How do i get rid of rust coming out of the air regulator valves in my whirlpool tub? plumbers are all stumped!
November 17th, 2009 | 
Author: When we run the whirlpool tub, rusty flakes cover the surface of the water and leave a gross orange ring. The rusty stuff was coming out of the jets and the air adjustment valves above the jets. i have tried running dishwasher powder throught the system, bleach, CLR as per some suggestions. CLR gets rid of it temporarily. have had plumbers look at it but they just scratch their head and say i dunno. i can’t stand to use the tub because it is pretty gross to see the flakes floating on top of the bubbles. i love the whirlpool ’cause it is great for my back, but hate having to shower afterward to get that stuff off of my skin. What could be the problem? the house was built in 1991 and it is the original whirlpool tub (says Dayton on the whirlpool timer on the wall). help!
thanks guys fo such quick responses! Hadn’t thought of the water pump itself…surprised the various plumbers wouldn’t look at it. The pump is actually covered by our home warranty. My husband uses the whirlpool almost every night. he isn’t as picky as me, says he sleeps better for using it. I get to clean it after him. So I really would like to resolve this!
Chuckimagine, when you say emptythe water heater, are you talking about the main heater for the whole house up in the attic? or the pump to the whirlpool? (not sure if the whirlpool has it’s own independant heater…?) thanks again!
I will agree with just about every body’s answer. Most pump on whirlpools are nylon impellers or bronze, which both of them should not produce rust. If your water heater is rusting out it could be the problem, draining will only last a while. If you happen to have galvanized pipe of a piece of black pipe in you water system this could cause rust. If you go to other fixtures in your house and get rust out of them it could be that. It could also be from the water main it self, which is a city or if your on a well a problem at the source. You might try to put a filter on the water lines going to the whirlpool if if is not the pump or piping on the whirlpool itself causing the rust problem.
Posted in Plumbers
I had this happen on my whirlpool tub, the rust flakes were coming from the water pump which was made of metal, unfortunately the only way I could stop it was by replacing the pump.
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First of all how often do you use the Whirlpool? Noramlly rust is a sign that water has not been run through your pipes. What I suggest you do is drain your water heater by opening the valve on the top. If you don’t have a drain near the water heater, put a bucket under it and run it until it runs clear water. The run all your sinks and flush all your toilets for about 5 minutes. The fill the Whirlpool, it might still ahve some rust, but eventuallt the water will run clear, so empty the whirlpool with rust , and you should have it clear for good. If it happens again just, repeat the above. Happy whirlpool!
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I need to know if there is any rust coming out of any other fixture in the home. Check the lav sink faucet, the kitchen faucet, etc. I’m leaning towards replacing the water heater, however, the tub pump may also be corroded. There was an answer that said you drain the water heater from the top. This is incorrect. The drain valve is at the bottom of the tank. The top is a T&P valve and it will not drain the tank.
Hook up a garden hose to the drain valve and run the other end to a sump pit or even a large bucket. If you see rust, then we know it’s the tank. If you live in the midwest, you should also have a lot of lime scaling as well. Write back to me and let me know.
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I will agree with just about every body’s answer. Most pump on whirlpools are nylon impellers or bronze, which both of them should not produce rust. If your water heater is rusting out it could be the problem, draining will only last a while. If you happen to have galvanized pipe of a piece of black pipe in you water system this could cause rust. If you go to other fixtures in your house and get rust out of them it could be that. It could also be from the water main it self, which is a city or if your on a well a problem at the source. You might try to put a filter on the water lines going to the whirlpool if if is not the pump or piping on the whirlpool itself causing the rust problem.
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Okay, if the "stuff" is coming out of the air snorkels then the jets are plugged up! Those jets are designed to venturi air into the snorkel tubes and mix it with water coming through the jet orifices. Here’s how to fix: Remove the "eyeballs" from the jets. Use a flashlight to look inside the jet. You will see an orifice that is usually hexagonal. Use a socket with an extension to unscrew the orifice. Clean it out. Now, before reinstalling the orifices fill the tub and run the pump for a minute to flush any particles out. Drain and reassemble. This should solve the problem for you. You didn’t mention any of the jets "sucking" instead of blowing, but I’ll betcha at least one of them is.
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35 years in the pool industry.
You need to call your Waste Water Managament Company ( in your city ) and get an analysis !
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me
if there are no other problems in any other fixtures than the problem is within the whirlpool itself, probably the pump, go to Dayton’s website and get their number, they have reps that might be able to help you.
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