Whatever the problem, your night is not working out the way you’d hoped. Before you panic about what it’ll cost to get a repairman to fix your spa on the weekend, try a little DIY hot tub troubleshooting first. Several common hot tub issues have simple solutions you can handle on your own.

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1. My Hot Tub Won’t Heat Up

Possibly the most frustrating problem you can run into is when you want to soak in your spa, but discover the water is ice cold. A hot tub without hot water is just a tub. Narrow down a possible cause by first determining whether your water is staying cold or getting warm, then cooling down.

Before you do anything, grab your multimeter. It can help you quickly identify the culprit by testing the electrical components.

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Ice Cold Hot Tub Water

You’ve got no heat, no matter what. First, check your water level. Then, look for clogs in your circulation system, and wash or change your filter. While these may seem like mundane solutions, they’re also the quickest and least expensive, so always try them first.

Next, flip your heater breaker off and on, or just hit your heater’s reset button. If the high limit switch shut your heater off because your water got too hot or you have air trapped in your lines, resetting the heater will get it going again.

If you’ve just refilled your hot tub, you may have an airlock, which is when air gets trapped in your plumbing lines, and impedes the flow of water, which will keep it from heating up. Luckily, fixing an air lock is a fairly easy task.

Still no heat? You could have a bad heating element. If you’re confident in your skills to troubleshoot your hot tub heater, you can remove the heating element and check to see if it looks burnt. If it needs replacing, you’ll want to hire a pro unless you’re comfortable doing this type of work yourself.

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My Water Gets Hot, Cold, Hot Again

If your hot tub temperature is all over the place, you could have water flow problems. Start by cleaning your filter, checking for circulation blockages, and topping off your water if necessary.

Check whether your pump turns on. Your pump has to be running in order for the spa to heat up. If the pump isn’t working, you may need to replace it.

The problem could also be with the heater itself. If the pump is working, and the heater is on, but the water still won’t stay at an even temperature, you may need to replace the heater.

Heater and pump working fine? Next check your thermostat and heat sensors. Your high limit switch has one or two sensors that shut off your heater if the water temperature gets too high. If they’re fried, your heater may not operate properly.

Similarly, if your thermostat needs to be replaced, it won’t accurately trigger your heater to kick on when the water temperature dips.

If you’ve done all these things, and still can’t diagnose and correct the problem, it’s time to bring in a pro. But maybe wait until Monday so the hourly rate isn’t so high.

2. My Jets Aren’t Working

If you wanted to lie around in warm, unmoving water, you’d just take a bath. One of the best parts of soaking in a hot tub is using the jets. But if you’ve got nothing coming out of your jets, don’t fret.

Try the easiest and least expensive solution first: turn each of your jets to make sure they’re all wide open. Also, check them for debris such as calcium buildup, and clear them if necessary. Top off the water, clean your filter, and check for plumbing line clogs.

Did you recently refill your hot tub? If so, you could have airlock. You can turn your jets on and off a few times to try to force the air out. You may also loosen the top fitting on your pump just until you hear air escape and see a bit of water, then tighten it back up.

Important: No matter what you may have heard, we do not recommend using a plunger on your jets. The force of plunging may damage your circulation system. It may also void your warranty. Then you really will be paying a bunch of money for repairs.

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3. My Control Panel Shows an Error Code

Though they indicate something is going wrong, error codes can be confusing—and they don’t necessarily tell you the cause of your problem. Your manual will contain many error codes, but five codes show up most often.

FLO or FLC

As you may have guessed, this code appears when you’re hot tub is having flow problems. You might see this code if your jets are misbehaving.

Check for blockages, and clean or replace your filter. If that doesn’t help, check to see whether your circulation pump has power going to it. If it does, and it’s still not working, it may be time to replace the circulation pump.

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This code may also mean your pressure switch needs to be replaced. Its job is to shut off the heater when water pressure is low, so if your water is flowing, but you’re still seeing the FLO or FLC error codes, it could be the pressure switch.

