OK, this may not be the right place, but here goes. I have a what I believe to be a 1994 model Blue Ridge Meadow. (Pre-Jacuzzi I am told earlier by PageUp)
The model number is:60066 Serial number: 31223

Don't think any of that matters because what happened is because of pure stupidity on my part.

I drained the tub, cleaned it, etc, had the breaker off. Then I began to refill it. When the water level got up to the intake on top I decided to turn the breaker back on to get a "head start" on heating it. Fine, no problem until.... I got side tracked, totally forgot about the garden hose, and now water is running over the sides for several hours at least.

The breaker on the pole tripped. I drained excess water out of tub, opened access panel, and nothing looked "burnt" or anything like drenched. I have let it sit for 4 days now with breaker off, thinking it should dry out, but it keeps tripping the breaker at the pole. I have taken the GFI breaker out, and tested for continuity, and it has it. If I turn the breaker on without the GFI hooked up, breaker doesn't trip, but I guess that is because there is no current flowing at that point?

Any suggestions? I can't imagine what could be shorted out, since I thought the breaker would trip before any damage would occurr. I don't want to bypass the GFI for testing purposes, since it seems to be working. If it has continuity, it is working right?

What could be causing the a short, if it is a short, or the breaker to trip?

Thanks for any help.

Something is still wet.

Try disconnecting components one at a time to see which one. Probably the air blower or ozonator.

Swine, Thanks for the speedy reply. By disconnecting components one by one, do you mean disconnect from where they plug in to the different modules? From inside the panel, right, with the GFI still connected? If I unplug the relays that are actuated by the air buttons on the top panel (for jets, heat) is that what you are talking about? Sorry, kind of a novice as to what is what. I do know enough not to get electrocuted though! Me hopes I had turned the timer off, hoping that I could get the breaker to stay on so when I pushed the heat or jets on, I could get an idea what was shorting. But the breaker trips immediately. Thanks!

The spa components usually consist of pumps, heaters, air blowers, ozonators...

If you follow the power cord from the component, it will usually plug into the control box somewhere.

Turn off the power (not a problem for you, since the breaker keeps tripping!) then unplug one component, and flip the breaker back on, and see if it stays on. If not, try the next component.

OK, it's the heater function that's tripping the breaker. I turned the thermostat down all the way, turned the breaker on, and the jets worked. As soon as I turned the thermostat up, the breaker tripped. I am not sure now what to do. What is it that is possibly still wet and shorting? I hope the heater itself is not wrecked. Shouldn't be, right? (I hope, I hope)

Thanks again for the help.

I uploaded some pictures if it helps. I put them at:
http://www.ifabs.com/spa.html

There are some descriptions there with the pictures. Let me know if you need more info.

Thanks!

The heater is the silver cylinder, it's not part of the pump. There's two little cut-outs in the control box where you can see the heater poles come into the control box.

Leave the everything plugged in, and disconnect the heater. It could just be coincidental the heater failed, it could also be the topside has water in it and is leaking electricity and tripping the gfci.

Swine,

I disconnected the wires that come from the posts and go to the bottom of that bus block. Powered on, turned up thermostat, and the contacts in the middle of that block stayed closed, and nothing tripped. I turned the breaker back off at the pole for now.

I didn't take any more apart, as I wanted to check with you before I started disassembling stuff.

I can't seem to see ( well, feel, as I can't see behind the control box) where there is an "opening" or such for water to have collected. If there is water in there, will it eventually dry out? Or do I have to take out the control box, then the heater and dry it out? If I do have to take the heater out, should I be able to close the valves/gates on each side and just remove it, without having to drain the tub?

Thanks so much for your help.

Sounds like the heater- it may or may not dry out, flip a coin

If the slice valves are working, that's exactly how you do it. However, if the tub has some years on it (more than eight), I wouldn't touch the slice valves, just drain it. Slice valves have a tendency to fail, and when they fail, that's usually quite a bit of plumbing.

OK, got it all apart. I'm guessing by the looks of the element, I need a new one. Even though I have continuity between the posts, and there was no short to ground, the rust/corrosion is probably a bad sign, right?

The cylinder looks OK, so I should be able to just order an element?

While taking the control box out, I inadvertantly ripped out the orange wire from the control panel that goes to the pressure switch. I can't see where it should go back to. The black wire looks like it goes into the top side of the plug that goes to the top controls. Where does the orange wire go? Thanks!