Unit is Running But Not HeatingUpdated 8 months ago
Hello. We are terribly sorry you are experiencing a heating issue with your control unit.
Please try the following if your unit is running but is not heating or is losing heat:
● Turn power off to the unit either by going to your PRCD on the control box cord and pressing the test function or by switching off power to your unit at the wall.
● Go to the heating unit and slide your hand underneath. Locate the yellow reset cord and pull it gently until it stops. You should hear a faint clicking sound which confirms the heater was reset.
Here is a YouTube video showing the yellow cord heater reset.
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Pulling the cord too hard will force the reset arm off its hinge and will not reset the heater
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● Turn the switch at the wall back on to power the unit and/or go to the PRCD on the control box cord and press reset to turn your spa back on. Then press test to make sure it turns off. Press reset again. Operate spa as normal. You should notice the spa climbing in temperature approximately 1C - 1.5C per hour.
Please note that if the heater needs to be reset, the internal temperature of the heater has reached 45C. If this happens, the heater reset pops, which means the heater disengages itself from the active circuit so as not to damage the system. Panel/Smart Control functions will appear normal but no power is being supplied to the heater. The biggest cause of the heater reset popping is dirty filters or filters over 6 weeks old as they restrict flow through the heater which in turn causes the internal temperature of the heater to get too hot.
A water level below the inlet grill or people splashing in the pool can cause the system to intake air and can also result in the internal temperature of the heater exceeding 45C, therefore activating the heater high limit which will need to be reset.
If your new spa out of the box is not heating, the yellow cord reset will likely correct the problem. The heater high limit can sometimes inadvertently activate during shipping due to the movement and vibration of being transported.
If you think you have accidentally pulled the reset cord too hard, preventing the heater from resetting, you can easily check the reset arm for all Frame series spas as shown here. Please note that although a non-Frame control unit is used for the demo, the process is the same.
For all spa models that have an internal control unit, you would first need to remove the control unit from the spa shell as outlined here in order to check the reset arm.
If the unit continues to pop the heater reset and filters are clean and/or new, it is very possible you have limescale in the heater. Limescale is a crystalised buildup of calcium that develops when the pH is too high in the spa, so be sure to test your water weekly and adjust pH as required to stay within the ok range to avoid this happening again in the future.
If none of the above has corrected the problem or the reset continues to pop, possibly due to limescale, you will need to send your control unit only to our technical team in Christchurch to assess. Please send the control unit to the address on the Return Control Unit Form attachment below and include the form with your details and Shopify number if known inside the box. Banana boxes work great for shipping control units.
Please note that it is not necessary to contact Portable Spas before sending your unit provided the form is included in the box.