Important: If you’re comfortable working with electrical components, you may be able to address these problems yourself. However, if you’re at all unsure, call a pro. Your safety is more important than a quick soak in the hot tub.

OH

Do not use your hot tub when this error code pops up. It means the water is too hot, and may even scald you. The possible causes are plentiful, but you can check a few simple things.

Clean your circulation system and filter. If your hot tub is outside, and you’ve had hot weather, be sure your spa cabinet is staying cool enough to avoid overheating the motor.

Also make sure your pump isn’t running for extremely long periods of time. Check and replace the temperature sensor if needed. If the water isn’t hot, but this code is on your display, it’s a good idea to call a pro to see what’s going on.

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DR or DRY

If not enough water—or worse, none—is traveling through your heater when it kicks on, it can cause what’s known as a dry fire where the heating element is damaged. This commonly occurs when your water level is too low.

Topping of your hot tub may be the only solution necessary. Remember to use a hose filter to keep impurities out of your spa and plumbing system. Make sure your circulation system is free of debris before restarting. If the problem persists, call a pro.

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COOL or COLD

When your hot tub water temperature drops 20 to 40 degrees below your set point, this error code shows up.

First, put your hot tub cover back on and let the heater do its job for about 24 hours. If, after that period, your water is still cold, try the solutions for when your hot tub won’t heat up, such as resetting the heater and checking your sensors and thermostat.

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01/27/2023 03:29 pm GMT

SNA or SNB

This code is an abbreviation for sensor, and the letter (or sometimes a number) indicates which sensor is malfunctioning or out of balance.

It can also appear when the connection between the sensor and circuit board is wonky, or when your circuit board is fried. In this case, you may need to replace the sensor. If you’re uncomfortable working with electronics, call a pro.

Your hot tub control panel can display several other codes. To learn more about them so you’re better able to troubleshoot your hot tub, keep a list of them near your spa.

4. My Hot Tub Pump is Noisy

Someday, you may be nearby when your hot tub kicks on and notice one of two distinct sounds: a growling, grumbling noise, or a high-pitched squeal.

My Hot Tub Pump is Growling

When it sounds like bear cubs wrestling inside your spa cabinet, your pump is probably struggling for water. Clear any clogs from your circulation system. Top off your water. Make sure any valves near your pump are open.

My Hot Tub Pump is Squealing

This loud, metallic whine is the telltale sign of bad bearings. You may continue using your pump safely, but the noise will only get worse. First, try lubricating the bearings, but eventually, you’ll probably have to replace the circulation pump. Or start using your hot tub with earplugs.

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5. My GFCI Breaker is Tripping

If your hot tub is tripping the breaker, you could spend quite a lot of time on hot tub troubleshooting, and less time soaking. A breaker trip is common and usually easy to fix, but any troubleshooting and repairs require you to work with electricity. If you’ll be working on it yourself, remember to turn off the breaker before you begin, and be sure you’re not touching anything wet.

Important: If you’re unsure what you’re doing, or you don’t know how to work with electrical systems safely, this is definitely the time to call a pro.

One quick way to narrow down your problem is to unplug your pump, heater, blower, and ozonator. Then turn on the breaker without anything plugged in.

If it trips, you could have a worn breaker. If it doesn’t trip, plug each item back in one at a time. For each item you reconnect, flip the breaker, then turn on your spa. If your GFCI trips, the component you just reconnected (or the wiring to that item) is the culprit.

Once you know which part is causing problems, you’ll need to figure out why. Most likely, it’s one of four common causes.

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Moisture

Safety first. Examine the area around the breaker box for water before you start unplugging anything. If you find moisture on or around the breaker, identifying and fixing the source of the moisture may be all you have to do to keep your breaker from tripping. After all, the purpose of the GFCI is to protect you from electric shock around water.

Moisture can result from splashout, rain, or leaks, and may be fixed by moving your breaker box farther from your spa or putting up a barrier between the hot tub and the box.

