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Inground jacuzzi plumbing


Hooper

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I have an inground jacuzzi that is under performing.  It came fully plumbed, all I had to do was install a heater, filter, pump etc. and make the final connections.  I have a 4 hp 2 speed pump and am using 2" pvc.  There are 4 90 elbows in the return and 5 in the supply.  Distance from pump to tub is about 15' of piping.  If I eliminate some of the 90's will I get better action from the jets?

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On 11/16/2021 at 6:59 PM, Hooper said:

have an inground jacuzzi that is under performing.

Compared to what? How many jets and how big are they? Any diverter valves or air controls? What brand? Any pics of it before install?

On 11/16/2021 at 6:59 PM, Hooper said:

have a 4 hp 2 speed pump

Pumps have 2 ways of measuring hp, true hp and brake hp. Brake hp is nearly double true hp, and many manfs rate them by brake (bhp). Post a pic of the pump specs sticker.

On 11/16/2021 at 6:59 PM, Hooper said:

If I eliminate some of the 90's will I get better action from the jets?

Maybe a little, but not appreciably. I suspect either the pump is not all you think it is, or the jets are small orifice, or there are a ton of jets and only one pump.

The diverters may be set in the middle, so all jets work but are weak. Turn them (with jets off) to one side and see if it improves.

Or your expectations are just too high. Not all spas are created equal and it may be that, short of major replumbing, it will never meet your expectations that are based on some other spa you tried. 

Post the pics.

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The tub is a Bradford, it has 8 Hayward Hydrotherapy jets.  See pic below.  Unfortunately the pump spec sticker is too close to a wall to get a good photo of it.  It was asked, "compared to what"  I had a Bradford spa at my old house that stayed in place when we moved to where we are now.  That spa had a 1 1/2 hp pump with similar setup of heat exchanger vs. gas or electric heater.  The action was very good.

 

As you can see by the pic of the pump, etc.  The setup is about 6' below the tub which is located outside, the other side of that wall.  The return comes in and directly into the pump.  Leaving the pump it goes thru the filter and then back out to the tub.  Just above the main pump in the return line, is a tee that goes into a fractional hp pump and then into a stainless heat exchanger and then back down into the output line of the main pump, just before the filter.  I have check valves in place so that there is no back flow.  The heat exchanger has hot water coming from another zone of heat off my homes main boiler.  There is a thermistor in the line that works with my thermostat in the control box.  A call for heat pulls a relay that turns on the fractional hp to circulate tub water thru the heat exchanger and at the same time fires the boiler and the house circulating pump which circulates thru the heat exchanger keep the tub hot + or - 1 degree.

 

My old tub had a similar setup and was located in the old basement, same as this one.  Since the pump/filter/heater package was no longer commercially available, I had to build my own from scratch.

 

Thoughts?  I appreciate you help, thank you.

 

 

 

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3 hours ago, Hooper said:

The tub is a Bradford

Nice! I worked for Diamond Spas for a little while and actually know what a Bradford is. 🤣

What is the pressure at your filter? Are you sure it is plumbed correctly? Does the pressure change when the heat exchanger loop is open? Does the heat exchanger have a dedicated return or is it a loop back to the main jet pipe?

How close did you check the specs when sizing the filter? If you put too much pressure into a cartridge filter it will collapse the pleats, effectively reducing the filter area to a small fraction of what it should be.

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Pressure at Filter while main pump is on is 21 psi.  Yes it is plumbed correctly as shown on the face of the filter.  No change in pressure with heat exchanger loop.  Heat exchanger is in Parallel with main pump before the filter.  The unit has been running for 4 years without any problems with the filter.  Filter has been cleaned twice a year.

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On 11/23/2021 at 3:54 PM, Hooper said:

The unit has been running for 4 years without any problems

You could have started with that and saved us both some time.😉

If this is a recent development there is obviously a failure of some sort. I'd start by checking the impeller for damage or debris. Then check the filter bypass valve, if it has one (most cartridge filters do). This allows water to bypass the filter when it becomes clogged. Then run it WITH NO FILTER in the tank and see what it does then.

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Sorry, I meant to say the unit is running for 4 years without any problems with the filter.  Are there pumps that have better impellers than others?  Would you have recommendations.  You mentioned having only 1 pump.  Would an additional pump give me more action and if so how should it be installed?  Parallel with 1st pump OR perhaps in the return  line OR other?

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On 11/26/2021 at 8:44 AM, RDspaguy said:

start by checking the impeller for damage or debris. Then check the filter bypass valve, if it has one (most cartridge filters do). This allows water to bypass the filter when it becomes clogged. Then run it WITH NO FILTER in the tank and see what it does then.

 

2 hours ago, Hooper said:

mentioned having only 1 pump.

 

On 11/18/2021 at 3:44 PM, RDspaguy said:

or there are a ton of jets and only one pump.

8 is not "a ton". There is nothing wrong with the plumbing if it has been working for 4 years. Without digging it up and replumbing the shell, including cutting a few holes in it, you cannot safely add a pump or significantly increase the HP of the original pump. 

Has it always been weak? Is that why you are hung up on plumbing? Or did it just suddenly happen?

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On 11/27/2021 at 6:45 PM, RDspaguy said:

 

 

8 is not "a ton". There is nothing wrong with the plumbing if it has been working for 4 years. Without digging it up and replumbing the shell, including cutting a few holes in it, you cannot safely add a pump or significantly increase the HP of the original pump. 

Has it always been weak? Is that why you are hung up on plumbing? Or did it just suddenly happen?

Always been weak.  Are there other impellers available?  Are they rated by GPM?  The old tub was the exact same size with 1 1/2 hp pump and only 4 jets and it had a lot more action.  Not knowing that much about the pumps or impellers, etc. I thought it must be the plumbing.

 

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You can't change the impeller without changing the motor, you'll burn up the motor. You have to buy a whole new pump assembly.

 The pressure loss from a handful of 90゚ elbows is insignificant compared to the filter, which must be sized according to the pump flow rate or it will restrict flow too much and eventually burn up the motor or damage the filter. Which it might have already done. 

Have you tried my suggestions, or is this a philosophical discussion? 

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Today I found that the air intake valve was not able to open as it should.  I corrected the install and now with a little more air I also got a little more action.  I then drained the filter and removed it, then put everything back and ran the main pump to find even more action than before.  Thou not significant it is an improvement.  I am going to order a new filter so I have two on hand, (one in use and the other to clean and dry out).  I am also planning to pull the pump motor and check specs as to GPM.  I found a few replacement pumps that have significant increase in GPM but must first confirm what mine is rated for.  I believe you have given me enough information to resolve my problem and thank you for all your help.  I may post again once I have this resolved to let you know how I made out.  Thanks again for your help.

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