# Hot Spring Spa leaking.



## Mr_David (Aug 15, 2016)

I have a Hot Spring Spa Envoy 2006  M# KK3H1550. Leaking from bottom of side panel.

No leakage inside the equipment area.
I did drain the spa in stages until it stopped leaking at the small jets at calf level in captains chair.

So am I going to have to jack up and block the spa and dig out foam to find this leak?

Is there any thing I can do to test the jet ports and possibly correct the leakage from the outside?


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## bud16415 (Aug 15, 2016)

I have a spa also and that&#8217;s about as far as I can go to help you on this one. I don&#8217;t often refer another site but I think in this case you will get better help on one of the hot tub sites. The one I belong to is 
http://www.whatsthebest-hottub.com/forum/
There is not a lot of traffic there but a half dozen pros check in and answer quite a few similar questions. I would give it a try. 

Leaks and freezing up were two big concerns I had when I bought my tub because of where we live and how bad our winters can get. we bought a Caldara tub made I believe by Watkins who also makes Hot Springs IIRC. Ours doesn&#8217;t have foam it has a dense pack insulation and you take the sides off and dig out the insulation by hand put it in a bag make your repair and pack it back in. With foam a leak can move quite some distance where it exits the tub from the leak. Dense pack the water will run straight down. You used the right method of lowering the water to find the jet that might be the problem. And if it is there that&#8217;s a tough spot being behind the pumps. Maybe rather than jacking it up it might be better to tip it on its side. Yours looks a little smaller than mine and mine weighs 800 pounds empty, so plan on a few strong helpers. 

Wish I could help more.


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## slownsteady (Aug 15, 2016)

Not a spa owner, but I would be looking to see if the jet was fastened correctly and if there is any kind of gasket behind it. You may find that the jet is removable (like a swimming pool jet would be).


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## nealtw (Aug 15, 2016)

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiYjitw8g3I[/ame]


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## bud16415 (Aug 15, 2016)

The jets are removable from inside the tub. They are the part that spins and what not. The seal is around the port the jet locks into. It is a bayonet mount. Taking the jet out won&#8217;t tell you anything and like Neal&#8217;s video shows the attachment is from the back and behind that foam. The guy in the video suggests the foam came out easy. Any I have seen the stuff is tougher than Kelsey&#8217;s nuts, and all around the pipes. I wouldn&#8217;t fix it the way the guy in the video did he found the gasket to be bad and he didn&#8217;t replace it he just worked some RTV into the crack. RTV is ok but I would have put a new seal in there with it. the problem was he didn&#8217;t want to cut the PVC pipe in the back and re-glue it. He also suggests stuffing some house insulation in there once you have it fixed. I might do some insulation for a couple weeks to see if it leaks again and then on a warm day spray it back full of builders foam.


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## Mr_David (Aug 16, 2016)

bud16415 said:


> I have a spa also and thats about as far as I can go to help you on this one. I dont often refer another site but I think in this case you will get better help on one of the hot tub sites. The one I belong to is
> http://www.whatsthebest-hottub.com/forum/
> There is not a lot of traffic there but a half dozen pros check in and answer quite a few similar questions. I would give it a try.
> .


 
Thank you. I did try a  poolspa forum but had trouble getting an account so I could post. I'll take a look at he one you mentioned



slownsteady said:


> Not a spa owner, but I would be looking to see if the jet was fastened correctly and if there is any kind of gasket behind it. You may find that the jet is removable (like a swimming pool jet would be).


 


bud16415 said:


> The jets are removable from inside the tub. They are the part that spins and what not. The seal is around the port the jet locks into. .


 
Also Thanks. That was one answer I was looking for. But you say if it's a seal that seal is behind the tub wall like an overflow gasket on a bathtub.
So I still may have to go digging. I'm a plumber I have to dig through concrete and worse thing than foam. 

I was planning on calling the local dealer here and get some feed back, just haven't got around to it yet.