Corrosion

All your electrical components have wires and connections which can corrode. Grab a good flashlight, and inspect all these areas carefully. If you find corrosion, you’ll need to replace the damaged part(s), or hire a pro to do so for you.

Damaged or Loose Wiring

While you’re searching for corrosion, ensure that all the electrical connections are secure. Give wires a gentle tug to check their connections. Also keep an eye out for other signs of damage, such as melted or burnt wires.

Again, unless you’re experienced with electrical wiring, you’ll want to hire a spa pro or electrician to correct these problems.

Heating Element Malfunction

Regardless of how well you take care of your hot tub, you’ll eventually need to replace the heating element. It’s simply a component with a finite lifespan. This one of the most common reasons your breaker might trip.

To determine whether this is what’s causing the GFCI breaker to trip, loosen the nuts on top of your heater to remove the electrical connections. Flip the breaker again and see whether it trips. If it doesn’t trip, you’ll need a new heating element.

You may also test the element for a short using a multimeter , or pull it out and inspect it for signs of dry fire. Regardless of whether it burned out or has a short, you’ll still need to replace it.

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6. My Hot Tub Has Weak or Low Water Flow

Aside from not having heat in your hot tub, weak or low water flow is a huge bummer. If the water’s not moving, you may as well be sitting in your bathtub, right? Luckily, the causes are few, so you should be able to identify the problem pretty quickly.

Dirty or Damaged Filter

A dirty or worn out filter can prevent the water from flowing the way it should. Check the filter for damage. If it looks OK, give it a good cleaning. If it’s starting to show signs of wear and tear, consider replacing it entirely.

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Low Water Level

The water can’t flow if it’s too low. Check the water level to make sure it’s where it should be. If it’s not, add water, and then run a test to see if the flow returns to normal.

Malfunctioning Pump

Is the hot tub pump running? If so, the problem is elsewhere. If it isn’t, use a multimeter to check whether the pump is receiving power. If it is, but the pump still won’t work, it probably needs to be repaired or replaced. If it isn’t, you might have a bigger electrical problem on your hands.

Important: Remember, electricity and water don’t mix. Not everyone is an electrician, and that’s OK. If you aren’t comfortable working on these systems, please call a professional.

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Air Lock

After you change the water, or when you’re opening your spa for the season, you may encounter a hot tub air lock. This means air has gotten into the plumbing lines, and is preventing the water from flowing the way it should.

Bleeding the air out of the system will fix a lock. Look for small bleed screws at the end of the pump, and open them all to let the air out. Some systems may have a screw on top of the pump as well.

Once you bleed the air out, turn the hot tub on and see if the water flow has returned to normal. In some cases, you may have to bleed the system more than once to get all the air trapped in your hot tub’s system.

Important: Always make sure the system is off when you’re bleeding air out. Also make sure you close bleed screws quickly to prevent water from spraying once the air has escaped.

Blocked or Broken Jets

Sometimes, you may notice you have good flow out of some jets, while some jets are barely limping along. In this case, check for worn out jet seals, and then check all nozzles for any debris that could be blocking the flow of water.

If the problem is occurring in all of the jets, look for broken gate valves, and double check your water level to be sure it isn’t too low. Check the wet end of your pump to see if something is blocking the water flow or to see if you have a broken propeller.

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Blocked or Worn Out Ozonator

If you use an ozonator, give the valves a good look, and consider bypassing it for testing purposes. In some cases, the valves connecting the ozonator to your hot tub can begin to wear out or can become blocked by debris. Clean them out or replace them, and then test the system to see if the water flow returns to normal. If not, you may need to replace the ozonator.

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Prevention is Key

Age, wear, and tear will eventually take a toll on your hot tub and its parts. You’ll need to occasionally replace parts through no fault of your own. But you can avoid some of the most common problems by taking proper care of your spa.

• Create and stick to a hot tub maintenance schedule, including balancing your water chemistry on a regular basis.
• Top off low water levels as soon as you notice them to prevent error codes, sputtering jets, and even dry fire.
• Look for problems before they complicate your life, opening your cabinet once in a while to check for signs of wiring damage or leaks.

