Spa powers off when heating is turned on

[SorryImaNewb123]

I have a older Jacuzzi hot tub.

The problem I have is when the heating gets initiated by pressing the UP arrow to increase the temp on the thermostat, it heats, but then a while later I come back and the hot tub is off and the breaker has tripped. If I turn the breaker back on, the hot tub is back up and running, until the heater is on for a while and then it will power off again. If I go through the motions of doing this a few times, eventually it will reach the desired temp so I don't have to heat for a while until the temp gets to cold again.

This only happens when the heating is activated (I press UP arrow and heat light is lit up), so there's something in the function of heating that is causing the issue. Not sure if that would be heating element or what?

 

[borjis]

Sounds like the heating element has gone bad and pulling more amps than it should. Not sure how to test that.

 

[SorryImaNewb123]

Thanks for the input. That makes sense.

 

[RDspaguy]

have a older Jacuzzi hot tub.

Not helpful, as Jacuzzi has changed things many times over the years and is the oldest portable spa manufacturer. Please narrow it down a bit, pictures of the equipment area and control pack/circuit board would help alot if you can get to it.
If your spa is on a gfci breaker, as required by code, then a faulty heater will trip the breaker immediately when power is turned on or when the heater is turned on, depending on the control system. But it will trip IMMEDIATELY, not heat for a while first. I doubt this is the heater.
The heater is the highest amp draw in the spa, and other issues are more likely to show themselves when it's on. I suspect you have a loose terminal (screw) on the breaker or the breaker is going bad.
This is assuming it is on a gfci breaker.