Spiralite

Spiralite air switch tubing and connectors for spas and whirlpool baths

Pneumatic controls are still the simplest and safest way to switch a pump or blower from inside a wet environment. Press the air button on the spa shell, and a small pulse of air travels down a flexible tube to an air switch mounted away from the water, which does the actual electrical switching. No mains voltage ever reaches the bather’s hand. Spiralite supplies the flexible part of that chain: the tubing itself, plus the small push-fit fittings that join, extend and branch it. Here you will find air switch tube sold per metre together with the straight coupler and the T-piece that go with it.

Was das Sortiment umfasst

Three items, each doing one job in a pneumatic control circuit:

• Air switch tube, per metre (PPS-10051) — flexible hose that runs from an air button on the spa shell or bath rim to the air switch in the equipment area. Sold by the metre so the run can be cut to the length the installation actually needs, rather than coiling up a surplus.
• Straight air hose connector (990310-000) — a barbed inline coupler for 5 mm air switch hose. Used to join two lengths of tube, to repair a tube that has been cut short or has split at the end, or to extend an existing run when equipment is relocated.
• T shape air pipe connector tee (990300-000) — a three-way branch that lets one air signal reach two destinations, or lets two buttons feed a single switch, depending on how the circuit is designed.

Because the tubing carries only a puff of air and not water, failures tend to be mechanical rather than pressure-related: a kinked bend behind a panel, a tube pulled off its barb during servicing, or a perished end where it has been stretched over a fitting many times.

Choosing the right tube and fittings

Air switch hose is specified by its diameter, and the connectors here are made for 5 mm hose. Before ordering, pull the existing tube off the back of the air button or off the air switch spigot and measure it — note both the outside and the inside diameter, as fittings and buttons are sized against one or the other. A tube that is a size too large will leak air and the button will feel spongy or fail to trigger; a tube that is too small will not push on at all, or will split as it is forced over the barb.

A few other points worth checking while the panel is open:

• Run length — measure the route the tube will actually take, including bends around the frame and any service loop at each end, then add a little spare. Pneumatic switching works over a reasonable distance, but very long runs and sharp kinks both soften the response.
• Tube condition — hose that has gone hard, discoloured or oval where it has been clamped should be replaced in full rather than patched, as the end seal is what makes the circuit airtight.
• Anzahl der Auslässe — one button to one switch needs no fitting at all beyond the tube; a branched circuit needs the tee.
• Routing — keep the tube clear of hot pipework and heater bodies, and avoid trapping it against a pump mount where vibration will chafe it.
• Push-fit security — push the tube fully home onto the barb so it seats past the ridge; a short, half-seated joint is the most common cause of a button that works intermittently.

Typical uses and fault-finding

These parts belong to spa and whirlpool bath air button systems, portable hot tub control circuits and any pool or spa equipment set where a blower, light or pump is started from a pneumatic push button. When a button stops responding, the tube and its joints are worth checking before condemning the air switch or the electrics. Disconnect the tube at the switch end and press the button: a clear, short puff of air at the open end suggests the button and tube are sound and the fault lies further on. No air, or a weak and delayed release, points to a split, a kink, a loose joint or a failed button diaphragm.

Replacing tubing is also sensible preventive work whenever a spa is stripped for pump or heater replacement, since the hose is far easier to reach with panels off than it will be later.

Spiralite at PoolParthub.com

Here we list the Spiralite air switch tube alongside the straight coupler and T-piece designed to work with it, so a pneumatic control run can be rebuilt from one place rather than assembled from mismatched sizes. Tube by the metre means the length ordered matches the installation.

Measure the existing hose before ordering and compare it with the 5 mm fittings shown here. If the diameter on your spa differs, it is better to confirm the size than to force a fitting that will leak air and leave the button unreliable.