When you’re ready to use your hot tub, but something has gone awry, remember to check the common-sense solutions first. Adding a little water and cleaning your filter can go a long way toward fixing a lot of hot tub bad behaviors.

If your hot tub troubleshooting starts to get you into repairs that are over your head, don’t be afraid to call a professional. Getting a problem fixed correctly the first time can save you a lot of headaches—and money—down the road.

Happy Soaking!

The post Hot Tub Troubleshooting: 6 Common Issues and Solutions appeared first on Swim University®.

A hot tub tripping a breaker isn’t an uncommon problem, and the potential causes are pretty easy to spot. You just have to know what to look for and where to look for it. Once you identify the problem, you may be surprised at how simple the fix is. A few repairs may require a professional touch, but that will depend on your electrical skill level.

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Is It Really My Hot Tub Tripping the Breaker?

Near your hot tub, inside a metal box probably attached to the side of your house, is your hot tub GFCI breaker. It’s a black plastic switch that automatically flips when it experiences an electrical surge.

When the switch flips, it interrupts the electrical circuit, breaking conduction so no more electricity can pass through. In short (no pun intended), it prevents you from being electrocuted in your hot tub when someone has a few too many margaritas and accidentally knocks your stereo into the water.

Sometimes the breaker flips for reasons that have nothing to do with your radio. These common hot tub problems are pretty easy to troubleshoot on your own. Before you get started, grab a towel and a flashlight. They may make it much easier to find the problem.

Warning: Working with electricity, particularly around water, can be dangerous. Be sure there is no moisture where you’re working, and turn off the power supply when working directly with wiring to limit your risk of electric shock. If you’re not comfortable working with electricity, hire a pro to make the repairs.

1. Worn Hot Tub GFCI Breaker

Probably the most obvious reason your hot tub is tripping the breaker is the thing simply wore out. Age, power surges, and even a nearby lightning strike can render your breaker useless. Fortunately for you, it’s easy to determine whether your breaker is toast.

If you haven’t yet, try flipping it. Does it immediately trip again? If so, a worn or bad breaker could be your problem. To be certain, disconnect everything from the GFCI. Flip it back on. If the breaker trips, even with nothing connected to it, you need to replace the breaker.

2. Moisture in your Hot Tub Breaker Box

Pop open the breaker box, shine the flashlight around in there, and see if you find any moisture inside. Rainwater, splashout, or flooding can introduce enough dampness to flip a hot tub GFCI.

The solution may be as easy as drying the inside of the breaker box with your towel, turning a fan or dehumidifier on near your outlet, and resetting the breaker once dry.

If the breaker flips even after it appears dry, you may need more extensive troubleshooting. If the breaker is encountering moisture often, you may need to replace the receptacle itself or move it farther from the spa.

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3. Corrosion

This is inevitable. You can’t even get away from rust in outer space. It’s worth keeping an eye out for corrosion whenever you service your hot tub in order to limit the possibility of compounding problems.

Corrosion can cause components to malfunction, which could affect your water chemistry or cause further damage when they fail. Just imagine if you went on vacation and your filtration system failed to run per your programming. Ew.

Corrosion can occur near the hot tub GFCI or around spa components themselves. Inspect the breaker box, then inside your spa cabinet for any obvious signs of corrosion. Typically, you’ll see whitish powder or the appearance of rust around component connectors if corrosion is present. Carefully inspect wire connectors, ground wires, the control panel, and anywhere you can see component wiring.

Repairing corrosion depends on where you’ve found it and how extensive it is. You may be able to clean off corroded connectors with a wire brush or electrical contact cleaner and simply reconnect them. You may need to replace wiring if the corrosion is too extensive. If the dripping water is the cause of the corrosion, you’ll definitely have to repair a leak inside your spa.

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4. Loose or Damaged Wiring

While you’re looking for signs of corrosion, look for other signs of damage to component wiring, such as breaks or char marks. Also check all connections to ensure they’re snug.

