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Hot tub not working after neighborhood power outage

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bud16415:
The clicking is the relay/motor starter trying to turn the pump on. I don’t know for sure how your tub works but most I think have the lights and the controller powered off one side of the 240v or 120v. the pumps and heater would be wired to the full 240v source and controlled with some sort of relays.

You could have lost half / one leg of your 240v, and if the GFCI is not testing that would be likely IMO what got hit with the surge that took the neighborhood out.

If you had a tester and felt comfortable checking it I would test the incoming power to it and you should see around 120v from each leg to ground/common so red to white and black to white. Red and black will be the hot legs. Then checking between red and black you should see 240v or there about. After you check the input side you do the same thing to the output side of the GFCI. If you get the same readings then the GFCI is ok. Then you would open the tub and verify the other end of those same wires have power in the same way.

If you rule all that out you know the problem is in the tub. at that point it could have fried something in the controller etc.

Again I’m a mod in a home improvement forum and we are always careful offering live testing unless you are sure you are familiar with the way your meter works and feel comfortable doing it. Most people have a friend, family, neighbor that has some training they can ask to help them test voltages etc.

Dollburger:
Thank you!

I took your advice and didn't do the testing myself - I haven't really done much with electrical work since high school so I had an electrical engineer friend come help.

Even though the "test" button isn't working, he did confirm that I have 240v coming into the control box. He unplugged one of the motors to test that part as well, and confirmed that I am not getting 240v going to the pump, so I'm assuming there's an issue somewhere on the board? The fuses on the board that we could see were in working order.

I'm guessing at this point I'm out of ideas to try myself, but if you do have any other tips or things to try I'd appreciate it!

bud16415:
Sounds like when you got that power surge when the transformer blew it caused some damage to the electronics in one of the controllers. That’s where most homeowners ability to figure out a problem ends. I’m sure your electrical engineer friend also confirmed that.

If he said you have 240V going to the pump though the pump should be running so possibly the motor is shot. The systems are all interconnected back thru the controller, so say the heater needs to know the pump is running in order to turn on. Talk that over with him and see what he thinks.

Otherwise it is a call to the serviceman. If you are like me you will watch the guy fix it and then say that was easy I could have done that myself.   

Dollburger:
Thanks!

He did confirm 240 coming to the board, but not to the pumps. I have an appointment for the 6th so I guess I’ll wait and see what happens. Hope it isn’t the pumps they were replaced when we bought the house.

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