What I have learned about removing filter part stuck in spa.
Jacuzzi Imperial model 75 made in 2000 by Gatsby Spa.
We have owned the house since 2006 and so far I have done all the maintenance myself, including replacing an ozonator, two pumps, and a thermostat.
My spa filters have previously come apart while I was changing them (I wouldn’t call them “broken”), but only this week did one leave a part stuck in the spa that I was unable to remove manually. Only after breaking two small pieces of plastic off with pliers did I look for help. My first thought was ordering a 1.5 inch tub drain extractor, which I am sure would have worked, but first I consulted this and another spa forum for a quicker answer. Sure enough, there were several ideas upon which I borrowed. Thank you to those who contributed ideas of homemade tools to shove inside the stuck plastic piece to unscrew it. The tiny baseball bat I acquired 70 years ago was too big on the hitting end and too small on the handle end. My hammer handle was too wide. I didn't try a caulking tube. One shovel handle was just right with a dishcloth over the end. I pushed it down and turned counterclockwise many times, then found the part mostly screwed out. A wiggle, and I could unscrew it the rest of the way with my hand.
Though I admit the pictured filter is old, I would still chalk up this issue to a filter manufacturing defect. Three of these have come apart cleanly: one thrown away last year and these two about to go into the trash. I would argue the plastic parts should outlast the filter part. I suspect I could use my favorite two-part epoxy glue to reconnect them, but since the filters are old, I will buy two new ones. Perhaps they would last longer if I use a thin layer of that glue on the new ones, but I won’t do that. Note that the pictured intact used one is losing a little of the layer of material that covers the seam where the separation always occurs.
Others have pointed out not to screw these filters on tight. I have never used a tool to do that, and this time I have backed them off a centimeter after they are completely, but loosely screwed on. I doubt weeks of vibrations will cause them to come unscrewed.
Jacuzzi Imperial model 75 made in 2000 by Gatsby Spa.
We have owned the house since 2006 and so far I have done all the maintenance myself, including replacing an ozonator, two pumps, and a thermostat.
My spa filters have previously come apart while I was changing them (I wouldn’t call them “broken”), but only this week did one leave a part stuck in the spa that I was unable to remove manually. Only after breaking two small pieces of plastic off with pliers did I look for help. My first thought was ordering a 1.5 inch tub drain extractor, which I am sure would have worked, but first I consulted this and another spa forum for a quicker answer. Sure enough, there were several ideas upon which I borrowed. Thank you to those who contributed ideas of homemade tools to shove inside the stuck plastic piece to unscrew it. The tiny baseball bat I acquired 70 years ago was too big on the hitting end and too small on the handle end. My hammer handle was too wide. I didn't try a caulking tube. One shovel handle was just right with a dishcloth over the end. I pushed it down and turned counterclockwise many times, then found the part mostly screwed out. A wiggle, and I could unscrew it the rest of the way with my hand.
Though I admit the pictured filter is old, I would still chalk up this issue to a filter manufacturing defect. Three of these have come apart cleanly: one thrown away last year and these two about to go into the trash. I would argue the plastic parts should outlast the filter part. I suspect I could use my favorite two-part epoxy glue to reconnect them, but since the filters are old, I will buy two new ones. Perhaps they would last longer if I use a thin layer of that glue on the new ones, but I won’t do that. Note that the pictured intact used one is losing a little of the layer of material that covers the seam where the separation always occurs.
Others have pointed out not to screw these filters on tight. I have never used a tool to do that, and this time I have backed them off a centimeter after they are completely, but loosely screwed on. I doubt weeks of vibrations will cause them to come unscrewed.
I wonder if 
