up. Let go and wait a bit. Then press again and the temp setting goes down.

When I fired 'er up, the low speed jets started running. The light for the heater came on. But the display was showing that the temp setting was running up and back down infinitum between 80 and 104. And the jets button did nothing.

At some point it settled on a temp. And the jet speed button started working. But it was reading the actual temp as 32 when my Thermapen shows it's 44.

So I set it for 80 in hopes that the heater wouldn't boil the tub over.

Periodic checks showed that both the actual temp and the display temp were climbing. But then another check showed the display back to 32. But if I fired up the high speed windings, the display temp would climb to within about 10 degrees below actual.

Also... sometimes the jets button would actually get the temp setting flashing instead of speeding up the jets. A few times later and then it would operate the jets (and light) again, as intended.

The actual got up to about 85... while the display was still very low. So I opened the breaker for the night.

This morning I closed the breaker again.

Nothing.

On the display appears some kind of error code. It's a classic, rectangle digit, red LED display, so it's either "Sn" or "5n"

No heat. No jets. No nothing.

I cycled the breaker several times. Waited 10 seconds between off and on a few times. Same result.

Thoughts?
 
Sn is a sensor error. By itself I would say to test the sensors and check that the element is not touching the side of the heater tube.
But add in a runaway temp control and it sounds like something got wet on the board near the topside and sensor plugs.
Otherwise, your topside and sensor both went out at the same time. Unlikely, but not impossible.
 
RDspaguy said:
Sn is a sensor error. By itself I would say to test the sensors and check that the element is not touching the side of the heater tube.
But add in a runaway temp control and it sounds like something got wet on the board near the topside and sensor plugs.
Otherwise, your topside and sensor both went out at the same time. Unlikely, but not impossible.
Click to expand...
Huh. There's no indication that anything got wet. Not sure how it could either.

And I feel like I saw that error code when I first started having trouble. Though I don't recall if that was before or after the breaker started tripping.

Could something have happened when the terminal block fried?

By topside, do you mean the display and control pad?

Is this fixable... without replacing the board?..... if I can even find a replacement board?
 
You have a list of different issues. Without being there myself, I can only guess. What you describe with your temp button is usually moisture inside of the topside controller. The sn error is usually a faulty sensor or flow issue. Both at once on top of your other issues does seem rather coincidental.
I would remove filter, check for good flow, test the sensors, unplug the topside and check for automated functions. I would also plug in a spare topside if I had one, but you probably don't have any lying around.
 
RDspaguy said:
You have a list of different issues. Without being there myself, I can only guess. What you describe with your temp button is usually moisture inside of the topside controller. The sn error is usually a faulty sensor or flow issue. Both at once on top of your other issues does seem rather coincidental.
I would remove filter, check for good flow, test the sensors, unplug the topside and check for automated functions. I would also plug in a spare topside if I had one, but you probably don't have any lying around.
Click to expand...
I keep a spare in my boot.
:)
Nah, I'm fresh outa' top controllers.

Yeah, and I can't imagine how the top controller could've gotten wet either.

OK, you've given me a few more things to try. Thanks!

Can you offer any advice on how to test the sensors?
 
Resistance reading in the 20k ohm range.
Topsides get moisture in them all the time. They are in a constant steam bath with the cover closed and get splashed and sat on when open. It amazes me how long they last, all things considered. You just need a failed seal somewhere and you get all kinds of different issues.
 

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