Hi! New to this forum, but not new to trying to fix our Sundance Portofono Caprio 2002 that (*sighs*) got devastated in a -30 degree freeze. After the freeze, we got things up and running, but there has been a more recent failure which appears to be the circ pump.
Just replaced:
Flo switch (yes, it's pointing the right way)
Heater (it was leaking badly)
Temperature sensor inside the filter area
It would appear that we have a bad circulation pump. LAING SM-909-NHW-18 3/4"
1. When we turn on the hot tub, we get a temperature reading, then an FL1 error. The jets will function, but the inlet at the bottom of the hot tub has no water flow.
2. When we bypass the flow switch, then turn on the hot tub, the spa begins its start up procedures, a red LED on the control panel indicates the heater is turning on, the temperature is displayed, then we immediately get an oH (overheat), and the spa goes into WATCHDOG (as one would expect, since the heater is heating non-circulating water). At no point is there water flow through the inlet at the bottom of the hot tub.
3. The flo-switch was replaced two weeks ago. Right after the flo-switch was replaced, and the hot tub was started, we immediately got the FL1 error. But at that time, by bypassing the flo-switch, the hot tub ran a few days. But then it went into WATCHDOG. Periodic restarts of the hot tub over the next few days had shorter and shorter periods of time before the hot tub went to WATCHDOG. Now it won't run at all without WATCHDOGging.
4. Is it possible that by some ungodly coincidence, the flo-switch was replaced just at the exact moment when the circ pump was on its last legs, and that the flow from the circ pump was so bad that it appeared that the new flo-switch wasn't running, but really it was a circ pump dying? [Up to this point we had been running the hot tub for a year with the broken/frozen flo-switch completely bypassed (yeah, I know!), with no problems whatsoever---which meant we couldn't get an FL1 error for a bad circ pump---because we were bypassing the original FL2 error we were getting for a bad flo switch].
As far as I can tell, these are possible causes for no circulation:
*Gunk in the circulation pump (yes, this hot tub has been run without a filter)---Can someone tell me if there is a way to check the pump for this?
*Bad circ pump (Is there a way to directly test for a bad pump?)
*Bad connection to the circ pump (Although the circ pump has been working fine for years, we have been lowering and raising the hot tub off the ground using a jack to try and fixing the leaking pipes underneath---theoretically jolting might have caused some connection to break? How might I test this?)
Yes, we have a voltmeter.
Secondary, but most likely unassociated problem: I noticed major leakage underneath the Ozone Generator, took the front of the box off, and discovered it is steadily dripping inside the Ozone Generator---and has been for so long that there is major rust accumulation and two of the leads have completely separated from wherever they were attached. Might this somehow cause the circulation pump to not work? [I can't figure they're related]. Or cause an FL1 error? I can't imagine it would somehow affect circulation that way. Although it seems not right to have those electrical wires all exposed to water---can the whole Ozone Generator be completely removed?
I would love especially help about troubleshooting a circ pump!
We live in the middle of boondocks Indiana; repair is up to us. I'm handy with tools, I just need a touch of insight to get headed in the right direction. And I'd rather not buy a circ pump only to have it not be the problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
