darwin award

[LtDan]

Did you know a Jacuzzi will suck a 8x16 towel all the way to to the pump?

I was feeling pretty good, water change went perfect, installed the new LED light, hit the power and both pumps working fine and then pump 1 stops pushing water and makes a noise like it is air locked. Kill power, try a restart, no pump 1, just noise. While trying to figure out how it could get airlocked when it was working from the start I notice my cleaning towel is missing.

Tried fishing a coat hanger down where the filter goes on, couldn't feel anything. Took the side covers off, take off the inlet pipe and found the towel. Of course, the rubber o-ring falls out as several hundred gallons of water try to follow the towel. Almost had to drain the tub again but tried turning all of the jets to the closed position and stuffed a towel into the filter opening (on purpose this time) and it slowed the gusher down enough to get the o-ring back in place.

Put it all together and no leaks, no problems.

That will NEVER happen again. I hope.

[Chas]

I have been called on several 'towel ingestion' incidents over the years. A few 'panties ingested' ones as well, but the towels are usually the tough ones to get out.

I have had great luck with sucking them back out the way they went in. You have yours out already, but for others who find themselves in this predicament, here are some tips.

First: fill the tub all the way to the top. You are going to do things that will work better with more water in place.

Buy, borrow or steal a pool vac hose. If you can’t get your hands on one of those, try a shop vac hose.

Get a siphon going in the above-mentioned hose, and stick the end over the hole down which the towel disappeared. If it only flows for a short time and then stops, lift the end of the hose off the fitting and establish water flow again. Then put the hose down on the fitting suddenly. You may have to ‘jar’ it loose.

Don’t be surprised if you have to try several times, even to the point of having to add more water to the spa. The towel may just come out to the point of being visible but not all the way. In that case grab it with pliers and gently WORK it out. If you simply pull you may rip off the one little part and not be able to get the rest out.

I hope nobody ever needs these tips !!

[LtDan]

"A few 'panties ingested' ones as well"


I should be so lucky...