Spa return line eyeball came out?

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CajunGuy

CajunGuy

Well-known member
Apr 6, 2016
346
Louisiana
I have one return line (from my main pump) to my spa that is located near the bottom wall (if you were sitting in the spa, it would be located behind your calf) and it has an eyeball with a slit pointing down. I'm assuming it is built this way as a precautionary measure of directing any heated water downward, so it wouldn't burn anybody? The other day I noticed the eyeball was loose and it rotated freely, but I didn't know if this was normal or not. Well, a couple days later it came out. I inspected the eyeball and it appeared to have a little area on top that the plastic may have broke at causing it to come out. Are these eyeballs supposed to come out like that or should they not move and stay point downward? The part that screws in it still there, just the circular eyeball with the slit came out, but like I said, it looks like it may have broke off and then pooped out when the spa return line was turned on.

Another concern of mine was that we continued to use the spa that day, but the water was just coming straight out instead of downward and the opening is now bigger due to the fact that the eyeball came out. Since the opening is bigger, will the reduction in pressure have any adverse effects of the use of the spa? It seemed to work fine.
 
That is probably the recirc return for the spa spillover to the pool. You can screw it back on. Doesn't matter which way it points. And it won't hurt if it is not there except it will reduce the pressure coming out of the other returns on that plumbing line. Which are probably in the pool.
 
pooldv said:
That is probably the recirc return for the spa spillover to the pool. You can screw it back on. Doesn't matter which way it points. And it won't hurt if it is not there except it will reduce the pressure coming out of the other returns on that plumbing line. Which are probably in the pool.
Click to expand...

Yes, I didn't know the technical name, but that's it. It's the only return I have in my spa that is plumbed into my main pool pump plumbing. All the other returns (I think 8 total) are near the top of the spa and are plumbed to only the spa pump I believe.

Would do you mean by "you can screw it back on"? The eyeball popped out somehow, but the fitting is still screwed in. I could try pushing it back in, but I'm thinking it will eventually pop out again. I guess my only other option is just getting a new fitting with the eyeball included?

Why does this eyeball have a slit in the bottom? Just trying to learn.
 
pooldv said:
Oh, some screw on and some push in. The slit at the bottom one is normally for sun shelf, so it pushes water across the shelf, although fine for this application too. You can just push it back in if it will stay.

Here are some
Pool Eyeball Fitting with Slotted Opening, Hayward SP1419A, Pentair 540000 | Sunplay.com
Pentair Slotted Inlet Fitting 540053 | Pentair 540053
Pool Eyeball Fitting with Slotted Opening, CMP 25554-000-000 | Sunplay.com
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So, if it keeps popping out, then I should just unscrew the fitting and put a new inlet fitting in with a new eyeball? Do you recommend any certain inlet fitting eyeballs for this application? Would there be any negative effects if I just left the eyeball out?
 
It doesnt matter which you use. Smaller eyeball equals more pressure and less flow, larger is opposite. The only negative effect of leaving it out is that much more water will move through the open return vs the returns that have eyeballs on them which will send more water into the spa and less pressure to the pool returns.
 
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