I just installed this spa and after getting everything hooked up I turn on the 20 amp gfci in the subpanel on and no problems, the jets come on and work fine. As soon as I flip the 30 amp on it trips instantly. I tried a new 30 amp and same problem. If I unplug the 2 leads off of the control panel to the heater the breaker will stay on. I have called the service center and the rep there says he thinks the heater should be fine and that it is in the wiring somewhere.

I do have one concern. I read a post on here about seperating the neutral and ground wires in the main panel. Well if that is the case then where do I hook the neutral wire in the main panel? Any help is appreciated as I am about to lose my mind over this thing

Disconnect the power to the spa, then disconnect and isolate (tape) both wires from the heater ELEMENT, then reconnect power to the spa and then try the 30A breaker again. If it holds, the problem IS your heater, and it will need to be replaced.

Well, if it's wired properly, the heater is indeed bad.....
But if it's not wired properly....

Make sure that the neutral coming from the spa goes to the
neutral terminal on the 20 amp breaker, not to the neutral bar in the subpanel.... The permantley connected pigtail on the 20 amp breaker goes to the neutral bar in the subpanel.

Leave the neutral terminal on the 30 amp breaker blank, DO NOT connect a neutral wire to it. You will, however, connect the permantly attached pigtail on the 30 amp breaker to the neutral bar.

~Enjoy!

Is the 30A breaker actually a GFI? It was never specified. Many older hot tubs only used the one GFI for the blower and main control box, and used a standard 30A double pole breaker for the heater, and used 2 current collectors both fore and aft of the heater assembly for protection.

On a Hot Springs, both breakers are GFCI, always have been


But yes, other brands didn't always use GFCI, and relied on the current collectors of the heater

yes the 30 amp breaker is a gfci. I have also found that if I leave the 20 amp gfci off I can turn the 30 amp without it tripping.

which two leads are going to the heater element? There are two which are plugged into the circuit board and then there is a cable which is plugged into above where the service is connected. Both go to the heater.

In regards to the subpanel breakers they are wired just as you all have suggested. I followed the wiring diagram that came with the spa exactly. I am pretty sure my 50 amp in the main panel is correct also. I was wondering if it mattered which terminal of the breaker itself (50 amp) the black and red was on. And the neutral(white) and ground are both screwed into the bus bar.

Thanks for all your help

Do you have the serial number of the spa? Also, you just to be sure that the terminal block jumpers (not the tiny little program jumpers) have been moved to the proper positions (or removed) as well.

To disconnect the heater, turn the power off, then simply follow the heater load wires (the BIG ones) into the IQ2000 (or IQ2020) control box. They will attach to a circuit board within the control box on the far left. Disonnect the black and white wires (that connect to the heater) from the circuit board. Turn the power back on, and see if that breaker trips.