Help identifying this valve thing

[Rcckks96]

Hi all, hopefully someone here knows what this thing i broke is. It was leaking water, so i unscrewed it, added some plumbers tape, screwed it back and and then the cap broke because it's old and brittle apparently. I have no idea with this thing is. It sits on the concrete next to my steps that have a couple return valves. Does anyone know what this is or where i could get a new one? Right now it gushes water when the pump is running so i'm in a bit of a bind. Thanks!

 

[Dirk]

Someone here will know. I'll bump your post for ya. I'm going to guess something to do with adding/controlling air and bubbles. Is that right next to a spa?

 

[Rcckks96]

No spa. It’s just steps that lead down into the pool. The walls of the steps have some returns for circulation I guess.

 

[ajw22]

You see any names or numbers on the broken cap?

What size is it?

 

[Dirk]

Check out this page:

Spa Air Controls

Your part is probably on there. Not recommending this supplier necessarily, just googled "spa air control" and a bunch of pic's and sites popped up.

Does water come out of that fixture in the corner of what looks to be a step or bench in your pool? Looks to me like someone intended to sit there and have a little spa action on their back. The mystery valve thing probably controls the amount of bubbles that shoot out of that jet (if that's what it is).

 

[zea3]

Could be a deck jet.

 

[Rcckks96]

Interesting, it looks like some of those things in the link you provided. The top cap broke off, and the bottom screw section is still in (I’ll have to figure out how to unscrew it). I’ve just always had it screwed in as tight as possible otherwise water leaks out. I had no idea it was supposed to control airflow. Weird.

 

[Rcckks96]

Does water come out of that fixture in the corner of what looks to be a step or bench in your pool?

Yes. So water AND air are supposed to come out? It’s always just been water. It’s probably just been broken the whole 4 years I’ve owned this pool? I mean, that valve thing has just been non functioning this whole time? Since only water ever comes out of the jet in the pool by the steps, and if that valve thing is too loose, water comes leaking out onto the concrete.

 

[Dirk]

Yes. So water AND air are supposed to come out? It’s always just been water. It’s probably just been broken the whole 4 years I’ve owned this pool? I mean, that valve thing has just been non functioning this whole time? Since only water ever comes out of the jet in the pool by the steps, and if that valve thing is too loose, water comes leaking out onto the concrete.

Remember, I'm only guessing... I've seen controls like that around a spa. And they worked the way I described. So that's all I'm going on. We need someone with a spa and control like that to happen by to confirm... Or maybe take the cap and the picture down to a local spa retailer and see if they know what's up. Or try the folks at the link I gave you, or some other online spa place, send them the pic and see if they can identify what that is, and what you need to get it to work.

If it were mine, I'd be tempted to force water or air down it, to see if either came out of that fixture in the pool. That would at least confirm they're connected and meant to work together...