I have been asked this question by so many clients. Why my hot bath does not heat up? I talked to people through this process on the phone and sent them a list of information on how to test the satellite. Normally, I do not recommend that the end user tries to troubleshoot their own spa. Working with electricity can be dangerous, and working with electricity and water can be deadly. It is always advisable to contact a qualified service technician for troubleshooting. However, many people are more than able to troubleshoot their own heater, and this guide will help them.
Heater and Hot Water Troubleshooting Guide
Convenient troubleshooting guide for Spa & Hot Tub. Troubleshooting a heating pool can be a simple procedure if you have the right tools.
Note. This troubleshooting guide is intended for qualified spa technicians. The resort owner is not recommended to fix problems with the spa.
Tools you need:
A multimeter to check the voltage, and a clamp on the meter to verify that the gain is amplified on the element. You cannot accurately troubleshoot a satellite heater without these tools.
Multi-Meter: Used to check the voltage at the terminals of the heating element.
Amp Meter: Used to test the amplifier thrust on the heater element.
You will also need various hand tools. Screwdrivers, pliers, open socket wrenches, etc.
Note: Spa must be filled with water and in good working condition to perform these tests.
To check the heating element it is necessary: Check the voltage on the heating element
1. Turn off the power to the spa. (This means turning off the source voltage in the spa on the switch or disconnecting it).
2. Open the equipment area and locate the heater assembly.
3. Open the interior heater assembly to open the heater terminals.
4. Ensure that all other wires and connections are away from the heater terminals.
5. Open the filter housing and remove the filter. Replace the filter cover and secure it for operation.
6. Double check the area around the heater terminals to make sure that you have access to the terminals with multimeter probes, without the danger of touching other contacts.
7. Remember that when you reapply power to the spa, you will be working with 240 volts of electricity. Water and electricity do not mix.
8. Make sure that there is no water near the terminals where you will be working. In addition, make sure that you do not kneel or stand in the water, checking the voltage at the terminals of the heater.
9. Reapply power to the spa and turn on the thermostat to turn on the heater. Listen to the spa to see if the sound is working properly.
10. Turn multimeter and plug probes into the meter as instructed by the meter instructions. You will experience stress.
11. Carefully place one probe on one of the element terminals.
12. Carefully place the second probe on the other terminal of the heater.
13. Read your multimeter for the voltage across the cell.
14. Remove both sensors and record the voltage you read from your test.
15. Turn off the power to the spa. If you get a “0” volt at the heater terminal, your problem will most likely not be an element of the heater. If you get the correct voltage at the heater terminals, you should now check the amplifier's hood on your heater.
Check the booster on the heating element
1. Turn off power to the spa. (This means turning off the source voltage in the spa on the switch or disconnecting it).
2. Locate the wires that connect to the heater terminals.
3. Secure one wire that goes to your heating element with your amplifier.
4. Ensure that all wires are secure and safe to operate.
5. Reapply power to your spa and turn on the thermostat to turn on the heater.
6. Check the ammeter to check if your heater elements are being pulled.
7. Turn off the power to the spa.
8. Record the amplifier readings from your amplifier. If you got the amplifier readings from your heater. Your heating element is working. You need to look for problems elsewhere.
* I got the correct voltage at the heater terminals, but I didn’t get the amp when the spa worked, the heating element was bad.
What to do if the heating element is well versed during these tests, but does not heat the spa during normal operation. Remember step 5 of the stress test. You have removed the filter. Check the condition of the filter, run the spa within 24 hours without a filter to check if it is heating normally. If the spa usually heats up with a filter, replace the filter with a new one.
Now keep in mind that each hot tub / spa is different. If you have a digital system, pay attention to any displayed error codes. New digital systems in resorts today will do most of the troubleshooting for you if you know what it says to you, but let me leave it for another article.
