My hot tub has an annoying quirk – a design issue really. Hot tubs are dumped and refilled 3-4 times/year because they become chemically saturated and the water can no longer be balanced. There are two pumps in my tub. When the tub is dumped, an air-lock develops in Pump 2 and the most powerful jets in the tub will not work until the air lock is removed. We complained about this when we bought the tub, but they only gave advice like closing all the jets before dumping or filling it through the filter. None of those things worked and instead, my ex would have to open up the side of the cabinet and release the air lock at the pump. Opening up the side of the cabinet is another design problem. It’s really hard for one person to do because the sides are heavy and the special screws that attach the sides to the unit are weird and hard to use, often misaligned. And it’s even more fun if it’s cold outside. Or if you let one of screws slip down between the deck slats.
Until my divorce, this was less of a problem for me – because it was a Boy Job -- the ex had the fun task. Upon divorce, I learned to do this myself. managing it successfully several times in the early years, cursing and grumbling the whole way –about the bad design in the first place, about the cold, the difficulty and about the stupid, cheating jerk whose job it was supposed to be to do this. Sometimes, just my luck, there would be no air lock and I happily avoided the confrontation.
Then one day I was having a pump repaired by a different spa shop and this mechanic gave me a new thing to try when it happens. Sure enough, it was a miracle! At least that first time. Sometimes it’s a miracle, sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it seems to eventually clear on its own, without intervention, but on one occasion, when I finally got fed up, I started to pray about it, while in the tub, asking God to help out because I really didn’t want to remove the side of the cabinet. I tried to start the jets one last time and lo and behold, Pump 2 fired up! This has now repeated itself at least three times, most recently last night. Yesterday I started thinking – at different times during my stressful day – “God, I know you can release that air lock…you’ve done it before and you can do it again.” A pep talk for God – you know, to encourage Him. There was simply no reason, given the kind of huge miracles He does, that He couldn’t also do this small thing, if I believed and had faith.
When I got in the tub, I said one last prayer, and tried the jets. Nothing. Grrr...I prayed more earnestly for His intervention and then tried again. Success! I was laughing so hard! God is truly amazing. This is like our little game now. He specializes in hot tub air locks. I’m still grinning today. And Im wondering what other things I ought to apply my faith to!
Until my divorce, this was less of a problem for me – because it was a Boy Job -- the ex had the fun task. Upon divorce, I learned to do this myself. managing it successfully several times in the early years, cursing and grumbling the whole way –about the bad design in the first place, about the cold, the difficulty and about the stupid, cheating jerk whose job it was supposed to be to do this. Sometimes, just my luck, there would be no air lock and I happily avoided the confrontation.
Then one day I was having a pump repaired by a different spa shop and this mechanic gave me a new thing to try when it happens. Sure enough, it was a miracle! At least that first time. Sometimes it’s a miracle, sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it seems to eventually clear on its own, without intervention, but on one occasion, when I finally got fed up, I started to pray about it, while in the tub, asking God to help out because I really didn’t want to remove the side of the cabinet. I tried to start the jets one last time and lo and behold, Pump 2 fired up! This has now repeated itself at least three times, most recently last night. Yesterday I started thinking – at different times during my stressful day – “God, I know you can release that air lock…you’ve done it before and you can do it again.” A pep talk for God – you know, to encourage Him. There was simply no reason, given the kind of huge miracles He does, that He couldn’t also do this small thing, if I believed and had faith.
When I got in the tub, I said one last prayer, and tried the jets. Nothing. Grrr...I prayed more earnestly for His intervention and then tried again. Success! I was laughing so hard! God is truly amazing. This is like our little game now. He specializes in hot tub air locks. I’m still grinning today. And Im wondering what other things I ought to apply my faith to!