heater/circuit board problem

[Wolf_Racer]

Hi all.

I have a 2005 marquis Epic hot tub. It has been an awesome hot tub. But it is a 18 year hot tub. Trouble free until about 3 years ago. Pump 1 replaced, display replaced, and had a leak around the waterfall area *(spent a lot of time fixing this, finally got it), which I fixed all of them. Replaced OZ many times (just recently too). So overall not too bad a shape for its age.

Recently started to trip the breaker. I figured out it was the heater was bad. The heater blew the circuit board as well (one of the copper posts (not both) burned the circuit board).

So I replaced the circuit board and the heater. I reused the copper connectors from heater to circuit board, one that blew the board did not look bad, I cleaned it up. I think this was my big mistake! After installed, all ran fine for a while. But then exact same thing happened. The heater blew the circuit board on the copper connector that I cleaned up. ug! Expensive mistake as the copper connectors are cheap!

I am trying to consider if i should just stop putting any money in this tub. I really don't want to buy a new Tub and we do use it in Colorado.

If I decide to try again, and put NEW copper connectors, circuit board and heater, anything else I should check that could be wrong vs what I think was the problem (the previously burnt copper connector that probably was bad and created resistance after it got hot and burned the new circuit board)??

(FYI, the spa will run when the copper connectors are not connected, even after the circuit board blew. The old and new circuit board this happens).

Thanks!

 

[ajw22]

@RDspaguy enjoys bringing old spas back to life. Lets see what he advises when he wanders by.

 

[RDspaguy]

@RDspaguy enjoys bringing old spas back to life. Lets see what he advises when he wanders by.

I'm not sure "enjoys" is the term I'd use.

heater blew the circuit board on the copper connector that I cleaned up.

I've never bought one of those by itself in my life, nor had a board damaged as a result of re-using one. More likely is a loose terminal connection or twisted terminal, which are both very common on diy repairs.

I decide to try again,

You might just buy a new spa pack. Marquis that age, yours is likely an old balboa and should retrofit a vs pack with no plumbing.

 

[Wolf_Racer]

Thanks for you reply. I am confident it was not a loose terminal connection or twisted terminal. Seems very hard to believe the reused copper heater to circuit board connector did not cause it as blew the other side vs the first.

But I will look at spa pack, never heard of that. Not exactly sure what an old balboa is…

 

[RDspaguy]

exactly sure what an old balboa is…

Sorry. Balboa is a control system manufacturer, and their current VS systems are great replacement packs for the older systems that are hard to get parts for.

am confident it was not a loose terminal connection or twisted terminal.

I've only been doing this for 26 years, so I could be wrong, but I have never bought one of those copper strips by itself. I have heard this statement a few times, however.