Hot Tub Troubleshooting: Hot Tub Jet Problems

working hot tub jets
  • 1 hours
  • Beginner
  • 1

Hot tubs are wonderful when they are working right but not much fun when not. Generally, the problems with hot tubs relate to the jets. Here are some hot tub troubleshooting tips.

Hard Water

A minor problem with jets in new tubs can be that the mobile jets become fixed. This is nearly always because of a build-up of calcium caused by the water levels not being checked properly. The build of calcium is caused by the water being too hard. Test the water to check that this is the case. The only cure for this is to install a water softener for the tub.

No Pressure

When a spa tub is drained, there is a possibility that air will get into the pump and lock it. The air is elastic, so the pump loses traction on the water. The only way to fix this is to bleed the air out of the pump.

To do this you will need to access the pump and loosen the coupling to the discharge pipe—usually on top of the pump. It is important that you only loosen this coupling because the pressure generated by the pump will prevent you from getting it back in place. Switch the pump on and the air will be expelled with quite an audible hiss. Once all the air is clear the column of water will have been reinstated. When the pump starts spraying water you will have to quickly tighten the coupling.

Pump Problems

Occasionally you will find that the jets pulsate rather than provide a steady flow of water. This is often the sign that the filters need to be cleaned or replaced. It could also mean that your water level has fallen so low that a mixture of air and water is being drawn from the tub. Top up the tub and see if that corrects the problem.

If the pump still doesn’t provide a smooth flow of water, you will have to check the filters. The best way is to turn the tub off and remove the filters. Run the tub for long enough to see if the flow from the pump has been smoothed out. If it has, clean, or change the filters. Do not put the old filters back and continue using the tub—this could cause damage to the pump.

If the pump does not produce a smooth flow with the filters removed, there is the unlikely possibility of a blockage in the plumbing. Since the plumbing to be checked is around the pump it should not take too long to do.

With no blockage causing the problem the likely culprit is the pump itself or the electronics that control it. This is something that is best left to the experts.

Fortunately, most problems with hot tub jets are as easy to sort out as changing the filters or topping up the water level. A hard water problem should never arise in reality since a test of your water supply will have indicated that the tub required the water to be treated.