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Home Repair - - If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Otherwise look here.
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Posted by Zoner on August 16, 2005, 8:44 am
While trying to get a hot tub up and running, I have a breaker problem.
With any connection with 120V (using a line and neutral wire), the
breaker trips.
If I only connect 240V connections, being the pump and the heater, with
the contactor and pressure switches bypassed, the tub runs and heats
up.
On 120V, there is only a light bulb, and a contactor, which is fed
through a pressure switch and limit switch.
If either of the two, light / contactor, are connected to 120, the
breaker trips.
The possibilities I see are:
1. Both the light circuit, and the contactor are shorted to ground.
2. The electrician who installed the 240V circuit did something
strange.
I am having trouble beleiving both circuits are shorted, that would be
too much of a coincident.
I do not completely understand 240V breakers. Could I have a version
that requires complete current balance on 240V? If only 240V
connections are attached, there should be no current on the neutral
wire. This case runs fine.
In the event 120V is connected, current (a small amount) should exist
on the neutral wire.
Why is the breaker tripping???
I suppose my next step could be to detach the wiring from the tub, and
just try to power a lamp or something to ensure it is nothing in the
box...
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Posted by Mikepier on August 16, 2005, 10:11 am
Is the breaker that's tripping a GFI breaker?
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Posted by Zoner on August 16, 2005, 1:16 pm
Mikepier wrote:
> Is the breaker that's tripping a GFI breaker?
I believe so... I had it installed by an electrician, and it should be
to code for a hot tub.
Before I call him back, I would like to know if it is indeed somthing
he did, and not me! Otherwise, I have to pay!
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Posted by Zoner on August 16, 2005, 10:31 am
Just to add, the electrician installed the 240V before I had the hot
tub. I connected the wires to the hot tub myself, but am fairly
confident I made all the right connections. The 240V works, but it
appears that any 120V connection (between either of the hot wires to
neutral) causes the trip.
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Posted by John Grabowski on August 16, 2005, 5:14 pm
> Just to add, the electrician installed the 240V before I had the hot
> tub. I connected the wires to the hot tub myself, but am fairly
> confident I made all the right connections. The 240V works, but it
> appears that any 120V connection (between either of the hot wires to
> neutral) causes the trip.
>
That is correct. By pulling 120 volts from one side of a 2 pole GFCI
breaker you are creating an imbalance which trips the breaker by design. If
your hot tub requires a 240 volt circuit and a 120 volt circuit you will
need to run a separate 120 volt line. You cannot tap off of one side of the
two pole GFCI breaker. Did your electrician know about the 120 volt
requirement when he installed the wiring?
How many amps is the 240 volt line rated for?
John Grabowski
http://www.mrelectrician.tv
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