If you have a part and do not know how to find it, you can take a picture and send it to AllPartsPoolandSpa.com and they will use it to help you find the part. The camera feature can also be used to send pictures of equipment that you are working on and have questions about. There are directions on the web page and a form to fill out.
Part of the video deals with how to find a part with stamped numbers.
When checking to see if you have power, DO NOT do as my friend’s instructor says, USE A METER. Even a cheep meter is better than nothing.
You should use a meter to check your hot lead(s), your neutral, and your ground. Check before turning the power off at the breaker and then check to make sure that the breaker you turned off really turn off ALL of the power.
It is best to leave your pool or spa pump running all the time, but many people turn there pump or spa off to save money. By using a two speed motor in place of your regular 1 1/2 hp or 2 hp pump motor you can save money and still have your pool or spa running 24/7.
This chart from A O Smith shows the savings when you change your pump.
You can find Teflon tape, epoxy putty and lube all under plumbing supplies under the main heading “Plumbing” in the side bar menu on AllPartsPoolandSpa.com. There are several kinds and sizes of each listed.
The Fluke infrared thermometer can be a very handy tool. Point, push to shoot and get a temperature quick.
It is handy to check out the temperature of a pool or spa heater. But it is also good for other jobs around the house, such checking windows for heat or cooling loss.
When installing a Sta-Rite gas heater it is important to read the owners manual and follow minimum clearances. If you can you should allow more clearance but always do the minimum. These clearances are for your safety. The heater needs the clearances to prevent it from coming too close to combustible materials and to prevent installation in a place where you allow the gas to accumulate. Gas accumulation can lead to an explosion or to suffocation.
Always read the owners manual before doing the installation. Make sure you know what you are doing. If not get help before the install. Plan how to comply with the manual and then follow the manual.
V G B compliant main drains are available and should be used even if individual homeowners are not required by law to have them. The old main drains are marked as not available. The are not available because they can not legally be sold any longer.
Everyone should be aware of safety and it is important to keep in mind that a swimmer can get trapped on the old main drain covers. The suction holding them can be so great that not even several strong men could pull a child off of the drain. You need to break the suction and the quickest way to do that is to introduce air into the system. Smashing the pipe to the main drain with a baseball bat would accomplish this.
The biggest thing to stress is safety, safety, and more safety!
V G B compliance for spas deals with suction outlets. You can not buy the old style covers, because it is not legal to sell them. There are several new covers and complete suction assemblies that are compliant. For safety these should be installed even where they are not required by the law, such as a private home.
Safety is always important around a spa and everyone should know where the disconnect for the hot tub is located. It should be within sight and 15ft. of your hot tub. If it is not, one should be installed.
It is important that there are disconnects on all heaters also. And on gas heaters there should be a gas shut off valve for each heater located near the heater. These shut offs and all GFCI breakers for the pool and/or spa equipment be tested every week by who ever is doing the service. If someone other than you does this service. Make sure that it is being done.
If any of the safety items are broken, the pool or spa should be shut down and not used until it is fixed. It is too easy to continue using the facilities and let the repairs slip. If it is a safety issue, you can not afford not doing it. Closing and stopping usages until fixed forces you to fix the problem in a timely manor.
In the video Harvey shows how to find other parts when all you know is a manufacturers part number for a different part. It gives you tools for finding a part by using the pumps and parts exploded diagrams on AllPartsPoolandSpa.com. You can also use numbers stamped on parts to find different parts this way.
This video is a story about just one reason that you DO NOT BY-PASS A POOL OR SPA SAFETY. In this case all it cost the man was a brand new spa heating element.
All safeties are in your system for a reason. It may seem trivial at the time. The one in the story is such a safety.
But a by-passed safety could also cause harm to yourself or your family. For your protection always practice safety. And DO NOT BY-PASS A POOL OR SPA SAFETY.