GFCI Tripping on 120v Plug-and-Play

[DanglaGT]

Hello everyone,

I have a Master Spas Getaway Ocho Rios SE hot tub:
https://www.masterspas.com/getaway/ocho-rios-se-hot-tub

It was delivered in late August of 2021 and is plugged into an outlet in our shed in the backyard with the cord that it came with. Yesterday afternoon, I noticed that the screen was off even though I had noticed it working 2 hours earlier from putting chemicals in it. I found that the GFCI was tripped and each time that I hit the reset button, it would trip instantaneously.

I got under the cabinet to do some light troubleshooting and when unscrewing the tabs for the heater connection, one of the screws was snapped off. There was also some black residue around them and I'm not sure if that's normal or not. Even with the tabs disconnected, I tried plugging it in and it continued to trip. That's why I'm wondering if I found the issue or just created another issue in my troubleshooting.

I also tried plugging it in with the LED, Pump, and Ozone connections disconnected (one at a time and not all at once) and was unable to get it to reset without tripping. Here are some pictures below.

Left tab of heater connection came off fine:



Right tab of heater connection that appears to have snapped:



GFCI breaker that keeps tripping:



The entire circuit board:



Would love some troubleshooting help. It should still be under warranty unless I voided my warranty by doing some light troubleshooting. Would love to get this thing up and running again as soon as possible. I can't believe that it's already breaking down in less than half a year. Was the heater not the problem since it was still tripping with both tabs disconnected? Did I cause more damage by snapping the screw that connects the heater or was that likely already an issue?

Thank you!

[cranbiz]

The heater was not your problem. If I was Master Spa, I wouldn't be warrantying the heater, you broke the stud when troubleshooting. My guess is it's either a bad GFCI (common) or there is something wrong with the outlet you are plugging the spa into. Run an extension cord (a heavy duty one) to a different circuit and see if it still trips.

The black goo is an epoxy sealer, perfectly normal.

[DanglaGT]

You are exactly right. I bought a replacement GFCI head from Lowe's and was able to get the tub to turn on after installing it. Unfortunately, I turned a $17 issue into a $500 issue by ruining the heater and needing to have someone out to winterize the tub due to not knowing how long it would be out of commission. At least I am learning a lot as a new hot tub owner.

I was able to find a replacement heater at a local hot tub store, but I can't get the nut and broken stud off the copper jumper strap. The bottom 1/4" nut is stripped and I can't get it to budge. Any ideas (besides buying a new one)? Trying to get the tub up and running as soon as possible and I'm afraid I won't be able to find one locally. Is there something that I could buy at Home Depot/Lowe's/Ace Hardware that could replace those? Or would a traditional pool & spa store carry them?

Thanks!

[DanglaGT]

Update: I was able to use a vice grip that I have on the garage workbench to get the nut & bolt off the copper jumper. Got the new heater installed and was able to power on the hot tub with the new GFCI replacement plug without it tripping. I will be filling it with water tomorrow morning and hoping for the best! What a learning experience! Wish me luck.

[MarKee]

When undoing copper straps on a heather it’s important to always use 2 wrenches, one to hold that stud from moving that is epoxied in to the heater, and one to loosen the nut.

[cranbiz]

Update: I was able to use a vice grip that I have on the garage workbench to get the nut & bolt off the copper jumper. Got the new heater installed and was able to power on the hot tub with the new GFCI replacement plug without it tripping. I will be filling it with water tomorrow morning and hoping for the best! What a learning experience! Wish me luck.

Congrats. You did exactly what I would have suggested. Glad to hear it was the GFCI, I had a feeling it was. That part should have been under warranty though but I certainly understand time being of the essence and the replacement GFCI was certainly cheaper than freeze repairs.