| This problem can be a bit
of a pain to deal with sometimes, and requires a little time and back and
forth trips to the circuit breaker to reset it. |
220 Volt Spa Installation
1. First remove or
turn off power at the remote disconnect box at the spa. If your GFCI breaker
installation is contained in the remote disconnect box, then skip this
step. Turn power on at the breaker. If it doesn't trip off
line, then the assumption at this point is that there is a fault beyond
the disconnect box. If the breaker still trips immediately, then
there's a problem somewhere between the GFCI and the disconnect box.
Most likely causes are:
-
Water/Moisture in the disconnect
box.
-
Bugs rewired your GFCI for you.
Double check it. Go
-
Defective GFCI.
2. If there's a possibility
that any part of the spa control box under the spa skirt has gotten wet,
either through condensation, rain leaks, or spa water spillover, then this
is your most likely culprit. It only takes a bazillionth of a drop
of water in the wrong place to cause a gfci to trip. Either let the
spa sit for a day or so to dry out, or use some other method of drying
the inside and outside of the spa control box, paying particular attention
to any fuse holder that is riveted to the side of the case (I spent two
hours finding one of these hidden wet spots once, the rivet allowed the
water to penetrate onto a small fuse-holder from the outside of the aluminum
box!).
A hair dryer can work well
in this instance, but be sure that you use one that has a GFCI attached
to the power cord to protect you from electrical shock.
3. The next best alternative
is to disconnect all devices attached to the spa control pack. Pumps,
blowers, ozonator, circulation pump, anything that is plugged into the
spa pack.
-
If the GFCI doesn't trip, GOOD!
Now shut off the power, re-attach each device and re-energize power each
time you plug one in. Recommend trying the Ozonator first, Circulation
Pump, or Blower. The offending device will cause the GFCI to trip
when it is plugged in.
-
If the heater is turned off,
and the GFCI trips with ANY device plugged in, that is, simply pulling
a load from the circuit causes the GFCI to trip off-line, then it's a sure
bet that the GFCI is defective.
-
Digital/Electronic Control
Only - If the GFCI trips with NOTHING plugged into the spa control
pack, then you should be able to unplug the power transformer from the
main circuit board. Disconnect it, and re-energize the GFCI.
If the GFCI still trips, then you've probably got a problem with the wiring
in the control pack, or there's moisture somewhere on the main power lines
inside. It's going to take some rather intense visual inspection
to find this problem. You can try to disconnect the lines going to
the heater, but most digital/electronic spa controls will have a certain
delay time prior to sending power to the heater, which pretty much negates
this option, unless your heater has shorted, and has shorted the relays
closed with it.
-
Electro-mechanical/Air Control
Only - Once it has been ascertained that the GFCI is still tripping
with all external devices disconnected, then the most likely cause is going
to be the heater element. With the thermostat turned all the way
down... (off), re-energize the spa pack and see what happens. If
the GFCI still trips, then you've probably got a problem with the wiring
in the control pack, or there's moisture somewhere on the main power lines
inside. It's going to take some rather intense visual inspection
to find this problem.
-
If nothing else works
- Try this
link first, then try replacing the GFCI. (NEVER BYPASS A GFCI!).
|
| 110 Volt Spa Installation
Basically, the same troubleshooting
procedures will apply for a 110 Volt installation as for a 220, however,
most spas designed to run solely on 110 volts will usually have a low current
GFCI installed as part of the plug in cable, or built into the spa control
pack.
If you have one of these
types of GFCI's, or if your GFCI is the outlet on the side of the home,
then troubleshooting is usually a little simpler, since resetting the GFCI
is usually a quick thing to accomplish. There is one thing to remember
about an installation of this kind though, even if the GFCI is contained
in a weatherproof housing, it is still subject to environmental forces
that a circuit breaker panel GFCI won't be, and is more prone to failure
over certain periods of time.
It may be the only way around
this particular problem, but if you've exhausted all avenues of troubleshooting
and come up with no solutions, then replacing the GFCI is usually a good
idea. A 110 Volt GFCI exposed to the elements that is in excess of
5 years old is a good candidate for replacement anyway. Be sure to
use a good quality brand name, such as one made by Leviton (TM). |
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