I just recently purchased a used Hot Spring hot tub. It is an older model I believe early 90s Has only 6 jets and the control panel has two dials (one for heat and one for light) and a push on / off jets button and runs on a 110v.

Well here is the story when I turn the heater pass 1 it trips the GFI. When I bypass the controller and plug it straight in to a GFI outlet the heater heats up. When I put it in a pot of water and had it plugged in I felt a small current going through the water. It was real easy to take out the element it is one of those 4X4 plates with a coil. I did notice the there is a lot of black power on the coils. Is my element bad? Should I try anything else before purchasing a new one? Please help I am a newbie at this.

It needs replacement. It sounds as though the current leakage may be less than ~5milli-amps (the point at which a GFCI will trip), but combined with other the components natural current leakage, will put it over the threshold at which point the GFCI will trip. (Normal leakage is less than 0.5ma)
Replace the element, and your problems should be solved.

Wow! I just Joined this sight Because of the same problem with the same kind of Hot tub.. The only difference in the Panel is I also have a button that says jets timer.
I wanted to read before asking just in case the question has already been asked..Anyway the reason I posted on this one was (and I Don't know much about hot tubs) But If Your Hot tub is doing what you said then wouldn't it be something to do with the heat pump and not the heating element? Just asking?? I would think maybe the heat pump was locked up causing it to get hot.. Like I said I have the same problem but I was thinking The element was doing fine. The pump that feeds the tube that the heating element is in gets hot (The pump gets hot) and I figuered it was because it was locked up.....I dont know
Hope you get yours going! I am going to read some more and if I cant find anything else on it I will post a question..

Good luck with yours!

On an early 90's Hot springs, the circ pump runs 24 hours a day. If there's a ground-fault in the circ-pump, it wouldn't wait for the heater to energize to reveal itself.

His current leakage started when the heater is energized, tripping the GFCI. You might have this confused with a heater high limit. Had his high-limit switch been tripping, I would agree...the first thing to check is circ. pump flow.

But he stated only his GFCI would trip, and then only when the heater was energized.

Ok first off let me say thanks for the help you are giving and second let me say sorry to the original poster for robbing his post.
Ok .... "His current leakage started when the heater is energized, tripping the GFCI. You might have this confused with a heater high limit. Had his high-limit switch been tripping"....hmmmm on to mine.... My heat pump runs all the time, If I turn the heater dial on up to 1 or more it trips the gfci.. If I have the jets running and then turn the heater dial on it doesnt trip anything....
I just filled it last night and the pump is working fine now but the gfci still trips if I do what I just said so Do you think I need a new element?If the heating element is working,How long before I can tell the change in temp?
Thanks again for all the help

tripdaddy, either your circ pump or your heater element is faulty. Neither will run when you have the t-stat at the lowest setting (unless freezing temps are abound) and neither will run when the main pump is on, and that is why the GFI doesn't trip in either situation.

Also, next time feel free to start a new post to ensure personal attention and help eliminate any confusion with the original post.