Tank you for figuring this out!
I already replaced one board ($350) and it was doing it again within two years….
You fix cost me under $1….. Canadian!….. haha
Softub motor cycling on and off repeatedly
- Thread starter dunetubbies
- Start date
I already replaced one board ($350) and it was doing it again within two years….
You fix cost me under $1….. Canadian!….. haha
I have been working on Softubs for 13 years now. The company is referring to this issue as "Short Cycling". They are having us test the voltage on the temp and high limit sensors, if that voltage is off first replace the sensor. If it is fluctuating, as most people have pointed out here, we are replacing the board and both sensors. They offer no schematics of the board and we have traced back the voltages through the board the best we can. From what we can tell there is an issue with the logic chip on the board that is causing the voltages to fluctuate and the best we can do is to replace the board. The capacitor trick makes sense because it is helping to regulate those voltage fluctuations. 
I'm having an electrical issue with my Softub that's similar to this. Last week I went out to use the tub and it was flashing between 'P' and 'SP1'. I didn't know what the SP1 code was until Googling it since it's not in the manual that came with the tub (it's special temperature mode), so I don't know how it got into that mode.
Pressing any of the buttons on the controls wouldn't do anything (jets wouldn't come on, lights wouldn't come on, temperature buttons weren't working, etc.). I unplugged it and plugged it back in, and it only showed 'P', but the buttons still weren't working. The lights actually came on after pressing ANY of the buttons multiple times, which was very strange. I left it overnight, and magically the next day everything was working again.
Then later that night, it started doing the same thing flashing between 'P' and 'SP1' and the buttons wouldn't function. And again the next day everything magically worked again and it was working fine for about a week.
Then yesterday it snowed, and now it's having the same issue again, so I'm thinking it could be a moisture issue with moisture getting into where the circuit board is on the control panel?
Has anyone run into a problem like this before? I was thinking of letting it dry out to see how things go and then caulking around the outside of the control panel on top of the Hydromate, but I don't know if that's a bad idea?
Here are a couple of videos I took showing the issue: iCloud Photo Sharing
The P on the display is just showing the system has not run the pump recently to know the water temperature. This is normal and nothing to worry about, the system will run the pump about every 30 minutes and if it needs to stay on for heating, it will. SP1 is the special temp rule that lets you set the system up to 106 (SP2) they cover this in the owner's manual and it is also no error or issue.
From the sounds of the issue you are having with the buttons, I would say that the display panel is failing and needs to be replaced.
You should test the sensors before you try to replace them. What we have found is that the board is the main issue in the "short cycling" problem. We believe that the issue is with the logic chip on the board or the traces that are making the voltages fluctuate. Softub has no schematics for the boards that we can get so we were just chasing the traces and voltages on the board. The part number for the sensors is 1124800-S but everything softub is propriatary so they will be hard to find.
If anyone wants to "dumb" down the system you can get the old push-button high limit and temperature thermistor that can handle 20 amps. These were used in old spa packs and you can eliminate all of the electronics in the system and throw the temp knob on the existing control panel.
Coates High Temperature Limit Switch | 22003820
Pool Supply Unlimited has some of the best prices when shopping for Coates High Temperature Limit Switch | 22003820
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SpaGuts Replacement Thermostat, 48in CAP X 5/16in X 4.0in BULB
SpaGuts Replacement Thermostat, 48in CAP X 5/16in X 4.0in BULB Replacement SpaGuts Replacement Thermostat, 48in CAP X 5/16in X 4.0in BULB.
www.spaguts.com
The coil on the pump is doing very little to heat the water, the primary function is to cool the motor down. Avoid any of the plastic ones on eBay, the motors overheat and die quickly.
Capacitor trick worked for me, too! I didn’t even have to unhook the air line. I was able to sit on the ground and wedge something to hold up the top half of the foam while I worked. Thanks for the $1.65 fix!
I had a different issue occur where the motor would no longer turn on. It would attempt to start, the shaft would do a revolution but immediately stop. I bypassed the controller and the motor worked fine so the issue was with the controller. I decided to try and build my own controller instead of trying to fix or replace the Softub one. I went this route because I didn't feel like troubleshooting something I consider badly designed and overly complex (and terribly expensive).
I prototyped my own controller and am using that for the moment, it works great so far. It's incredibly simple and easy to troubleshoot. It's just an Arduino, a relay, two temperature gauges (which no longer need capacitors to give a stable reading) and some code to turn the motor on/off within a temperature range. I didn't look into reusing the control panel yet, it would take some time to figure that out. For now I'm not using the control panel so no jets on demand and no manual temperature control but I never really used those things anyway.
If there's interest (give this post a like so I know) I can do an in-depth writeup with parts list and code after I do some more testing and fine tuning. If you would buy all the components new it would be about $50 to go this route.
I prototyped my own controller and am using that for the moment, it works great so far. It's incredibly simple and easy to troubleshoot. It's just an Arduino, a relay, two temperature gauges (which no longer need capacitors to give a stable reading) and some code to turn the motor on/off within a temperature range. I didn't look into reusing the control panel yet, it would take some time to figure that out. For now I'm not using the control panel so no jets on demand and no manual temperature control but I never really used those things anyway.
If there's interest (give this post a like so I know) I can do an in-depth writeup with parts list and code after I do some more testing and fine tuning. If you would buy all the components new it would be about $50 to go this route.
Hey, sorry to revive an old thread, but I'm trying to diagnose the same short cycling issue with my T220. Your photo you attached of the diagnostic procedure is somewhat faded, can you explain this a bit more by chance? Just above the images there is faded wording, any idea what it says?
I have recently done this fix and it cures the problem. Softuib wanted me to return the pump unit, they should be honest about this problem and provide a fix, not rip people off.
