Spa Draining With the Pump Turned Off

[TexasBlue]

I have spa that sits above the pool. With the pump turned off, the spa is draining and sitting right below the jet returns. Is there a leak?

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
It is likely your check valve on the spa return has failed. Post a picture of your equipment pad, focusing on the piping for the returns.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.

 

[TexasBlue]

I replaced the check valve already. And let me go take pictures of the valves.

 

[mknauss]

Also please fill out your signature. The information really helps us help you.

 

[TexasBlue]

The pictures are attached. So far I have replaced the check valve and the actuator on the return side. I have not checked the suction side valve. I only replaced the actuator and not the gate. I did a dye test next on the return jets and I did not observe the dyes being sucked up. The only other openings that are below the jets are the following: a light fixture, 2 black baskets on the side (not sure what they do), the spa drain, and metal circular disk a the bottom of the spa (no sure what that does either).

 

[mknauss]

Close off the spa return side completely (will need to remove the actuator), and see if that stops its draining.

 

[TexasBlue]

I have tried that as well. Prior to me replacing the actuator, I manually close off the spa return side completely (pointing the off to the left side/spa return), and the water from the spa still drain down.

 

[mknauss]

Hmm -- OK. Any changes made when this started? I assume it had worked in the past?

 

[TexasBlue]

No changes recently. Can there be a leak in the jet returns? Could there be leak in the drain or the light fixture and the water level still stays below the jet return?

 

[mknauss]

Is your pool level falling more than expected? The spa fills up when you run the pump, then the level falls when the pump turns off. The water goes to the pool.

 

[TexasBlue]

Yes the pool water is falling more than expected.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Blue,

The leak will be just above where the water stops dropping. It looks like it stops just below the spa returns.

That normally means the check valve is bad... If you replaced the check valve and closing the return valve to the full spa off position did not help, that means to me that the water is leaking somewhere in the spa return plumbing.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[mknauss]

That is not good. Then you may have a leak. The leak would normally be at the level the water stops. Are there any unusual wet spots in or around the pool area?

 

[TexasBlue]

I suspected it was the spa jet as that is where the water line has been staying at, but I did dye test on each one of the spa jets when the water line was above them but it did not seem to suck in the dye. This is why I asked if it is still possible that that leak can be a the light fixtures or the spa drain. So those are lower fixtures are ruled out then right?

 

[mknauss]

Is the water level in the spa the same as the pool water level when it stabilizes?

 

[TexasBlue]

The water level in the spa is about the same as the pool water, maybe a little lower. It is hard to tell exactly.

 

[mknauss]

I suspect you have a leak in the spa system at approximately the level the water stabilizes at, as Jim noted above.

 

[TexasBlue]

I am not sure if this is due the spa sitting higher than the pool, but the water level in the spa measures 30'' and the pool measures 40''.

 

[TexasBlue]

You think it is around the jet returns, and not any of the lower fixtures such as the light fixtures or the spa drain? Is there plug I can buy to plug up the spa returns to test that out?

 

[mknauss]

I suspect the spa returns are daisy chained together. So plugging one does no good. You would need to plug all of them. Likely need to remove the jet assembly to plug them.

Leak would be at the level the water stays at.