When using hot tub only water doesnt get to pump

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T

tagteamcomputing

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Feb 7, 2017
254
Tulsa, OK
I have a hot tub that spills over into the pool

(I was going to put a picture here but i forgot to compress earlier photos and ran out of space)

I have turned off all of the valves except the spa main drain and when i do the pump does not fill with water. I let it run for about 4 minutes and it still did not send water to the pump.

Are we looking at a blocked line here? what is the best way to clear it?

Thanks
 
So i figured out that I can turn off all the drains and suctions except the spa main drain and the north skimmer. Then i turn off the north skimmer and i can feel and see the pump and lines jump a bit as it tries to suck through the spa main drain. I turn the north skimmer on and off and let it try to knock the debris loose but it did not work.

Tomorrow I will go and get a drain cleaning bladder to try to blow it out going from the pump to the hot tub.

However, I have a big question for any who have tried this. My hot tub is attached to the poool- see picture above that has been mislabeled hot tup. Half of the hot tub sits above the water level of the pool and half is at the level of the pool. If I turn the pump off only half of the water will train from the hot tub. Do i need to use a shop vac or bucket or something else to try to get this water out of the hot tub before i try the drain cleaning bladder?

Thanks for any help.
 
Sorry for the lack of response - I missed this thread!

If half the water is draining from the spa when the pump is off, it sounds like you have a missing or damaged check valve. That's neither here nor there just now - we can deal with that later!

In the video above, sometimes a jet of water enters the pump well - were you manipulating valves to make that happen or just letting it run?

If you leave the pump off, and have the valves set to only pull water from the spa drain, does the water drain out of the pump well?

I'm not sure if we're dealing with a blockage or possibly a suction side air leak - we'll have to get an expert in here to help you out. I'll go see if I can find someone for you.

(Also, nice pup!)
 
Yes, Mabel is a good girl. She was just trying to help me fix the spa!

I think the half of the spa is draining because i have the spa main drain open. If i close that it does not drain.

The jet that enters the pump well is NOT because I am manipulating the valves. That is just when i am trying to let it run. I did take off the valve and look for obstructions and I even put about 3 feet of flexible rod down the pipe to see if I could feel and build up but didn't feel anything.

I tried turning off the pump and closing all the drain valves except the spa and the water stays in the pump. Should I have tried opening the backwash valve to see if water drained out?

I again tried to turn the pump on with all valves closed except spa and the water just kind of sits there.

Thanks for any help
 
I think you presuming that the valve for the spa drain is functioning as the handles get turned.... maybe it is faulty....just a thought, especially if you do not hear air being sucked in as in a suction side leak or a faulty check valve as mentioned earlier.

Looking at the video in reply 4, there should not be air in the pump's basket.... this could be a sign of the suction leak
 
I took the valve off and put it back on. I am pretty sure the valve is ok because when i turn off the pump and open the valve the hot tub will drain. how can i check for this suction side leak you speak of?
Thanks, I really want to get in my hot tub and I am sooooo frustrated that I can't.
 
Does the filter pressure drop when you engage the spa MD? If so, that is a blockage. You can try and clear it with a hose wrapped in a wet rag stuck in the pump inlet.
 

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ok, a couple of questions

1.So if I close all the pool drain, fountain drain, and both skimmers and just leave the spa MD open then the pressure drops to 0
2. I imagine it being wrapped in a wet rag is to protect the pipes from damage and we are trying to push through a blockage and not use water pressure. What about the drain cleaning bladder? Is that a good idea and if i do it should i completely drain the spa first?
Thanks
 
1. That means you have a blockage.

2. The rag is meant to build pressure to move the debris, not protect the pipes. However, the clog may not have sealed the pipe completely so it may move the debris enough to loosen in up.

I have had more success with the rag method than the bladder method but either may work. It depends on the clog.

And you don't need to drain the spa. However, depending on the clog, you may need to remove the MD covers. First try as is. Back flush and then run the pump. Try that several times.

BTW, did you recently try to push debris into the MDs?
 
ok, have a plumber coming tomorrow with a c02 tank to try to blow it out. I will try the rag thing tonight.

So I take a hand towel size rag and tie it around the hose head? so the mouth of the hose is covered with the rag? And i tie it on with a shoe lace or something?
 
No just wrap the rag around the hose and stick in the pump inlet until the rag seals the pipe opening. Turn on the water and hold the hose and rag tight in the inlet to help seal it.
 
Ok, i used the drain cleaning bladder and ran the water for about 20 minutes and nothing. Now I am concerned where all that water was going. I emptied the hot tub so I know that no water was going there. I put the bladder at the valve by the pump so it should have been a straight shot. When i ran the test with my fountain water started coming out right away.

If it ran for 20 minutes, where did that water go? Is there a leak or does the pressure just back up the spigot and stop the flow? I sure hope i didnt bust a pipe or something.
 
Did you set the suction side valves so only the spa MD is engaged? All the water must be forced into that one line.

I sure hope i didnt bust a pipe or something.
Click to expand...
You can't bust a pipe with a garden hose. The pressure is not high enough.
 
I am sorry, I dont know what the suction side valves are. I have a north and south skimmer, pool main drain, spa main drain, and fountain main drain. I think have returns for the pool, spa, and fountain.

I closed all the valves so that the only thing open was the spa main drain. I even emptied the spa of water so I could see if any water was getting through. But Alas, nothing.

So i tested by closing everything but the fountain main drain and put the bladder in and water came up the fountain main drain in less than a minute.

So now I have turned my fountain into a mini hot tub until i can clear the spa line. The only problem is that the pump only fills 90 percent with water when i do that, i guess because the single fountain drain doesn't pull enough water.

The only thing I can think if is to have a plumber come out with a CO2 tank and try to blow it out.
 
Probably a good idea.

But usually MDs don't clog unless you tried to push a bunch of debris into the MD. Is that what happened?
 
I don't know, I just bought this house. Everything seems to be working fine but it appears there must be a clog in there. The pervious owners said everything worked fine. Shame on me for not demanding and inspection with the hot tub running and hot. I paid a pool inspector to come out but he didnt really do anything but look around at stuff. Big waste of money!
 

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