Water leaking from air inlet

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L

LTHandy

0
Jan 6, 2016
4
Cincinnati, OH
On my outdoor hot tub, I noticed water dripping from the hose going to the air inlet during the gentle water heating cycle. When I close the air inlet to allow no air to be drawn in with the jets, the drip stops. When open, the drip increases, naturally when I turn the jets on. This is a new problem. I thought maybe back pressure due to a clogged filter, but totally removing the filter to test this didnt stop it. Why would water back up into the air inlet? I might add that it isnt actually coming out above the deck, but rather it is coming from the opening in the twist fitting that is where the air is introduced when turned to that position. My next move will be to try to ascertain if any of the jets are clogged or not allowing proper flow. Am I on the right track? Has to be back pressure, right? (Note- I am not talking about the separate air bubbler motor) Any help is appreciated, Lee
 
Hi. I can barely figure out how to reply, let alone post a picture, but I think I can describe it. First off, it is a portable spa. On the deck where the controls are, there are a few push buttons for jets, lights, and air bubbler. There is a temperature dial. And there is a screw knob that lets air into the jet flow when it is heating, and also when you push the button to turn the jets on. This last screw knob is where the problem is. From the top, it is a normal looking knob and doesnt leak. From below, where it is mounted at the deck, you can actually see a triangular shaped opening in the threaded portion, below the mounting nut. I have determined that when you turn the knob from above, it turns the inner sleeve to begin to line up with that opening to allow varying amounts of air in for the jets. Trouble is, instead of air being drawn in, water trickles out..... whenever the heater is running or the jets are on. There is no leak when I keep the knob turned off. Another knob for a secondary set of jets is identical and does not let water out. Nothing is broken or cracked, etc. This is a new problem....nothing was changed or worked on from last year when I didnt have this problem at all. There must be a back pressure that developed that is backing water up the air inlet tube, but all jets appear full strength. I am stumped. The tub is not overfilled, either. In fact it got pretty low before I realized I had a problem, and it even leaked with the water level too low. Thanks for any insights you may provide. Lee
 
You may have an obstruction in one or more of the jets between the venturi (a point just upstream from where air is drawn into the water stream) and the opening of the jet. Or a jet has broken, and you no longer have the focused stream of water that draws the air in. Or both. It doesn't take much of an obstruction to disrupt the water flow enough to cause this. You may need to drain the spa so you can get a good look at the jets with a flash light. Compare the jets in question to the others that work.
 
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