Hot tub & spa or whirlpool bath circulating pump troubleshooting & repair: This article describes the diagnosis & repair of common hot tub or spa pump problems including leaks or noises or failure to start or weak pumping at the hot tub or spa motor or wet end. This article series describes the use, operation, maintenance as well as common problems, troubleshooting, & repair suggestions for hot tubs, spas, and whirlpool baths. We discuss hot tub leaks, broken hot tub or spa jets, hot tub or spa water temperature & heater repair, hot tub or spa pump diagnosis & repair, hot tub or spa filter maintenance, cleaning & repair, noisy air pumps at hot tubs, noisy water pumps at the hot tub or spa, and other hot tub, spa or whirlpool bath diagnosis & repair topics.© , All Rights Reserved. Hot tub or spa pumps are normally sized and piped to permit a complete water turnover rate of about 1/2 hour for the tub's water. [Click to enlarge any image] In hot tub or spa lingo, the pump assembly consists of two principal parts: the pump motor (red arrow in photo below) and the "wet end" or what I prefer to call the impeller assembly (to the left of the green arrow in the photo below

The pump motor drive shaft is connected through an air space (vertical green arrow) to the separate wet end wherein it drives the impeller to actually move water through the spa or hot tub piping system. This spa or hot tub pump type is typically referred to as an "insulated wet-end pump". This physical separation of pump motor from wet end reduces but does not completely eliminate the chance of water entering the pump motor bearings or motor where water will cause quick pump failure if it doesn't first short circuit and blow the circuit beaker or fuse. In my photo above the blue arrow is pointing to a start/run capacitor that in this system mounts atop the pump motor itself. See HOW a STARTING CAPACITOR WORKS if the motor shaft is not frozen but the motor hums without starting. Depending on where the leak is originating and where water has gone, the system may have short remaining life or it may be unsafe to use at all. Above: the white salt deposits around the pump wet end or impeller assembly indicate a history of leaks at this spa pump.

It's likely that the impeller or pump seals need replacement. This is a Hayward Power Flow II two-speed self-priming centrifugal pump, model S48K2A10 Serial No. 7F85 operating at 1/8 - 3/4 hp. Power Surge On Ac UnitA replacement impeller for this pump is Hayward P/N SP 1775-2. California Cost Of Living Perception Vs RealityBut I think the pump impeller assembly needs new seals or bearings, given the leakage we see in the photo below.Ways To Decorate A Full Length Mirror The seals in this hot tub / spa pump can be replaced in 12 steps by following instructions in the Hayward operating and use manual for this pump. If the pump motor will not start after you've turned on the toggle switch that sends power to the pump (SPA / HOT TUB PUMP OPERATION), check that you've pressed the white pneumatic pump control button on the tub rim.

Start the pump in high speed. If the pump won't start and is silent: If the pump motor hums but does not start: If the pump runs but will not prime - the motor spins but water is not exiting the tub jets If the pump runs but the water flow rate is low (possibly showing up as heater won't stay on) Continue readingat SPA / HOT TUB PUMP OPERATION or select a topic from the More Reading links or topic ARTICLE INDEX shown below. - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice. Green link shows where you are in this article series. OR use the Search Box found below at Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia Click to Show or Hide FAQs Use the "Click to Show or Hide FAQs" link just above to see recently-posted questions, comments, replies, try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly. Publisher's Google+ Page by Daniel Friedman

Click to Show or Hide Citations & References & See Fewer AdvertisementsFrom Google's Contributor website: Contribute a few dollars each month. The money you contribute helps fund the sites you visit.Click to Get Instant 10% coupon Serving Dallas & Flower Mound When your spa pump stops working, its time to call in the professionals at Dolphin Pool Supply & Service.We first start by checking out the pump to make sure it is not a simple issue like a clogged impeller or lost prime. If the pump has a leaky seal, or a leak at the body of the pump, or a bad motor, the only solution is to replace the entire pump. Spa pumps are different from pool pumps in this regard. On a pool pump, you can take it apart and replace all the small components, whether it be a seal or an impeller or even a motor. On a spa pump, it is impossible in most cases to get it apart to replace components, and the standard procedure is to replace the entire pump. Even on brand new hot tubs, if a pump has a leak, the manufacturers instruct us to replace the entire pump, no questions asked.

If a replacement pump is needed, we do our best to locate a pump that matches the specifications on the original pump. When replacing a pump, we generally have to drain the hot tub to replace the pump. We then refill and rebalance the tub and test out the new pump. If your hot tub pump is giving you problems, contact the experienced spa professionals at Dolphin Pool Supply & Service.So today we’re going to go over union leaks. This is the most common area of leaks in the spa, and they’re very easy to fix. So the first thing you want to do is use your Allen key and you’ll remove the Allen screws on the door and then pull the door off. We’ve already removed it here. And then the unions are what thread onto the pump, they connect the plumbing to the pump and also to the heater. So each pump is going to have two unions and then the heater’s going to have two unions as well. Okay, so the unions are located on the pump, on the front, that’s the suction side and off of the side here, and that’s the white ring that threads onto the black part of the pump.