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A hot tub air control is simply a valve, 95% of the time it is located spa topside, the actual control is just a pipe, plumbed to the jets, with a knob that allows you to control the amount of air introduced into the hot tub's jet system. Turning the knob counter-clockwise increases the air, turning clockwise decreases or shuts off the air.
Located on your spa these round knobs allow the water flowing through the jets to suck air into the venturi. If water is coming OUT of the air control, you have some sort of jet blockage, remove your hot tub jet inserts by turning counter clockwise and remove any built up debris. Don't force them, clean your insert and check for broken or missing o-rings (not on all spas). If a round gasket comes out when you remove the jet insert, be sure you put it back (not on all spas). There are numerous jet manufacturers with their own distinct characteristics so please ring us if you need advice. |
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Air blowers pump air into the hot tub water by typically blowing air through holes in the seat or less commonly the floor. These are used less in today's spas because they tend to waste energy by reducing the spa's water temperature. They may even be tied into the jet air opening but they are not typically connected to the circulation system. They have their own pipe that goes directly to the air injectors.
When
checking the pump operation blowers can cause confusion as they also cause water movement. Therefore when starting after a cleandown, don't start the blower if possible so you can see the water coming from the jets. They are usually installed with a check valve or a hartford loop which attempts to keep water from tracking back to them. Both these systems fail, and blowers need to be replaced occasionally. If your blower is making loud noises simply replace it, as replacing the motor is rather difficult due to sourcing the exact equivalent and also you usually will destroy the housing removing it. |
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A relay is in lamens terms a switch that consists of two independent circuits. The lower power circuit controls an electromagnet which in turn operates the contacts, opening and closing the high power circuit (such as the heater or pump). When the control circuit is not energized, the spring pulls the contact armature away, the circuit is not complete, and the device (such as heater) is shut off. if your relay goes on your PCB board, unfortunately we do not have the capability to retrofit new relays and in our experience it is just quicker and in the long run more economical to replace the PCB board. |
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The hot tub control system or box is the brains of your hot tub system, it consists of a printed circuit board (PCB) inside and is the most expensive thing to replace on you hot tub. Controllers run your spa system in a logical sequence.
For example, most spas operate a two speed pump motor. The controller only allows the low speed to come on when the high speed is NOT on, thus saving the motor from an overload. It can also assure that the heater will only heat when the pump is in low speed. |
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A hot tub diverter valve allows specific zone control of the jet action in hot tubs. It allows you to divert water from one group of jets to another. The majority but not all spas are supplied with diverter valves. |
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If the spa's filter cartridge is not housed in the skimmer, it may be separately housed in a filter canister in the equipment enclosure. These are available with bottom plumbing or top plumbing; pressure, suction, or universal types are also available.
If this is cracked and is a Waterway (look for markings) we can get replacement (3-4 weeks delivery), please ring us for assistance. |
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The spa filter cartridge element is either housed in a compartment in the spa itself, often with an integral skimmer basket, or may have its own standalone filter canister. Its job is essentially to remove dirt and particles from the water so that it maintains a clear state, in essence all body oils and debris are removed by a filter.
Cartridge filters either are suction type, incorporated into the skimmer, or they are pressure type; sometimes mounted under the cabinet with a locking ring for removal or sometimes mounted on the spa shell with topside access. The pump either sucks or pushes water through it.
Whichever type you have it needs to be cleaned regularly, we say if you are on aquafinesse or any once weekly spa treatment – clean your filter once a week. Our water wand is the best seller on our website, but other than that cleaning amounts to removing it from its canister and opening up the individual pleats and blasting them with a hose nozzle to remove imbedded dirt.
If you find your pump performance lacking or jets massage pressure reduced always check your filter. The manufacturer say the life is 6 months – but with care and attention the filters should last you 12 months – filter rotation is always a clever way to increase the life of your filter as allowing it to dry (whilst you replace with another set) allows the pleats to reform and the bacteria to dry. Never dishwash or pressure wash! |
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Hot tub flow switches are usually in the plumbing, they are grey or white with a small cord coming out of them that goes to the spa controller. They utilize a little paddle type device that is pushed by water flow until it activates a little switch. The switch should be isolated from the water. If, when you open your flow switch water comes out, you must replace it. Otherwise, with the power off remove the leads to the terminals, make sure they aren't touching anything and power up. With flow established check the switch to be sure it is closing using your meter set on ohms. You should have continuity through the switch. If not replace it. |
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High current fuse of the type typically found in a ho tub control system. Current ratings range from 10 to 60 amps. These are specialist fuses and thats why they come at such a price. |
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A RCD is an electrical safety device designed to immediately switch the electricity off when electricity "leaking" to earth is detected at a level harmful to a person using electrical equipment. A RCD offers a high level of personal protection from electric shock.
