Do Hot Tubs Have Internal Fuses?
Some hot tubs bear an internal fuse system. The design of the fuses is that they should blow if there is a voltage spike in the hot tub. The blowing of such fuses protects the hot tub equipment, such as pumps and heaters, from damage.
Once a fuse is blown, it’s advisable to replace it with an exact duplicate. Nothing can be more severe than using the wrong fuse for replacement.
If your hot tub keeps blowing fuses, you might have loose incoming connections at the hot tub at the breaker. Bad connections in the holder will also cause repetitive fuse blowing.
When a hot tub is running correctly, it draws a certain amount of amperage. But if a motor is going bad, the voltage may exceed the confines of predefined limits.
Once a fuse is blown, there will be a broken metal line or a cloudy appearance from its glass top. You will need to power off the entire system after locating the fuse.
This is done by pulling out the main fuse block to cut off the power supply of the whole system.
This will be the time to make a replacement with the same amperage as fuse sizes are determined by amperage.
Where Is The Fuse In My Hot Tub?
Fuses in hot tubs might not be in the exact location as there are differences between different brands. However, there are simple ways to use the fused site in your hot tub.
Look for a control panel circuit diagram to locate the fuse to your hot tub. You will find this diagram in the control box.
Turn off the power to your hot tub at the circuit breaker and remove the side panel to safely remove the control box cover.
Usually, the circuit diagram is glued to the back of the Spa control box cover.
If you can’t find the fuse, you might need to call the manufacturer and ask them for the location of the fuse.
Essentially, taking a photo of the circuit diagram and sending it to the manufacturer will come in handy if you can’t locate the circuit diagram.
After locating the fuse, it needs to be pulled out of the fuse clips, although it might be stuck. A stuck fuse will have to be removed using a small screwdriver to pry it out gently.
Take care as you don’t want to drop it at the bottom of the control box. If your fuse is broken, a continuity test will read zero, meaning you have to replace it.
Why Isn’t There Any Power Going To My Hot Tub?
Usually, it’s an easy fix when you have no power to your hot tub. The real disappointment is the inability to use the hot tub at the moment.
A “dead hot tub” with no control, no indicator lights, or nothing at all – might be due to a tripped breaker, a tripped GFCI, a blown fuse, faulty wiring, tripped high limit switch, a bad transformer, or a bad panel.
To rule out a tripped breaker, check the main circuit breaker that provides power to the Spa. You will find this inside a small panel near the hot tub or the main home panel.
Reset the breaker by first pushing towards the off position and then to the on position.
On the other hand, if your GFCI tripped, you only need to push the reset button to have your hot tub working again. Still, a blown a fuse can cause your hot tub not to have power.
Hot tubs that have internal fuses might experience their fuse blowing off due to voltage spikes.
While this protects your equipment, it might be a source of frustration if you do not know what to do when caught up in the melee.
Luckily, the owner’s manual will come in handy in this, as you can refer to it.
Among other reasons behind your hot tub not having power is faulty wiring. Heat or rodents can damage incoming wires.
This is still the case if you have loose connections and wires touching each other.
How Do You Check Fuses?
Several ways to check fuses, like using a millimeter or observing it manually. Although a blown a fuse is a disappointment, it can help prevent electrical damage and fire.
Luckily, fuses cost very little, and replacing them might not have any felt significant strain on your finances. By simply looking at a fuse, you will be able to tell if it is blown.
For instance, there will be a broken filament wire or charred marks. But if observing them does not solve the problem, you can use a multimeter or a test light to establish if the fuse is working correctly.
While older homes have fuses that need replacement after being blown off, newer homes have circuit breakers that will only require flipping and resetting.
So the first thing to do if you have a fuse is to locate it and switch off the power before attempting to replace it.
This makes a circuit breaker a more reasonable option. After locating the fuse and turning off the power, the appliance must also be unplugged.
That prevents overloading when replacing the blown a fuse after turning on the main power.
Do Hot Tubs Have Circuit Breakers?
Yes, most hot tubs come with a circuit breaker. Indeed, hard-wired hot tubs require a breaker, usually found inside a disconnect box found at least 5 feet from the hot tub.
