Hot Tub and GFCI

hmph!

i don't think the rust has anything to do with it, unless the leads to the elements you mentioned are touching the corroded spot., may be in the actual wiring scheme from the gfi breaker (i wouldn't feel safe without gfi protection), have it checked by a qualified electrician a.s.a.p. before & just in case anyhing else goes wrong GF....=AEoy

Corrosion usually is not the problem. Leakage is what the ground fault measures.

You connected this unit up with ????? 2 hots, a neutral and a ground wire (#10).

Will the spa run with out the heater on the gfci? Where is the gfci? in the panel?

Please forward your name and address to me so I can take out some life insurance.

Enjoy away, not that I would want anything to happen to you or yours. Do you realize that if an accident was to happen and some one got hurt, you would probably get a free ride to jail?

The GFCI says you have an electrical problem. You have a potentially danagerous electrical problem. Not a rust problem. Not something that chalking will solve. You have a wiring problem that may eventually kill. The GFCI is saying this very loudly. There is no other answer.

Also scary: you are look> I obtained a used hot tub with all the plumbing, pump, heater, and

I have wired several hot tubs which included a high current gfci inside the control panel and *yes* it will trip a gfci mistakenly installed on the line side. I should note that I have NO IDEA if this is your situation....Just pointing something out.

John

If he was lucky enuff to survive

Regards

Daveb

No answer, maybe he didn't...

Clarification:

This is a 220V 3-wire + ground wire system. I have 4 #10 wires routed from the panel to the Control unit (Black, Red (220V), White (neutral return), Green (safety ground).

The GFCI breaker is a 220V breaker (2-slot), with a pigtail for the neutral. I connected it according to the directions.

I am not trying to avoid "getting around" the rules altogether. I will eventually have this fixed one-way-or-another so that the GFCI does not trip when the tub is operating. I am just trying to find the source of the problem, which I believe to be corrosion in contact with the heater wires.

What other paths of leakage could there be?

Another thing to mention: With the unit disconnected, I tried to measure (with a Fluke multimeter) paths for leakage. No matter where I looked in the 220V circuitry, I always measured greater than 2 MegOhms to the control case, the water, the motor case, cement patio, or nearby earth ground. The GFCI is listed to "trip" at less (equivalent current) than that -- much less than that (I'll have to go re-read the manual to get the exact number).

You could try disconnecting the heater completely and see if the GFCI trips. Same with heater, pump, ....

(Resistances to ground are more accurately measured with a "megger" which uses a higher voltage.)

Bud--

tlbs wrote:

\ I bet it is a bad element. These things are like a water heater element and they can get some internal leakage. The element itsef is grounded so the amount that actually leaks to the water is minimal but it is dumb to take chances over a $15 part.

I thought I might have to use a megger to get an accurate resistance reading -- unfortunately I don't have one, or access to one.

There are two contactor relays in the control box. One for the heater, and one for the motor. I'll try and isolate the 2 and see what happens.

The heater is the most likely suspect. Temporarily disconnect it ENTIRELY and then see if the GFCI trips. There might be some crud when the power is connected and this might provide the leakage path.

You might try "drying" the connections with WD-40. It might make just enough difference to keep it from tripping out.

WD-40 can be a termporary "cure" for "weird" GFCI problems.

If the heater isn't the problem, you will have to keep disconnecting stuff until the GFCI doesn't trip. Keep VERY good records of what you do so you can get things back together again.

I think now you know why you got it cheap. It may well be that some unique park is the cause of the failure.

A variation of this problems occurs when folks have a string of outside outlets on one GFCI. Finding the problem can be a real PITA.

As others have posted it's quite possible that low voltage DC "leakage" measurements will not pinpoint the problem.

Hey' Another thing you might want to check out is:To make sure the GFI circuit is stand alone for the Spa., If it shares the neutral with another circuit in it's path it will trip also, but do something about that rust and if you can place a grommet over the wireway entrance, or use an insulating bushing or bladder type cable connector.

• Wires should not enter any machine or device box with out some type of protection.Even a strain relief from another discard appliance would help cover them from any further or future friction or damage..

Roy Q.T. Urban Technician [I don't make em, I just fix em]