Wiring Short: When two wires touch but they’re not supposed to, a surge of power causes your breaker to trip. This can also happen when a hot wire (one with power going to it) touches a ground wire. Not only will it trip your hot tub breaker, but it can even start a fire. Wires can accidentally touch each other in this manner if you’ve moved your spa, done work inside the cabinet, or if you have a pest.You can narrow down the offending wires by disconnecting each spa component one at a time. Flip the breaker and see if it trips. When it trips, you’ve found the misbehaving component. Start inspecting the wiring for that component.If the wires are touching because one came loose, you (or an electrician) can reconnect it and reset your hot tub breaker. Signs of damage or signs of a mouse nest mean you should be looking closely for more extensive problems, such as chewed wires. In those instances you might need to replace wires and connectors.

Burnt Wires: When dealing with electricity, a heat problem can become a fire problem in a blink. A short in the wiring is a fire waiting to happen. Old wiring can overheat. Hot components or component fires can also destroy the wiring. Shine the flashlight inside the breaker box and cabinet, and look for wires with melted insulation (the rubber coating around the wire) or blackened spots.Burnt wiring is tricky to fix. You’ll need to replace the damaged wiring, of course, but you also have to figure out why it got so hot in the first place. If you don’t have the skill to make these kinds of electrical repairs, this should be left to a pro.If you’re confident working with wiring, start by using a multimeter to check the voltage of wiring and components in your spa.

Loose Connectors: When you have work done on your spa, it’s moved around, or it just gets old, wiring connectors can come loose. If wires are even just a little loose, the electrical circuit can be interrupted. When a component is turning on and off due to circuit interruptions, the GFCI breaker may trip.Fixing loose connectors is pretty easy. Inside your spa pack, you may need to use a screwdriver to tighten the screws keeping wires in place. Alternatively, you may see plastic, plug–style connectors slipped out of place. Just give the plastic plugs a firm, little push to ensure they’re snug. And of course, if any connectors are broken or damaged, you’ll need to replace them.

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5. Electrical Component Issues in your Hot Tub

All spas have at least a few electrical components, such as a heater. Even if you have an inflatable hot tub, it still has a control panel and heater.

If your hot tub is especially snazzy, it might also have towel warmers, a sound system, or interior lighting. If any one of your electrical components is misbehaving, it could be why the hot tub is tripping the breaker.

The simplest way to isolate a naughty hot tub component is to disconnect everything you can from the GFCI. Connect each component individually and flip the breaker. When it trips, you’ve got a winner.

Unfortunately, identifying the guilty component is only half the battle. You must also determine how the component is malfunctioning. Is the wiring bad? Did the component overheat? Is it grounded improperly? Is the device completely destroyed? This is more complex troubleshooting and may be best left in the hands of a professional.

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6. Bad Heating Element

One of the most likely offending hot tub components is the heating element. Your spa heater assembly is a metal tube that contains a heating coil. The hot tub water passes through the housing to be heated. If the coil isn’t hot, the water won’t heat up. If something is causing the element to malfunction, the hot tub breaker will trip.

• Bad Heating Element: Disconnect the heater from the breaker, and flip the breaker switch. If the hot tub GFCI fails to trip when the heater isn’t connected, you may need to replace the heating element.
• Heating Element Short: Disconnect power to the element, then remove it from the heater assembly housing. Use a multimeter to test the resistance between the two terminals of the element. Very low or very high readings indicate a bad element. If the reading is normal, you can test for a short to ground, which would also require replacement.
• Dry Fire: When the hot tub’s heating element overheats quickly, especially without proper water flow through it, it can cause a dry fire. The heater housing can appear melted or burnt, and the element itself will show damage. You’ll need to replace the heating element (and the housing if it’s damaged), while also repairing the cause of the dry fire.The cause could be anything from low flow due to clogs, to deposits from poor water chemistry, to other circulation problems. This may also indicate failure of the high limit switch, thermostat, or other related fail-safe component.