For plug-and-play hot tubs, they have a circuit breaker with a waterproof covering.
While having a circuit breaker in your hot tub seems practical, it’s also covered in law.
Indeed, a particular law makes it obligatory to have a circuit breaker for your hot tub to prevent hazards and minimize damage in the event of power spikes.
Additionally, you will find more guidelines, depending on whether your installation is outside or indoors.
Because hot tubs involve water, circuit breakers are useful in preventing electrocution if there is an electrical issue.
A circuit breaker will also address a ground fault occasioned by an overloaded circuit, damaged wiring, or when electrical wires are carrying electrical current touching a ground wire.
Once a circuit breaker detects a problem in the course, it interrupts the circuit and cuts off all electricity to your Spa.
How Do You Tell If A Thermal Fuse Is Blown Without A Multimeter?
It is not impossible if you do not have a multimeter and wish to test a thermal fuse. You can bypass the fuse to see if your equipment works.
A thermal fuse is a thin strip of white plastic from each end. Electrical tape should be used to tape the two ends together. This bypasses the thermal fuse.
The reason behind the thermal fuse failure is too much temperature.
After bypassing the fuse by detaching the wires from the fuse, have them wired together using a jumper wire, and then attempt to operate your equipment.
Fortunately, there is neither a need nor a reason to worry about polarity since thermal fuses do not have polarity.
Again, thermal fuses are not the same as a fuse or circuit breakers. Unlike circuit breakers or electrical fuses, thermal fuses will only react to excessive temperature.
They will not respond to excessive current (as long as the excessive current cannot cause the thermal fuse to heat up too much).
Although a traditional fuse resets itself, a thermal fuse will not reset and must be replaced. You will also experience this if you have a thermal switch failure. It will not reset itself like other fuse types.
On the other hand, a thermal fuse can be tested using an ohmmeter. Once you remove the thermal fuse, set the ohmmeter to the Rx1 scale (RX setting).
The reading should not exceed 20 ohms, indicating a faulty thermal fuse.
How Do You Check A Fuse Without Removing It?
You can check a fuse without removing it with voltage or continuity checks. To use voltage to test a fuse, you will enjoy the advantage of testing without de-energizing the circuit.
However, you will need to wear the correct PPE and follow your company policy when testing live circuits. Remember, you will be dealing with a live course.
Safety is of paramount importance and must be adhered to prevent accidents.
Your meter needs to be set to the correct voltage setting (DC or AC depending on the circuit).
Have one lead on the line side of the fuse you are testing and your other lead on the neutral or ground point.
See if there is line voltage even as you verify that the correct line voltage is present. Your meter leads should be placed on either side of the fuse.
You will know the fuse is suitable if your meter reads 0v. But if the meter reads line voltage as 120v, the links in the fuse have blown open. So it would help if you replaced the fuse.
If you want to use continuity to test a fuse, you will note that multimeters cannot read continuity when there is voltage in the circuit.
So you want to verify if there is any voltage in the circuit, especially if you have capacitors in the circuit, as they may discharge while reading continuity.
Start by de-energizing the circuit and then verify that no voltage is present. For a good fuse, you will have a low resistance value.
What Kind Of Breaker Do I Need For A Hot Tub?
The best breaker you need for your hot tub will be 50 amps. This is for those with a standard 40 amp, 220V, or 240V hot tub.
This breaker (50 amp) is pretty standard among homeowners. However, it’s far from a one-size-fits-all thing.
Some tubs will run fine with a 30 amp or even a 20 amp circuit breaker. Consequently, you will have to size the appropriate breaker for the hot tub you wish to set up.
One thing you are going to do is stick to your manufacturer’s instructions.
Although the average hot tub breaker size is 50 amps, listening to what the hot tub manufacturer says will go a long way in solving the problem.
Who else would know their product best but them? If they recommend using a 50 amp or a 60 amp circuit breaker, that is what you want to use.
How Do You Test A Hot Tub Circuit Board?
When a hot tub circuit board begins to malfunction, you can use several methods to test it. First, you need to switch off the power and remove the side cover to access the circuit board.
