Why Are My Hot Tub Jets Not Working?

A hot tub is fairly much useless if the jets aren’t working properly. It’s frustrating to find that your hot tub jets are either not working at all or have a significantly reduced amount of water pressure coming out of them. However, luckily it’s often a fairly simple problem to fix. So, if either one of your hot tub jets is not working or you have no water coming from your jets at all or your hot tub jets are just working at reduced pressure then read on.  In this post we will cover the most common causes of why hot tub jets don’t work and also how to fix them.

Your hot tub jets might not be working because of an airlock in the system. You could also get jet issues if there has been a calcium build-up in the pipework or your pump is not operating properly.  Hot tub jets can also clog up or get damaged stopping them from working properly.

Non-working jets are a common problem with hot tubs and usually, the issue will fall into one of three areas: One jet will not be working and the others will be fine, or none of the jets will work at all, or all of the jets will be working but with reduced pressure.

Let’s have a look at each of these in turn. I will go through some basic fault finding and some ways to fix each problem as well. If you have a hot tub that is relatively new or still in warranty I would probably avoid the DIY route in most cases and call out the hot tub supplier.

However, if you have an older tub the chances are that you will be able to do a DIY fix and save some money. As with all maintenance and repairs on the hot tub, for safety’s sake,  make sure that you disconnect the hot tub from the power supply before getting started.

Here’s a quick summary of some of the things that we will be looking at. If your hot tubs jets are not working then one of these may be the problem:

One of your hot tub jets may have a blockage

The hot tub’s controls have accidentally switched the jets off

There is an airlock in the system preventing the water from flowing

Your hot tub has an electrical fault

Your hot tub has a build up of scale

Your hot tub has a clogged filter

The hot tub’s water level is too low

The hot tub pump is broken or worn out

The hot tub drain cover is clogged

One of my Hot Tub’s Jets Isn’t Working

If you have only one jet not working and the rest seem to be OK then the most likely cause is a blockage in that particular pipe/jet or a fault in the jet’s on/off/adjustment mechanism. You will probably know whether or not the jet normally adjusts so check this out and make sure that the jet isn’t just wedged in the “off” position.

It would be remotely possible that the internal mechanism of the jet has broken at some point during turning/adjustment and is now preventing the flow of water.

However, hot tub jets are relatively mechanically simple and robust so this is probably the least likely scenario. If you do suspect that this is the case then you would need to lower the water level in the hot tub until the jet in question can be properly inspected and the best fix for this would be to just replace the jet. Most jets are removable with a large hexagonal socket and replacing them is relatively straightforward. They are also readily available – this page on Amazon has a good selection.

The other, more likely possibility, is that something has got wedged in the jet’s supply pipe and is blocking the flow of water. Now, the temptation here is to get a screwdriver or something similar and poke it down the hole to try to loosen whatever is in there however, the chances of you poking the pipework and creating a hole or a leak in a very awkward and difficult to reach place are reasonably high so do try to avoid the temptation to do this!

A far better strategy is to not poke anything in the hole at all and to try aiming a hosepipe at high pressure into the jet to see if this will loosen whatever is causing the blockage. You can also have a go at using a plunger if the jet is in a suitable position and this might do the trick as well. If this doesn’t work then again, removing the jet and inspecting it and the pipework might give you an answer to what the problem is.

If all else fails and you are still convinced that you have a blockage then possibly removing the pipe altogether might allow you to solve the problem However, if it’s surrounded by foam insulation this might become a fairly big job as you will need to dig the pipe out of the insulation, inspect and repair/replace it and then re foam to make sure that the insulation is kept up to specification.

None of my hot tub jets are working

If none of your hot tub jets are working at all then it could be one of the following problems:

User error – It’s amazing how often I think that some piece of technology I own is broken only to find that I have accidentally incorrectly programmed it, changed the mode or switched something on or off without actually really meaning to!

Before you start calling out a service technician or trying to fix or diagnose the fault yourself have a read of your manual and look at your control panel. Is everything as it should be or have you accidentally switched the jets off, put the hot tub into a different mode or something similar? If in doubt you can always try the old trick of switching it off an on again and this will surprisingly often reset things and solve a large number of mysterious malfunctions.

An airlock in the system – This can sometimes happen after a full drain and refill of the hot tub. Basically, an air pocket forms in the pump which means that, rather than pushing water out, the pump is rather uselessly just full of air and can’t get any traction.

To remove the airlock you will need to “bleed the system” a little bit like bleeding a radiator in a household central heating system. You need to find the discharge pipe from the pump and then slightly loosen the coupling on it. Be careful not to over do it and don’t remove the coupling completely as it will be difficult to replace. The idea is that you are just loosening it enough for air and water to escape out once the pump is on.

