Jacuzzi JT365 Curc Pump goes again they say it gets clogged

[Spinner71]

Hello All,

I am so disappointed with my Hottub... The company I bought to from now is out of business and the service contract went to another dealer. They have been helpful replacing my curc pump 5 times in the last 6 months. I keep getting the FL1 error. This shuts off my heater and now with winter coming I am a little worried. They say the cerc pump keeps getting clogged and I have ran every known cleaner I was told to use to clean the pipes. I replaced the water and everything runs fine for a few weeks and again last night the FL1 is back. The filters are only 3 months old I clean them every 10 days. I took out the filters and I dont feel any suction on the side with the grill on. I do feel suction on the other side. I turned off the hottub for 20 min and the FL1 is still on?

Please help anyone...

Cheers
Jason

[headnsouth]

I'm no expert on HT, in fact I don't even have mine yet. but if you have a wet dry vac can you try to suck out the blockage? Or use (regulated) compressed air to blow it out? I'd start at say 10-20PSI. I'd also disconnect the circ pump and check for blockages at the inlet of the pump. Good luck.

[Spinner71]

Yeah I have tried all that... I guess Im looking for any info on how to clean the pipes. I dont think they products I have used are getting all the calcium or lime off the walls of the pipes. When they replace the pump it gets clogged again and shuts down the heater.

Thanks for your input

Jason

[headnsouth]

Oh ok. you have calcium deposits in the plumbing lines. I never would thought that would be an issue. How about a snake? If the pigtail end is to big you can flip it around and use the other side, its a 1/4" snake so that should go thru the system.
You may want to try some CLR. http://www.thecarycompany.com/containers/facility/clr-multisurface.html?gclid=CObEo6yx2KUCFRJY2godOQ3tng
Just thinkn.....

When I cleaned HVAC lines of deposits we used diluted acid pumped thru the coils. I'm not sure how a HT's sytem would like that. But being mostly plastic it might be ok.

[Jacuzzi Jim]

Yeah I have tried all that... I guess Im looking for any info on how to clean the pipes. I dont think they products I have used are getting all the calcium or lime off the walls of the pipes. When they replace the pump it gets clogged again and shuts down the heater.

Thanks for your input

Jason

 I sent you a PM>  Jim 

[gadfly]

If the problem is calcium/lime, you have a water balance/chemistry issue.  Please outline your water components (pH, calcium hardness, alkalinity), and what things you add regularly, including sanitizer.  Cleaning calcium/scale from pipes requires running a low pH level for a period of time, to get it back into solution. 

[Spinner71]

will do when I get back from a business trip thanks for your input

[clover]

I don't know how old your system is but 5 circ pumps in 6 months indicates they might be treating the symptom and not the actual problem.  Apparently the "new" circ pumps work for a period of time to resolve the problem when initially replaced 5 different times.  How long did the first circ pump work?  The question becomes what is restricting the water flow? 

POSSIBLE scenario 1)  The circ system is using a 3/4" flexible vinyl hose.  The hose has been in service for sometime now and the warm temperature of the water could have caused the line to "kink" in a "tight bend" as the warm vinyl softened and kinked restricting water flow capacity producing a "flo" message.  The inability to move water could burn the pumps out, but the flo restriction is causing the problem or the symptom to occur.  The service people should be looking for something like this especially after replacing 5 pumps in 6 months. 

POSSIBLE senario #2)  You mentioned the lack of suction at the grid dedicated to the circ pump, so this is not likely but worth mentioning, leaves, or debris covering grid restricting flow.  This should have been obvious when checking the grid before.

POSSIBLE scenario #3)  A bad flow switch, but not likely, they should have picked up on that in the first service call.  "No suction at the grid" indicates the symptom causing your problem.  It is NOT the circ pump.

Have they been charging you for this service or the pumps?

[Jacuzzi Jim]

 I left you a msg but you never called  back?   Anyway I am guessing if it indeed is calcium, it's possible the heater tube itself is building up with it as well and the circ pump is working harder to push through it and burning up the motor on the circ pmp.    As mentioned you have gone through way to many pumps in that amount of time for the pump to be the problem. 

   Possible there is a kink in the circ pump line from the filter or past the heater going back into the spa.

[Spinner71]

Hey Jim,

Just called you.. sorry I was out of country last week.
So the company now says it refuses to replace the pump anymore... blaming me on water conditions.
I am confused due the fact the water has been replaced 3 times in 2 months. The tub has been used 4 times in that time frame. I aways test weekly and everything looks to be good.

[Spinner71]

Hello All,

thanks to everyone who reponded..
The service tech just came by and he is saying the my pipes are causing the pump to get clogged producing the FL1 error and shutting down my heater. I dont understand  considering I have used everything the store told me to use over the years. My water is not hard... Does any body know how to clean the pipes any better. I have changed my water 3 times in 2 months

Cheers
Jason

[gadfly]

... Does any body know how to clean the pipes any better? ...

Perhaps.  Your water chemistry info, would be needed.

[clover]

Hello All,

thanks to everyone who reponded..
The service tech just came by and he is saying the my pipes are causing the pump to get clogged producing the FL1 error and shutting down my heater. I dont understand  considering I have used everything the store told me to use over the years. My water is not hard... Does any body know how to clean the pipes any better. I have changed my water 3 times in 2 months

Cheers
Jason

IF it is your pipes, it IS a KINK, calcium is NOT an option that is going to do this to 5 out of 6 circ pumps which could be easily demonstrated to you by simply opening the pump up to examine the internal part.  Either they don't know, or understand the logic of what they are doing, or you should call Sundance Customer Service for a "resolution", after all it IS their product and their warranty. 

You have not indicated any response to my previous posting.  Have you investigated anything about this issue yourself, or are you totally dependent upon them to find the solution?  How old is your spa?

Also see my post to same problem in a similar problem.  This is the SIMPLE logic of water flow.  NO water flow to "close" the switch, you have a "Flo" issue.  I don't understand how they can say it is something else, "your pipes" without fixing the root cause of the problem and providing sufficient water flow..

[Spinner71]

So he opened the pump and I can see the substance inside the pump. it's soaked to the walls and he says is calcium.
I will take a picture and send it next week. he says it not teh flow swicth or I would be getting an FL2 error not 1

[clover]

The flow switch is only the messenger, and yes there are 2 seperate messages that it will trigger, when it dosen't close, and when it dosen't open.  However, it is beyond belief that you can have 5 out of 6 circ pumps disabled by calcium in such a short time frame.  Where do you live, Salt Flats?  I do hope you have addressed the issue of your water chemistry.  What have they suggested you do to clean and clear the other pumps, the plumbing and the heater?  Your shell must be a mess, what is the accumulation in/on the filter?

What they are suggesting is that the calcium is accumulating so fast in the circ pumps as they replace them that it is restricting water flow causing the circ pump to fail, thus causing the "flo" message to occur.  In 28 years this would be the first time I've heard this one.

Best of luck, it seems you have a handle on the problem, it has been resolved, and you have it under control.

BTW, do you use, or have you used any "BaquaSpa" products, and/or do you have an ozonator on your system??