How to Remove Clogs from Jacuzzi Intake Valves

The jets in a Jacuzzi are produced by a vacuum pump that first sucks in water through an intake valve near the bottom of the tub. The pump then forces the water and air back out through the holes in the side of the tub.

Eventually, skin cells, hair, mineral deposits from the water, and dirt will accumulate in the intake valve clogging it. Luckily, these clogs are very easy to remove. Simply follow the steps outlined below.

Step 1 - Scrub the Mesh Covering the Valve

Locate the intake valve at the bottom of the tub. These valves are usually covered by a fine metal mesh. Using a scrub brush, vigorously scrub this mesh to loosen or eliminate any debris that may be caught in it.

This may be the only part of the intake valve that is clogged. Usually though, if the cover of the intake valve is clogged, there is another clog building further down within the system and the following steps should be taken anyway.

Step 2 - Fill Tub with Hot Water

Fill the jacuzzi tub with the hottest water possible. Ideally, the water in the tub will be around 140-degrees. The temperature of the water can be checked with a food thermometer. Make sure the water level is high enough to completely cover all the jets in the tub. If the jets are only half covered, the water and air expelled from the jets could spray out of the tub. This can be especially bad after the cleaning chemicals have been added.

Step 3 - Add Cleaning Chemicals

Once the water is above the jets, add four tablespoons of powdered dishwasher detergent. It is important to note it must be powdered dishwasher detergent, and not dish soap, that is added. The reason for this is that dishwater detergent does not create massive amounts of bubbles and foam when stirred like dish soap does.

Once the detergent is added, pour a half of a cup of bleach into the water. While bleach is the preferred chemical for tub cleaning, those who are sensitive to bleach may use white vinegar as a substitute.

Step 4 - Run the Jacuzzi

Turn the Jacuzzi on and let it run for no less than fifteen minutes. This will allow the Jacuzzi to suck the cleaners down into the intake valve, dissolving any clogs that may be building within.

Step 5 - Drain the Tub

Once the Jacuzzi has run for fifteen minutes, drain the water completely and refill it again. The temperature of the water makes no difference when refilling the tub since it is only a means of rinsing the cleaning chemicals out of the pipes. Once again, turn the jets on and let the tub run for approximately five minutes so it can clean itself out.

Step 6 - Repeat the Above Steps

Test the Jacuzzi. If the intake valve still appears clogged, repeat the previous steps. It is not uncommon to have to repeat this process two or three times before finally dissolving the clog.