Using the manual, first physically examine the circuit board and establish if there are any visible damages.
If you can’t notice any damage, measure the resistance at the end of the circuit and take the reading. See if the task agrees with what you have in the manual.
One of the reasons you might want to test your hot tub circuit board is when the hot tub is not heating. Things like a faulty pressure switch might cause this.
You might need to adjust this for something to straighten up. This cannot be done with the power on.
But if your hot tub continues to run after turning it off, the heating element might be the culprit here.
How Do I Reset My Thermal Fuse?
The first thing in resetting the thermal fuse is to locate it. Your owner’s manual will be helpful in this, but you can download another copy from the internet if you have lost it.
Manufacturers’ websites will always have such manuals. After this, unplug the equipment and remove the thermal fuse by releasing it from the screws securing it.
Wait for about 30 seconds before you power on the hot tub. When the hot tub is powered again, it will have lost any memory, and a total reset will have happened even on the thermal fuse.
Is A GFCI Breaker Required For A Hot Tub?
Yes, Most of the hot tubs out there require a GFCI breaker. It is different for hard-wired and plug-and-play hot tubs.
For instance, plug-and-play hot tubs need GFCI breakers that can handle water, meaning they need to be waterproofed.
But if you have a hard-wired hot tub, the best GFCI breaker to install must be inside a disconnect box about 5 feet from the hot tub.
Since hot tub installation will involve either outdoor or indoor installation, some guidelines guide the process in law, to be confident in the safety of your hot tub, install a GFCI breaker.
Technically, a GFCI breaker, also referred to as a ground-fault circuit interrupter automatically cuts off power in the event of a ground fault.
This comes in handy if a live wire touches the ground as it prevents electrocution in the hot tub.
A plug-in hot tub will also need a GFCI breaker. Indeed, all outlets supplying power to hot tubs are required by law to have a GFCI breaker.
Does A Plug-And-Play Hot Tub Need A Dedicated Outlet?
Yes, Hot tub electrical circuits do need to be dedicated. Consequently, they can’t be shared with other electrical things like appliances, power tools, and electric yard tools.
If a plug-and-play hot tub circuit is shared with other loads, it can occasion nuisance circuit breaker tripping or even become a safety hazard.
Nuisance tripping can also result from wrong wire gauge sizes and improper electrical connections.
As you might know, plug and play hot tub electrical connections are 110V/15AMP. Such hot tubs run on regular 15-20 amp household circuits.
Apart from not requiring a dedicated circuit, they are extremely convenient, and you can install them even if you are not an electrician.
Additionally, 110v hot tub models have a cord with a built-in GFCI for safety.
Identifying an appropriate outlet that isn’t shared with other outlets in the home is paramount when you have a 110v hot tub model.
Can I Plug My Lay Z Spa Into An Extension Lead?
No, Using an extension lead on your Lay Z spa is dangerous. You will scarcely need an extension cable as the Lay-Z-Spa pumps come with a 7-meter cable.
Usually, you should find that this suffices to reach an RCD (residual-current device) protected grounded outlet.
But should you find that the cable isn’t sufficient, I recommend that you get a qualified electrician who will install a grounded outdoor socket with RCD protection.
Such a socket needs to be at least 4 meters away and grounded. It should also have a minimum height of 1.2 m from the ground.
With an IPX5 rating, an RCD is best described as water-resistant. Therefore, you would rather not submerge it in water.
Do I Need An Outdoor Socket For A Hot Tub?
You need to install or have a qualified electrician install an outdoor, waterproof plug socket with RCD protection.
This is a life-saving device that prevents fatal shock should you touch anything live. The best outdoor socket you can use is an MK IP66-rated outdoor socket on the lower side.
You will easily find this type of socket from all major electrical retailers.
Not installing the right socket quality, you are inviting trouble, not only limited to electrocution but also lethal short-circuiting.
You will want to socket installed about 2 meters from the hot tub. However, you can’t have it any closer than 1 meter.
And with about £50, an electrician will happily install the outdoor socket for you.
Conclusion
Yes, hot tubs have internal fuses.
