I'm finishing up the install of a used tub and have everything wired up with 220. However, I wanted to make sure nothing was going to blow up before adding several hundred gallons of water into the mix. The GFCI (integrated with breaker) tripped immediately. Do I need to fill the tub with water before turning the power on? This is a Spa Builders LX-20.
Thanks,
Bryan

No you don't have to have water in it provided the pumps are disconnected (unplugged) from the spa control. All it will do is error out and tell you you don't have water pressure.

That said, it sounds like your gfci is not connected correctly which will lead to the immediate tripping issue - that's an instant diagnosis based on an assumption that your installation is new, new control, new tub, etc.

Since your tub is used, there are a myriad of things that could cause gfci tripping though, disconnect everything from the control and see if it still trips.

Thanks again Pageup. The only thing that will prevent the GFCI from tripping is if I disconnect the transformer cable (red, white, and black) from Jumper 1. I have disconnected everything else ( timer, heater, blower, ozone, pump, sensors, controller) but only that transformer cable has any affect.

Thanks for the heads up on Allied Innovations, they've been prompt in responding. They sent over a troubleshooting document and I'm still hoping to receive a manual or circuit diagram from them.

Thanks again,
Bryan

Since you've gone that far, disconnect BOTH heater element terminals and try again.

There's nothing you'll receive from them that'll help you with this problem.

Thanks for the idea but that's already been done. I did both black and red cables for both the wires going to the heater and the wires coming from the relays (or what I'm assuming are relays). I'm wondering if this board is 110/220 convertible. The previous owner _said_ he was using 220 but maybe that's not the case.

What, may I ask... is the neutral coming into the control box connected to?

Ok never mind... If it's got a neutral terminal, (which it should after digging up the diagram), then it should be connected to it....

ummm....
That unit is spec'd for 115 volt components, so it should be convertible... but still, the problem is that it's showing a fault with the transformer connected...

If the breaker trips with J4 disconnected, and J1 connected, then the transformer's faulty.

>If the breaker trips with J4 disconnected, and J1 connected, then the transformer's faulty.

That's exactly what's happening at the moment. Really, at this point J1 is practically the only thing plugged in.

If you have the manual/diagram could you post it or send it to me some way?

Spending some time just looking at the board I see some jumpers (16-1 that have different voltages written on the board. I'm interested to know if these are part of the voltage conversion.

Thanks,
Bryan

All I have is the standard diagram. No pin outs for the jumpers are identified. Just board with plugs. What you have in front of you is more detailed than what I can offer. The only way I could tell you how to set the jumpers is with a really good macro close-up of the board. Even then, a transformer with the primary set up for 115 volts connected to a 230 volt supply should not normally cause a ground fault. A bit of humming, soon enough followed by smoke and melt down though.. The transformer is here: http://spapartsnet.com/Electrical-Parts... 7_0_1.html The transformer could be checked continuity wise with an ohm meter... and same way (for a ground fault condition) using any of the black, red or white terminals to ground with the range on a very high > 20K ohm setting....

Am I seeing this correctly, there are two ground wires on the transformer? I'll see if I can get my hands on it locally, I am hoping to have this thing running for my New Years party. If not I'll be sure to order it here.

Am I seeing this correctly, there are two ground wires on the transformer? Should they both be run to the ground terminal?

I'll see if I can get my hands on it locally, I am hoping to have this thing running for my New Years party. If not I'll be sure to order it here.

P.S. I've been having troubles posting to the forum. Disabling BBCode seems to fix the issue.

I double checked the GFCI setup:
I have a Siemens Dual Pole 50 amp breaker with an integrated GFCI. The red, white, and black lines go straight to the GFCI unit and the ground goes to the neutral bar. The white pigtail goes from the GFCI/Breaker into the neutral bar as well.

I also did a continuity check on the transformer. I had no continuity between the ground wire and any other wire at any sensitivity level.

OK, so I missed a setting on my Ohmmeter. When set at 2000K I show continuity (>1) from the ground wire to the other primary lines. Is this indicative of a transformer gone bad?

I'm hoping to find a replacement at a local electronic store; I got this thing for new years after all.

Thanks Pageup for your help,
Bryan

I'd go lower on the ohms scale... like ~200 and ~2k...

to double check the short to ground.

When you're at a real high scale with the ohm meter, be sure your fingers aren't touching the metal tips of the probes (or you'll be reading your own body resistance).

One thing about getting a local transformer - those aren't going to be rated for spa use - as they don't have a conductive ground plane that isolate the input and output coils. I'm not saying that it's dangerous to use one that's not, however there is a reason why they 'say' they must have this kind of isolation.... it's a safety issue in a case exactly like this. Btw, that's what the transformer ground wires are for - the isolation ground plane (nothing more than a piece of copper plate) between the coils.

weird... triple post

weird...

Thanks again Pageup for your help. I'm admitting defeat for the New Years weekend. Sad but true.

The GFCI trip ended up being my own stupidity. I had the neutral and ground wires backwards. I swapped them around and the tub took off and ran beautifully for 20 minutes or so. And then... died.

I checked power to the transformer and had nothing. Checked the fuse on the board and it was blown. I never found a 1.25 Amp slow blow (1 or 1.5 sure) so I just subbed a 1 amp(err on safe side). Put it in, flip the breaker, and it didn't blow giving me power to the transformer. However, no power out of the transformer. So in the end the transformer is shot anyways. Maybe it was all those time we had neutral and ground reversed?

So ok, I'm going to order a new transformer from SpaPartsnet.com.

However, still one question that I'm confused about. At no point did I have power to the red wire of the transformer. The wiring diagram I received from Allied Innovations shows nothing on the jumper that would supply power to the red wire. On the transformer is says that the red is 230v. Is that normal? I mean, why have the wire then?

Thanks,
Bryan