Ideas to remove a stuck CMP Spa Master Top Draw Air Control?

[Websherpa]

I've had an issue with sticky CMP (Custom Colded Products) Spa Master Top Draw Air Controls (Gray 1") before, but now one is so stuck that trying to loosen it is also loosening the locking nut behind the fibreglass stairs it's attached to.

So I am lookng for possible ideas for removing this Air Control / Knob intact before I break out the Dremel.

This is what the whole assmbly looks like but essentially the air control is one with the knob and is molded to a threaded pipe (within a threaded bulkhead housing) with a hole in it and as you turn it you let in more air to be drawn into the stair jets. Closing it pushes an o-ring to the bulkhead to cut off the air completely.

You can't see the bulkhead in the photo as it gets completely enclosed by the cap. There is an o-ring deep underneath and inset in that cap that I am betting hardened and stuck to the bulkhead over winter (perhaps I won't leave them in any more).

Anyone experienced anything similar and have an idea to loosen it? I've tried "the jerk", tried prying it a little, can't seem to get at the bulkhead underneath to keep it from turning loose. I was thinking about pressurizing that branch with a Wet Vac/Blower next... ... or

Or ... jump straight to the Dremel and then give it to my dog to finish off! (I have a replacement on order, but not being in the US, I had no idea how hard it is to source parts if you're not a Pool Installer....!

Thank you in advance!

 

[proavia]

Have you tried tightening it just a little and then loosening it?

 

[Websherpa]

Yes, sorry, forgot to mention that trick as well. It's still stuck. I am hoping to receive replacement parts from the US today and THEN I take the blow torch or dremel to it this weekend I guess. ;-)

 

[proavia]

Good luck. Let us know how the removal goes.

 

[santacruzpool]

I have a similar valve I damaged on my hot tub: Waterway 660-4401 2.5" TruSeal Short Body Air Control

My valve was a little tight turning, and I saw an air valve repair video on youtube that showed how the top cap just popped up and off and the guts can be cleaned and/or replaced - much like how my diverter valves can be worked on - so I decided mine should as well...I pried the top cap off, and when it eventually did come off, and uncovered the piston and everything inside, I found out that I had damaged the cap since it wasn't designed to come off at all...oops.

I have it sort of working OK now, but I am at some point going to have to replace it as it doesn't shut the air off very well anymore. I have a replacement sorted out, but I will need to grind mine out since it is glued right to a manifold on the bottom side. There is no extra pipe to cut, or any easy way to get up to that area to work on it, so I will have to cut/machine off the top flange so I can pull it back through the fiberglass hole and then cut the remaining threaded part off of the manifold - I am hoping I can cut the rest of the part free from the manifold with out damage and then glue my new one back to the original manifold. Right now that is not a job I want to attempt.

Keep us updated on how your repair goes.