CAUTION:
Electrical
repairs can be dangerous, especially around water. Repairs
must be made by a qualified
electrician or spa technician. Regardless of who performs
the work, make certain that all electrical power to the hot
tub or spa is disconnected prior to making any inspections
or repairs. Shut the power off at the service panel,
and as a secondary precaution, disconnect the power to the spa as
well. Do not attempt to perform electrical repairs unless you are
qualified.
Replacement of a defective spa air blower (also called an air pump
or bubbler) is usually not a difficult repair job. Blowers are
simple units, consisting of a fan motor and housing. So when
they fail, we recommend that the entire assembly be replaced, rather
than attempt a motor replacement repair, which would result in little
or no
cost savings.
Premature blower failure is usually caused by water intrusion.
We'll show you how to reduce that potential so that maximum service
life can be obtained from your new one.
 Blower
Troubleshooting Tips
About Air Plumbing in Hot Tubs
| Air blowers are plumbed in one of two ways: One type is via a
channel cavity adhered to the shell, which has drilled holes
allowing air to pass up into the water. The other method is shown in our animation:
Air from the blower
runs to a manifold, then is distributed via smaller air lines to
individual air injector jet fittings placed around the spa's shell. |
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Most air blowers operate on 110V circuits, but many are 220V.
Make sure your replacement matches the controller's voltage
requirement. Our Easy-Air replacement blowers universally accept either 1.5"
or 2" air duct plumbing.
| Open the hot tub's equipment access door and locate the old blower
assembly. |
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- Disconnect the air duct hose from the blower's exhaust port
- Unplug blower's electrical cable from the spa control pack
- Disconnect grounding wire, if present
- Remove mounting bolts
- Observe voltage tag on old blower for proper replacement
| Note: This guide refers to blowers
which are housed inside a
portable home spa cabinet and
protected from rain & weather. |
Installing the New Blower
The installation of your replacement blower is essentially the
reverse of the removal process described above. Once again, verify
that the
 power is
disconnected from the spa before proceeding.
Remember: prevention of water intrusion into your new blower is the
key to long life. If called for, you may want to make some minor
changes in orientation and/or plumbing as described below.
Electrical Cable
|
 |
There are several different plug types, but If you are using one
of our Easy-Air blowers, matching the plug is not a problem. Just
select the cord type that matches your equipment, or hard-wire
to the 8" tail. |
Mounting Portable Spa Blowers
 |
Our technologically-superior
 Easy-Air blowers can be installed
in any position and attached using screws. As an added
measure to prevent water intrusion, we recommend that it be
mounted as high
as possible.
EasyAir blowers must be protected from the weather; typically
installed inside the spa cabinet housing. |
|
 |
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Installation Tip: If space and plumbing considerations allow
for it,
mount the blower with its exhaust opening pointing downward.
This is one more precaution against moisture entry from the hot
tub. |
Hartford Loop & Check Valve
| Blower water intrusion is prevented by the use of both a loop
and one-way check valve. Blower air is delivered via 1.5" or
2" ducting (which may be flexible hose, rigid PVC, or a
combination of both). It is important that the ducting be looped
up
inside the spa cabinet to a position above the
waterline at one point. This is called a Hartford Loop,
and acts somewhat like a kitchen sink drain trap to keep water out
of the blower motor. |
 |
 |
After the loop, a one-way check valve is installed which
offers added blower protection. Air from the blower will
compress the valve spring when operational, opening the gate, and
closing it when blower is off. |
We recommend that a new blower check valve be installed whenever
replacing a blower-- it's pretty cheap insurance. Our
replacement 1/4 lb. rated check valves are universal and accept either
1.5" or 2" plumbing. Make sure the check valve is oriented in
the proper direction.
Outdoor Blower Mounting
 |
For outdoor applications such as in-ground spas, you must use a weather-rated blower with a rainproof housing such as our whisper-quiet AquaPro Spa and Pool Blowers.
Outdoor air blowers are hard-wired, and can be mounted to a post or wall. |
Blower Plumbing Connections
IMPORTANT
 |
Do not use glue or cement for the duct connection to the
blower. PVC cement is used for the water plumbing
systems of hot tubs, but air blower plumbing is a little
different. |
In the air blower systems of hot tubs, the portion of the system
from the blower to one side of the check valve is referred to as the
dry side. We call the portion of the system from the
other side of the check valve to the spa (where the water is) the
wet side.
The air hose should be attached to the blower with self-tapping
screws. (Unlike water fittings, tiny air leaks, if any, are not
a consideration). All connections on the dry side can be
made with screws, including the attachment to the dry side of the
check valve.
The wet side of the check valve and all plumbing between the
check valve and the spa are cement connections.
Hazard: PVC
cement emits highly flammable fumes which can cause combustion or
an explosion from the operation of a blower. If any
connections to the air blower system are glued, such as hose extensions, be sure to allow time for the
cement to dry, and all fumes to completely dissipate before
attaching the hose to the blower (with screws) and before
operating the blower. |
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Control System Connection
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Finally, plug the power cable back into the proper external or
internal connector of your control system, as the case may be.
Note: Older-style metal blowers with grounding
lug must be grounded in accordance with electrical code. |
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