Now switch the pump on and you should hear a hissing sound as the excess air escapes through the loosened coupling. This will be closely followed by escaping water so be ready to quickly retighten the coupling once the water starts coming out. This should mean that all of the air has been expelled and the pump should be able to effectively do it’s job again.

An electrical fault – If you haven’t recently drained and refilled the hot tub and so don’t think that you have an airlock and you are also sure that the problem isn’t “user error” then, if there is no action at all from your jets, it’s possible that your hot tub has an electrical fault. You might even have got an error code on the display or something similar.

As with the user error issue above switching the hot tub off and on again may well rest things and solve the problem. If not then you will most probably need to call out a service engineer who will have the specialist knowledge and equipment needed to diagnose and fix an electrical fault.

My hot tub jets are working with reduced pressure

Are your jets still working but seem a little bit lackluster? Maybe they are juddering or pulsing or just working inconsistently? If that is the case then one of the issues below could be the problem:

Scale build-up – Calcium can build up in the jets themselves and also in pipework as well as the components of the hot tub. If this does happen it’s possible that the diameter of the pipes/jets is reduced meaning that less water is able to flow through. Sometimes calcium can break off in lumps and clumps leading to flow problems as well. The solution to this is to use a descaler to try to get rid of the scale. To prevent future build-ups of scale you need to regularly test your water for calcium hardness and adjust as necessary.

A clogged up filter – All of the water in the hot tub is pumped through the filter and it stands to reason that if the filter is clogged, old or blocked the pump will have to work harder, use more energy and the flow of water will be reduced. Check your filter to make sure that everything seems in order and, if in doubt, clean it by flushing through with water after a good soak in a filter cleaning solution. If the filter is due for replacement then it is false economy to hang on to it – get a new filter in asap and see if this helps with the flow of water to your jets.

The water level is too low – The water level in your hot tub should be well above the highest jet on the side of the hot tub. If it is too low then you run the risk of air entering the system and causing an airlock. If airlock forms in the pump this can potentially prevent the pump from working and stop the jets from performing completely but air in other parts of the system can cause an inconsistent flow of water from the jets and can also be potentially damaging for the hot tub components.

You should be able to see a fill line on the side of your hot tub or, if not, check with your manufacturer as to how much water should be in it. Check the level regularly and top up as necessary, you might be surprised at how much water is lost to evaporation and splashing so this might need to be done on a regular basis.

The pump is faulty/worn out – It’s possible that there may be an issue with the actual pump itself. Pumps do, after a lot of use, wear out but pump failure would often be accompanied by a lot of extra noise coming from the pump as bearings fail or components wear down. You might also find water leakage as well.

Despite this, it is possible for your pump to just suddenly stop working in which case you will need to call out an engineer to diagnose the problem. Often you will only need a replacement part but, if you do need a new pump, they are readily available and relatively straightforward to replace. It’s also possible, on an older hot tub, that you would contemplate replacing the pump yourself.

Make sure that you order the correct replacement pump and take several photographs of the old pump in situ before you start to guide you during the process.

Clogged drain cover – The water is usually sucked out of the hot tub drain quite quickly and it needs to be free-flowing for the pressure to be kept up. If there is anything impeding the suction of the water this will cause a problem. Check that there isn’t anything blocking the drain cover and that the water can flow freely.

Clogged pump impeller – The pump impeller is where the water enters the pump and it can sometimes become clogged with debris. To check to see if this is the case switch off the hot tub from the electrical supply and then turn off the valves either side of the pump. Remove the coupling on the impeller side and you should be able to see inside to see if there is anything blocking it.

Closed valves – There are valves either side of the pump and probably also either side of other major components on a hot tub. These allow the water to be switched off and individual components isolated for maintenance and saves having to completely drain the system. Sometimes a valve may accidentally become closed off or water redirected resulting in reduced pressure to the jets. Check to make sure that all the valves are fully open throughout the hot tub.

Related Questions:

Does a hot tub heat up faster with the jets on? Generally speaking, a hot tub will heat up more slowly with the jets on. This is because the jets introduce cool air into the water and the cool air disperses around the water and lowers the temperature. However, it can be a good idea to have the jets on and pump the water around periodically whilst the hot tub is heating up as this ensures that the water is heated up evenly throughout and will help prevent any cold spots.

How do I clean the jets on my hot tub? This can be a rather labor-intensive process as to do the job properly, you need to remove all of the jets and soak them in vinegar and water or a specialist jet cleaning solution. You can then use a soft brush to clean out any debris and make sure everything is clean before carefully rinsing and replacing the jets. It isn’t a good idea to remove all of the jets at once to do this job as it’s far too easy to forget which jet goes where and to then not be able to replace the jets in the right positions!