Blower Has Stopped Working... Why?

[NateDogX]

Here's a picture of the equipment setup attached. Apologies for the photo at dusk. The blower in the system is just that black PVC pipe on the left side of the image.

The controller box is a Pentair SunTouch system. I've noticed - through my finely tuned skills of observation - that there is no motor for the blower, just that PVC pipe with a hole in it, yet it did used to work. We used to feel suction on it. I've also - just tonight - blown into the pipe pretty hard and was able to get bubbles into the hot tub. Mighty lungs FTW.

I can't figure out what triggered it to work properly, is it perhaps the GPM of the pump? I recently turned down the RPMs on the pool pump after we cleaned out some clogged piping in the pool returns (thanks winter storms).

Any ideas what's up?

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

Turn up your pump RPMs when in the spa and see if you have air bubbles.

It is the water flow that uses the venturi effect to suck the air in. The more flow the greater the air suction.

 

[NateDogX]

Very helpful, thanks. That was my suspicion!

 

[NateDogX]

RPMs are up to 3100 and the Venturi still isn’t triggering. Water is flowing out of all four jets just fine. No air in the line from what I can tell. What else can I try?

 

[ajw22]

Put a shopvac or blower on the air pipe without the jets running and see if you can clear water out of the air pipe.

Then put the blower on the pipe with the jets running and see if you can get the bubbles flowing.