Installing GFCI Circuit for Spa


  #1  
Old 11-29-01, 02:55 PM
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Installing GFCI Circuit for Spa

I have a tiger river spa (Siberian, Model L) that I recently purchased used. I have wired it according to the diagram, however one gfci breaker keeps tripping. Basically the set-up is as follows:

Main house panel has a 50 amp breaker that feeds a sub panel. There are four wires (Ground, Neutral, L1, L2). The outdoor sub panel, located near the spa, has a 20 amp gfci breaker, and a 30 amp gfci breaker (as per wiring diagram included with spa). The neutrals and grounds are on seperate bus bars within the box. From the breakers the connections are:

20 amp - L1 to spa, L2 to spa, Neutral to spa, and GFCI Neutral to bus bar

30 amp - L1 to spa, L2 to spa, GFCI Neutral to bus bar (Neutral connection to load is left empty - as per directions)

There is also a ground from the subpanel to the spa.

The spa's connections are as follows for seven terminals within the control box (from external sources):

1 - Ground from heater to Control Box
2 - L1 (30 amp circuit) from subpanel
3 - L1 (20 amp circuit) from subpanel
4 - L2 (30 amp circuit) from subpanel
5 - L2 (20 amp circuit) from subpanel
6 - Neutral (20 amp circuit) from subpanel (GFCI Breaker)
7 - Ground from subpanel

The control panel is internally wired as follows:

1 - Ground to heater (Green)
2 - L1 to control panel circuit board (Black)
3 - L1 to heater thru relay (Black)
4 - L2 to control panel circuit board (Red)
5 - L2 to heater thru relay (White)
6 - Neutral to circuit board (White)
7 - Ground to circuit panel (And Terminal 1 - Heater)

When both circuits are turned on - They stay on momentarily. When the control panel powers up, the breaker powering the heater trips. I have not been able to determine why?

 
  #2  
Old 11-29-01, 03:13 PM
Wgoodrich
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Sounds like you have a faulty inline water heater in your hot tub.

Try turning off all power. Then disconnect the two wires connecting to the inline heater directly on the heater so that no wires are connected to those two terminals. Take a continuity tester and test from one screw to the metal casing of the inline heater. Then test again only from the second screw to the metal casing of your inline heater. I suspect you will find leakage from those heater terminals to the water and the metal case of the inline heater. If you inline heater is totally plastic, make your test between the heater connection to the metal of the pump motor or other known metal casing in contact with the water of the hot tub.

I am thinking that GFI is doing its job protecting you from a shock hazard due to a voltage leakage from a faulty inline heater.

Let us know what you find

Wg
 
  #3  
Old 11-29-01, 03:19 PM
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Thought so...

I has suspected that may be the problem. If I unhook the wires at the relay going to the heater, the breaker stays on. Also there is a light on the control panel that shows the heater is on. I will have to do the test that you described. I assume that I may be able to do the same test from the wires coming out of the heater - where they connect to the control panel (relay). It is much easier to check there - if it works, cuz I don't have to open the heater up. The heater should still be under warranty - we will have to see...... Thanks
 
  #4  
Old 11-30-01, 05:45 AM
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heater problems

I agreee that you have a faulty heater. I manufactured electrical heaters for many years and saw this problem quite a bit. The condition is caused by current leakage inside of the heater. The internal insulation of the heater, usually magnesium oxide powder, has probably absorbed moisture causing the GFCI breaker to trip. This usually cannot be checked with a continuity tester. The leakage is usually measured in meg-ohms. A good digital multi-meter may be able to detect this, but industry testing requires a meg-ohm- meter (megger) and a high-potential (hi-pot) test to pass UL requirements.

The heater isn't shorted, and would probably still heat, but the small leakage trips the CFGI.

What it comes down to is, you will probably have to replace the heater. I can't fix your problem, but maybe this will explain the situation.
 
  #5  
Old 12-15-01, 09:37 AM
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Confirmed Heater

About $250.00 later it was confirmed to be the heater....
 
  #6  
Old 12-15-01, 03:11 PM
Wgoodrich
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Sorry to hear about your extra 250 cost factor but glad to hear you came out ok.

Wg
 
 

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