why does my hot tub drain into my pool

Check for a bad seal — While PVC pipes can burst if water freezes in the line over the winter, the most likely culprit of your hot tub’s leak is a bad seal. If you’ve examined the check valve (or valves) and determined it is not the cause of your leak, a corroded pump seal may be to blame.

Full Answer

Why does my spa drain when the pool is turned off?

If your spa drains down after the pool turns off chances are it is a check valve failure. This could mean that the check valve is bad or debris is stuck inside of it.

Why is the water level in my spa higher than the pool?

If the spa's water level is higher than that of the pool, when the pump stops pushing water to the spa and pool, the spa will equalize itself to the level of the pool in a process known as equalization. No water is being lost.

Is my spa leaking if the pump is off?

In most cases, it is unlikely that the spa is leaking if it drains down when the pump is off. If the spa is leaking, there would also be a noticeable drop in the pool's water level. In normal operation (pool mode) of a pool/spa combination, the spa is usually set to overflow into the pool, making a spa leak difficult to detect.

Why won’t my hot tub hold water?

If this scenario sounds similar to your current situation, there is likely an issue with your plumbing, backflow check valve, or a stampede of elephants rolled into town and promptly guzzled up your hot tub water. Okay, that last scenario is completely unlikely, but we wanted to keep you on your toes.

Why does my spa drain into the pool?

Normally if a pool system is perfect, it's sealed so that the water won't drain out from the pump or anywhere else when it shuts off, but if there's an air leak, it loses that seal and everything floods back to the pool. That's another reason why your spa could drain out.

Why does my hot tub water level drop?

Hot tubs do lose water due to evaporation, but not more than 1 inch a week unless the cover is left open or it sees heavy use. A well-fitting cover can minimize water loss from evaporation. And generally the lower the water temperature, the slower the evaporation rate.

How does a spillover spa work?

Spillover spas are hot tubs that connect directly to your pool through a small curtain or fountain of water. This water moves directly from the jacuzzi into the swimming pool, spilling over a ledge or a series of ledges.

Why is spa draining in spa mode?

The suction valves need to be adjusted properly. Turn the spa suction valve to the “off” position and make sure you have the spa return valve at least partially open. This will help the flow between the pool and spa. You may also want to see if the actuator has gone bad if the suction valves are fine.

How often do you need to top up hot tub?

With average use, your hot tub should be drained and refilled about once every three or four months. But since everyone uses their hot tub differently, the answer can vary based on how many people use it and how often.

Why is my lazy spa losing water?

Leaking from the bottom of the unit. This can be caused by a perished washer, cracked pipe or other issue inside the pump. Check that the couplings are fully secured and not cross threaded or cracked. Washers may be misaligned.

What is the spa spillway?

If you are looking for a swimming pool and a spa combination, you will probably have heard of the term spillway spa. A spillway is just as it sounds – a spa with a fountain of water that cascades freely into your swimming pool. The two are connected together, and the water is constantly flowing into the main pool.

Do spillover spas heat the pool?

An attached spa can use the same filtration and heating systems as your inground pool, making maintenance more convenient. A common design for attached spas is to let the spa water spill over into the pool.

How can I heat my pool and spa at the same time?

4:357:32How to Use Your Pool Heater, Put it into Spa Mode & Helpful Tips ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIf you wanted to use a heater you heat the pool up you would just leave the spa valves off here andMoreIf you wanted to use a heater you heat the pool up you would just leave the spa valves off here and even in pull mode in the heater will heat the pool up.

Why is my spa draining when pump is running?

There is normally a check valve in the plumbing at the equipment pad to stop water from draining from the spa to the pool. There could be debris in the check valve or it could be failing due to age. A pic of the equipment pad might help.

What does spa mode do?

Be proactive. Whether you are planning on using your pool or spa in a day, a week, or in a few months, you should put your pool into spa mode five minutes a day. That means running all of your water features such as jets, waterfalls and air bubblers, along with any water pumps you might have, for five minutes.

Where is my spa check valve?

As such, a common location for a check valve is on the incoming suction pipe, in front of the filter pump. For best results with pump priming, especially for pumps lifting more than 24” from the water surface, the check valve should not be installed directly against the pump intake, but 12”-18” in front of the pump.

How can you tell if a hot tub is leaking?

