any repair gurus online this afternoon?

[anne]

Hello........it has been FOREVER since I have been here. Hope you all are well. I feel a bit bad being gone so long then coming back needing help, but what can I say?

I have a 5 year old Arctic Summit Legend. It was blowing the fuse, and by process of elimination, we determined that pump # 1 was at fault, and everything else in the board/box is ok. I have not had a tech come out, since I have no local dealers. (Yeah..... ) Arctic sent me a new pump #1, with the hope that replacing the pump will end my woes. I think the replacement will be fairly easy, but I'd feel better if I knew that replacing it was the right solution. So my question is this: Will I damage anything (ie, overheat, etc) if I plug the pump into the board without putting in into the tub, and turn the thing on just long enough to see if the circuit blows? I know the tub and its pumps should never run with water, but is a 30 second experiment ok?

Thank you!!!!!!!

Anne 

[anne]

Important addition. The tub is empty now, which is why I am hoping I can figure this out without refilling it.

Anne

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

30 seconds will probably damage the pumps shaft seal.

[anne]

OK, nuff said! THANKS!!!

New pump is in, but the old seals on the pipes are toast......so nothing is hooked up yet. Doubt I'm going to find them on saturday at 5 pm.

We found that the ground on the metal piece leading to pump #1 was off. Dangling. Cound this be why I had a short? I dont want to put the old pump back in to test that theory, unless it is a well grounded one. hehehe.

Anne

[anne]

"metal piece" referenced above is the heater assembly.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

OK, nuff said! THANKS!!!

We found that the ground on the metal piece leading to pump #1 was off. Dangling. Cound this be why I had a short?

Anne

Sure this isn't the bonding wire? (nothing to do with a short).

[anne]

Definitely a ground. Copper wire, in green, and it looks just like the other grounds to each pump. It was loose, and given its length, look like the only nearby metal part it could attach to is the heater assembly. If it should attach to something else, I'm all ears.....

Anne

[Chas]

Hi Anne,

"Ground" and "bond" wires look the same. Only their function is different. Doc is right: if this is a bonding wire, used to connect the various components in your tub together, it would not cause a short, nor blow the fuse.

Usually the 'ground' conductor is inside the power cord going to a pump motor (or other component, such as heater or blower). The bonding wires are usually run freely in the motor compartment - and they may be insulated copper wire, bare copper wire, or even a metal strap of some kind.

HTH

[sorebikr]

Hi Anne,

"Ground" and "bond" wires look the same. Only their function is different. Doc is right: if this is a bonding wire, used to connect the various components in your tub together, it would not cause a short, nor blow the fuse.

Usually the 'ground' conductor is inside the power cord going to a pump motor (or other component, such as heater or blower). The bonding wires are usually run freely in the motor compartment - and they may be insulated copper wire, bare copper wire, or even a metal strap of some kind.

HTH

I don't think this is 100% accurate.  Bonding wires are supposed to be bare copper.  Grounding wires may be bare, or may be covered in a green sheath. 

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

It's my understanding that bonding wires are bare, and by code a ground wire used for pools and/or spas MUST be a GREEN insulated wire.

[anne]

Thank you all for replies. I hadn't checked in for a few days, cuz I'm waiting for parts. As I understand it now, it *is* a bonding wire, and the ground for the heater assembly itself is internal and fixed. Also, you are right (according to Arctic) this could not have caused the short, so my purchase of a new pump was likely not in vain.

As soon as a few other parts arrive, I'll reassemble the thing. Since its 95-100 these days, I guess it is an ok time to be missing out on hot water.....

Anne