Spa Air Line - Can't find valve to install that can open/close

[bagelman5000]

I have an attached spa to my pool that has an air line that when the system is in Spa mode draws air from the pipe to mix in and produce bubbles through the jets. The pipe is just a vertical pipe at the valving that has a few holes drilled into it and is tied into the spa return line. I don't have a booster pump for that function and the line always produces bubbles because the line just has holes with no way to close them.

I'd like to if possible put a valve on the air line so that I can control whether bubbles are produced or not. It is a 2" PVC pipe that I could cut and put some sort of open/close valve onto to control the air flow, but I can't seem to find anything online that fits the application.

Any ideas?

 

[ajw22]

I think you can just cut the pipe in the middle and insert a diverter valve to adjust the air flow.

 

[bagelman5000]

I think you can just cut the pipe in the middle and insert a diverter valve to adjust the air flow.

Good suggestion. I may be over thinking this thinking there is a ready made product for this setup.

Is there any issue with withholding air if the line is totally closed? If there is no air, it is still just moving water. I'm not going to suck in the line or something, right?

 

[ajw22]

The suction on the air line is very weak. Nothing bad should happen if you block the air line.

Put a piece of tape over the hole in the top of the line and see how it behaves before you cut a valve in. You could just flap a piece of tape that closes the hole when you don't want air for a low budget fix.

 

[HermanTX]

The suction on the air line is very weak. Nothing bad should happen if you block the air line.

Put a piece of tape over the hole in the top of the line and see how it behaves before you cut a valve in. You could just flap a piece of tape that closes the hole when you don't want air for a low budget fix.

Tape works. I was thinking of a cork - you can put all types of sizes from Ace Hardware or a craft store. Another option is to make that hole a 1/2 npt and put a nipple and valve on it. Therefore you do not have to cut your larger pipe. There are many options to control flow from a single port.

 

[ajw22]

I would not put anything on the hole that may be sucked in or dropped into the existing air hole.