Possible spa return leak.. here we go again

[Fpppool]

Hi All,

I've been monitoring water level drops on and off for the past couple of years. This time I think I have possible evidence of a leak somewhere. Long story short, when I keep the spa return running all the time (8 hours a day now), I see 1/2 inch drop of pool water level in 2 to 3 days. Temps have not been really hot these past days, and humidity has been above 50%. In the past 2 weeks I have also noticed that the spa is losing 4 inches of water overnight, when the return valve is open. On Sunday, I closed the return valve and programmed the spa spillover to run 15 minutes a day. Since then, I have not seen the spa water level dropping more than half an inch overnight.

Could this be evidence of a possible leak on spa return line? I guess, only a company with the right tools can tell for sure?

Some pictures attached.

BTW I call the spa return the pipe that pushes water from the bottom of the spa up. The spillover lines would be the jets. Sorry I am not using the right terminology.

Thanks

 

[Jimrahbe]

Fernando,

What you are calling your "Spa Return Line" is actually the "Make-up Line". This is what causes your Spa to spillover when in the pool mode.

When you use the Spillway function, the Make-up line should be shut off as it is no longer needed.

If the spa drains down overnight, it is most likely because the check valve in the make up line is bad.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Fpppool]

Fernando,

What you are calling your "Spa Return Line" is actually the "Make-up Line". This is what causes your Spa to spillover when in the pool mode.

When you use the Spillway function, the Make-up line should be shut off as it is no longer needed.

If the spa drains down overnight, it is most likely because the check valve in the make up line is bad.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thanks for the quick reply!
Question: "the check valve in the make up line is bad" meaning it is letting water back into the pool? or should I be seeing water leaking from the check valve?

 

[Jimrahbe]

F,

When the pump is running in the pool mode, the purpose of the check valve is to allow water to flow from the equipment pad and into your spa, causing the overflow. But with the pump is off, it prevents water from flowing backwards from the raised spa and back through the equipment pad and into the pool.

Basically, when the check valve flap gets dirty or wears out, water will flow backward through the check valve and find it way back into the pool. This will allow the water in the spa to drain down and appears to be a leak. No water is actually lost, it just moves from the spa into the pool.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Fpppool]

F,

When the pump is running in the pool mode, the purpose of the check valve is to allow water to flow from the equipment pad and into your spa, causing the overflow. But with the pump is off, it prevents water from flowing backwards from the raised spa and back through the equipment pad and into the pool.

Basically, when the check valve flap gets dirty or wears out, water will flow backward through the check valve and find it way back into the pool. This will allow the water in the spa to drain down and appears to be a leak. No water is actually lost, it just moves from the spa into the pool.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thanks!

 

[Fpppool]

hi all,
So... it took me a while, but I think I've found the culprit. The JVA2440 actuator for the spa/pool intake is closing a few degrees past the mark. It starts perfectly aligned with the pool intake but it does not stop at the 180 degrees.
Questions are:
anyone with experience with this problem?
is this something easy to fix like replacing the limit switch? I have not dissassembled it yet so not sure if there is any obvious issue like a busted gear.
would this be a decent replacement in case I have to replace it? Amazon.com

Thanks!

 

[generessler]

I'm not familiar with that brand of valve actuator, but others I've seen have position determined by cams that operate limit micro-switches. The cams are easily adjustable. Maybe yours slipped a little. A bad switch would probably cause the valve not to move at all. Look for installation/setup instructions for your actuator to find the adjustment procedure.

My guess is this is a quick fix. But trust the experts first. I'm not one .

 

[Fpppool]

I'm not familiar with that brand of valve actuator, but others I've seen have position determined by cams that operate limit micro-switches. The cams are easily adjustable. Maybe yours slipped a little. A bad switch would probably cause the valve not to move at all. Look for installation/setup instructions for your actuator to find the adjustment procedure.

My guess is this is a quick fix. But trust the experts first. I'm not one .

Thanks for replying. I'll dissassemble it later this week and see if I can adjust the cams