Heat problem Hot springs Prodigy

[im45us]

I have a 1992 H.S. Prodigy spa that has been great till last Feb.Had a leak that I repaired with the help of this board and then I cut 2 wires by mistake and replaced HI-limit thermostat and Thermostat control both going to the thermowell. In august My heater went so I replaced the heater element .

3 days ago went out to the tub and the heater was off but every thing else seems fine.Circ pump seems to have good flow and even tried it without filter. Heater has reading of about 8 ohms so I assume thats ok.

Checked power coming to heater and no power so what do I check next. When I turn the thermostat I hear a click like it is calling for heat but nothing. Hi-limit breaker seems fine and does not appear to have tripped.

Any help greatly appreciated as I miss our tub.
Thanks Ivan

P.S. The main person that helped me repair my tub last time was Chas. I sure wish you worked in Mass instead of that other coast .

[spahappy]

He's beyond the other coast right now but will most likly be checking in from time to time.

There's several other Hotsprings dealers on the board so I'm sure you'll get help soon.

What is the temp there, are you in danger of freeze up?

[im45us]

Will get to almost 45 deg today but that won't last so if no answer will have to empty Monday or Tuesday.I sure do miss my tub.

[Chas]

Well, first thing to do is get the temp of the water up so you can buy some time. Simply turn on the jets, shut of all the air going to those jets, and then close the lid. Come back in several  hours and the tub should have gained several degrees. If you need to, you can use this technique to keep from having to drain the tub.

Next - find out why there is no power to the heater. Double check the heater hi-limit switch and the tub hi-limit switches.  Keep in mind that if the heater is still above about 90 degrees the heater hi-limit will not reset. To cool the water in the heater, just be sure the circ pump doesn't run for an hour - with temps like you have outside it might take far less than that - and of course if the water in the tub is already cool then don't worry about this step.

If hi-limits are good, then open the control box, look first for loose connections or burnded wires. Then carefully check the thermostat to be sure it is still OK. Next check the heater relay. By this time you should have found the problem.

Mahalo

[HotTubMan]

I was thinking pressure/flow switch.....

[Chas]

None of those on a '92 Sov.

For most other tubs you would be heading the right direction though.

This tub has constant circulation, so instead of a flow switch or pressure switch, the factory puts in three hi-limit switches. One is in the plumbing before the heater and that's a 'tub hi-limit switch to shut things down if the body of water gets too hot. This is the one that trips when folks fill from the water heater....

Then there is the control thermostat - which is technically a 'self-reseting hi-limit switch,' though we all know it as the 'control thermostat.' It's temp probe is also in the water stream ahead of the heater. Then there is a temp probe and 'heater hi-limit' right in the core of the heater. This is the one which trips when the circ pump stops, the inlets or filter gets dirty or plugged, or if the power to the spa gets chopped right in the middle of a long heating cycle.

[im45us]

Chas said" find out why there is no power to the heater. Double check the heater hi-limit switch and the tub hi-limit switches "

The breakers seem fine and nothing seems tripped and the water temp is down in the 60's for the water. Is there more to checking them than that. Something I need to pull my meter out for.

I will have to wait for Monday to check out the control box.

Again thanks for the quick reply. Got to love the internet.  
Ivan

[Chas]

Is the circ pump running?

Do the jets come on?

Is the door to the motor compartment closed?

[im45us]

Yes to all three. Filters are clean but I even tried without filters.

[Chas]

Heater relay or bad wire in the box.

Possibly: bad recepticle if the box is the one with plugs for the pumps and heater.

[im45us]

  Well it seems that part of my problem was a bad fluke meter. I used it to test something else and gave erratic reading so got another one from work and found the heater element was bad.

When I pulled out the old one one corner was all rusty looking . Any ideas what would cause that.

Again thanks for all the help. Hopeing for Spatopia tomorrow morning.

Thanks Ivan

[Chas]

That spa uses all stainless steel for the 'tank' and the element. As such, it will not rust. Now, having said that, it will do what you described: iron can 'drop out' of the water and will congregate in one or two spots. After a few years, it can get pretty thick. Then the deposit can cause a pit to form in the stainless, and you have a grounded heater.

Solution: clean it all out. Don't use iron to clean with, such as scouring pads or wire brushes. Once it's all gone, rinse thoroughly and check for holes.

If none, reassemble with new heater element, retainer and o-ring. If you use silicone to hold the o-ring in place during assembly, be sure not to get any silicone on the element at all.

Then add something like "Metal Gon" or similar everytime you change the water. If you have a water supply with lots of iron in it, then you might want to invest in a pre-filter. Ask the local tub dealers if they sell manyh of them. That's the best you can do.