Water pooling around your spa is a clear-cut sign that you have a leak. Sometimes the leak isn't so obvious, especially if the water is draining to grass nearby. Another way to tell if you have a leak is if the water level is drastically lower than it should be.

How do you find a leak in a spa?

How to Find a Hot Tub LeakTurn off power to the hot tub. ... Examine the fittings and pipes leading to the pump and the spa's heater. ... Follow each pipe to its jet looking for signs of leakage along the way.Place a drop of dark food coloring in the water in front of a jet. ... Let the water set to see how far it drops.More items...

How do you find a leak in a full foam hot tub?

How to Detect a Hot Tub Leak. One common way to pinpoint where your leak is coming from, is to use dye or food coloring to color the water. Wherever you see dark water appearing first should indicate the leak location.

What happens if a spa pump is not running?

If your spa remains running while there is no water, it could cause damage. With the pump submerged make sure your hose can reach the proper drainage area, if it cannot, you should consider getting an extension garden hose. Allow the pump to run until the hot tub is empty.

How to remove water from bleed lines?

The auxiliary is used to remove the water from the internal bleed lines. Attach a garden hose to your primary spigot. Run the hose to the intended draining area and proceed to drain. Once complete move your hose to the auxiliary spigot and repeat so you can drain your bleed lines. Remember to open the ball valve located on ...

Can you wash a car with a hot tub?

Wash Your Cars or Recreational Vehicles. With the help of a submersible pump, many folks are able to actually wash their cars and recreational vehicles with their used hot tub water. This can prove a little tricky as you can not use a nozzle on the hose draining your hot tub.

Can you drain a hot tub into a pool?

Yes, you can drain a hot tub into a pool. Most in-ground pools only require draining every 5 to 7 years, so draining your hot tub into the pool can prove to be resourceful while lowering your sewer costs. Pool chemicals and filters are much stronger and aggressive than hot tub spas. Dumping the much smaller amount of water from a hot tub ...

Does a hot tub increase blood pressure?

Hot tubs provide the same type of cardiac volume increase as a cardio driven work out. How convenient! Since your heart is working on managing your body heat while submerged in your spa, your blood flow in turn increases and provides more oxygen to your cells. This actually helps to lower your blood pressure.

Can you water grass in between scrubbing?

Many people claim they simply water the grass in between scrubbing their vehicles and then hosing them off. That’s two ways to recycle in one! Just be sure that your chemical and pH levels are in the recommended levels as stated earlier in the article so they don’t harm your grass! Popular Stories Right now.

Can you use a spigot to drain a hot tub?

If you intend to use the spigot to drain your hot tub follow these directions: As with the submersible pump, you’ll want to make sure your hot tub is completely powered off and disconnected. A lot of spas have both a primary and auxiliary spigot. The auxiliary is used to remove the water from the internal bleed lines.

Why does my hot tub leak so quickly?

Hot tubs that leak quickly with the pump running usually means there is an issue on the pressure side (the lines after the pump), while hot tubs that leak more slowly with the system on usually have an issue on the suction-side of the plumbing (the lines before the pump).

What is the most obvious source of a hot tub leak?

Suspect #3: Cracked Hot Tub Shell. A crack in the shell may be one of the more obvious sources of a leak, but if you’ve examined all other areas of your hot tub, it may be worth your time to examine the shell. Some hard-to-see, hairline cracks can be found by running your fingers around the shell.

What components use seals and gaskets?

Some other components that use seals and gaskets are heaters (assembly manifolds), gate valves, certain types of connections, and pressure switches. If everything checks out in these departments, it’s time to move onto the pipe unions and connections. Check pipes, elbows, unions, connections, and tees — If your hot tub is completely drained it may ...

What happens when you put on your bathing suit and remove the cover?

But, after putting on your bathing suit and removing the cover, you discover there is no water in your hot tub.

Is a hot tub plumbing system complex?

If you’ve read our article on how hot tub plumbing works then you’re already familiar with how complex hot tub plumbing systems can be. Yes, a hot tub’s plumbing is complex, but don’t let that deter you from investigating the leak and arriving at a solution. These bits of advice will help you in your search:

Do hot tub jets have their own connections?

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that the jets and nozzles also have their own connections and fittings. If after filling your hot tub you notice that the water only drains to a particular level, examine the jets directly above the water line.

What happens when a pool pump shuts off?

When the pump shuts off, water cannot flow back through the pool returns, which prevents the spa from equalizing and allow it to remain full. ...

