Original > Hot Tub Forum
GFI Tripping
bud16415:
Your neighbor should know how to isolate the heater and megger it.
Here are a few links to look at that will give you an idea of how the test works.
Also a few links from the mikeholt site where there is a lot of intermittent hot tub GFCI fault threads.
Hope you get it figured out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV6QlTwobLo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJlcKhc8tJo
http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=116446
http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=180181
http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=147080
Botswana:
Thanks. Looks like id have to drain the tub so i can pull the heater to do this per the video
bud16415:
I don’t think you will need to drain the tub just disconnect the power to the heater. The water is likely playing a part in a heater starting to short to ground. Of course stay out of the water when testing.
The way a GFCI works is by comparing current in to current out if there is an imbalance of a very tiny amount it will shut down. The imbalance happens when some part is taking a path to ground. Without GFCI the slight trickle would build and produce heat making insulation break down and then pass more current until you had a melt down or tripped the over current breaker. These things work so fast there is never an over current and they can remain marginal for a long time.
Because they are there for human projection not equipment protection they react so fast and at such a slight level a human wouldn’t even feel a shock. I would never get into a tub of water where 240v has a potential to enter the water without such a device.
I will also remind everyone to test your GFCI once a month just as it suggests inside the electrical enclosure door. It is a very good idea to do this but the only people I know that do it are people who work in the electrical field. That also goes for the 120V units in the garage, basement, bath and kitchen.
Botswana:
So he just came by and he meggered the heater and both pumps, both check out. I really don't understand anymore. He recommended replacing the start capacitor in pump 1..but that's a brand new pump (few months). I had already switched out capacitors in pump 2 to no avail...and those capacitors are a different size then pump 1 (ofcourse..). Was weird to see that pump 1 capacitor is only 110v when its a 220v pump...guessing because low speed doesnt use too much to kick on? I dont even know where to go from here.
bud16415:
Trouble shooting an intermittent problem is one of the toughest things. You have catch it in the act and even then it isn’t something even if you were standing right there you wouldn’t get a clue unless you had a meter hooked up. In the factory we used to hook up chart recorders to equipment trying to find a problem when it happened and that’s beyond the scope at home.
Each thing you eliminate is one you can cross off the list and you just about have everything eliminated now. I know how frustrating this can be.
I think on the Vanto the ozone was an option and don’t know if you have that or not. Just in reading about problems similar to yours in trying to help you I ran across a couple where the ozone generator caused a GFCI problem. I don’t think you have mentioned that before. Just throwing out ideas.
You don’t have a circulation pump so you must have your tub set to cycle on to clean. I’m assuming this is when the trip happens. We had talked before about mounting a run light on the tub so you could see from a distance when the GFCI had tripped. You could also power a clock set to the right time and when you see the GFCI tripped the clock would stop and then you could compare the time on the clock to actual time and see if the trip lined up with the beginning of a clean cycle etc. would at least give a clue.
Your neighbor the electrician didn’t have any other ideas? I assume he did the megger at 500v?
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