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Please remember that water and electricity are a deadly combination and do not mix.

Use any of the information contained herein AT YOUR OWN RISK. We will not be held liable for any injuries that may result from the troubleshooting or installation of any electrical components in your hot tub spa unit.

Safety is key when servicing any spa or spa control panel. Remember, safety comes first for you. Please take all necessary precautions before attempting any repairs. Wiring checks are the first step to ensure safety and proper function before beginning service on a unit.

The first thing is to do is to identify the sympton from the list below:

How do I test if my heater/ heater element is working correctly- click here
Heater Failure - Due to Water Flow? / Total Lack of Heat, spa heater does not work?
Water Gets Too Hot, excessive heat?
What do the sensors cables on my heater do?
How do I test the M7 Sensors?
Heater Union Leak?

Heater Failure - Due to Water Flow

With this type of fault it is relatively simple to remedy, check the following:

Are the gate/ ball / slice valves open?
Is the water level correct?
Is the filter cartridge dirty? (remove if in doubt and then restart system)
Are the jets wide open?
Is the impeller clogged?
Is the system primed?
Are all the union fittings tight?
Total lack of heat - Hot tub runs, but does not heat .

If your pump is running and the touch pad says that it is heating but the heat has not gone up in hours? It takes about 8 to 13 hours for some electric heaters to heat a portable spa from tap water cold to hot, so make sure you have allowed time; start off with and your air controls are turned off and your hard cover on! Typically you will see a 2-3 degree increase and hour, if it is still not heating after that, or is dropping in temperature with the heat light or indicater still on, then firstly:

• Check spa has not been set to economy or sleep (dependant of spa)
• Economy will only heat whilst the spa is on its filtration cycle. (dependant of spa)
• Sleep will only heat whilst the spa is on its filtration cycle and will only heat to 11 deg below the set temperature.(dependant of spa)

If that does not work then:

1) Check incoming power for proper potential. Do not continue until power checks correctly.

2) If pump runs, but there is no water flow, and hence no heat, you may have an air-lock in the pump wet end. Correct this problem by closing the gate valve on the suction (intake) side of the pump (If you have one) and then loosen the front pump union just enough to allow the trapped air to escape from inside. Retighten the union, open valve, and restart the system. NOTE: On newer spa packs, a no-flow condition will normally cause the flow switch to cut power to the heater, and/or the hi-limit switch to trip, disconnecting power to all components.

3) Turn temperature up. If low speed pump engages, check for power at heater element terminals. If power is good but unit still does not show increased temperature within two hours, replace heater element.

4) If power is not correct at heater element, jump out flow/pressure switch connections and recheck power at heater. If power is now correct, flow/pressure switch has failed or is incorrectly adjusted. Click here to see how

5) If the pump does not engage with the temperature turned up, check capacitors.. Check the valves for restriction or closure, filter element for clogging or reduced flow.

6) The ozone and the blower are typically directly related to heat and if the non return valve has failed on the ozone or your blower is tripping this can stop the heater from doing its job - disconnect the blower and ozone from the system (switch the spa off first) and then restart, if the spa now heats then connect the ozone then the blower in turn and whichever stops the spa from heating is the cause of the problem.

Some other common faults remedies for this problem are:

Are the the 0-rings in place?
Is the Hi Limit switch tripped? (If so, why?)
Are the heater wires burnt?
Is there proper voltage to the pack?
Are all wires in place?
Is there power to the heater? (Indicator light would be on.)
Is the pack in the proper mode for heater operation?
Does the heater work on high speed?

Water Gets Too Hot / excessive heat.

Firstly it is important to realise that during hot weather it is quite common for the spa water to overheat. If this is the case remove
the cover and turn the temperature down until the water temperature has dropped sufficiently.

Other than that water that is too hot can be caused by several things:

1. Thermostat sensing bulb not applied: Make sure the sensing bulb is applied to the manifold under the heat tape (older models) or inside a thermowell if provided. If in a thermowell, make sure the bulb is centered in the well.
2. Heater relay contacts may be stuck closed: Replace relay (if available) and determine cause (could be chattering thermostat, low voltage, bad pressure switch, or pump cavitation).
3. Hi speed pump may have been run for too long: If water exceeds 122 degrees, check circuit and hi limit operation.
5. Hi limit may be defective (most common) : If water exceeds 122 degrees and includes the hi speed shut down circuit, the hi limit probably needs to be replaced. If it does not include the new circuit, see if the hi limit is tripped. If the limit is not tripped, it is out of calibration and must be replaced. NEVER RECALIBRATE A HI LIMIT SWITCH.

What do the sensors cables on my heater do?

The two M-7 Sensors (typically on balboa systems) located within the heater housing compare the inlet water temperature with the outlet water temperature (regardless of water flow direction) to determine the presence of water, low flow, temperature limits, and operating temperatures.

