I have a 98 Sundance Rio which I accidently overfilled while topping it off. Now the GFCI trips immediately after resetting it. In an attempt to narrow down where the short was coming from I began disconnecting one component at a time and attempting to fire up the spa. I have found that if I disconnect the circulation pump the spa will power up and not trip the GFCI, therefore I've come to the conclusion I messed up this pump, but I'm not certain...this component had some moisture on it when I took the panel off but it looks to be sealed up pretty good. Can anyone confirm my conclusion or advise on what the true problem is?

Thanks in advance for your time and help.

I would let the circ pump dry out real good and try it again.

Pete

Would disconnecting the circulation pump help the drying process?

Have the power off to the spa. I would probably take the cap off the back electronics and let that area dry. My experience with circ pumps tells me it may very well dry out and be fine.

Pete

Will do...thanks Pete. Hopefully my next post is good news. Thanks again for your insight and time.

A small bit of hope...I just removed the electronics cap on the circulation pump and I'd estimate about 1-2 tablespoons of water came out...going to leave the cap off for a day or so and see if drying that section out is the cure. Today is really windy and suppose to get up to 80+ degrees...maybe it will be ready to go tomorrow...my fingers are crossed.

Issue looks to be resolved...thank you Pete. I decided to try and speed up the drying process using a paper towel to wick away the bulk of the remaining water around the connecting wires at the bottom of the circulation pump electronic section and then complete the drying using a hair dryer. So far so good, the GFCI hasn't tripped and the hot tub seems to be operating normally, its heating the water back up right now.

I guess I should of waited a little longer before celebrating...the circulation pump is no longer tripping the GFCI, however the display continues to show "FLO" (which according to the user manual means there is a flow problem) and the heater will only come on when the jets are running. Any ideas of what I should be looking at? All insight and help appreciated.

Make sure you DO have flow from the circ pump - try pulling the filter out and resetting the power.

Pete

I'm in the office today so I'll have to check on this when I get home later this afternoon. From what I remember yesterday the circ. pump was running, but I could be wrong. What's the best way to check for flow from the circ. pump? Looking at what I believe is the flow switch, it looks like its might have a little build up on one side. I'll take a better look tonight and post an update of what I find. Thanks for the help.

BTW - I did remove the filter yesterday and clean it just to make sure that wasn't causing the problem. I didn't try to start it up with the filter out though.

Definitely try with the filter OUT - just make sure there is no junk in the spa that could go into the pump.
There should be an outlet hole somewhere in the spa that you could feel flow from.
Most circ pumps run by magnetic field and will feel like they are running but they can get an airlock in them and not push water.

Pete

It appears there is an issue with the circ. pump not allowing it to push the water. How can I check or clear a air lock? Even with the filter out, the only time the heater comes on and I can feel something coming out of the heated water outlet is when the jets are on.

I'm at the hot tub now and have my laptop close by, if a chat session is possible let me know. Thanks.

There are a couple ways to clear airlock: Put your hose in the filter stem or hole, turn it on full blast and reset power to the spa. You can locate the little pump and try to shake it slightly. You can also remove the hose from the outlet of the pump for a few seconds to let the air out. It's possible you will need a new pump. Pete http://www.makesmeshutter.com

We ended up taking the pump out and taking the cover off the mechanical section of the pump...it was fried. Got a new pump from a local spa place which had them in stock and its running like a champ now. Thanks for all your time and insight Pete.

Happy soaking this LONG weekend.