# Hot Tub tripping gfi



## berkey

Today I came across a hot tub tripping a 50 amp 240 gfci breaker. Runs fine on a regular breaker and the gfci holds when wires disconnected at the tub. My first thought was a bad component in the tub. Does anyone have have experience with hot tubs? I was wondering if there is a specific part that fails more often than others.


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## 480sparky

This may sound silly, but is the neutral from the tub going to the GFI breaker or the neutral bar?


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## berkey

breaker


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## Speedy Petey

berkey said:


> Today I came across a hot tub tripping a 50 amp 240 gfci breaker. Runs fine on a regular breaker and the gfci holds when wires disconnected at the tub.


At this point I tell the customer to call spa technician. 
I don't fix spas. I just wire them.


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## 480sparky

And the white pigtail is on the neutral bar?

If so, the first thing I'd try is changing the breaker. If it still trips, then I check the conductors between the breaker & the lugs of the unit. If they all check fine, then the problem is in the spa.

I'd leave it at that and have the spa company called out. Once my wires hit the lugs, that's as far as I go. I don't repair spas.


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## Joefixit2

berkey said:


> I was wondering if there is a specific part that fails more often than others.


Yes, it's almost always a hole in the the heater element casing.


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## worn kleins

When does the breaker trip? It it is tripping as soon as power is turned on, then it is probably not the heating element since the board has a delay before energizing the heater. Lift the wires off the element just to be sure. Some condensation/water could be getting on the board or motor windings and that could cause the trip. Good luck, gfci trouble shooting can be a pain. One other thing, some tubs are three wire configurations without using a nuetral at the control box.


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## calimurray

Did you test the GFCI breaker by taking the load off the breaker and then turning on the breaker to see if it holds?If it trips its a bad breaker!

If it holds then I 'd say you have a neutral problem.

Is there a disconnect out by the tub if so check the breaker size out there sometimes the breaker outside should be gfci protected and the breaker inside shall not be gfci. There's been times where we needed a 50 amp gfci breaker outside and a 60 amp breaker inside. 

You should check all grounds, neutrals, and hots make sure they are all tight free of corrosion , neutrals are not crossed, wire is right size, if everything checks out I'd say call an hot tub tech.


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## Mr 440

Your cable i'ts dry or wet?

Try to run with standar breaker to dry your cable may be 1 day or 2 ...
In after retry with your GFI 50 amp.


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## andyselec

First step unplug everything from the control board.
If gfci holds plug everything back in one at a time starting with the pumps. Do this until an item pops the gfci and that is the problem. You can go to Hottubs.com and order the replacement part. Now your a spa mechanic


andy


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## chenley

Could also be the control board itself, so if it trips with everything disconnected there you go.


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## te12co2w

I second the heater element problem. I've found 2 hot tubs that did this. I don't work on hot tubs either, but I found both of these problems by substituting a regular breaker and watching for little arcs while the tub was on.


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## Toronto Sparky

Test the feed to the tub to ground (megger) Something is probably leaking to ground somewhere.


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## olushka

*check to make sure GFCI is properly connected.*

check to make sure GFCI is properly connected. 
if the neutral is not properly wired, the braker will trip when any 110 component is engaged. 
hope this helps.


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## brian john

NO different than troubleshooting any circuitry, divide and conquer, utilizing a megger. BUT Isolate the controls to prevent frying them at 500 or 1000 VDC.


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## Speedy Petey

olushka, you are replying to an almost five YEAR old post like it was made yesterday. 
I think it is safe to say this troubleshoot is taken care of.


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