It can be frustrating to find your hot tub going on and off without you knowing the apparent reason why. The only sure thing from this situation is that your hot tub is defective and needs urgent inspection, so your hot tub stays well functioning for many years to come.
But don’t worry because, in this article, we will explore the many reasons why your hot tub keeps shutting off so you can fix them and will not worry about them in the future. Make sure to read until the end.
6 Reasons Your Hot Tub Keeps Shutting Off
Hot tub tripping or being off may be caused by several reasons. A mechanical fault may cause an electrical issue with the pump or even something so simple as the water level falling too low.
But more often than not, the problem could be traced back to the hot tub’s system and a faulty GCFI breaker. A GFCI, or ground fault circuit interrupter, is a device that is designed to safeguard your hot tub from erratic changes in your power supply. When electricity travels down a path other than the circuit’s designers intended, grounding faults and short circuits happen.
Here are some of the 6 common reasons and things you can do to fix them.
1. Moisture Inside The GCFI
There can be too much moisture inside the box if you open it and shine a light inside. Heavy rain, flooding, or water splashing from the tub could have created enough moisture to switch the GFCI to flip in the hot tub.
Fortunately, there is a fix for this.
- When the moisture has dried out, you may reset the breaker after trying to dry up the interior of the breaker box with a towel, a dehumidifier, or a fan placed close to the outlet.
- Additionally, if your breaker experiences this moisture issue regularly, the outside box needs to be fully replaced or placed further off your spa.
2. Corrosion
Corrosion is another issue that you could run across within your breaker box. Unfortunately, rust may accumulate almost anywhere. To avoid the issue getting out of hand, it’s always a good time to look for corrosion when performing maintenance and repair on your tub.
Corrosion inside the hot tub causes the components to malfunction, which could change the chemistry of the water or possibly result in more harm once the components fail.
The hot tub’s GFCI or even the hot tub’s parts could experience corrosion. This is why it’s crucial to check the breaker box and the spa cabinet interior to see any obvious indications that corrosion has occurred.
When corrosion occurs, it may appear as a white powder or as rust developing around the interfaces of the components.
Here are some things to keep in mind about hot tub corrosion:
- Make sure there is no corrosion present by checking the wire connectors, main control panel, underground cables, and any other locations where component wiring may be seen
- If you discover corrosion, how to fix it will depend on where it is and how much corrosion there is. After cleaning the corroded ones, you can reconnect the connectors with a wire brush or electrical contact cleaner.
3. Worn and Loose Wiring
The issue could also be brought on by worn or damaged wiring. Ensure all the tight connectors and check for any char marks or breakage.
A wire short circuit is one issue that could arise with the wiring. A power surge will trigger the breaker to trip if two wires are contacting when they shouldn’t be. This might also occur if a wire receiving power meets a ground wire.
Sometimes, if you’ve recently moved the hot tub, performed maintenance work in the tub cabinet, or if a rodent has gotten inside the cabinet, wires can accidentally touch each other in this way.
Once you’ve identified the issue, you can identify the faulty wires by disabling each component one at a time. After that, you can do the following steps.
- Check to see if the breaker tripped after each one.
- When it trips, you’ll know exactly which component is to blame for the issue. It is possible to reconnect and reset the breaker if cables are contacting each other because that would mean it is loose.
- You should pay more attention to any other issues, such as chewed cables, if you find evidence of a pest, such as a mouse nest. In such circumstances, replacing the connectors and cables could be required.
- There is always a chance of fire when working with electricity. Old wires may overheat and become damaged by hot components. Use a torch to search for any wires that have melted coating or black areas while checking the breaker box.
4. Faulty Hot Tub Equipment
Each hot tub features a few electrical parts, such as a heater. There will be a heater and a panel on the most basic inflatable hot tubs. The more sophisticated and feature-rich your hot tub is, the more exciting amenities it may have, such as internal lights, a sound system, or towel warmers. These all have electrical components that might act oddly. This can result from the breaker tripping up.
Here is what you need to do to check which hot tub equipment is faulty.
