Spa Repair - How to Repair Your Own Spa or Hot Tub; Part 2- My Spa Pump Is Not Working
A modern jacuzzi consist of a least one pump, and in many cases up to 5 different pumps. Most spas today have 2-3 pumps.
The spa pump performs the following functions:
• It circulates the water over the heater in order to heat the water
• It circulates the water over the filter in order to keep the water safe and clean
• It provides the hydro therapy functions• It provides mist (if a mister is installed)
• It distributes ozone throughout the spa water• It distributes the spa chemicals in the water
The pumps, being mechanical pieces of equipment, will be repaired more than any other piece of equipment on your spa .
The majority of troubles and failures are due to the following reasons
1. Poor maintenance
2. Failure to early detect signs that the pump is on its way "out".
What do I mean with that?
Well, inside the pump between the "dry end" of the pump, the motor, and the "wet end" of the pump, the wet end, is a small ceramic seal.
That seal is in constant contact with the water in the spa. And it is therefore susceptible to the condition of the water. If the spa water is too acidic (below 7.0 pH) the acid in the water will start to corrode. And if that situation continues without being noticed the seal will develop a small leak.
That leak will be a trickle at first and very difficult to detect.Little by little you will start to see a little steady stream of water appear from the bottom (=you have trouble).If you are able to catch the leak at this stage, your spa repair will most likely consist of basically replacing the seal. It will cost you under $200.
But, if this leak keeps increasing undetected, your will most likely get into a situation where water is starting to leak in to the motor. The motor will then break down.
The moral of this story is; If you see just a little bit of water coming out from underneath you spa. Turn off the spa, turn off the circuit breaker feeding the spa and call you Spa Repair Company.
What can you as a home owner do yourself to avoid costly spa repairs?
1. Maintain the water chemistry in the spa every week. If you cannot do that, then hire Hot Tub Service Company. It will safe you lots of money over the lifetime of your spa.
2. Do a Drain and Clean of the spa at least two times twice per year, more frequently depending on usage
3. Hire a spa service company that will come to your house once per year and do a preventative maintenance checkup. The price for this will be around $100, but it is money spent wisely.
Early signals to pay attention to;
1. Small trickle of water coming out from under the spa.
2. The pump sounds "funny"
3. The water pressure from the jets
is not as strong as usual
Preventative Maintenance WILL safe you money. Spa repairs will quickly become very costly
