| Electric Heater Operation,
General |
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| Electric (those
that use resistive elements) heating is the number one method of heating spa
water. Many different electrical connection schemes exist, and here we
will describe the basic heater designs that you'll see in the field, and how to
troubleshoot them. |
Stand-alone
Heaters
This type of heater is one that
has no spa control fuctions built in, (well, it should have a
thermostat). It will have a water inlet, water outlet, with the only
electrical connection being the main power input. Normally this will be 230
Volts, rated for 30 Amps for 5000-6000 watts, and 60 Amps for a 10,000 to
12,000 watt heater. |
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Plastic Cased Heaters
Probably the most popular electric
heater design made in the 80's and early 90's, this heater is still seen under
thousands of spas nationwide. A very versatile and easily adaptable
workhorse, manufacturers such as Brett Aqualine, Spa Builders Support Group,
Hydro-Quip, and CRL still offer this heater either as a stand-alone item, or in
combination with a completely integrated spa control system. Easily
mounted directly on a pump with just a clamp, features include 1500-6000 watt
heating capacity, built in pressure and high limit switch, and optional onboard
thermostat control. |
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Straight Tubed Flow-Through
Heaters
This is the heater of the 90's for
the spa industry. Found mostly on spa control packs, it is probably the
most widely used heater today. Todays version sports a lightweight two
inch stainless steel housing, removeable element, provisions for high limit and
temperature sensors, and threaded pressure switch. Complete with sealable
flanges on each end, this heater will probably continue to see serious mass
production for the next several years. Replacing Heater
Element
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Straight Tubed Steel Heater,
Vulcan
This heater has found its way into
thousands of spas, most noteably, Haughes and Leisure Bay Spas,
manufactured by Leisure Bay Industries. Still manufactured and widely
available from spa parts suppliers everywhere, it usually comes complete with a
UL rated enclosure which contains an indicator light, a high limit switch,
thermostat, and even has thermowells for these onboard controls. This
heater, commonly referred to in the industry as a "Vulcan Heater", is
rated at 6000 watts for 230 volt power, and performs very well heating with
only 1500 watts when supplied by a 115 volt supply. The stainless steel
heater tube also features a permanently welded and sealed element, and
1.5" female pipe threads on each end, making installation a
snap. |
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Thread-In
Style Heaters
There are still a few of these
around, and you'll usually see them in older model spas. The design
originally used a simple PVC pipe with the element threaded into it in an
L-shaped water flow fashion, and eventually was integrated with copper and
steel enclosures in an effort to solve the dilemna with ground fault
protection. |
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