Hot Tub Jets
Hot tub jets are what turns a hot tub into your very own personal masseuse. Generally there are air jets and water jets, with the water jets being the best for hydrotherapy as they focus flowing hot water onto tired and sore muscles and muscle groups.
Number of Jets
The number of jets
in a hot tub can determine the different massage possibilities. Some jets are rotational while others are fixed, some are adjustable and others are controllable by a general knob or valve that controls an entire seat or group of seats.
The power of the massage is determined by how many jets are on a given pump line. The more jets, the stronger the pump needs to be in order to properly power the jets.
While it is easy to turn down the jet power in a well designed spa by setting a two speed pump to low speed, by adjusting the individual jet by turning the ring on an adjustable jet or by adjusting a valve or knob that can adjust an entire group of seats.
Getting more power to a poorly designed spa is more of a challenge. Whenever there are alot of jets in a spa, you will find there are at least 2 jet pumps. Note that air jets that transport air from the air blower to the water are also counted in the total number of jets.
Finally when comparing jet counts, be aware that some manufacturers may count jet nozzles as individual jets. For example a jet with 2 nozzles may count as 2 jets. A huge 10 nozzle jet may be counted as 10 individual jets.
In theory that is true to the extent that the 10 nozzle jet is replacing a very tight cluster of small jets. The orifice or openings are actually the best way to see from how many different locations water arrives into the spa shell from the pump(s).
Air Jets
Air jets are usually small nozzles that are usually non-adjustable. These air jets are also referred to as air injectors.
The simplest form of air injector is not even a jet, but a series of perforations in the spa shell that is connected to an air manifold which routes the air to the holes from the air blower. In most upscale hot tubs, seperate air injectors with either 9 holes or up to 31 holes in them, inject air from the air blower into the spa.
Air Blower
The air blower collects air from inside the spa cabinet and disperses it via air injector jets into the water creating the champagne bubble effect. These bubbles allow the water to perculate as if it is boiling and the rising air in the water provides a tingly sensation and a very light massage effect.
Water Jets
Hot tub jets are mainly referred to as water jets because that is the true source of a hydromassage. A jet pump circulates water collected from the intakes found in the footwell of the spa and pumps the water out of the water jets.
Well plumbed spa systems include manifolds that evenly distribute the water to all of the water jets instead of the old-style method of in-line plumbing that just connected the first jet in the series to the next one until the water pressure because weak at the last jet in the series.
Today's quality spas use manifolds to divide up water and air flow so it is dispersed evenly throughout the tub.
Waterway is one of the world's largest and best hot tub jet manufacturers with thousands of different jet configurations and colors for manufacturers to select from when designing a spa.
Waterway replacement jets are also easy to find online should one of them have a problem.
In the U.S. find spa jets at Hot Tub Outpost.
The smaller the hole size, the more deep tissue massage you may receive compared to larger holes where water will flow slower. Turn jets on to rotate to the right, turn jets off by rotating the ring left. Turn further left to pop the jet out.
If you have a 4" jet for example, you can use a different style insert as needed to customize your personal massage experience..
Spa Plumbing
Spa plumbing is made up of hoses, pipes, PVC manifolds, jets and connectors that form multiple paths for hot water to be pumped to hydrotherepy jets resulting in a relaxing and invigorating massage.
Hot tub plumbing comes in various sizes including 1/2 inch pipe, 1", 1 1/2", 2" and even 2 1/2" or greater.
Some hot tub connectors are clipped on while most are glued together with pvc glue.