RCDs have an important advantage - they reduce the risk of fire by detecting electrical leakage to earth in electrical wiring and accessories. This is particularly significant in older installations. RCDs work on the principle "What goes in must come out". They operate by continuously comparing the current flow in both the Active (supply) and Neutral (return) conductors of an electrical circuit.
If the current flow becomes sufficiently unbalanced, some of the current in the Active conductor is not returning through the Neutral conductor and is leaking to earth. RCDs are designed to operate within 10 to 50 milliseconds and to disconnect the electricity supply when they sense harmful leakage, typically 30 milliamps it trips and breaks the circuit if there is any imbalance, such as might be caused by a bad heater element.
Engineers make alot of money by pushing reset buttons and there are more than one on most systems. You should be aware of where they are and what they do. NO POWER is the symptom when the RCD is tripped as it interrupts power to everything. They are distinguished by their rectangular shape and have a "test" and "reset" button. If your RCD won't reset or immediately trips when reset, it is probably doing it's job protecting you from a faulty component.
Heaters, with their immersion elements are frequently the troublesome component, as they become pitted and allow water to trip the system out. Try turning down your temperature so the heater is removed from the system and try again. If the RCD now resets and you have power, you'll probably find that turning the Temperature back up will cause a trip again. Not a good sign for your heater, follow our heater troubleshooting guide before ordering a new heater or element.
Blowers are also suspect as a faulty member. Check valves can fail and cause water to leak into the motor. This would (should) cause the RCD to trip immediately. If it's not the blower or the heater, it could also be your Ozone Generator. They also have check valves that can fail.
RCD's are extremely sensitive. Often lightning can cause them to trip. Heavy humidity and or condensation can also cause a trip that doesn't necessarily indicate a problem, merely a condition. Simply pushing the reset button will in many cases restore your spa to working order. If it is tripping frequently or when a particular component is in use, a thorough check is in order. |
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The spa heater element consists of special nichrome wire which creates heat as a result of its resistance to the electricity flowing through it. It is surrounded by a powdered ceramic, and encapsulated in a very strong metal sheath.
Heater elements in spas usually fail due to corrosion from improper water chemistry. When a small amount of water penetrates the sheath, the resulting short will normally cause the RCD to trip, shutting down all power to the spa. They are known as resistive type heater that heats the water as it flows over the element. Water flow is paramount to proper operation. Without this flow, if the heater came on, it would burn up very quickly and can even damage pipes. Nearly all spa systems in the UK are equipped with various controls to keep this from happening but sometimes these controls can be tricked and get confused (believe it or not).
It is important that you think of your heater when draining your spa. Always turn the temperature all the way down before draining. Do this even as you unplug it or turn breakers off. You don't want the heater to come on when you first restart your spa! Turn only your pump on first to be sure it is primed and working before you start heating your spa. This is not a good time to have your blower on. You need to see water flowing from your jets before you turn up the temperature. View how to troubleshoot your heater element. |
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The spa heater manifold or stainless steel tube surrounds the heater element, allowing water to flow through and exchange heat. It may also house the high limit and pressure switch and has plumbing couplings on either end.
In newer spas the heater tube has sensors mounted to provide accurate data to the PCB board in regards to water flow and temperature – it is very rare that the tube will leak but the terminal bolts can get rusty so always check for this and restore as necessary. |
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The high limit is a safety switch which is normally closed until there is a problem with excessive temperature. Once the temp reaches its set point, it latches open, breaking the circuit. This prevents the heater from meltdown if there is an equipment failure.
If your high limit is tripping within a few minutes of activating the heater CHECK FLOW! Little or no water flow will cause this. If it trips at the end of the heating cycle it's probably because at the end, when the pump turns off, the element is still hot, and the water is hot. The temperature at the element can go up for a few seconds and will sometimes trip the high limit. It's best to replace the high limit if this happens all the time. |
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The impeller is found in the wet end of the pump. Its partner in crime is the wear ring – always ensure you buy the right wear ring for the right powered impellor. Different manufacturers make impellors so when replacing it please give us a ring to discuss the replacement as they cannot be interchanged between manufacturers Its function is to spin with the pump motor, centrifugally pulling water in (suction side) and forcing it out (pump discharge end).
To view pump removal and inspection please click here |
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We stock a huge variety of jets, and believe us they come in many shapes and sizes, click here for our jet identifier guide. Jets use a venturi system to provide this mixture. The force of the water from the pump, flowing through the jet opening pulls air through a hole designed for this purpose. There are probably 25 different jet manufacturers and everyone has their own special way of making the venturi principle work. The air control on the side of you spa allows you to decide whether or not you want air in your jets. For instance, when heating you may not. (any-time ambient temperature air is introduced you are cooling your water.)
