Air jet tub. Blower questions

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thehoj

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I have an air jet tub that uses this blower motor http://www.ht-poolspa.com/product.php?cid=68&id=1611
I just got looking at things a bit closer and I'm a bit confused about how these function.

Initially I had thought that the inlet was on the side of the blower with the threaded (white) end. But when testing things out I see that that's the exhaust, the inlet is on the other side of the blower it would seem.

Is it normal for air to be sucked into these in this fashion? I'm just asking because on my tub that blower is mounted on the side of the tub which will be in a fairly sealed cavity once installed, and it seems strange to me that the source of the air for a blower in an air jet tub would be in a sealed space.

Does this need to be left completely open for it to be able to suck in air safely? Is there an air filter that I need to check and clean sometimes? I can't seem to find any information out about these types of blowers online.

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Jadnashua

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The instructions on mine said that the enclosure needed a vent into the room for it to draw air from, and that, ideally, that air would be at least 70-degrees F. The act of compressing the air heats it up, but there's a limit, depending on how fast you have it set just like when pumping up a tire...the pump will get warm. It looks like yours may also have water jets, as it has a heater. I've only experience with mine, and that company only puts a heater in when it's a combination or solely a water jet, not on an air only tub. The blower moves a lot of air, and if it's an enclosed box, it will be trying to suck air through any cracks, and may not work well. That air also might be drawn from outside if that's the path of least resistance, and that would defeat a lot of your HVAC functionality.
 

thehoj

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The instructions on mine said that the enclosure needed a vent into the room for it to draw air from, and that, ideally, that air would be at least 70-degrees F. The act of compressing the air heats it up, but there's a limit, depending on how fast you have it set just like when pumping up a tire...the pump will get warm. It looks like yours may also have water jets, as it has a heater. I've only experience with mine, and that company only puts a heater in when it's a combination or solely a water jet, not on an air only tub. The blower moves a lot of air, and if it's an enclosed box, it will be trying to suck air through any cracks, and may not work well. That air also might be drawn from outside if that's the path of least resistance, and that would defeat a lot of your HVAC functionality.

I appreciate the insights. It is only an air blower, and I'm not really too sure why there's a heater power rating listed on the unit.
I do have the ability to vent the area that the blower will be in, so I will do that. It makes sense to me that it should have access to free flowing air. There is no mention of this in the manual as far as I can tell though.

I got looking into this motor a bit as I was doing a test run with it and noticed a bit of a strong plastic smell. That led me to investigating how this unit is supplied air. Anyways, I also contacted the manufacturer and they indicated that the plastic smell is strange, so it seems they are going to replace the blower under warranty. It doesn't seem like it should be very difficult to change.

I do still wonder though about the air being filtered into the blower. Is this an air filter that I should be replacing or cleaning at certain intervals? Again, nothing mentioned in the manual, and even the manufacturer didn't seem to have an answer for me.
Frustrating situation overall..
 

Jadnashua

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FWIW, mine does not have a filter, either. If you put a grill to supply air, you could consider putting a furnace filter bracket behind it if you wanted. I'm not sure it will make much difference, but it probably wouldn't hurt as long as you checked it periodically.

Just trying to pull air from an enclosed space would be trying to create a vacuum, and thus be trying to pull air through any cracks (maybe to the outside), and put a much bigger load on the motor, which may be why it was heating up more than it should, leading to that smell.

If yours heats the air, that may be good. Mine relies on the act of compressing the air to warm it, and I find that over the 20-minute timer the thing runs, it's cool enough to cool the water some. It's not uncomfortable, but it doesn't maintain the water temperature. Yours, with a heater, might. I usually start with the water a little hotter than I like, and as it cools, it's still comfortable.
 

thehoj

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FWIW, mine does not have a filter, either. If you put a grill to supply air, you could consider putting a furnace filter bracket behind it if you wanted. I'm not sure it will make much difference, but it probably wouldn't hurt as long as you checked it periodically.

Just trying to pull air from an enclosed space would be trying to create a vacuum, and thus be trying to pull air through any cracks (maybe to the outside), and put a much bigger load on the motor, which may be why it was heating up more than it should, leading to that smell.

If yours heats the air, that may be good. Mine relies on the act of compressing the air to warm it, and I find that over the 20-minute timer the thing runs, it's cool enough to cool the water some. It's not uncomfortable, but it doesn't maintain the water temperature. Yours, with a heater, might. I usually start with the water a little hotter than I like, and as it cools, it's still comfortable.

Thanks for the info. I did get confirmation that my blower is going to be replaced under warranty so that's nice. I was thinking I would get a grill to cover the area I will leave open for it to take air in (from the area on the other side of the wall from the tub, which happens to be under my stairs), so maybe I will rig up some sort of filter system there.

As for the heater comments, that's good to know. I suppose then that this model is heating the air as it pumps it, so that will be a nice feature.
 
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