Why does my pool pump not seal?

When the pump shuts off, water cannot flow back through the pool returns, which prevents the spa from equalizing and allow it to remain full. The parts inside of the valve can become worn over time, and in turn, cause it not to seal correctly after the pump and filter system times out.

What happens when the pool level is higher than the spa level?

If the spa's water level is higher than that of the pool, when the pump stops pushing water to the spa and pool, the spa will equalize itself to the level of the pool in a process known as equalization. No water is being lost.

What is a pool/spa combination pool?

A pool/spa combination pool uses the same water for both the spa and pool. Most use the same pump; some may have an added spa pump. Valve position is the main factor in determining where the water is flowing. The most common position for valves is to direct water to both the pool and spa in order to create a spa "overflow" or fountain effect ...

What is a spa spillover valve?

The most common position for valves is to direct water to both the pool and spa in order to create a spa "overflow" or fountain effect when the spa is not in use. This is referred to as "spa spillover". Many systems are now using automatic valves called "actuators" that are motorized and controlled by the touch of a button via an installed ...

What happens if a spa leaks?

If the spa is leaking, there would also be a noticeable drop in the pool's water level. In normal operation (pool mode) of a pool/spa combination, the spa is usually set to overflow into the pool, making a spa leak difficult to detect.

In ground pool hot tub drains when pump is on????

I woke up the other morning and my hot tub was empty. I tried to figure out what was up and this is what I have come up with. When I turn the pump on I am only getting about half the pressure that I should have. On top of that my hot tub drains.

Re: In ground pool hot tub drains when pump is on????

Sounds like your valve actuator has died. If it's a Jandy actuator.....it should have a 3 position dip switch......on1.....off....on2. If the motor doesn't turn the valve when you switch the dip switch.....chances are the actuator is bad.

Re: In ground pool hot tub drains when pump is on????

Also....I'm guessing that your automatic system possibly was in spa mode.....sucking all the water from the spa and returning all the water to the spa.....then the system attempted to go into pool mode.......the return valve actuator turned.....but the suction actuator didn't......therefore putting all the spa water into the pool.

Re: In ground pool hot tub drains when pump is on????

I have had a similar problem with my actuators. Try removing the cover from the actuator itself, exposing the guts, first remove the valve handle. You will see four little wires attached to clips. Jiggle these wires, sometimes they become loose or get a bit of corosion causing them to lose connection.

Re: In ground pool hot tub drains when pump is on????

Wow thanks everyone for the help. It is the actuator and is a compool cva 24. I had the pool on spa mode the day before with the kids swimming and when we got done that night I turned everything off.

Re: In ground pool hot tub drains when pump is on????

take a look at my previous reply. I really believe you are buying an actuator unnecessarily. Try my method first. I'm willing to be that is it. I had the same problem with my compool actuators.

Re: In ground pool hot tub drains when pump is on????

take a look at my previous reply. I really believe you are buying an actuator unnecessarily. Try my method first. I'm willing to be that is it. I had the same problem with my compool actuators.

Spa is draining into pool when turned on

I think I have a valve in the wrong position, can someone tell me why my spa is draining into the pool when I turn the spa on? HELP

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My spa will slowly empty if I have the spa drain valve in the open position. My pump always pushes a small amount of water to the spa jets, but the drain will pull it out faster than the jets pump water in.

Why are my jandy valves out of position?

They should be set so that there is more water going to the spa than the pool to get the waterfall effect into the pool the spas drains should only be cracked open to help keep it clean. These valves may have gotten out of sinc due to a power bump /someone moving them with the switch etc. Its probably just a valve setting if you haven't seen a water lose or you don't see air bubbles from returns when running, which would be a sign of an air leak on the equipment.

Why should the spa drains be cracked open?

They should be set so that there is more water going to the spa than the pool to get the waterfall effect into the pool the spas drains should only be cracked open to help keep it clean. These valves may have gotten out of sinc due to a power bump /someone moving them with the switch etc.

Is The Spa Leaking?

If It Doesn't Leak, Why Is It draining?

• If the spa's water level is higher than that of the pool, when the pump stops pushing water to the spa and pool, the spa will equalize itself to the level of the pool in a process known as equalization. No water is being lost. Although it's not very noticeable, the pool actually receives the amount of water that has equalized from the spa.

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