Hot Tub leaks

[anxious2tub]

Hello all   I am hoping someone out there can help me, I am new to the hot tubbing environment and anxious to try it out.... here is my problem I bought a 1997 Hot Springs model Sovereign hot tub for a very good price or so I thought, I bought it knowing it has a problem with the heater ( I was told it needs a new one for about 250.00 ) and it has 2 leaks ... it looks like it is leaking from the light lens and from one of the jets on the opposite side.  I siliconed the lens cover and around the jet but it still leaks both places.  I was told it is packed in foam and the best way to fix this is fill it up and put blue food coloring in it, let it leak out and dry and then tip it up and see where the leak is coming from  and chip away at it.  How hard is it to do this, I am a pretty handy person, the hot tub itself is in excellent condition any help on this would be appreciated.  I live in the Chicagoland area.  Thank You  in advance for any help you all may give me.
                               Joe

[Tman122]

Why tip it on it's side if you know where it's leaking take that side panel off and dig the foam out to the leak.

[rick]

Why I would never touch a full foam spa.  
Sorry to hear about your leaks.  My old CalSpa rotted away from a neglected leak.  
Follow the light people,  it's thermopane.  
Don't let these big companies fool you with their dinasaour, money-saving technology.  

[Spatech_tuo]

Any time a full foam spa has a leak this backs your claim that Thermopane is the way to go? BTW, since when is building a spa with full foam a money saving route? That is simply not true as full foaming simply costs more when you factor in the cost of the foam as well as the floor space it takes to build it, the operators needed to foam the spas, the equipment to do so and other overhead costs.

If you prefer Thermopane then stick with what you prefer and quite frankly I have no issue with as it can work if built properly (this is where I do not take the leap of faith). Those of us who think full foam is a better route (for reasons such as: much less apt to leak, more structurally sound over time, insulation value don't lessen with airs leaks, equipment not in a hot box, etc.) will keep thinking our way.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

Which cost more, the additioanl expense of fixing a leak in a full foam spa compare to "thermopane", or the added expense of heating a "thermopane" style insulated spa compared to full foam?

[rick]

And more importantly, don't let these self proclaimed Spa techs and doctors fool you too when they are nothing more than shills for the big companies.  
They will make claims about thermopanes faults which are totally unfounded.  
My electric bill was $20 for the Coleman (thermopane)spa in my first month of ownership.  That included the initial heatup of a newly filled spa.  
More prone to leak?  Show the evidence.  That's all I ask.  I had the opportunity to look inside my spa yesterday and observe the piping.  I see no reason why this piping needs the full foam support to prevent it from leaking in the future.  Also, I was amazed by how warm it was inside.  
They'll also tell you that these thermopanes are noiser with rattling and cavitation noises.  Bull-ony.  My spa was quieter than any of ther other ones I looked at in my hunting,  (Hotspring, Sundance, Marquis and Calspa).
Your claims are just fodder to keep people lining up at Watkins' front door.   You really are unreal Spatech.  
Prediction:  2 years from now, these big guys (who already know the real deal), will get on board with technology and the full foam design will be dumped in the bin where it belongs.  

[Chris_H]

Rick,
You are on crack.  Hotspring Spas are the quietest things on the planet.  Trust me on that one.
Chris H

[rick]

That is simply not true.  I haven't touched crack in over 5 years.  

I never said Hotsprings wasn't quiet,  I just said my Coleman was quieter.  Have you gone to a Coleman dealer in your life?  Do so and listen.  
Now it does get  a bit loud when I turn on the waterfalls on the pump's highsetting,  but that's from the water crashing not from a noisy pump.

[Chris_H]

Used to deal with them.  They leaked.

[Chas]

Back to the question:

If the light lens is leaking, you can replace it. PN 71832 is a white upgrade kit that replaces your old style lens with the same lens now found in new HotSpring tubs.

Us Devcon to glue it in. Simply break out the old one - being careful not to put too much force into it - and sand the old glue off.

As to the jet: it may very well be easier to dig it out if you prop the spa up on it's side - digging foam is a lot of work the first time you do it - but it's not really that bad. I use a flat pry bar with rounded off corners, and a drywall saw to cut out large chunks when I know there is no plumbing. Once it's exposed, you simply cut it out and take it to your dealer to get replacement parts for the jet iteself - you just need the part that is broken - put the 'guts' from the old jet into the new jet body or whatever. Most of the plumbing is standard PVC stuff.