The system will automatically select the sensor that is exposed to the lowest temperature as the spa water temp controlling sensor.

The sensors in combination with specific software allow the spa to be controlled without the use of external pressure switches, flow switches, or temperature sensors.

How do I test the M7 Sensors?

Testing the Sensor Set - only on Balboa systems

1.Check sensor wires for cracks or damage that may indicate the presence of a rodent.

2. Inspect the connections of both sensors on the circuit board. The plugs must be clean.

3. If the sensors are not totally failing but are showing excessive (2° F / 1.0 °C or more) difference between the two sensors when not heating (a possible cause ofSn/SnS/SENSOR SYNC, HL/HFL/HTR FLOW LOW, and LF/LOW FLOW messages), do the following:

• Note which sensor is reading consistently higher(A vs B or t vs H).

4. Unplug the two sensors from the circuit board and interchange them (ie, plug the one that was in the A or t jack into the B or H jack and vice versa).

5. Press a panel button if any "stray" faults appeared during the process. (Stray fault are normal when sensors are unplugged then plugged back in while the system is running.)

6. Within a minute or so*, see if the same or other sensor is now reading consistently higher:

• If the same sensor (A vs B or t vs H) isreading higher after the sensor interchange,the problem is on the circuit board. Replace the circuit board.
• If the opposite sensor is now reading higher, the problem is with the sensor(s). Replacethe sensor set.

* If you wait more than 2 minutes after plugging the sensors back in, heating may start (even outside a filter in Economy or Sleep mode) due to a stray Cd/CLd/COLDWATER condition usually detected when sensors are being plugged in while the system is running.

7. If there is a message indicating an open or faulty sensor:

• Unplug the sensor set (but leave the original sensors in the heater) and plug in the test sensor set (you can buy these online and it is a good part to have in stock). Put both sensors into the same cup of warm water (ideally above the set temperature, so the spa won't try to heat during this test, as there is no heater protection during this test) and verify that they read the same temperature(within 1°F/0.5°C).
• If the problem is solved, replace the sensor set. If the problem is not solved, do not replace the sensor set.
• Plug in the original sensor set to verify that there is not a connection problem.
• If the problem continues after following the above steps, then replace the circuit board.

8. If you cannot get readings of the sensors on the topside panel

• You can use an ohmmeter to evaluate the validity of each sensor independently (after unplugging the sensors from the circuit board).
• You will need sharp tips on the meter probes to be able to make contact with the little bit of metal of each of the two sensor wires visible through a window on the connector.
• The following chart shows what typical temperatures certain resistance values translate to:

1.5k                 231F                     110.5C                       14.7k                      108F                   42.5C
3.0k                 190F                     88.0C                          15.4k                      106F                  41.OC
5.0k                 162F                     72.0C                          16.2k                      104F                  40.OC
7.0k                 144F                     62.5C                          17.2k                      101F                  38.5C
9.0k                 131F                     55.OC                          18.1k                      99F                    37.OC
10.0k               126F                     52.5C                          20.2k                       94F                   34.5C
11.1k               121F                     49.5C                          25.5k                       84F                   29.OC
11.7k               119F                     48.5C                          30.0k                       77F                   25.OC
12.1k               117F                     47.5C                          40.0k                       65F                   18.5C
12.7k               115F                     46.OC                          55.0k                      53F                   11.5C
13.2k               113F                     45.OC                          95.0k                      32F                    O.OC
13.6k               112F                     44.5C                          184.0k                     9F                    -13.OC
14.1k               110F                     43.5C                          320.0k                     -9F                   -23.OC 

Heater Union Leak

1. Spa must be full and at a temperature of 30°c or higher to assess the extent of the leakage.

2. Isolate the heater/control box area by closing the gate valve coming from the filter housing and entering the face of pump 1 (the filter pump). You will need to clamp the 3/4" water tube which feeds the ozone at one side of the heater (if applicable). You will then need to close the gate valve on the opposite side of the heater.

3. Unscrew the heater union (clockwise) and split the nut in two by unscrewing 2 x Phillips head screws. There will be some excess water in the pipework that will run away.

4.Check if the union sleeve sits flush with the heater and the gasket in place. If not, go to section 8.

5.Check the gasket is not perished or split, if it is then replace it with new. If not, put the original back in.

6.Inspect the heater union collar thread is undamaged, if it is it will need to be replaced. Re-assemble the collar, line up the union sleeve and tighten the union until hand tight. Apply an extra 1/4 turn with a large set of grips being careful not to chew up the collar.

7. Release the gate valves and the clamped ozone pipe 9if applicable). Allow the water to pass through and prime accordingly. Check for leakages and test.

8. Try physically moving pipe work to sit flush. If you cannot achieve this you will need to re-plumb the section of pipe work to correct this.