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How to Troubleshoot a Jet Pump in a 2001 – 2009.5 Hot Spring Limelight and Tiger River Spa

Control System

Welcome to Backyardplus! In this post, we show you how to test the jet pump in a 2001-2009.5 Hot Spring spa. If you press the jet pump button and nothing happens or it makes a buzzing sound, you could have a bad GFCI breaker, a bad jet pump, a bad motherboard or even a bad heater relay board. Before we get started, let’s go over the tools you will need.

Tools you will need:

  • Multimeter
  • Phillips head screwdriver
  • Pliers

Step 1. Remove the equipment door and control box lid.

Step 1. remove door-
Step 1.1 Remove lid-

Step 2. Turn your multimeter to at least 300 AC volts. Make sure it has a fresh battery.

Step 2. Turn meter on-

Step 3. Check the incoming voltage on the terminal block. You should have 115-120 volts between terminal 2 and 5 or 230-240 volts between terminal 2 and 4 if the spa is permanently wired for 230 volts. If the voltage is less than 110 volts or less than 220 volts it means you have a low voltage issue. It could be a bad GFI breaker. Call an electrician to have the breaker tested.  If the voltage is good, move on to the next step.

Step 3. terminal block voltage-

Step 4. Press the Jets button to start the problematic jet pump.

Step 4. Turn on jet pump-

Step 5. Place one lead on Jet Pump Black (high speed) or Jet Pump Red (low speed) and the other on Jet Pump White. You should get a reading of 115-120 volts on your multimeter or (230-240 volts if your spa is wired for 230 volts).  If you have good voltage going to the jet pump but it’s still not working or it is making a buzzing sound, it means you have a bad jet pump.

Step 5. Jet pump voltage-

Step 6. If you have no voltage or low voltage between Jet Pump Black or Red and Jet Pump White, check the voltage between the black, white and red jumper wires going from the heater relay board to the motherboard.

Step 6. No voltage-

Step 7. Disconnect power from the spa.

Step 7. Disconnect power 220-

Step 8. Disconnect the black, white and red jumper wires from the heater relay board.

Step 8. Disconnect jumper wires-

Step 9. Reconnect power to the spa.

Step 9. Connect the power 220-

Step 10. Test the voltage between the jumper wire terminals on the heater relay board. You should have 120 volts between black and white (convertible spas). If your spa is a permanently connected 230 volt spa, you should have 120 volts between black and white and 120 volts between red and white. If you have good voltage going to the motherboard but no voltage going to the jet pump it means you have a bad motherboard. If you have no voltage or low voltage going to the motherboard, it means you have a bad heater relay board.

Step 10. test the jumper wires-

Watch the video here! “How to Troubleshoot a Jet Pump in a 2001 – 2009.5 Hot Spring Spa“


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