"Funny-Acting" Spa Valve

[ews2001]

I'm new to TFP, so thanks for reading a newbie's post.


I have an in-ground pool with an attached spa/hot tub in my backyard. The spa has 6 valves/vents. The pool/spa is about 3 years old. When we were in the spa last night I noticed that 5 of the 6 vents/valves had strong air pressure blowing during spa operation. The 6th had some pressure but it was MUCH lower than the rest. Then today during normal pool operation, the 5 valves have good water pressure coming out (normal), BUT the "bad" vent actually has suction now instead of water pressure coming out. I put my finger in the non-working valve and can't feel anything.


I have some electrical fish tape that I was going to insert and see if it hits anything, but wanted to check with this group before I try anything.


I'm wondering if anyone has a suggestion or way to troubleshoot what might be going on??

 

[Jimrahbe]

ews,

Welcome to TFP.. a great place to find the answers to all your Funny-Acting Spa questions..., even if you are ashamed of the city you live in...

I guess my first question is... Did the spa work fine for the first 3 years, and just now went bad, or did you just notice it?

Does your spa have an air blower?

I don't have an in-ground Spa, so not much of an expert, but if you can answer these questions, I'll bet you might get some better responses..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[ews2001]

Hi @Jimrahbe,

Thanks, yes the spa vent/port worked fine for 3 years, I just noticed the strange behavior of the 1 vent last night, and this morning when I checked it again. It's just odd because all other vents (5 of them) work as expected.

No, the spa doesn't have a separate blower, it just uses the same pump at higher rpms (the way the pool builder set it up initially). There is an open-ended pipe near the equipment where air is drawn when in spa mode.

Happy to provide further information or pictures if needed.

Thanks,
ews2001

 

[Jimrahbe]

ews,

My understanding is that water and air get mixed in a valve back inside the Spa wall... it can get plugged up and the flow stops.. I believe that the "guts' to the valve/jet can be removed and cleaned..

That said, it is something that I have no direct experience with... Let me see if I can get one of our Spa Experts to chime in on this one...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[MinerJason]

I'm far from an expert, but I did help a neighbor fix his spa jet with identical symptoms. Turned out of be a little piece of debris clogging the orifice inside the jet. My understanding is that most spa jets can be removed for repair or replacement, but they often require a special tool. We were able to use a pair of snap ring pliers to get the jet out, but the actual tool made for the job would have been much easier.

This is what I found online to help us diagnose the problem. It has a nice diagram explaining how spa jets work.
https://spapartsplus.com/update/docs/spu0114_Jets.html

 

[ews2001]

Thank you @MinerJason!

While in pool mode today, I removed the jet valve (which provides the directional flow), then grabbed my large/long screwdriver and with minor force twisted/scraped the screwdriver along the edges of the inner pipe. After about 10 seconds, 3 larger pieces of calcium came out of the jet and now the water is flowing as it was in the past. Here's a screenshot showing the culprits. Thanks to everyone who helped me fix the "funny-acting" valve!

 

[Mayorb]

There are a few variations, but a 13/16 socket on a two foot long extension will remove the jet. You have to remove the wall eyeball first.