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7. Flooded Air Blower or Ozonator

Is water flowing back into the air blower or ozonator? Then it’s likely your hot tub is tripping the breaker. You can troubleshoot this issue by disconnecting the blower or ozonator from the breaker and flipping it.

This issue can pop up if your check valve is bad or your hot tub is overfilled. In either case, water makes its way back through the check valve to the blower or ozonator. Drain some water, if necessary, then replace the bad check valve. If the blower is wet, you may also need to replace it.

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Get Back to Soaking!

Whether you’ve got a plain Jane, an inflatable spa, or a hot tub that looks and sounds like you’re soaking in a night club, you’ll eventually experience electrical issues. The first sign of electrical problems is often the hot tub tripping the breaker. While it’s inconvenient when the GFCI trips, remember it’s there to protect you. It’s a symptom of a malfunctioning spa, just like a fever is a symptom of illness.

The tripped breaker gives you a starting point to identify and repair electrical problems right away, saving you further repairs and even preventing fire. Even when you can’t make repairs yourself, you’ll now be able to figure out what the probable cause is and maybe save yourself a few dollars hiring a repair professional. And then you can get back to enjoying your hot tub.

Happy Soaking!

The post 7 Reasons Your Hot Tub Is Tripping the Breaker appeared first on Swim University®.

Now while that might sound like a major repair, they are actually fairly simple devices and are connected in virtually the same way on all major hot tubs. While you can always call a plumber or hot tub repair technician to your home to do it for you, you can often perform these repairs fairly easily yourself, saving a bucket of money in the process.

What Is a Spa Blower?

Before you embark on a this hot tub repair, it’s helpful to know at least a little bit about how the blower works. It’s a pretty simple unit, consisting of a fan motor and a housing.

Rather than repair a spa air blower, it’s recommended that you actually just replace the entire assembly instead of trying to fix the motor as you won’t see a major cost savings by doing so, and the repair can often be much more complicated than simply replacing it.

A hot tub blower can be either 110V or 220V, depending on the type of hot tub you have. When purchasing a replacement part, make sure you buy the one that matches your hot tub and its electrical requirements.

Spa blowers are usually plumbed in one of two ways. In one type, the air from the blower runs to a manifold and is then distributed to smaller air lines that run to the injector jet fittings. In the other, a channel cavity is adhered to the shell of your hot tub, which has holes drilled in it to allow the air to pass to the water.

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A Word of Warning about Spa Air Blowers

Peanut butter and chocolate. The Captain and Tennille. Rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong. Lots of things go together. But two things that absolutely do not go together are water and electricity.

Hot tub air blower repair or replacement means you’ll be working with both of them. If you’re not confident you can do that safely, please call a professional technician.

If you do believe you can do it, you must take a few safety precautions first.

Make sure you cut all electricity to the hot tub before you even begin to remove the covers. Turn off the circuit breakers, unplug any plugs from their outlets, and then double check to make sure there is absolutely no power running to your hot tub before you begin.

How to Replace a Hot Tub Blower

Have your elbow grease at the ready!

Disconnect the Electricity

Yup, we already said it once, but it bears repeating. Your safety is of the utmost importance. Disconnect everything.

Locate and Disconnect the Faulty Spa Air Blower

You can do this in just a few simple steps:

1. Open the hot tub’s equipment panel.
2. Locate the blower assembly.
3. Disconnect the air duct hose from the exhaust port.
4. Unplug the blower’s electrical cables.
5. Disconnect the grounding wire if your hot tub has one.
6. Remove any mounting bolts.
7. Double check the voltage requirements by looking at the label on the old blower to make sure you have an appropriate replacement.

Install the New Spa Air Blower

The installation is basically the reverse process of removing the old blower.

1. Place the new blower in exactly the same position as the old one.
2. Reconnect the mounting bolts to hold it in place.
3. If your new blower has a grounding wire, connect it.
4. Plug the electrical cables in.
5. Connect the air duct hose.
6. Close the equipment panel.
7. Pat yourself on the back—you did it!