Jets over time will start to pop out this is due to slightly poor water chemistry, even for the most fastidious of hot tub users this is inevitable after a certain period of time – it is due to a breakdown of the locking clips and the only way to solve the problem is to buy new jets.
Click to see How to MAINTAIN your hot tub jets? |
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The spa light assembly sits in the spa itself and illuminates the area, we stock waterway as they lead the market (we do two types), sometimes if damaged they can leak shorting out the system as routine maintence check both the internal and external part of the light as a small drip over a long time can ruin pumps.
The lights either consist of a colored lens cover using a clear buld or if you go technical you can have a multi led light controlled via the topside control. |
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The ozonator is a device which produces ozone for spa water purification, Ozone is active oxygen, O3. It occurs naturally in the earth's atmosphere to protect us from the sun's harmful rays.. The ozonator is connected electrically to the spa's controller to operate with the low speed pump. The ozone is introduced into the jet lines using an ozone injector or mazzei.
In the quantities needed for water purification, it has no noticeable odor, taste or color. It is not irritating to humans or equipment. Ozone purifies water and air very quickly and efficiently, 3,000 times faster than chlorine. Ozone leaves no by-products except pure oxygen. In contrast, chlorine leaves a chemical by-product called hypochloric acid and additional salts in water applications.
Ozone can be produced by ultraviolet (UV) light or by corona discharge (CD). Ultraviolet works by a special lamp giving off a specific wavelength of ultraviolet light which converts oxygen (O2) molecules into ozone (O3) molecules by splitting the oxygen molecules into individual oxygen atoms (O1) which then recombine with oxygen molecules to form ozone. This all occurs instantly inside the ozone chamber in the ozone generator.
Whilst corona discharge ozone generation works by producing Ozone by passing air through a high voltage electrical discharge or corona. Corona discharge ozonators typically produce more ozone than UV bulbs and are more efficient than the older style UV ozonators.
Both system run for 18 months and then need replacing – with corona discharge you can typically by a chip to help reduce the replacement costs. |
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The ozone injector is device which draws ozone into the water flow from the attached ozonator via flexible tubing or bypass manifold, using Venturi action. Sometimes called a Mazzei injector. |
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This make hot tubbing comfortable, here are a few tips for extending their life and to ensure your headrests remain in good condition, the tips maybe a bit over the top for general usage however:
1. Ideally remove your headrests when your hot tub is not in use, as this will extend their life.
2. Your headrests need to be rinsed regularly in tap water to remove chemical residue. We advise rinsing after each use, and then storing away from direct sunlight.
3. You MUST ALWAYS remove headrests when you add sanitiser or shock dose treatment. Headrests should be removed for at least 15 minutes, while the spa pumps are run, and the cover should be off. If this is not followed then the headrests are exposed to gas between the water surface and cover which will cause the headrests to delaminate.
4. Make sure your hot tub water is always balanced, as an excessive sanitiser level or high/low PH level will affect the headrests. To ensure your hot tub is always perfectly balanced then test your hot tub water every day. |
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The pressure switch or flow switch is a safety device which shuts off the heater circuit if water flow is interrupted. Closed during normal spa operation, it snaps open if pump fails or an air pocket forms. This prevents the heater from meltdown if there is an equipment failure. Therefore correct setting up of the pressure is essential, as with us all they get more sensitive with age and might need recalibrating to stop FLO errors from occuring.
You must have flow for the hot tub pressure switch to activate! To check for activation: with power off, disconnect the leads going to the pressure switch. Make sure they aren't touching anything. Power up and turn on low pump. With your meter on ohms, check across the poles of the switch. You should have continuity. If not and you know flow is not the issue, most pressure switches have an adjusting collar that will vary the pressure it takes to activate it. Counter clockwise turns decrease pressure required. Turn the power off before attempting any adjustment! Make all adjustments slowly and try again. WARNING, if you go too far the pressure switch may activate with the pump off. This is the last thing you want to happen!!! Always check to be sure that the heater goes off when the pump does! If you are certain flow is present, but your pressure switch isn't activating you may want to remove it and be sure no debris is clogging it up. Pressure switches are in contact with the water, when you remove it water will come out (or should). |
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If your spa's control box has a printed circuit board inside, it is an electronic control system. When refitting or with existing boards a common problem is the wires coming into the terminal block work loose due to pump vibration, they then short and damage the board, therefore a quick remedy is to silicote the screws in the terminal block removing this potential problem, if the board is burn’t on the front or back or the relay's are malfunctioning, then unfortunately you will need a replacement – click here to go to identify your type of board. |
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The jet pump is what moves the spa water. Most modern spa pumps are one or two-speed designs. Unions are installed at either end. If the control system is the brains then the pump is definitely the engine and heart of the system.
