New install of caldera reunion, sub panel 30 amp trips immediately

[Jrock817]

As stated, we just purchased a new hot tub. I had an electrician run the wires, once everything was set up, the 30 amp breaker pops immediately. The sub panel is split to a 30 amp and a 20 amp. The 20 amp stays on fine. The 30 amp has a neutral, and every time you turn it on, it trips immediately. The hot tub tech came out, unplugged everything and it still tripped. He determined the ground and neutral were swapped.

The electrician figured both breakers would pop if that were the case and thinks the breaker is bad. I’m picking a new one up today. Just wondering if anyone here has any ideas on these boards.

The connection to the board from the panel is an annoying design, with the trap door, and the electrician used stranded wire, higher gauge than necessary. Could the insert of the 2 hots and the neutral be inadequate causing the trip? When I swapped the lines it is clear that the stranded wires are engaged with the trap door design, but not seated as tightly as the 20 amp circuit which has 10 gauge wire instead of the 8 gauge wire.

 

[ajw22]

Sounds like someplace the GFCI circuit is not correct.

Post pics of the breakers and the wiring so we can see everything.

Neutral and ground being swapped is a pretty obvious error. Neutral is white wire and ground is green wire.

 

[Jrock817]

Sounds like someplace the GFCI circuit is not correct.

Post pics of the breakers and the wiring so we can see everything.

Neutral and ground being swapped is a pretty obvious error. Neutral is white wire and ground is green wire.

All the wire is black, and the electrician wrapped tape around the wires before snaking them through the underground conduit. I opened the panel and the ground is wrapped in green, and the neutral is wrapped in white tape.

Could one of the wires being stripped open at some point during the snake through the conduit cause this?

Also, could the connections at the board be inadequate causing a trip? I will get pictures up in a moment.

 

[Jrock817]

The wiring appears correct according to the panel instructions for the permanent placement instructions. Those are the same in the manual for the spa.

 

[Jrock817]

And for what it is worth and red led is solid for about 1 second when the breaker is turned on and trips.

 

[ajw22]

Show me the breaker panel wiring.

 

[Jrock817]

So the 20amp circuit also has a neutral coming out, but it is capped at the tub, because it was not needed. The electrician did not realize the 20. Amp only used the 2 hot leads. So the ground and the neutral are labeled with the corresponding tape, and he did check the continuity the night he was there to make sure all the wires were labeled correctly in the 30 amp breaker.

Looking at the diagram on the sub panel, and the diagram for the wiring of the panel, the only thing not matching up is the extra neutral wire and the jumper that dead ends at the tub.

 

[ajw22]

Both neutrals come out of the same conduit. Are you sure the neutrals were not reversed?

 

[Jrock817]

Yes because the neutral from the 30 amp breaker is 8 gauge, where the capped one from the 20 amp is 12 or 10 gauge. (Definitely smaller gauge wire ).

 

[Jrock817]

And thank you so much btw for responding on Easter, or just any Sunday for that matter. I really appreciate it.

 

[ajw22]

The quick trip of a newly installed GFCI CB is almost always caused by a neutral connection problem.

Check every neutral connection.

The neutral in the rightmost socket of the grey connector is shoved in there but we don't know if it is clamped to the wire or insulation. Check it out and make sure there is electrical contact within the connector.

 

[Jrock817]

The quick trip of a newly installed GFCI CB is almost always caused by a neutral connection problem.

Check every neutral connection.

The neutral in the rightmost socket of the grey connector is shoved in there but we don't know if it is clamped to the wire or insulation. Check it out and make sure there is electrical contact within the connector.

Can I twist the strands enough to get a nice tight fit into the connector? Could I possibly make a tail with the smaller wire just to test it to see if it fixes the problem?

 

[ajw22]

Can I twist the strands enough to get a nice tight fit into the connector? Could I possibly make a tail with the smaller wire just to test it to see if it fixes the problem?

Give it a try and see what works.

 

[Jrock817]

Tried all of the above, still trips immediately. I also did a continuity test to make sure neutral and ground were labeled correctly, and they are. Thank you for your help today, I’m out of ideas, I got the new breaker, and will see what the electrician says tomorrow.

 

[Dave95602]

Maybe a dump question, but are you sure the tub only requires 30 amps?

 

[Lake Placid]

Did you get this resolved? The wire in red looks suspect as far as a partial break. May be just the photo angle.