- Disconnect as many components from the GFCI as possible to help you isolate the faulty component.
- After doing so, connect each one separately and then turn the breakers after each one. You can find out who’s to blame after it trips.
Since this requires complicated troubleshooting, you should hire an electrician to identify the root of the issue and fix it.
5. Heater
The hot tub heating element is one part that is most likely to be part of the issue. The heating coil will be housed in a metal tube serving as the hot tub heater assembly. This housing will heat the hot tub’s water as it passes through it.
The water temperature doesn’t heat up when the coil isn’t warm. The hot tub breaker will trip if something has caused this component to malfunction.
Several different problems like a bad heating element could bring on the heating element’s malfunction. A poor heating element is one of these problems. You may check if this is the issue by unplugging the hot tub heater from the breaker and turning the switch. Unfortunately, you’ll need to change the heating element if the GFCI doesn’t trip whenever the heater isn’t plugged in.
A dry fire is another potential problem with the heating element in your hot tub. A dry fire may happen if the element rapidly overheats without sufficient water running through it. The heater’s housing can appear charred or melted, and the element itself may show signs of damage.
Try to take these steps to find out why this happens and to figure out what you do to fix it.
- If you observe this, the hot tub’s heating element must be changed. If the housing has been harmed, replacement may also be necessary.
- Additionally, you’ll need to address the root of the dry fire.
- This could be caused by jams that have reduced flow or poor water chemistry that has led to the buildup of deposits.
- The thermostat, upper limit switch, or another failsafe component may have malfunctioned, or there may be an issue with the circulation.
- You’ll likely need a professional’s assistance to determine what’s wrong and fix it.
6. Low Hot Tub Water Flow
Weak or low water flow is a major nuisance, aside from your hot tub being cold. You might as well be standing in your bathtub if the water isn’t moving, right? Fortunately, there aren’t many reasons. Therefore, you should be able to spot the issue quite fast. These could all be the reasons why.
- Ineffective Pump. This may be the issue in your hot tub. Check the pump’s power supply with a multimeter if it isn’t. If it is, but the pumps still won’t operate, it likely requires repair or replacement. You might be dealing with a greater electrical issue if it isn’t.
- Damaged Or Unclean Filter. The water may not flow properly if the filter is unclean or worn out. Make sure the filter is intact. If it appears fine, give it a thorough cleaning. Consider replacing it if it is showing wear and tear symptoms.
- Water Level Is Low. If the water level is too low, it cannot flow. Make sure the water level is where it should be by checking it. If not, add water and conduct a test to determine whether the flow resumes normally. An error code will usually appear on the control panel for this issue.
- Locked Air. You can have a hot tub airlock after changing the water or opening your hot tub for the season. This indicates that air has entered the plumbing system and impeded proper water flow. A lock can be resolved by bleeding the system clean of air. At the bottom of the pump, locate some tiny bleed screws. Unscrew them all to allow the air out.
- Blockage or Damaged Jets. You may occasionally observe that some jets have good flow while others barely move. In this situation, look for worn-out jet seals before checking all nozzles for debris obstructing water flow. Check for broken control valves and again check the water level to ensure it isn’t too low if the issue affects all jets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions to guide you on why a hot tub keeps shutting off.
Why Does Hot Tub Keep Cutting Out?
The issue may be brought on by a GFCI breaker that is worn out, humidity or corrosion in the breaker box, faulty or lose wiring, or other components. A malfunctioning heat source or a damaged blower may even be to blame.
How Do I Reset My Hot Tub?
Most hot tubs are equipped with a reset button in case of excessive heating or a power surge. The button is normally found on the control box’s side, hidden behind the hot tub’s front side’s detachable panel. Simply click the tiny red button to reset it, much like the reset buttons on garbage disposals.
Conclusion
Your hot tub and its components will ultimately suffer from aging and wear and tear. Occasionally, and without any fault of your own, parts will need to be replaced. But if you take good care of your spa, you can prevent a few of the many typical issues, including your hot tub always shutting off.