P.S.
It was empty for about 5 months so maybe just a seal dried out

Thanks for the tip, Slownsteady and the video, nealtw

I have a problem watching YouTube videos.
It's like eating a potato chip. I can't eat just one.
I can start with how to find a spa leak and 1 hour later I'm watching a truck full of acetylene bottles exploding

.:wavingflag:


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## slownsteady (Aug 16, 2016)

> I have a problem watching YouTube videos.
> It's like eating a potato chip. I can't eat just one.
> I can start with how to find a spa leak and 1 hour later I'm watching a truck full of acetylene bottles exploding



So true. LOL


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## bud16415 (Aug 17, 2016)

The seal is on the inside of the tub, but the nut that draws the flange against the seal tight against the inside acrylic surface of the tub is on the other side and in the foam. you could try cleaning and sealing it with RTV from inside the tub and it might work.

if you dig out the foam and don't want to cut and glue the pipe you may be able to stretch the new O ring over the flange from the outside. i would try that before i cut the pipe. 

there is also nothing saying your leak is in the seal. it could be a bad glue joint or a split in the PVC pipe. 

The way the jets snap on to the flange sometimes allow you to rotate them to control flow. The smaller jets just snap on and i have seen them pop off with the force of the water. when they get one that keeps popping off i have seen people put a dab of RTV on them to hold them in place.


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## Mr_David (Aug 27, 2016)

Well!! I'm gonna try and tear into this spa. I just called the local hotspring dealer. He did mention removing the side panels but did not elaborate on how. So I thought I would give it a go.
I started to just peel the siding off and discovered That the whole side will come off as a unit. I'll have to take some pictures. The side I really need to get into is facing a large shed. I'm going to have to move the whole thing over a couple feet. 

Bottle jack against the shed aught to do it


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## Mr_David (Aug 27, 2016)

I used a screw jack and some lumber and pushed the spa over. 
Pulled off the panel and started digging.
:banana::wavingflag::banana:

Found a pin hole in the middle of a 1-1/2" tube.

SO!!* Where do I find this type of pipe?*
I was told I can use sch 40 PVC fitting and hot shot pvc glue.

I would like to cut the 90 off at the bottom and cut it on the vertical at the pin hole. 
*What is best way to clean off the foam to make a good joint?*

OOPS forgot the picture. be right back


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## slownsteady (Aug 28, 2016)

You'll find that pipe at a pool supply house, or possibly at the local pool store.


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## Mr_David (Sep 5, 2016)

Thanks. I found the pipe and fixed THAT leak. Filled it up today and found 2 more I plugged them with screws for now. Termites are eating holes.
Spent several hours today digging out foam. still have more leaks. 

I'll post some pictures later. I'm pissed and tired.

This trail of termite poop went right to my second hole.
I dyed the water to see if it helps to find the leaks. It Does NOT help.


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## bud16415 (Sep 6, 2016)

Sorry to hear you are chasing the problem around like that never saw termites eating PVC. Maybe the leak was there so they went for the water.

Digging out that foam looks like a pain. I&#8217;m glad mine is full of the dense pack in case I ever have to get in there. I know they sell blocks or bails of that dense pack stuff. I don&#8217;t see any reason you couldn&#8217;t use that to pack back in where you repaired in case you need to get back in there.


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## nealtw (Sep 6, 2016)

http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-to-Remove-Spray-Foam-Insulation-From-a-Hot-Tub-/10000000205355248/g.html


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## slownsteady (Sep 6, 2016)

I have never seen termite poop that is bigger than termites, perhaps there is a rodent in the insulation.


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## Mr_David (Oct 17, 2016)

Problem Solved.:thumbup:


NO more LEAKS.

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.It's on it's way to Mexico
Put it on craigslist and was gone the next day


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## oldognewtrick (Oct 17, 2016)

We love Happy Endings


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## bud16415 (Oct 18, 2016)

Like a boat they say your two happiest days are when you buy it and the day you sell it, might hold true for hot tubs also. 

We are still in love with ours, after a year the honeymoon is still going. We have some friends that just pulled their tub out and sold it. in their case all they could think about was the days they didn&#8217;t use it is dollar or so a day it was costing them. 

Now the question is what do you do with the extra 240v feed. Big air compressor or a welder in that corner sounds good to me.


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