One of the most relaxing feelings in the world is sitting in your hot tub after a stressful day at work while the jets massage your worries away. One of the worst feelings, though, is getting into that hot tub and realizing the jets no longer work. So, then you ask yourself, what now?

From my experience working with INYO, I have realized that most hot tub owners do not know how to identify the jets that are in their hot tub. And, without first identifying which jet you currently have, you will have a difficult time finding a suitable replacement.

What Is a Hot Tub Jet?

A hot tub jet consists of multiple parts. First, you have the jet body, which seals the backside of the spa wall with a locknut ring. It contains pipe connectors for water and air lines. The jet body houses the jet internal, which includes the diffuser insert, escutcheon, and the eye or nozzle.

One of the things that make identifying spa jets so difficult is that there are hundreds of different spa jets on the market. They also come in endless configurations of jet type, eyeball type, size, and color.

Types of Jets

Rotational– Air and water move in circles in the water

Directional– The center section of the jet has the ability to move in a particular direction. It usually consists of one port in the center of the jet.

Pulsator– Pulsator jets consist of a center section with at least two holes. Once water pressure is applied, the center section spins freely, alternating the water in each hole. The center may also consist of a straight bar running the length of the middle portion of the face that spins when water pressure is applied.

Multi-massage– The jet face usually consists of many smaller holes that divide the water into individual streams.

Ozone/Cluster– Cluster jets usually do not contain a visible nozzle and in most instances, cannot be adjusted. They basically consist of an open center section that the water flows through.

How to Identify the Jet

Step 1: Locate the diffuser

When you’re ready to replace your hot tub jet, the first part you need to locate is the diffuser. If you turn your jet over, you will see the diffuser. You can usually find a part number stamped on the top of the diffuser.

This information is crucial because this is the part that goes into your hot tub or spa. On this particular diffuser, the part number is 218-4000. If you typed this part number into the search engine on inyopools.com, both the diffuser and replacement jets pop up.

Step 2: Measure Front Face

Once you have located the part number on the diffuser, flip the jet back over to the front. Measure the diameter (the total distance from one side to the other) of the front face of the jet. This step is also important as you don’t want to purchase the wrong size jet.

You can change the style of your jet once you’ve identified both the diffuser and the front face measurement. So, if you previously owned a directional jet but prefer a pulsator one, you can make that switch. Whichever one you choose will simply provide a different massage.

Even if your hot tub jet is not made by Waterway, you can use the diameter of the front face to identify a suitable replacement properly. If you are having trouble locating the part number on the diffuser or need a recommendation for a replacement jet, feel free to email us a picture of your current jet at upload@inyopools.com or initiate a post on our forum and allow other pool experts around the country to help.