Disconnecting heater

[gmdodt]

Hey all

If I'm going to disconnect my heater to see if it's the cause of my GFCI tripping every weeks, what's the best way of doing this?

Obviously I'd disconnect the two power lines to the board. Do I disconnect ground cable too? Do I do anything else? Seems like the hot tub will endlessly be calling for heat if I don't do anything else( besides turning down temp)...is that ok? Would be like this for weeks because the GFCI tripping is really intermittent/random

[Jacuzzi Jim]

Hey all

If I'm going to disconnect my heater to see if it's the cause of my GFCI tripping every weeks, what's the best way of doing this?

Obviously I'd disconnect the two power lines to the board. Do I disconnect ground cable too? Do I do anything else? Seems like the hot tub will endlessly be calling for heat if I don't do anything else( besides turning down temp)...is that ok? Would be like this for weeks because the GFCI tripping is really intermittent/random

       Ground shouldn't matter.    Down side of this is the spa will run pump 1 or circ pump continuously.  Might notice a spike in power bill maybe.   Turning temp down will help.    I kinda doubt it's the heater, they very rarely do that.  They usually work or don't then trip breaker right away.  But then it's a  hot tub so you never know. 

[gmdodt]

Any other thoughts on what it may be then? Trips once every week or two. No corrosion, no moisture, breaker replaced, everything snug, measurements on heater and board and breaker are all correct. Doesn't happen when being used. Happens when not being used (maybe when filtering though)

[Jacuzzi Jim]

 Like mentioned in the other post. All you can really do is un plug things one by one.  Good news, it can only be 4 or 5 things, since you have no ozonator or circ pump.   I would try pump 2 before the heater, if it trips again then both the heater and pump 2.   The tough one is getting to the point of killing pump 1 if it still trips. 

[gmdodt]

Okay.  I mean, I'm pretty confident its not pump since it was just replaced under warranty. I know that doesn't guarantee anything, but when evaluating the % chance of it being that component, I'd think its low.  Still not sure how it could be Pump two since its not in use during filtering or standby operations, but I'll unplug that one this evening.

Going back to the heater - is there a way to disable the heater so that pump 1 doesn't continuously run?  Like in the soft jumpers menu? I know how to get to it and manipulate it (and what the settings are supposed to be for).

[Jacuzzi Jim]

  I don't know jack about Caldera jumpers or programing maybe someone else here does?   As far as pump 2 not running, many spa's will do a purge cycle every 12 hours.  Where it will run pump 1 for 20 or 30 seconds, then kick on pump 2 for the same.  Basically it flushes the water out of the plumbing.   Jacuzzi and Sundance both do that, not sure with Caldera?   Possible it is happening then randomly? 

[gmdodt]

Okay so ill disconnect Pump 2 but assuming that calderas do this purge type thing, is there going to be a problem with water quality if I leave pump2 unplugged for say a month or so while troubleshooting?

[Jacuzzi Jim]

  Hard to say, but honestly I wouldn't worry about it.  Suppose you could hook it back up and just run it for a few minutes once a week then un hook it.