In lamens terms a pump consists of 2 parts: the wet end (the plastic bit), which contains the impeller (for pushing the water out), and the motor which turns the impeller. The water enters the wet end through the suction (centrally positioned on the wet end front face) and returns this water under pressure through to the jets by way of the discharge point. Water will be sucked through your skimmer and/or main drain, and possibly your filter, if it is the suction kind. At this point, the impeller works forcing the water out of the pump and pushing it through the filter (if it's a pressure filter) then the heater on its way to the jets
The heater is very dependent on this flow of water. It will be severely damaged if it comes on when there isn't water flow. The pump is there to supply this flow. The filter must also have flow in order to be filtering. Often spas with electric heaters will have two speed pump motors, many 240 volt self contained spas require two speed pumps for the heating cycle to accommodate high current requirements while heating.
Click to see how to identify your pump, to install your wet end , and to install a new pump. |
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The pump seals separate the wet end from the pump motor, which is the dry end. Bad seals are a common cause of hot tub leaks. The job of the pump seal is to keep water in the "wet end" and out of the pump motor. It is very important to always change the pump seal assembly anytime the motor is replaced or serviced. Click here to see how to install a seal
Pump seal failure causes motor damage because water can leak down the shaft of the motor causing corrosion and more, usually pitting the shaft and therefore ruining the whole motor. Always check around pump for leaking which can indicate pump seal failure. Many times the seal can be replaced in time before motor damage. Check as part of your annual Spa MOT. |
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The spa's skimmer is located at the waterline, and may incorporate a removable skimmer basket. It is often where the filter cartridge is housed. The skimmer traps large debris prior to filtration. |
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The spa side (topside) control and decal (the sticker on the front of the topside) is the keypad which controls various spa functions such as heater, jet pumps, light, blower etc. It typically features a digital temperature readout either LCD or LED and temperature control. It connects directly to the control box.
They sometimes suffer from corrosion on their connectors. Checking for corrosion at the point they join to the circuit board can save you money without the need for a service technician. If you have a intermittent fault then it maybe moisture at the PCB connection, dry it out, this may easily sort the problem. Repair of electronic spa sides is usually accomplished by replacement. There are no serviceable parts inside the potting that seals the unit. Click here - To see how to correctly fit a Topside Panel |
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The spa's suction assembly is typically located in the footwell, and returns water to the pump. It incorporates a cover to prevent debris entry. Some spas will have more than one suction fitting as a safety feature. |
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A thermowell is a protective housing for thermostat or high limit bulbs, which in turn sense water temperature. There are several types:thermowell, a self-contained PVC thermowell fitting and finally a sensor mount which allows direct retrofitting of a thermostat sensor by tapping a threaded hole into existing spa plumbing. A sensor mount is often the easiest method for adding to a system which does not already have a thermowell. |
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Pump unions are typically PVC fittings used to mate the pump suction and discharge to the spa's plumbing and heater connections. The unions facilitate easy removal of the pump when servicing the hot tub.
Pumps utilize the buttress thread type (i.e. MBT = male buttress thread). UNION FITTINGS: These make work easier and allow for quick disconnect of components. They consist of a male threaded part and a female threaded collar that mate with an o-ring in the middle to seal it together. Hand tight is fine. Only apply limited pressure with channel locks.
If your joint is leaking try lubricating or replacing the o-ring. Sealers like silicone should NOT be used. The threads do not need to be taped. Pressure applied to the o-ring is what seals the two parts together.
The most common pump union is 2"....less common is 2-1/2".....circulation pumps can use 1-1/2"
The
Pump union are never measured on the union itself and you should follow this guide below :
1-1/2" Union outside diameter = 2-7/8"
2" Union outside diameter = 3-1/2"
2-1/2" Union outside diameter = 4-1/4" |
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Hot tub valves are typically located at the suction side of the pump and at the heater output. Shown is the gate/knife valve, you may also have the ball style valve (less common). The purpose of these valves is to allow removal of spa equipment without the need for draining the hot tub.
Valves allow for the control and shut-off of water. Hose bib type valves allow for draining, T handled valves allow for water shut off during service of your pack. When they are up, they're open, down, is closed. Ball valves do the same as T handled valves just operate differently, if the handle is parallel to the pipe, it's open, perpendicular, it's closed.
Check valves prevent water from flowing in the wrong direction. They can be spring loaded or flapper type. |
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The wet end bolts onto the motor to form the pump. It comes in 48 or 56 frames – click here on how to determine wet end sizing.
It contains the impeller which moves the spa water; pump seals are located in the wet end. The front is the suction side of the pump. Wet ends are available in side discharge (shown) and center discharge configurations.
Additionally, here is a measurement guide for the actual wet end connected to the motor :
1-1/2" wet end outside diameter screw thread = 2-3/8"
2" wet end outside diameter screw thread = 3"
2-1/2" wet end outside diameter screw thread = 3-1/2"
Click here to see how to work with wet end's |
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