This is not an audio question (move if warranted), but I was hoping someone in this circle could give me some advice.
I am desoldering and replacing 2 PCB Relays on my hot tub's controller board. It is a 220V outdoor hot tub, with a pretty generic looking controller board. I am not very experienced with circuit boards and electronics in general, and there are about 20 connections to this controller board, but I will do this (again) to save $800!
The old relays have scorch marks on the back of the controller board. (Previously my friend helped me solder both relays although only one was burned. A friendly repairman I located on the web helped me troubleshoot and advised me to locate the parts and replace them myself.) This time both are burned, and I have had to source new parts as the original part numbers are all of a sudden obsolete
1) Why do these things burn? They seem to be the weak point, not the
fuses that are on the board. There is also a
GFIC on the panel for the hot tub.
The last time I replaced the relays was Jan 2001. Last winter Dec 2002 we had a major Ice Storm and power to the neighborhood was knocked out for a week. I don't think I have tried to fire up this hot tub since then, maybe that event caused them to burn? (winter is when it is not too hot for a hot tub in Charlotte!)
2) Will this just happen again and again? Due to a porrly designed controller board?
3) Is it worth it to source a new controller board for this hot tub and install that? I imagine I could find one for $200-$300. New outdoor hot tub would be maybe $1500-2000
