We had our gunite pool and spa built in July. The spa blower has never produced bubbles and the jets aren’t really any more powerful than the pool returns. Pool builder is struggling to troubleshoot the problem and I’d love some suggestions.
Equipment is about 15 feet from the spa, slightly above grade, but the air and return lines go down under the pool up the wall and into the spa (way more than 15 ft of pipe). VS pool pump. 6 jets in spa. 1.5 hp blower.
Blower kicks on, blows a little air through the spa returns, then no air, blower continues and will shut itself off in 30 seconds or so. PB has tried a second identical blower and second valve. He has snaked the air line with no improvement. He tried a shop vac in the air line. He lowered the water level to below the jets and put a hose in the air line and water came out of the jets (guess it’s not clogged?). His plumber suggested a larger air blower (has not been tried yet; he believes the 1.5hp blower should be making it erupt).
I have pictures from before concrete is poured. Inside the concrete, air line looks to have a Hartford loop without check valve and drops into each of the spa jets in what looks like Venturi tee’s. I recall the PB commenting that the plumber didn’t mark the lines by the equipment (my PB did all the plumbing at the equipment).
Could it be that the water and air lines are crossed at the equipment meaning the pool pump is hooked to what’s supposed to be the air line and the blower is hooked to what’s supposed to be the water line causing the blower to try to push air through the Venturi restriction while water is being pumped in from the top? PB dismissed this suggestion saying the plumber always leaves the air line away from the rest. My thought: unless he didn’t this time or he made a mistake.
Any ideas are greatly appreciated. This has dragged on way too long. Supposedly he’s hiring some help to try to diagnose it, but I don’t mind offering suggestions or being firm to have him try replumbing the blower and return lines if that could be the issue.
I’ll dig up the construction photos I took and post those soon in case that helps.
Equipment is about 15 feet from the spa, slightly above grade, but the air and return lines go down under the pool up the wall and into the spa (way more than 15 ft of pipe). VS pool pump. 6 jets in spa. 1.5 hp blower.
Blower kicks on, blows a little air through the spa returns, then no air, blower continues and will shut itself off in 30 seconds or so. PB has tried a second identical blower and second valve. He has snaked the air line with no improvement. He tried a shop vac in the air line. He lowered the water level to below the jets and put a hose in the air line and water came out of the jets (guess it’s not clogged?). His plumber suggested a larger air blower (has not been tried yet; he believes the 1.5hp blower should be making it erupt).
I have pictures from before concrete is poured. Inside the concrete, air line looks to have a Hartford loop without check valve and drops into each of the spa jets in what looks like Venturi tee’s. I recall the PB commenting that the plumber didn’t mark the lines by the equipment (my PB did all the plumbing at the equipment).
Could it be that the water and air lines are crossed at the equipment meaning the pool pump is hooked to what’s supposed to be the air line and the blower is hooked to what’s supposed to be the water line causing the blower to try to push air through the Venturi restriction while water is being pumped in from the top? PB dismissed this suggestion saying the plumber always leaves the air line away from the rest. My thought: unless he didn’t this time or he made a mistake.
Any ideas are greatly appreciated. This has dragged on way too long. Supposedly he’s hiring some help to try to diagnose it, but I don’t mind offering suggestions or being firm to have him try replumbing the blower and return lines if that could be the issue.
I’ll dig up the construction photos I took and post those soon in case that helps.
