Hayward Laminar Jet not creating clean stream

[mattvan]

We just built a new pool and as part of the pool, we installed 3 Hayward Laminar Jets in our decking. Two of the laminars work really well, and have very clean streams. However, one of the laminars does not make a clean stream. At first I thought it was due to the agitator, so I turned it off and I still have the problem. There is some spray right as it comes out of the jet and the stream breaks up in the air and looks more like a standard jet when it hits the water. I've attached a picture in the dark with a light on which shows how it is spraying.

Hoping collective group here can help me figure out how to fix it.

Bad jet:



Good Jet:

 

[vtpools]

Check to make sure there aren't any obstructions on the nozzle. Could be a plastic burr or something causing it to spray a bit like that.

 

[Peiloy]

I had a similar problem when my own were first installed. It also affected the lighting of the laminar. What I eventually figured out is that the mesh screens in the laminar had shifted. I assume that this happened on the first startup as they were not slowly filled. The laminar canister can be unscrewed. Once opened there is a clear acrylic cylinder piece that the mesh sits on. There are tiny little tabs on the cylinder for each mesh piece. So you need to reposition each mesh piece on each tab. I am not sure if you have the same problem, but that fixed it for me and I haven’t had the problem since.

 

[mattvan]

No obstructions.

Thanks for the tip about the screens, they were all collapsed, I spread them out to each be between the notches, improved a lot but still has a bit of spray, versus the other jets which are crystal clear. The small spray also allows a bit of water to collect in the nozzle area, which eventually disrupts the stream.

One thing I noticed is the mesh is bigger than the diameter of the laminar, so I pushed them down to make a kind of bowl shape. Is this how they are supposed to be positioned?

 

[mattvan]

Fixed it. Reset them again, this time I rotated them each a bit and made sure the edges touched at every point. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Peiloy]

Great news! Enjoy the pool!

 

[IcePic]

We also recently built a pool with three Hayward Laminar Jets. I’m having a similar issue. Is there a trick to removing the cap to access the screens? Mine seems stuck and I’m hesitant to put too much pressure on it.

 

[Matt F 1]

I have the same problem with one of my Pentair Luminars. Any suggestions?

.

 

[Peiloy]

It can take a lot to unscrew it the first time. Remove the laminar can from the housing, remove the light and hoses. If I remember correctly, I wedged the laminar between my feet and used my hands to grip the cap and turn. It took a bit of effort.

 

[Peiloy]

I have the same problem with one of my Pentair Luminars. Any suggestions?

.

I am not sure if the Pentair uses the same design. The issue with Hayward is there are screens that need to be equally spaced on notches. They can shift if the laminar is started to abruptly the first time it is filling which is what causes the issue. If the Pentair laminar can be opened, check to see if there are internal screens.

 

[Matt F 1]

I am not sure if the Pentair uses the same design. The issue with Hayward is there are screens that need to be equally spaced on notches. They can shift if the laminar is started to abruptly the first time it is filling which is what causes the issue. If the Pentair laminar can be opened, check to see if there are internal screens.

OK I'll check into this tomorrow. I have had them out of the holes to turn them into a better direction.

Thanks M