While the number of service professionals nationwide who perform their tasks on "spas only" remains relatively small, the large number of pool/spa combinations being built require service technicians to have a basic understanding of spa service.
In years past, we have written about the need to have an understanding of basic electricity when trouble-shooting spa equipment packs, the special dynamics involved in water chemistry when servicing spas and the special liability considerations.
Certainly, these are important fields of study, ones that require much more training than we could expect you to get from merely reading an article, then going out and performing the service.
For this year, however, we thought we'd look at one of the areas of spa repair service that can enhance your customers' enjoyment of their units even more - spa jet replacement.
Savvy professionals are taking advantage of the newer technologies available and retrofiting them on their customers' older spa units, apparently making their customers happier and bagging a few extra bucks in the process.
We contacted Hydro-Air Industries, an Orange, Calif.-based manufacturer of jets and spa accessories, for some assistance in the preperation of this article. Much of the material and art that accompanies this article comes from the company, although we have attempted to present the subject as generically as possible.
In addition to a variety of adjustable, interchangeable moving jets and hand-held varieties designed for use in both portable fiberglass and inground gunite spas, the company manufactures several accessory items that make the job of jet replacement an easy one for the service professional.
Included in these are slim, male- and female-threaded unions, hexagon-shaped couplers and extenders and an inexpensive, patented item called Plasterseal — a PVC ring that glues onto any horizontal line to prevent voids in the plaster and acts as a water barrier against leaks.
This latter item can be a real lifesaver when replacing an old jet with a newer (most likely fancier) model, preventing leaks around the jet lines.
As with many other pool or spa installations, a successful retrofit operation on spa jets depends on three simple but important words: "Follow the directions."
A jet retrofit may also require technical knowledge, tools and materials for working with gunite and plaster — all obviously beyond the scope of what can be covered in a single article. When working with portable or aboveground spas, retrofiting jets is a little less complicated because you have easier access to the back side of the spa wall. But either way, those who get the right training can now give their customers the feel of a brand new spa.
If you look at a schematic drawing of a typical spa plumbing application (see accompanying drawing), you'll note that the spa has two lines running around it, parallel to one another: One of the lines is for incoming water from the pump; the other is for incoming air from the blower: These two lines form what is known as the "manifold." The jets are plumbed into them between the two lines, allowing for the water and air to mix before being forced through the jets.
When designing a new jet installation, service technicians need to follow some basic rules for the particular jet they are installing. When the spa industry was young, there was not much variety in the characteristics or flow rates of spa jets. The rule of thumb at the time was that most jets required a flow rate of 20 gallons per minute (5pm), which usually worked out to 1 1/4 horsepower per jet. So if you had a spa with 6 jets, you could figure on a flow requirement of 120 gpm and a pump with a rating of 1 horsepower.
Nowadays, there are many different types of jets on the market with many different flow requirements. Therefore, you need to consult with the jet manufactarer before calculating the necessary flow required for the system.
The turnover rate — so important in sizing equipment in a swimming pool — is really not the main consideration when sizing spa equipment. Rather, the number of jets and their flow requirements will determine the size of the equipment.
Manufacturers usually recommend use of 1 1/2-inch pipe for the manifold and 2-inch pipe running from the spa to the equipment area.
Always check any manufacturer recommendations for the proper flow and horsepower rates for the number and type of jets you are installing. If you are merely exchanging an older jet for a newer one, it may be the case of just replacing the escutcheon (decorative trim plate), eyeball and cage or assembly. But service professionals also have adapters, extenders, wall fittings and gaskets available for retrofiting any particular application.
Or, you may have to start from scratch.
Typical installation instructions for an adjustable, interchangeable moving jet will tell you the proper hole size to drill, to make sure that the surface is flat, so that the wall fitting will have the best surface to seal against.
The gasket can then be placed on the inside or outside surface of the spa wall. It may be necessary to install the gasket on the inside to ensure the best seal. If the outside surface is used, make sure that the surface is smooth enough to seal.
Before inserting the wall fitting through the hole, apply silicone to the threaded area of the
wall fitting only, filling the grooves. This will help seal the wall fitting and jet together.
Caution should be used to avoid applying any of the silicone inside the jet, because this may tend to interfere with the jet's operation.
Then you can hand-tighten the wall fitting into the jet with the gasket in place. It is not necessary to over-tighten this wall fitting, because the gasket and silicone will help to create a good seal.
After the jets are installed on the spa, you can connect the plumbing. Naturally, be sure that the air lines are placed in sockets marked "air" and water lines are placed in sockets marked "water."
Use some extra care when applying cement inside the slip socket of the jets. If too much cement is used, it may be pushed down into the air and water ports, which can lead to poor jet performance. You should also be sure that the air lines do not sag, because this may cause the jets to improperly aerate.
Run the spa for 15 minutes to clear debris from the water lines. Then, snugly thread the
rotor valve housing into place.
Slip the adjustment handle through the wall fitting, lining up the ribs on the side of the rotor/nozzle with the cutouts at the base of the adjustment handle. Press the adjustment handle firmly into place by snapping the clips. By rotating the adjustment handle, bathers can control the flow of water through the jet.
Insert the cage and eyeball (or flowoath) into the adjustment handle, pressing against it firmly to snap it into place. To remove the part for cleaning or replacement, just pull on the snout of the eyeball or flowpath.
Manufacturer instructions use convenient numbering of the parts to allow you to follow each step in the installation process.
With that in mind, let's look at the parts that Hydro Air uses to perform a gunite retrofit installation:
With the gunite sufficiently exposed, the first item of business in retrofiting the jet is to plumb the unit's venturi tee at the desired location. You should note that the installation must be at least 8 inches below the water level, with the tee secured to steel and installed at a straight angle.
A pressure cap or plug then should be installed into the tee before shooting the gunite. An area approximately 4 1/2 inches deep and 6 inches wide should be left open from the intended plaster finish. Proper care should be taken to maintain an adequate wall thickness to provide for structural support of the jet assembly.
After a pressure test, you then remove the cap or plug from the tee, and the exposed pipe (venturi tee barrel) needs to be cut back approximately 2 3/4 inches from the intended plaster finish to allow the gunite niche adapter to be recessed the proper distance into the wall. (Once installed, the outer edge of the niche adapter should finish exactly even with the plaster.)
Installers should remove the nozzle from the tee when cutting it to the proper length. After cutting the tee, cut the nozzle, if necessary, to assure the distance behind the back of the eyeball is between 1 1/2 and 1 inch. Then reinstall the nozzle to the tee.
Using PVC cement, glue the gunite niche adapter to the exposed venturi tee barrel. Then thread the gunite niche adapter test plug into the niche adapter. This will keep plaster and other debris out of the niche.
Fill in behind the niche adapter and plaster so that it is flush to the outer edge. After the plaster is dry, simply remove the test plug from the niche adapter. The test plug can be reused on future installations.
Then install the fitting (with bearing) into the niche adapter, using silicone to secure the fitting. For best results, adjust the length of the twist-lock nozzle to within 3/4- to 1-inch of the back of the fitting. Then, install the jet assembly into the fitting. Hand-held jets are now also available for fiberglass and gunite spa retrofiting applications.
Because they plug into plumbing already installed, the installation directions are fairly straightforward:
Newer units can be easier to replace, a snap to remove for cleaning and inspection and are easier to service. They can also make the total spa experience a more enjoyable one for your customers.