And finally, the heater: Part #72797 Heater, Tri-Bend 6KW is the standard replacement for all 97 to current tubs. It is both 110 and 220 volt compatible, and works well. Comes with a one year warranty.

[Lori]

And more importantly, don't let these self proclaimed Spa techs and doctors fool you too when they are nothing more than shills for the big companies.  

I find this funny, considering SpaTech doesn't sell spas.  Dr. Spa sells wooden tubs.  Hmmm, don't think they are full foam.  But, I guess you guys are just shills!  LOL!  

[rick]

No, spatech fixes spas.  He must not have too many to fix though as his reply to any thread comes minutes after someone posts anything in these forums.  Of course I understand the flack I will receive by posting such heresy on a Watkins owned message board.  
Ask him how many thermopane leaks he's fixed in the last year.  
Ask him why he has a short list (all full foam, mostly Watkins) of brands for those asking what to buy?  
Listen, I'm sorry if I am picking on people.  What I see in the big picture of things is the truth and that is the future is here and it is thermopane, but the guys who have been making and servicing the older technology are reluctant to change.  It's that simple.  
Like I said, mark your calendars,  I predict it will take a couple of more years, but in that time you will see most full foam manufacturers changing their tune.

[rick]

In reply to Chas, who used to sell Colemans and they leaked:

I understand that Colemans had problems in the past.   But I believe they (MAXX) are making a much better product now.  I talked to many Coleman dealers and they all stated this.  Many of these dealers also sold another brand and when questioned on which was the better built spa,  they ALL said the same thing,  the Coleman.   And I'm talking about dealers that also had Master, Caldera, and D1.    

What years were you selling Colemans?

[Chris_H]

I said that not Chas.  In the 90's.

[poolboy34]

oh boy.................here we go again with another uninformed poster...............let's set the record straight here.  I don't personally know Spa Tech tuo....But I'm willing to say it's a safe bet he has a lot more experience with spas and the industry for that matter then rick does, and many of the people who choose to use this and other forums on the net.  That being said I'm willing to say it's a safe bet that he's worked on many of the brands of spas mentioned on theis board and many that aren't frequently mentioned on this board as well.  With all the years spent working on spas from all manufactures and brands...........his opinions are from educated experience, not from what some factory trained salesperson told you about your coleman spa and the "evils" of full foam insulation.  I bet your salesperson even asked you why you would consider buying a spa from another company when Coleman makes the best insulated coolers on the market, so the same nmust be true of "coleman" spas...........even though they are made by MAAX spas in canada.  MAAX spas makes a very good, reliable product.  We hardly ever have to make any service calls on them.  We used to sell infiniti (now called Elite spas) spas by MAAX the last two years.  They use the "revolutionary" thermopane insulation.............I gotta be honest, our customers have told us they're infiniti spas cost them around 35-40$ a month to operate here in new york state.  Our D-1 Spa owners (which are full foam) have told us their average cost of running their spa is around 25$ a month.  We even have one customer who lives about 2 hrs north of us where it routinely gets down to 20-30 BELOW zero in the winter for weeks at a time........that with using his spa twice everyday, the most it has EVER cost him a month has been 40$...............hmmmmm.  Just some thoughts.  The spa industry is definitly a "get what you pay for" industry.  You'll know when you've gotten a lemon, or when you've bought from a bad dealer who doesn't take care of his/her customers.  I hear it everyday from customers who have bought their spa from obne of our competitors.  They can't get service for their spa, or their spas dealer doesn't return their call, or won't help them with their problems.  Spa tech tuo has always given sound unbiased information and advice to people based on his years of experience.  And lets face it, it's the american way to cry afoul when your team and/or product isn't the best.  that's why everyone not from NY HATES the yankees, b/c they always win or are at the top of the division year after year.  Or why everyone that didn't live in Dallas in the early 90's hated the cowboys............and that's probably why many posters on these boards has a distaste for hot spring spas.  Hey, even I'm not too proud to say they make one of the best spas on the market today.  They didn't become the world's top seller of portable spas by making a bad, unreliable product!!!!  Hell the company I work for has been selling Dimension One spas for almost 20 yrs now!!!!!  And yes, I'm apt and prone to pitching the benefits of this spa maker when i post on here, but I also recomend other brands of spas too, b/c the truth of the matter is that there is a "big 6" or BIG 3 if you will of spa makers.  Because those 6 manufacturers have been aroundm the longest, and year after year they sell the most spas......why?  BECAUSE they make great, reliable products sold by reputable, reliable dealers.  Ok, my rant is over.

Jason,
Store manager for a D-1 and caldera spas dealer