Post in thread 'Softub motor cycling on and off repeatedly' https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/softub-motor-cycling-on-and-off-repeatedly.
Post in thread 'Softub motor cycling on and off repeatedly' https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/softub-motor-cycling-on-and-off-repeatedly.
Circuit is probably a charge pump and perhaps it's a marginal connection or failing sensor. The cap would result in averaging.
Root cause if kicking on the motor caused a drop in input VAC with resultant regulation glitch on the board was suggested to be a home-run power outlet, and I do agree that is advisable. However, if a system was working and then starts doing this, I must also suspect because it was OK for a while another possibility is that if the cord gets tripped on, kicked, or outlet is subjected to sunlight or large temperature swings, it may be loosing spring tension and causing some voltage drop at the prongs on the plug.
Believe it or not, there is relatively little difference in quality between a 15A and 20A outlet unless you pay extra for quality (i.e. hospital grade). I suppose with "built in" GFI that too may underperform over time.
Still all considered I do believe even if root cause is dropping a few volts more than it should, that if the capacitor fix works the only reason to bother with a new outlet is to save a few pennies a year on your electric bill that will be lost as heated connections. An easy test might be to pull the plug, bend the prongs inward and retry - but if that "fixes" the problem I'd throw in a new outlet just because it's only $3-$4 and I can do it myself...
Last (because I'm long winded), if it is a sensor connector issue, share a drop of contact cleaner (or mineral spirits) on the mating pins and work the connectors a few times. Or, change the sensors? My guess is they would never both go bad at the same time, so you have one to test for the specs needed to find a replacement...
Root cause if kicking on the motor caused a drop in input VAC with resultant regulation glitch on the board was suggested to be a home-run power outlet, and I do agree that is advisable. However, if a system was working and then starts doing this, I must also suspect because it was OK for a while another possibility is that if the cord gets tripped on, kicked, or outlet is subjected to sunlight or large temperature swings, it may be loosing spring tension and causing some voltage drop at the prongs on the plug.
Believe it or not, there is relatively little difference in quality between a 15A and 20A outlet unless you pay extra for quality (i.e. hospital grade). I suppose with "built in" GFI that too may underperform over time.
Still all considered I do believe even if root cause is dropping a few volts more than it should, that if the capacitor fix works the only reason to bother with a new outlet is to save a few pennies a year on your electric bill that will be lost as heated connections. An easy test might be to pull the plug, bend the prongs inward and retry - but if that "fixes" the problem I'd throw in a new outlet just because it's only $3-$4 and I can do it myself...
Last (because I'm long winded), if it is a sensor connector issue, share a drop of contact cleaner (or mineral spirits) on the mating pins and work the connectors a few times. Or, change the sensors? My guess is they would never both go bad at the same time, so you have one to test for the specs needed to find a replacement...
Here from the Netherlands, I am so thankful for your solution! Our Softub is working again! Greetings from Amsterdam! Greetz Michaël
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Thank you so much for posting this repair. I completed the repair over the weekend and my tub is working great now! I even had to lower the temp since it's so much more accurate/stable now.
Thanks again - you saved me time and money
Cheers!
Mark
I have a t300 and want to try the capacitor trick but just don’t know what to order. Can you help us out?
This is helpful. Where can you obtain replacement parts (I.e. board, sensors, etc.)? Not excited about having to send my pump unit back to Softub if I can fix it myself. Thanks!
Thank you for posting the capacitor fix. For the time of draining, disassembly and reassembly (15 mins each) and purchase of capacitors for $6, my problem is fixed. Requires a it of handiness, but awesome!
Similar issue. Does anyone trying this fix have the C-2006 board? I only had 47uf 25V caps on and... It seems to have improved, now runs for about 8 seconds now, but still short cycling when near the target temperature (was about 2-5 seconds before adding the caps).
Anyone using larger caps as well?
Anyone using larger caps as well?
I did the capacitor fix - it completely resolved the "short cycling" However, now the "Jets" button is nonfunctioning when
when the tub is in "P" status. Any thoughts?
when the tub is in "P" status. Any thoughts?
The sensors themselves are likely to be ordinary given the way they work. At any rate, the ones I found for sale under actual softub branding are priced insanely at over $400 for the two, and that is simply a ridiculous price for something that has no moving parts. I refuse to buy Apple or Sony products because they do the same thing with "proprietary" designs which are not actually different tech, just wired annoyingly so you have to buy their product that does literally the same thing the same way as the generic thing!. I would say that a sensor with 3 wires might be different than one with only two, but beyond that there can't be that much difference between a 3 wire sensor and the ones softub uses, so I intend to try that first before paying that much for the one softub sells proprietarily.
I went to Pneumadyne directly to replace the solenoid valve for the ozone generator that was priced at nearly $500 bucks too.. Found out that although the part number was unique to softub, the function was equivalent to a retail part that was available for 25 bucks direct from the manufacturer. When I replaced it, I found that the difference was a second output hole on the retail one, but that hole was also present on the softub one, only it was blocked by a piece of rubber that fit over the hole in an indent that was also present on the retail one. So I just moved the rubber piece over and it became the identical part for a fraction of the cost. I distrust anything that does not encourage repair at a reasonable cost, and really get angry at shenanigans like that.
So after my experience with the solenoid, I am pretty comfortable wagering the difference in cost that a three pin sensor will do the job just as well as the softub official part. If anything, check which wire does what and make sure they haven't switched the order just to make things annoying.
Going to try the capacitor trick first on ours though, but all I have is polarized caps on hand. Do I line up the negative side with the black and positive with the red?
Did you find a solution? I have the same issue. Never a problem for the last three years and now exactly as you described
Any updates? Were you able to replace the temp sensor? Cap didn't fix our issue and we're not sure what to do next.