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Replacing A Heater in A Hot Spring Tiger River or Limelight Spa with a 76227 or 76228 Factory Replacement

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Need help replacing a heater in a Hot Spring, Tiger River, or Limelight spa with a 76227 or 76228 factory replacement? We can help with that! Before we get started, let’s go over the tools you will need.

Table of Contents: Replacing the Heater in Your Hot Spring Tiger River or Limelight Spa with a 76227 or 76228 Factory Replacement

Tools You Will Need:

  • Phillips head screwdriver
  • Small flathead screwdriver
  • Pliers
  • Two hose pinching pliers (if you are not going to drain your spa)
  • Two wine corks (if you are not going to drain your spa)
  • Vice Grips
  • Wire cutters/strippers
  • Silicone grease
  • Crescent wrench

Step 1. Disconnect power from the spa.

hot spring

Step 2. Drain the spa. (or you can use hose pinching pliers and wine corks to plug the ¾” heater hoses).

Step 2. Drain the spa-

Step 4. Remove the IQ 2020 control box lid. Using a small flathead screwdriver, disconnect the heater wires from H1 and H2 and the green ground wire from the grounding lug.

Step 4. Open IQ Disconnect heater wires-

Disconnect the copper bonding wire from bonding terminal. 

Step 4.5. Bonding wire-

Step 5. Unplug the REGTHERM and LIMTHERM thermistors from the motherboard. Unplug the pressure switch wire from the P34 pressure switch port (J8 on the Eagle box).

Step 5. Unplug the sensors-

Step 6. Pinch the two ¾” heater hoses with your hose pinching pliers. Loosen the two hose clamps with your pliers.

Step 6. Pinch the heater hoses-

Remove the inlet and outlet hose and quickly plug the hoses with the wine corks.

Step 6.5 wine corks-

Step 7. Pinch the ¼” bleed line hose on the back of the heater with your vice grips. Loosen the hose clamp and remove it from the heater.

Step 7. Pinch the bleedline-

Step 8. Make sure the foot of the heater is disconnected from the floor of the spa.

Step 8. Loosen the heater foot screw-

Remove the old heater.

Step 8.5. Remove the heater-

Step 9. Install the O-rings on your new PDR heater. Put silicone grease on the bleed-line nipple and the inlet and outlet barbed nipples for ease of installation.

Step 9. O rings-
Step 9.5. Silicone grease the nipples-

Step 10 Thread the REGTHERM and LIMTHERM thermistors into the inlet and outlet of the new heater. Get them snug with the wrench but don’t overtighten.

Step 10. Thread thermistors-

Step 11. Install the new heater. Connect the inlet and outlet hoses and bleed-line hose. Tighten the hose clamps over the inlet, outlet, and bleed-line nipples.

Step 11. Install the new heater-

Step 12. Plug in the REGTHERM and LIMTHERM thermistors and the Pressure Switch. Make sure they are perfectly lined up with the pins on the motherboard, otherwise the red POWER light or blue LOGO light will start flashing and your spa will be inoperable.

Step 12. Plug in the sensors-

Step 13. Connect the copper bonding wire to the bonding terminal in the IQ 2020 control box.

Step 13. Bonding wire-

Step 14. If you have a 3rd generation or newer heater relay board, simply strip the black and white heater wires and connect them to H1 and H2 on the heater relay board.

Step 14. Strip the heater wires-

Step 15. Squeeze the strain relief clamp around the heater cord with your vice grips, then push it up through the bottom of the control box until it snaps into place.

Step 15. Squeeze strain relief-

Step 16. Connect the green ground wire to the heater grounding lug. Connect the black and white wires to H1 and H2 on the heater relay board.

Step 16. Plug in the heater wires-

Step 17. Refill the spa through the gray standpipe (if you drained the spa).

Step 17. Refill the spa-

Step 18. Reconnect power to the spa.

Step 18. Reconnect power-

You’re all done! Good job!

Good job-

Watch the video here! Replacing A Heater in A Hot Spring Tiger River or Limelight Spa with a 76227 or 76228 Factory Replacement


Thanks for reading “Replacing the Heater in Your Hot Spring Tiger River or Limelight Spa with a 76227 or 76228 Factory Replacement!”


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