Turn on the Electricity and Test

Plug everything back in, and turn the power to your hot tub back on. Test your new spa blower by turning on your hot tub. Allow it to run for a few minutes in order to make sure everything is running smoothly.

You Get a Spa Blower! And You Get a Spa Blower!

You see now why simply replacing the hot tub blower is less work than trying to repair the motor, right? In just a few short minutes, you can restore your hot tub back to working order.

Just remember, while this is a relatively simple repair, if you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself, there’s nothing wrong with contacting a licensed technician to do it for you. Either way, you’ll be able to get back to enjoying your hot tub the way it was meant to be.

Happy Soaking!

The post How to Repair and Replace a Spa Blower appeared first on Swim University®.

When your switch trips, your heater will turn off meaning you will soon be enjoying a soak in a cool bath instead of a nice warm hot tub. There are many possible causes of a tripped high limit switch. Today, we will examine the most common causes and what you need to do to repair them so you can get back to enjoying your nice warm soak without your heating turning off while you relax.

What Is a Hot Tub High Limit Switch?

Sometimes also called a hot tub high limit sensor or simply a high limit sensor, this is a safety feature built into all hot tubs that prevents them from overheating. It keeps the temperature from exceeding 120°F (49°C) in most cases. If it does reach these higher temps, the switch will trip, turning off your heater in the process.

Sometimes, problems with your hot tub can cause the switch to trip. When this happens, you may scratch your head wondering what is really going on.

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High Limit Switch Troubleshooting

Let’s check out some of the most common problems that could be causing the hot tub high limit switch to trip.

Air Problem

First, you should know that the problem could go away on its own. If there is still air trapped in your system after a refill, this could cause the hot tub high limit switch to trip prematurely. Monitor your hot tub if this problem begins after you drain and refill it. If it stops, chances are it was just air. However, if the problem persists, you must look at other possible causes.

Switch Reset

Sometimes, your switch just needs a good reset. On your spa pack you will find a red button that will reset the high limit switch. Once you reset it, test your hot tub to see if it trips again. If it doesn’t, the reset did the trick.

Switch Replacement

If the water in the thermal well is the same temperature as the water in your spa, then something has gone wrong with the hot tub high limit switch. You will need to shut down your spa, remove the old high limit switch and replace it with a new one.

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Calcium Buildup

If the temperature inside the thermal well is higher than the water in the hot tub, then you could have calcium buildup affecting the flow of water. Low water flow can cause this higher temperature which will trip the hot tub high limit switch.

Clean your filter thoroughly, double check the plumbing for any blockages and make sure your gate valves are open all the way to ensure proper water flow.

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Thermostat Issues

Sometimes, it’s not the high limit switch at all, but the thermostat. It could be calibrated improperly or it may just be failing. First, make sure the thermostat probe is in the thermal well properly so it can take an accurate temperature reading. If so, then try recalibrating the thermostat and then testing your spa to see if that clears up the problem.

Double check the contactor to make sure it opens and closes properly when the thermostat is turned on and off. If it doesn’t, replace the contactor and then retest your system.

If all else fails and the hot tub high limit switch is still tripping, then it may be time to replace the thermostat.

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A Word of Warning

While troubleshooting a high limit switch is fairly easy to do, it does require that you have basic knowledge of your hot tub and its electrical systems. Remember, if you are uncomfortable working on your spa’s electrical systems, please call in a professional.

Closing Thoughts

Remember, don’t ignore a problem with your hot tub high limit switch for very long. The longer you let it go, the more you risk damaging other equipment on your hot tub. That means an even higher repair bill. In most cases, it is easy to determine what is causing the problem with your high limit switch.

Once you determine the problem, you can repair it and get back to enjoying those nice warm waters without your heater turning off just when you were getting comfortable.

Happy Soaking!

The post Hot Tub High Limit Switch Troubleshooting appeared first on Swim University®.