Spa Pump Low Speed Issues - not previously addressed
Hi there, I'm new to this forum and looking for some direction on an issue that seems to be unique to what I've been able to find so far.
I have a waterway executive 56 3hp pump for my old Sundance spa. It sat for a while over the summer after a move and the motor shaft rusted and caused some problems. After replacing the seal, impeller and motor bearings, I have yet another problem - the low speed doesn't work unless you give it a bit of a spin. High speed works fine. This motor has a start winding vs the start capacitor. The starting switch in the motor operates properly (both mechanically and electrically). I have checked the resistance in the windings and I do not have a short or open in the start winding.
So, any ideas on what direction to go with this thing would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Last edited by garwayne; 12-29-20 at 07:43 PM.
Reason: typo
Thanks for the reply. it's my understanding that is the 'run' capacitor. In any event, I have replaced that with no change in the operation.
One thing I'd add is that when putting an ohm meter across the windings and manually moving the centrifugal switch you can see the start winding resistance drop out.
Bought a home with a built in outdoor hot tub. I did not use it for quite some time and have been taking the water in to be tested every few days for the past month or so. Water keeps testing for high metals and the store has been giving me various chemicals to draw out the metals. The issues with water hardness, PH and alkalinity have all been fixed but still working on the metals issue. Now I go to treat it again and there is stuff growing in there, as well as even some kind of worm creature. Don’t even know how this is possible given the bromine that goes in there every week. The store will send someone from service next week but can’t get anyone sooner due to the holidays.
Wondering if anyone can help me identify what the heck is growing in there because I sent photos to the store and they couldn’t figure it out either. It is so gross.
[img]https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.doityourselft.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/c8773df7_c705_42d2_b225_52f92c6c934e_d326382ee34ca3e2cd1c4c99a5170442a1087bb5.jpeg[/img]
[i]White gelatinous stuff growing by what I think it the filter?[/i]
[img]https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.doityourselft.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/fbee636c_ac48_4d3a_b6c2_6367cd0425ce_64711648ae947f8ea4ab130f682874897127979d.jpeg[/img]
[i]White gelatinous stuff growing on stairs[/i]
[img]https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.doityourselft.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/81ed6059_7deb_49e2_9463_40e3c0063c3f_7151692938219ef71abb28f3cf01bd5deb90fec0.jpeg[/img]
[i]The creature living in there[/i]
[img]https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.doityourselft.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/163a071a_7a08_4206_a65d_26318ae5ff1c_bcea617cb16b42817854ab2c76c1872895486f0c.jpeg[/img]
[i]More gross white stuff[/i]
[img]https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.doityourselft.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/5c576e06_b794_478f_8654_fe689b495355_91db69ccda6157888b4bb4d10b69c5808fe5bbfc.jpeg[/img]
[img]https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.doityourselft.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/d7e2b01b_f1cc_41f1_8e5e_d7097cd7b818_06416cba0ce802ecb3ce4cfc3e489107d6340ef5.jpeg[/img]
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I'm a recent first-time owner of a spa that's about 20 years old, and I might be asking dumb questions but you have to start somewhere. I feel like the solution is right in front of me and I'm missing it. Appreciate your help in advance.
My spa is in the corner of my pool, served by the same system. You could heat the pool, but I don't. It's a remote location with a propane tank and it makes much more sense to me to get the hot tub hot and take a cold plunge now and then.
When I turn the system on, the heater fires up and stays on, no problem. It's generating heat and the chimney is hot. But even after leaving it on for an hour, the temperature only goes up by 1-2 degrees.
There's three intakes into the pressure tank just before the heater. They are marked "drain," "skimmer" and something that is no longer legible. I'm guessing the illegible one says "spa." The "spa" one, however, does not seem to be bringing in any water. There's a regular garden hose that is an optional offshoot from it (and only it), and I have not been able to make that garden hose get wet.
I drained the tub. When I had the actuator turned towards the middle position (the big nose on the actuator turned towards middle), a small stream of water came out of the hot tub jets. When I turned the actuator towards "spa intake," that stream stopped. Making me wonder if I misdiagnosed what the actuator does - if the big nose on the actuator is turned to something, shouldn't that turn it on?
Then I turned on the filter pump (pressure is about 15 pounds) and water gushed out of the hot tub jets. My friend thought the water was hot but it didn't feel hot to me. There was no draining from the hot tub: it got full and spilled over into the pool, like an "infinity pool" type of effect.
Ah-hah, I thought, the problem is that the water from the spa is not circulating and therefore not getting hotter and hotter. Maybe there's a blockage in the drain. I drained the tub again and unscrewed the drain caps, Nothing to report.
So then I thought maybe there's a hydraulic air-block of some sort. There's a spaghetti size irrigation tube coming off the main (combined) intake, just before it hits the pressure tank. As soon as I touched that, the top broke off in my hands and water started spewing out of it. Turns out there was a bolt jammed into the end of that tube and over time it had gotten fragile. Not going for gold, I pried the bolt out of the broken off piece and jammed it back into the new end of the tube. Which made me think more about a hydraulic air-block but I'm at the end of my (lack of) expertise.
Any suggestions? Many thanks.
BrianRead More
12-29-20, 07:42 PM
