Spa draining while pump is on, and off

[Chris K]

Spa draining water into pool

Split from this topic for better response. Please start your own threads. Bama

I am having a similar issue with my spa, plus some. I am losing water when the pump isn't running. I believe a spa return check valve is what everyone is prescribing too, so I will add one and see what happens.

Here are my other issues. (1) I lose water to my pool during spa mode. I originally thought that my jandy neverlube valve prior to my suction skimmer/spa pump was leaking. I changed the guts in it with no luck. I then discovered that one of the side "jets" in my spa is suctioning water during spa mode. I'll call it a jet because it looks like my other spa jets, but it doesn't shoot any water or air during spa time. When I switch the valves to pool mode (just switching the return valve to the pool return) that same jet pumps water into my spa. After countless hours contemplating this and reading these posts, the only thing I can figure is that "jet" is for the spa recirc and spillover to the pool. But why the auctioning while in spa mode? I have no above ground control of this "jet.". Is it possible that there is a check valve somewhere underground that's failing? I forgot to mention that I have a raised spa with a spillover into the pool. I have a dedicated 2hp whisper flo pump for my 5 spa jets (well, 4, plus my one special "jet"). My main suction pump is a 3/4 hp whisper flo. I have a check valve between my pump and my filter. My pool is about 16,000 gal and it's pretty old. Not sure of exactly how old.

(2). One of my jets is not pushing any water through it. It does get air from my blower, but all that just bubbles to the surface. There must be a block in that jet plumbing. How do I get to it? I only have an 11/2 PVC pipe into my spa to work through. I have a 1 hp blower motor also attached to it.

I hope someone has some answers for me cuz I am extremely frustrated. This pool is making me OCD. I can't think of anything else. Help!!!

 

[Chris K]

Topics merged. Please don't double post. Bama

I am having issues with my spa. I am losing water when the pump isn't running. I believe a spa return check valve is what everyone is prescribing too, so I will add one and see what happens.

Here are my other issues.

(1) I lose water to my pool during spa mode. I originally thought that my jandy neverlube valve prior to my suction skimmer/spa pump was leaking. I changed the guts in it with no luck. I then discovered that one of the side "jets" in my spa is suctioning water during spa mode. I'll call it a jet because it looks like my other spa jets, but it doesn't shoot any water or air during spa time. When I switch the valves to pool mode (just switching the return valve to the pool return) that same jet pumps water into my spa. After countless hours contemplating this and reading these posts, the only thing I can figure is that "jet" is for the spa recirc and spillover to the pool. But why the suctioning while in spa mode? I have no above ground control of this "jet.". Is it possible that there is a check valve somewhere underground that's failing? I forgot to mention that I have a raised spa with a spillover into the pool. I have a dedicated 2hp whisper flo pump for my 5 spa jets (well, 4, plus my one special "jet"). My main suction pump is a 3/4 hp whisper flo. I have a check valve between my pump and my filter. My pool is about 16,000 gal and it's pretty old. Not sure of exactly how old.

I just had another thought. I drained my spa today (with the pool return switched "on" and the spa return turned off) and the jet began to pour water into the spa. However, not fast enough to keep the spa from emptying. It's about as fast as a hose. When I got to where the spa was empty, the flow began to stop. This tells me that pipe from that jet goes to the spa return, because when the spa was empty, the flow stopped. I'm still confused about why that jet sucks the water out while in spa mode. It's tough to enjoy a spa with the water decreasing.

I also have 2 holes in my spa floor. One for the jet pump pipe, and another hole with the spa drain pipe (goes to the main pump) with another 11/2" pipe right next to it. I don't know what that second pipe in hole 2 does.

(2). One of my other jets is not pushing any water through it. It does get air from my blower, but all that just bubbles to the surface. There must be a clog in that jet plumbing holding back the water. The other 3 spa jets work well with water and air. How do I get to it? The jet pipe is only a 11/2" PVC pipe with the threaded cover off to work through. I have a 1 hp blower motor also attached to it.

I hope someone has some answers for me cuz I am extremely frustrated. This pool is making me OCD. I can't think of anything else. Help!!!

 

[Bama Rambler]

Re: Spa draining water into pool

I believe that the spillover "jet" is the problem. It should have a check valve that prevents it from siphoning water out of the spa when the pool is completely out of the loop.

Post a pic of the plumbing pad and we may be able to spot the spillover line.

 

[Chris K]

I can't seem to get my iPad Or my computer to download this picture. My system is very simple. I have a skimmer suction and spa suction split with a jandy neverlube prior to the skimmer pump. The pump leads to a pentair 24 filter with a jandy check valve between them. From there it goes into the heater then back through the pool return and spa return separated by another jandy neverlube. I also have a dedicated 2hp whisperflo pump for the spa jets and a 1 hp Mariah Hydro Air blower with one pipe going to floor bubbles in the spa and the other to the spa wall jets. There is absolutely no check valve for that jet.

Today, I shot air through that jet with my compressor and it went directly into the pool return somewhere underground and bubbled up in the pool. I capped that jet temporarily and I didn't lose any water during spa mode and the spa hasn't drained thus yet with the pump off. I saw that Val-pak has a 1 1/2" spa check valve that screws into the existing jet port. Would that work to limit the suction of water from the spa? The check valve looks a lot like the eye ball jets I have on the other jets. Is it usual to have a pipe that runs from the spa wall to the pool return or am I just the lucky one? Thanks for the help.

 

[Bama Rambler]

That would work and may even be what was originally in it.