The circuit board of a spa or hot tub is an essential part of the electronic system that keeps the water hot and the jets bubbling.

master spa green circut boards

It is a bit like a “nerve center.” The circuit board is the part of the spa system that sends electronic messages to heat the water, turn on or turn off the pump, etc. It is a metal plate with wires, resistors, capacitors, and relays running across it in a complex grid. It may have transformers and spa fuses mounted directly on it, as well. Like any metal parts, water and the elements can be hard on the wiring and connections of a circuit board. If the delicate wirings stop properly connecting and are no longer able to communicate, the function of the whole spa can be affected.

When your hot tub or spa is not working like it should, the circuit board is one of the first things to check. If it turns out it is working fine, then you can move on to other systems in your hot tub.

The first thing to do, just like with your old personal computer, is to turn off the spa and turn it back on. Make sure you actually unplug the unit for several seconds before turning it back on. While each brand of hot tub or spa will have a slightly different set up and circuit board, there are common ways to troubleshoot problems.

You may have a display on your control panel that will show error codes, which will be very helpful if you have your user manual handy. Problems with the circuit board can come from the electrical current from the source, or from a number of other factors. A few of the possible causes of this can be easy to identify and fix, such as:

  • Debris in the pump system
  • Dirty filter
  • Jets either not installed correctly or too many turned off at once
  • Defective parts like: pressure switch, cable, or the circuit board itself
  • A short in the heating element
  • Blown fuse
  • Tripped circuit breaker
  • Bad pump
  • Blown motor

There are several things that can be the culprit depending on the problem. The topside control could be faulty. Moisture could be causing the wrong thing to turn on with the wrong button. Part of the circuit board could have overheated and actually melted or burned. Checking each wire with a meter may be necessary to locate the problem. Before getting started on your troubleshooting, it’s a good idea to call the manufacturer of your spa or hot tub and let them walk you through a few simple steps to get started. They may be able to save you time, send you repair parts, or recommend a technician with experience on your brand.

External link: https://www.hottubworks.com/blog/troubleshooting-spa-circuit-boards/