|
|
This is an example of a burned copper conductor strip that carries
230V to the heater element in a Balboa Spa Control system. In this case,
the nut attaching the strip to the heater element was loose, which generated a
tremendous amount of heat at the loose connection. There was nothing
wrong with the circuit board or the heater. However, because of the
intense, long-term heat generated by the loose connector, the heater element
failed 2 weeks later after the repair was made. You'll also notice that the
laminated copper foil on the circuit board was also damaged, but still
serviceable. |
|
This is a close-up view of the strip, after it was removed and
cleaned up a bit. Beware! Do NOT
USE a component like this that has experienced this much
oxidation! It has built up internal resistance, will continue to
consume power on its own, and it will totally fail in short order, possibly
causing more damage to the connected components. |
|
In this case, I created an 8-gauge jumper capable of carrying the 23
amps that the heater requires. I also bypassed the top screw on the
terminal block, and connected the jumper directly to the pc board screw because
of the heat damage to the pc board foil strip and the terminal
block. |
The ones that will drive any tech nuts! |
|
This GFCI was connected to a Jacuzzi-brand spa that was less than 3
months old. For some odd reason, the GFCI kept tripping after a few
minutes of operation. I could find absolutely nothing wrong with the spa;
everything checked out completely. |
|
|
Well, if I
had paid attention in the first place to the fact that the circuit breaker
wasn't 100 percent seated in its mount, (after resetting it about 6 times!),
then it wouldn't have taken me so long to figure it out. Square-D circuit
breakers always need a little extra push to get them seated properly. It
turns out this one was just barely making a proper connection, and over the
three-month period that it was in operation, it burned up the terminal strip
and the lug coming out from the GFCI. In the end, to have an electrician
repair this cost over $250. |
Another classic example of what
happens to a circuit breaker when the wire connections aren't tight
enough. The heat in this one transferred through the entire breaker and
eventually smoked it. Here again, nothing was wrong with the spa AND it
was only receiving half of the 230 Volt power it required. That is, part
of the circuitry in the spa control was working, but the heater, pump, etc. did
nothing. Rule of thumb: Always be sure that you're getting both
L1 and L2 power at the spa control when the breaker is turned on. Never
assume that the spa is getting the power just because the breaker is turned
on! Lastly, ALWAYS be wary of a circuit breaker that feels warm or hot to
the touch! In most cases, it's not the spa! It's the connections at
the breaker! Make 'em tight folks!
|
|
|
|
Another Classic Disconnect
Melt-down!
|
Any suggestions? (We're always looking for new things here!) Email us: Site Suggestions
Parts or Tech Help
|
|
