This Section Covers Spas Electrical Symptoms
Breaker keeps on shutting Off
All GFCI breakers are designed to provide instantaneous protection against
stray voltage. If the GFCI breaker detects stray voltage -- regardless of where it
comes from -- it will trip. Because of this fact, all GFCI breakers are designed to
err on the side of caution. This can lead to nuisance or intermittent tripping. It is
critical that all wiring instructions in the owner’s manual be followed with no
exceptions.
The GFCI breaker uses the load neutral as its source of electrical protection
information. It only takes .0005 of an amp neutral load disruption to trip this type
of breaker. For example, one molecule of water will trip a GFCI breaker.
Common Causes and Recommended Actions
GFCI was installed incorrectly
Separate the spa ground wire and the spa neutral wire at the GFCI breaker so
the grounding system doesn’t crossover to the neutral system giving the GFCI
breaker false load information. Follow the information on the GFCI
troubleshooting flowchart.
The length of run to spa was excessive
Make sure on runs over 80’ (or over 20 meters for international spas) that the
wire size is increased to handle the loss of current.
The wire size is not the same
It is common for electricians, in other applications, to use different size power
wires and different size neutral or ground wires. In a spa application, all 4 wires
need to be the same size so there is no difference between voltage travel and
current loss.
The spa is drawing power from a common breaker
It is important to make sure that the spa is the only item on the supply breaker. If
other items are attached to the same breaker, they can draw power away from
the spa and cause damage to the spa’s equipment or trip the GFCI breaker.
The GFCI breaker trips during thunderstorms
If lightning or static electricity is present, the GFCI breaker may sense a
potential problem and trip. If this happens, simply reset the breaker after the
storm has passed. In storm prone areas, it is a good idea to have a whole house
surge suppressor added to the incoming lines to protect against this kind of
problem.
The GFCI breaker trips after the spa has been used
This is usually caused by water getting onto equipment or equipment
connections that the GFCI is connected to. Remember it only takes one drop of
water in the right place for the GFCI to think there is a problem and shut down.
After the GFCI breaker trips, it won’t immediately reset. If the breaker
sits for a day, it will reset
This is normally a water situation. If the GFCI breaker tripped due to water on
the equipment or equipment plugs, when the water dries off, the breaker can be
reset.
Technical Information on
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Cal Spas®,