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I have a Great Lakes Hot Tub with the Balboa Value 3 system. A few years ago, after a "power failure", the tub would not come on. Checked the breaker, and it was ok, it hadn't kicked off. After looking it over for awhile, I decided to "disconnect the control panel" in the Balboa Panel. It was similar to a telephone line plug, only bigger. As I disconnected this line, I heard a slight "click" noise. I then just connected it "back into the board", and the hot tub almost immediately started working. For the next few years, when the power would fail, the hot tub would NOT come back on, automatically, and I would go through this same process, and the hot tub would ALWAYS start up. About a week ago, after using the hot tub, we discovered we had a leak. I flipped the breaker to turn the power off,,,,,,found the leak,,,and hopefully have it fixed. I filled the tub,,,,turned the breaker back on,,,and disconnected the control panel. When I did this,,,,I heard the usual "one click" sound,,,,,,and then plugged it back in. This time nothing happened, it didn't start up, and I had no indications of anything in the control panel. SO,,,,I thought I'll try it again. This time I didn't hear the "click",,,,,,,and while the control panel was disconnected, I got a "Buzzing" noise (like a relay vibration) and you can feel the vibration on everything in the balboa panel. I thought I would be able to isolate the vibration,,,,,,but I can't seem to tell, for sure, what is vibrating. When you plug the control panel line back in,,,,the Buzzing stops,,,,,but the hot tub still does not come on. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Thanks for the reply! I agree with you Tman, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". I have done that, turn off, wait, turn power back on,,,,,,,,,no difference. The tub doesn't make a sound. The only difference I can find is when I disconnect the top control panel from the circuit board,,,,,,BUZZING,,,,,,,,,connect it back in,,,,,,,,BUZZING GONE, and nothing else seems to change. The ONLY thing I've been able to find on the net, to check the top control panel, is to compare it to one you know is working,,,,,,,,if it works, you know yours is bad. Just thinking there should be a CHEAPER way of doing that. Going to put a hair dryer under that control panel later today,,,to see if that does anything,,,,I'll let you know. Is there any way I could "cut that line going to the circuit board" and check for voltage there,,,,and then reconnect the line? Its got me buffaloed. Thanks again!
Well,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I got it running,,,,but that's about all I can say! What exactly was keeping it from coming on,,,I can't say. I went thru the main control box, and pulled off (one at a time) all the wires with "push on" connections, cleaned them a little, and put them back. After doing that, I turned the power back on, and nothing. Then I removed the line from the top side control box and re-inserted it, heard the one tiny click (like I had done in the past), and the Spa started. During the start up,,,,,it makes a terrible racket,,,,almost like a washing machine. You can hear the the pump running,,,,,,,,,then a loud noise for about 2 seconds (like a grinding sound),,,,,,,then quiets for about 4 or 5 seconds,,,,,,,then the 2 second loud noise,,,,,,,and this continues on for about 20 minutes or so,,,,,,,then the loud noise stops, and you can hear the pump running normally. It has a 2 speed motor,,,,,,but we're only getting one speed, I think. After the spa has cycled, and the water is still, when you push on the top side control,,,,,you only get one speed. Push it once, and the motor is supposed to kick on low, push it again, and it's supposed to go on high. I think we might have just the high speed, but not positive. Also, it had "preset" cycle of 30 minutes,,,,,,,,,,but now it doesn't seem to. If you got in, it would run for 30 minutes, then the high speed would shut down, and it would go into some sort of standby mode. Oh, and now the light works, and the temperature lights up, with the only thing not working is the button for the two speeds,,,,,Do you think the top side control is ok now? Now it stays in high speed longer,,,,,,,and the temperature seems to keep going up, the longer it is on. It was running fine until I shut it down to fix the leak which was in a back corner. The only thing I did was "jack up" the back side of the spa about a foot off the deck, so I could get into the leak. After lowering back on the deck, I expected it to run, since it HAD BEEN running fine, and I hadn't done anything else to it. Any ideas now? Thanks for any help!
Well,,,,think I fixed it, and broke it. First time I'd checked connections in 14 years,,,,,,,and all three connections were loose. Tightened them all almost one turn BUT now, it won't start up at all. First time I tried, got a "very short" noise, then nothing. The power and topside lights were still on showing temp, spa light would come on and off BUT when I push the button for the "Jets", all I get is a "click". I can keep pushing the button,,,,and it keeps "clicking",,,,,buts that's all. What do you say now?
Overall, I'd say the tub is still in pretty good shape. We're still using the original cover too, even though it's been outside all that time. And yes, I've thought about replacing the main control box, even though I was hoping I wouldn't have too. The motor too, is the original, even though during the first ten years, the tub was on 24/7. It has just been the last few years that we have drained it for about four months during during the year. I also looked at the prices of a new main board , and also of the Balboa Main Panel. I see that there is one company, at least, that makes Main Panels that will replace the Balboa and is less expensive. I was wondering if they are reliable and actually replace everything, as they advertise. My board is a #52569.Now, to get back to matters at hand, the two hot wires, when measured to the white ground wire, both measure 127 volts ac, when I go across the two hot wires, they measure 253 volts ac, so I would say that would be fine, going into the box. When I push the Yellow test button on the GFCI, it kicks the breaker off. The only error message that ever came up for me was earlier in this process of working on the tub, the OH came up one time. I know the water wasn't over heated because the temperature wasn't even up to 100 yet. And yes, if you have helped many people out, which I'm sure you have, I know that you have been "tearing your hair out" more than once. Thanks again,,,,,,,,