[talbotmj]

I installed a Jacuzzi Fusion Spa Tub - has a heated air blower 120 Volts and a motor and inline heater 240 Volts. I installed a 20 amp 120 V GFCI circuit breaker that runs to a GFCI receptacle for the blower and also a 240 Volt 20 amp GFCI circuit breaker that runs to a single 240 volt receptacle (non GFCI - couldn't find any 240 GFCI receptacles). I've also run a #8 ground wire to the unit that attaches to the heater. The tub was working fine except a couple times the heater went down and had to be reset - reset button. HOWEVER last night the entire thing just stopped. It has power - the control is running a diagnostic - lights blink, etc. I have reset the breakers multiple times but the tub just won't start. It should do its cleanout routine when the sensors get wet - air blows out for a few minutes - but I can't get it to do anything. How can I tell if my GFCI breaker is faulty? Do they go bad - I think I heard GE GFCI breakers have issues. I need to check this out first before contacting Jacuzzi to come out and fix the tub.
Thank you for any information - and if you know of any issues involving Jacuzzi spa tubs that would be helpful too. Thanks

[Stratmando]

Can you unplug the pump, the blower, other accessories to determine which, if any are leaking to ground?

[talbotmj]

I'm not sure what you mean by 'leaking to ground'? But yes I can uplug both the blower and the moter - both are piggy back type plugs - the moter + heater (240 v 20 amps) and the blower and control panel (120 V 20 amps). I've unplugged both but can't determine - how do I determine - 'leaking to ground' the GFCI breakers are not tripping - but I suspect one or both has stopped working properly.

[stanfortyman]

Well if you have power and the control panel works then the breaker is working. There is no in-between. It either works or it doesn't.

Where did you run the #8 BOND to?

[Stratmando]

If Motor is disconnected and GFI doesn't trip, Motor may have a problem.
If you unplug the blower and it doesn't trip, then blower may be leaking(Have resistance to) ground.

[talbotmj]

Right - the breakers don't trip and didn't trip when I was running the tub and it just stopped. When I unplug either the motor or the blower - that doesn't cause the breakers to trip - why would that cause breakers to trip by unplugging the motor or blower? The control panel is trying to work - but it is in a weird state - blinks all over the place like a diagnostic. I've checked voltage and I have 240 from the 2 pole breaker and 120 from the other as I expected.

How does something 'leak to ground' what does that mean.

The ground wire that I ran was for the heater - it has grounding screw on the casing.

It could just be the tub is a lemon and has nothing to do with the wiring or breakers being bad.

[Stratmando]

GFI's trip if the hot or neitral draw a different amount of current. If their was some corrosion/resistance from hot to ground(leak), then the Hot would be carrying more current than the neutral, Ground would be carrying remaining current creating an unbalanced load on the neutral.