Priming The Pump - Cal Spas Patio Owner's Manual

8

Priming the Pump

New spa owners often have difficulty the first time they start their spa
and the pump fails to prime. This can be frustrating, but these simple
instructions can help you.
Sometimes air can become trapped in the pump while filling the spa. You
will know this has happened when after you have filled and started the spa,
the pump does not seem to function. You will hear the pump operating, but no water will be moving.
Starting Up: Priming Mode
After the initial start-up sequence,
the spa will enter Priming Mode,
which lasts 4 to 5 minutes. The
message shown right will appear.
As soon as the Priming Mode screen appears on the panel,
press the Jets or Jets 1 button once to start Pump 1 in low
speed and then again to switch to high speed. Also, select
the other pumps, to turn them on. The pumps should be
running in high speed to facilitate priming.
If the pumps have not primed after two minutes, and water
is not flowing from the jets in the spa, do not allow the
pumps to continue to run. Turn off the pumps and repeat
the process. Note: Turning the power off and back on again
will initiate a new pump priming session.
Exiting Priming Mode
You can manually exit Priming Mode by pressing an Up or
Down button. Note that if you do not manually exit the
priming mode as described above, the priming mode will
be automatically terminated after 4 to 5 minutes. Be sure
that the pumps have been primed by this time.
Bleeding Air from the Pump
If you have tried priming the pump several times unsuccessfully using the
control panel, you can bleed the air from the pump manually.
1. Shut off the power to the spa.
2. Using a Phillips screwdriver, remove the front panel from the spa and
locate the pump.
3. Close the gate valve on the discharge side of the pump (if your spa is
installed with one.)
4. Turn the bleeder valve counter clockwise with a small pair of pliers until
the air has been released from the pump.
5. If this is unsuccessful, loosen the union nut on side of the pump with
channel locks. When air is bled out, tighten the nut.
6. Turn on power to the spa and press the JETS button. If there is still air
trapped in the pump, repeat steps 2 through 5 until the pump primes.
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The
properly while air is trapped in it.
Continuing to operate the pump
in this way will cause damage.
Sometimes momentarily turning the pump off and on will
help it to prime. Do not do this more than five times. If the
pumps will not prime, shut off the power to the spa and
call for service.
Important: A pump should not be allowed to run without
priming for more than two minutes. Under NO circumstances
should a pump be allowed to run without priming beyond
the end of the 4 to 5 minute priming mode. Doing so
may cause damage to the pump and cause the system to
energize the heater and go into an overheat condition.
Once the system has exited Priming Mode, the top-side
panel will momentarily display the set temperature but
the display will not show the temperature yet. This is
because the system requires approximately one minute of
water flowing through the heater to determine the water
temperature and display it.
pump will not work
2017 Portable Spa
LTR20171000, Rev. C