"NO HEAT AT ALL!"

This is very different from "it's getting a little bit warm". It could have the same cause, but a heating element is like a light bulb, it either works or it doesn't. If there's absolutely no heat the first thing to test is the heating element. IS IT GETTING ELECTRICITY? (Hint, if you have a 240v heater, you must test for 240 volts directly at the two terminals of the heater. Testing from one terminal to ground will give a proper reading even if the element is bad).

 

The element is getting electricity.

If the element is getting electricity the next test is an amp test. If you don't know how to perform an amp test "call a qualified spa technician. Generally, a 120v heater should pull 12.5 amps and a 240 volt heater should pull 25 amps. If you're getting proper amperage draw, move on to "it's getting a little bit warm", below. If you're not getting any amperage draw, you have a bad heater element.

A perfect match is not always possible, and some differences are just fine. Some of the acceptable differences are;

• Difference in physical length. A shorter element is ok, as long as the other specifications match up. A longer element may not fit the existing housing.

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• Slight difference in kilowatt rating. A difference in "kw" rating of 1/2kw is perfectly acceptable. Frequently, a 6kw element will be replaced with a 5.5kw element.

The two most important things are;

• The element attaches to the heater housing must be the same (some unusual or obsolete elements may require a different element along with an adapter). If your heater element is threaded, the picture below should give some guidance on sizing and measuring for replacements.

• The voltage rating must be the same. An element rated for 120v only, cannot be used in place of a 240v element, however, an element rated for 240v can generally be use in place of a 120v element.

  
  The element IS NOT getting electricity
  If the element is not getting any power. Using the volt meter, start at the heating element and follow the wiring back until you find the switch or relay that isn't allowing electricity to pass through. If power for the element is fed through a relay and the relay isn't closing, it then must be determined why, or what switch is preventing it. The next step is to determine if the switch is truly bad, or if it's just doing it's job (a high limit switch may be cutting off due to some other problem that's causing the water at it's sensing point to over heat).
  
  Some of the many possibilities for a good switch to appear broken are (and the apparent culprit);
  Low water flow (hi-limit, pressure switch or thermostat)
  A dirty filter (hi-limit, pressure switch or thermostat)
  A clogged tube feeding a pressure switch (pressure switch)
  Magnetic door interlock misaligned (door interlock)
  Heating element shorting out into the water (GFCI tripping)

  
  If all of this doesn't seem to make sense, you feel you need a lot more information or you don't feel comfortable in attempting this type of diagnosis or repair, "call us" and we will give you free tech help as long as you purchase the parts from us. Since we match any price on the same item, how can you go wrong? 888-697-7248.
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  PROBLEMS	POSSIBLE CAUSES	SOLUTIONS
  No heat	Tripped hi-limit switch	Locate and reset by turning set screw counterclockwise.
  	Open doors on spa cabinet	Close the doors.
  	Pilot light went out (gas heaters)	Relight pilot light as per owners manual.
  	Pump isn't pumping any or enough water	Call MySpaGuy to Determine problem and repair (see section on pumps and filters).
  Heater cycling on and off continuously.	Dirty filter	Clean filter cartridge, if in doubt try running the system with the cartridge removed.
  	Low water level in spa	Raise water level to at least one inch above filter cartridge.
  Takes a long time to heat spa.	Dirty filter	Clean filter cartridge, if in doubt try running the system with the cartridge removed.
  	Daily filtration and heating cycle not running long enough	Reset time clock or set filtration cycle to run longer (f6 runs 6 hours for heavy use / f4 runs 4 hours for moderate use/ f2 runs 2 hours for minimal use. Depending on spa some cycle twice every 24 hours.
  	Damaged Insulating cover	Many spas, especially 120 volt electrically heated wont heat up without a proper cover. Repair or replace.
  	Bad thermostat	Call 888-MySpaGuy to replace if necessary.
  	Hi-limit switch turning off heater prematurely	Call 888-MySpaGuy to replace if necessary.
  Pilot goes out (gas heaters)	Weak pilot generator	Replace pilot generator or assembly.
  	Restricted pilot	Clean pilot.
  Outer jacket very hot (gas heaters)	Soot on heat exchanger	Determine cause of soot, clean and correct (the most common reason for this is too much water flowing through the heater caused by either too large a pump or internal heater parts damaged).
  	Improper venting	Follow recommended installation instructions.
  	Insects or debris clogging the burner intake ports	Clean burners.
  Leaking at heater	Improper water chemistry	Determine exact location and cause of leak, replace damaged parts and maintain proper water chemistry.
  Harmonics, whining or banging noise	Debris or restriction in system	Locate the restriction and remove.
  	Low flow	Determine problem and repair

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