I have a 2001 220v Prodigy with the IQ2020 brain. I recently replaced the heater circuit board and the water heated to 100 as required. Everything was great for a few days but now the tub will not reach temperature. The LED temperatue readout is set to 100, but the ready light does not come on. If I turn the temperature display down a few degrees, the ready lights comes on. The next day, the light has gone out again and I have to go down another couple of degrees to bring the light back on.

I believe the heater is working - the air bubbles coming from the circulation pump are very warm. It is 45 degrees outside, so I would expect to drop more than a couple of degrees a day if heater was not working. Last winter we had temperatures of 20 below and the spa stayed at temperature. Also, I believe circulation is not restricted.

Any suggestions?
Nigel in Iowa

The bubbles only indicate that the circulation pump is working. If the tub has the original heater, then there is a reset button that may be tripped. Check the top of the heater for a small red reset button.

Perhaps the spa is newer than 2001? I have the No Fault heater. I cannot see a reset switch on it. Temperature is down in the 80's now, so assuming the heater is not working. The IQ2020 main circuit board has the heater light illuminated and the heater circuit is not burnt out this time " title="Smile" /> What other parts could affect temperature? I do not know what else is in the spa thast I can check.

The heater was probably replaced then.

Does it have two straight tubes or does it look like a trombone?

If it looks like a trombone then it has a reset button on the side of the black base.

Otherwise, you need to check voltage at the relay or check continuity of the heater to see if either is bad.

I am not very techy, so please bare with me. " title="Smile" /> It has the 2 straight tubes. I cannot find a reset switch. When I replaced the heater circuit board last week, everything worked fine, the water heated to 100 etc etc. I just stuck a circuit tester probe thing into the H1 and H2 terminal box on the heater circuit board and have no current. Does this mean the boards blown again? If so, what could be causing it? $110 a pop is a little much. If my local Hot Spring dealer didn't want $189 for a call out fee, this could all be fixed " title="Smile" /> Thanks for all you do on this website Dan.

Is the power light flashing on the control panel

or

in the main control box is the 'heater on' light lit up in red?

The style heater you have is very reliable so I doubt it's that. Did you replace the heater relay with the new style or was it the same exact one?

The power light on the exterior display is a constant on. The red Heater LED on the main circuit board is on. My heater circuit board was the original style - I replaced it with the newer style.

Make sure the board was converted properly from 110 to 220 (jumper between 4+5). Something has to be wrong, I haven't had any of the newer boards go bad.

Jumper is in place between 4 and 5. I also checked 4 with a circuit tester and it has power. No power on H1 and H2 off the terminal block. When I lower the temperature button to 84 the ready status light comes on - 84 degrees is also verified on a seperate thermometer I just bought. I have to say these spas are very well insulated! " title="Smile" />

Terminal 4 has power to what? What do you have for voltage between terminals 1+3? And what is the voltage to the terminals between 2 and (4 or 5)? Also, just to make sure that the tub is 220, you have a sub panel with a 30 amp and a 20 amp breaker? Some people mistake the horizontal terminal on a 110volt 20 amp plug as a 220 volt setup.

I will research tomorrow to see what I need (and how) to check the voltage. I am not an electrical whizz - just learning here " title="Smile" /> I have a multi meter and will learn how to use it " title="Smile" /> I was using a basic 110 - 240 volt circuit tester. The kind that lights up when a powered circuit is completed. When I said terminal 4 had power, I meant it was live in the same way terminal 5 had power - proving to me that the jumper was correctly positioned. H1 and H2 are the black and white wires from the terminal block to the heater - They have no power. Yes I am sure it is 220v. I have two breakers, the 20 Amp I replaced last week as it had blown and could not be reset (no, the hardware store had never seen that before either). It also used to heat and jet at same time - so 100% sure of the 220V.

well, the fact that the 20 amp breaker was blowing and has been replaced has me thinking still that something isn't right with the setup. I haven't had any problems with the new boards after replacement. Can you take pics of the breaker wiring and the control board wiring?

Let me clarify the breaker blowing problem. I got this spa from a friend 3 years ago. It was tested by Hot Springs and then installed. It has performed perfectly for 3 years. Last month, I noticed the water was getting cold and found the heater circuit baord obviously burnt out on a relay. I got the new style board and installed it - nothing worked. I then saw that the 20Amp breaker had also broke. I replaced that and everything worked fine. For nearly 2 weeks the spa was at temperature and then the heater stopped heating again - that brings me here.

Attached are photos for you to see the wiring as requested.

I used the multi meter and got the following readings:
H1 & H2 = 0
1 & 3 = 242
2 & 5 = 121
The red & black wires from the main board to the heater circuit baord = 121

Well, everything looks good in the pics and those are the proper voltages.

Unfortunately it seems like the board is indeed bad. I've replaced hundreds of these new styles and haven't had a problem, but I guess it can happen.

Where did you get it? It should have a 1 year warranty.

Thanks Dan. I will call the supplier tomorrow. I think it was Pools Plus. I was just googling for help and found them - now, for the future, I have found you! " title="Smile" />

Make sure you use the short screw to replace the long screw for the left side of the control box cover - the long screw will hit the jumper on the new board.

I noticed that when I first fitted the new board and it arc'ed out. " title="Smile" /> It blew the breaker. It still worked for 2 weeks after that. The warning to eplace with the shorter screws needed to be in supersized red letters - after all, who ever reads the installation instructions? " title="Smile" />

So true - have you removed the board to see if it's burnt?