Hot Spring Indoor/Outdoor Heater Problems - I #@#%^&*! Give Up!

[Comotoes]

Oh, yeah - it's a mid-'80's 115V with S/N MIA that I've owned for 10 years without much trouble.

Okay, so the thing stops heating out of the blue and I do the usual troubleshooting. I think I found the pump not flowing well so took it apart to find a little crud (and, now, ice) but all was otherwise well.  Reassembled and tested only to find cold water flowing out the port to the tub. Was making the amature mistake of testing for power to the pump and heater by placing my Wiggy across the leads to the ground spade and popping the GFI but eventually got it straight - 115 to both. 

Got the heater apart, cleaned out some crud but otherwise it looks good and resists at about 8 ohms.  Plug it in and it gets hot to the touch.  Aaagggh!  Now what?  What am I missing?  Possible bad overtemp kick-out?  Naaaaah ... don't hear a relay and the reset was never tripped. 

Just thinking in print at this poing so I'll shut up. SOS!!!

[Jacuzzi Jim]

 This really makes no sense at all to me 

[RobertB]

Your 115v heater does not make cold water "HOT" or even warm. It makes cold water a little less cold. So if you fill your tub with cold water, it will take many cycles past the heater before the water feels warm. So for a while at least the water coming out of the port will still feel pretty cold.

It sounds like your heating element is working(based on your readings). 115v heaters take a long time to heat the water. It appears you may not have given it enough time to heat the water.

Good Luck
RobertB

[Comotoes]

Well, when it was heating, you could put your hand over the port (underwater) and feel hotter water coming from the heater when it is on.  That's the wife's favorite spot to warm up in cold weather.

Here's a question - I'm told that the heater element should have more than 8 ohms resistance but now I measured that of a new one to be just 10 ohms and have my doubts that is significant.  Comments?

Still going to pull the panel and take a look-see at relay contacts, etc.

[Comotoes]

Heater relay completely toasted - see photo.

[wmccall]

Heater relay completely toasted - see photo.

Welcome to the forum by the way.  My degree in electronics is 30 years old, but if your going to replace the relay, I would go ahead and replace the element anyway   I've never measured one of those, but 10 ohms to 8 ohms is a 20% change and more current through that relay.  I would also think however a heating element ages, I doubt it gets more efficient.