|
This is an example of a burned copper conductor strip
that carries 230V to the heater element in a Balboa Spa Control system. In this case, the nut
attaching the strip to the heater element was loose, which generated a tremendous amount of heat at
the loose connection. There was nothing wrong with the circuit board or the heater.
However, because of the intense, long-term heat generated by the loose connector, the heater
element failed 2 weeks later after the repair was made. You'll also notice that the laminated
copper foil on the circuit board was also damaged, but still serviceable.
|
|
This is a close-up view of the strip, after it was
removed and cleaned up a bit. Beware! Do NOT USE a
component like this that has experienced this much oxidation! It has built up internal
resistance, will continue to consume power on its own, and it will totally fail in short
order, possibly causing more damage to the connected components.
|
|
In this case, I created an 8-gauge jumper capable of
carrying the 23 amps that the heater requires. I also bypassed the top screw on the terminal
block, and connected the jumper directly to the pc board screw because of the heat damage to the pc
board foil strip and the terminal block.
|
The ones that will drive any tech
nuts!
|
|
This GFCI was connected to a Jacuzzi-brand spa that
was less than 3 months old. For some odd reason, the GFCI kept tripping after a few minutes
of operation. I could find absolutely nothing wrong with the spa; everything checked out
completely.
|
|
|
Well, if I had paid attention in the first place to the fact
that the circuit breaker wasn't 100 percent seated in its mount, (after resetting it about 6
times!), then it wouldn't have taken me so long to figure it out. Square-D circuit breakers
always need a little extra push to get them seated properly. It turns out this one was just
barely making a proper connection, and over the three-month period that it was in operation, it
burned up the terminal strip and the lug coming out from the GFCI. In the end, to have an
electrician repair this cost over $250.
|
Another classic example of what happens to a circuit
breaker when the wire connections aren't tight enough. The heat in this one transferred
through the entire breaker and eventually smoked it. Here again, nothing was wrong with the
spa AND it was only receiving half of the 230 Volt power it required. That is, part of the
circuitry in the spa control was working, but the heater, pump, etc. did nothing. Rule
of thumb: Always be sure that you're getting both L1 and L2 power at the spa control when the
breaker is turned on. Never assume that the spa is getting the power just because the breaker
is turned on!
Lastly, ALWAYS be wary of a circuit breaker that
feels warm or hot to the touch! In most cases, it's not the spa! It's the connections
at the breaker! Make 'em tight folks!
|
|
|
|
Another Classic Disconnect Melt-down!
|
|
