Pumps – The Heart of Your Hot Tub System
When it comes to hot tub systems, no piece of equipment works harder or is depended on more than your pump.
Pumps are responsible for water circulation throughout your tub and the entire system. Pumps draw water from the hot tub and pushes it through the heater and filter and back out through the jets.
This is just one part of a multi-step process to rid the water of impurities before it’s sent back to the hot tub. Most pumps also have a strainer or leaf trap that catches small debris that makes it through the skimmer or main drain. Pumps capture the debris which eases the burden placed on the filter and leaves it free to catch other pollutants in the water.
The best way to keep your hot tub water clean is to keep it circulating and today’s modern pumps and equipment automates the process to such an extent that it requires very little time and attention from hot tub and spa owners.
Simply program the system to automatically turn the pump on for a set amount of time each day long enough to filter your water thoroughly. That’s all there is to it!
Self-Priming Pumps – Most pumps are self-priming centrifugal pumps. These pumps have a vacuum chamber, commonly known as a pump housing. The pump housing must be filled with water in order for any pump to create a vacuum, resulting in your pump pulling the water out of your spa.
The motor drives the pump impeller, located inside the pumps center portion at the opposite end away from the electrical switch portion of the motor.
While the motor is rotating, the tips of the impeller are sealed hydraulically inside of the pump diffuser, this allows self-priming to occur.
Your pump must have a diffuser in order for self-priming to take place. Some pumps have separate diffusers, while others have the diffuser molded into the pumps cover.
Self-priming pumps are very dependable and simple in design.
They require a sufficient supply of water from the hot tub with no air in the suction lines. Air can get into the lines in a variety of ways. It could come from a loose strainer cover, a leaky valve, a pin hole in the suction line, a crack in your pipes or loose piping connections.
Your pump should be kept free of dirt and located in an area that’s protected from flooding during heavy rain fall. Very few pumps are successfully repaired once the pump motor becomes flooded.