Sorry if this is a similar post to the many other "tripped breaker" posts here, but I think my situation is a little different.

My outdoor Hawkeye tub (this one: http://www.hawkeyespas.com/classic_jupiter.html ) was installed about 3 years ago. It was working perfectly since.

Until a few days ago. I noticed the breaker was tripped. The water had dropped to 87-degrees, so it wasn't off too long. I reset the breaker, and it warmed back up to 98, and I used it for about 30 minutes that evening.

A day or so later, the breaker was tripped again. The water had dropped to 92, so it was off even shorter than before. I reset the breaker, and it warmed up to 98 fine.

So, it seems my tripping problem isn't directly caused by use or heating, as it appears to warm-up just fine. It's just at some point (or at some other condition), it trips the breaker in the house.

It's a GFCI, and there's a dedicated line run to the box. In fact, I had to put a whole new box in the house when the tub was installed. I had the older fuse-type box prior.

I'm no electrician, so I'm not really sure what to check. I can take off the cover of the tub and do a visual inspection of the motor and wiring, but aside from that, I'll have to call in a service technician. I'd just like to give that person some relevant information when he's here.

The tub is outside, but under a deck, so it never gets direct weather of any type. All wiring is also covered.

Again, sorry for yet another breaker question. I've read thru quite a few other posts on this topic here, but none seemed like my situation, so I decided to ask.

This could be many things............ My best guess would be a bad heater element. Maybe leaking at the cold pins. When the spa trips and sits awhile the water evaporates then you turn it back on only to find it off again later.

bad circ pump leaking?
leaking pump seals?
burnt wires?
water in ozone unit?

Your looking for burnt wires or any water leaking around or into electrical components.

Lots of possibilities

I removed the hot tub from the electrical system, and the breaker still tripped, so I must assume the GFCI breaker in the box went bad.

Do these things go bad? I'm getting it replaced today, so we'll see what happens.

With the hot tub essentially "off the grid" and the breaker still tripped, the tub must be functioning fine.

yes, GFI breakers can go bad. It's a good idea to replace with a high quality one if you have the option. Aside from that, you may have an underground or in conduit break in the insulation of a wire, or even perhaps a loose connection between the breaker and the load (tub). Loose connections cause resistance, and a GFI can sometimes detect this unnatural draw.

Thanks for the info.

The electrician said there was a ground wire that was loose. He tightened it, and the breaker hasn't tripped since (that was 3 days ago).

So, I think the problem is solved.

If it does happen again, I'll probably get the GFCI in the breaker box replaced.