Hot Spring Tub Leak

[ajbrooks1]

Hey everyone, new to this forum and hot tubs in general.

I moved into my new place and it has a Hot Springs hot tub in the back. The thing is leaking out of the right corner just by the service door.

I've read a few forums here and there about it and they all suggest replacing the "Hartford Loop"??

Correct me if I'm wrong. Lol

Can anyone assist me?

[dlleno]

I wish you well on solving this -- as you can imagine, without more information not many of us can say that all leaks out of the right corner of the service door on an unnamed 2nd-owner Hot Springs spa of uncertain age can be fixed by replacing a particular air gap loop.  Its certainly plausible that such a component can leak, but respectfully, have you inspected all of the tubing in the service area, including all the tubing, ozone injection system and its air gaps, and identified the root cause of the leak?  typically, a leaking tube will reveal its location and you can find the culprit. 

I'd suggest poking your head in there (exterminate the black widows first lol) and studying the tubing and water behaviors, looking for drips especially right above where water accumulates.  If you're uncertain, you should consider calling  the local Hot Springs dealer and ask them to assess the condition of your spa. 

[Chas]

I don't know what year you have, but HS put in a shuttle valve for a few years - the valve would often fail and leak. The water would run out the opening up under the toe kick area. The opening was a round hole, about 3" in diameter, and had metal screen to keep out critters.

The shuttle valve had two barbed fittings for 3/4" (ID) vinyl tubing, and one much smaller barbed fitting (on the end) for 1/4" vinyl tubing. Here is a picture of the valve you want to get rid of. This one is black, some are white. There is a small tube which exits the end of the of the valve to the right, which is missing in this photo -



HotSpring dealers sell a kit called a "Hartford Loop." Part number is 72701. It is not hard to install - I use a heat gun to soften the vinyl, but dipping the ends of the tubing into a cup of boiling water does the same - and the kit comes with instructions.

http://www.backyardplus.com/proddetail.php?prod=72701

[ajbrooks1]

I asked the previous owner what year and he said he bought it brand new in 2007 and had it installed there also in 2007.

Does that Hartford loop still apply?

I'll post a pic of the door here soon

[ajbrooks1]

Here is the pic of the service door open!

[Chas]

NO - the shuttle valve was long gone by '07.

Things to check first:
1. Drain valve caps - there are two caps on this model. One is the main drain the other a secondary plumbing drain. The most common leak I "repair" on service calls is simply tightening the secondary cap. Sometimes I have to put in a new gasket: it is standard garden hose stuff. We charge a full service call to do this ($100) but I usually throw in the gasket at no charge - keep in mind, we BEG the customer to check his drain caps before we come out for a 'leaking spa' call. If they do - and it fixes the 'leak,' I'm the hero. If not, they are usually still relieved that is was not something much more expensive.
2. Light lens. The lens has an oring which can shrink and fail. The water runs down the wall of the spa and out the bottom, usually at some great distance from the light, and not out the floor of the motor compartment. Look at the light itself, see if there is any wetness or that white powdery calcium buildup which indicates a leak. Kit for repairing this lead includes a lens and a new oring.
3. Ozone. The ozone goes into the water through an injector - when water flows through it, it draws a vacuum and pulls the ozone in and 'injects' it into the water stream. You should see small bubbles coming up from the heat return/main drain at the bottom of the tub. When the power is off on a full spa, that system often leaks (very slightly). Your 'Ozone Generator" is most likely no good anymore anyway.  This leak is usually going to come out in the motor compartment and flood the floor, but can find it's way out the area you mentioned. Worth a quick look.


What model do you have? I can give more info

 

[ajbrooks1]

How do I find the model?

I will check those valves!! And the light!
Thank you!!

[ajbrooks1]

Found the Model. It is a "IQ 2020"??

Pics are here also. Couldn't find the secondary drain plug or where water is leaking. There is no water in that service door area at all

[ajbrooks1]

So I used a bottle of "fix leak". It stopped the leak. I then drained it, let it sit for 4+ days, then filled it up. It stayed good for about a day, then it started to leak a little, then it went back to as if I did nothing at all and it's pouring out.

How do I remove the side paneling? I want to look deeper.

[scoobywagon02]

The IQ2020 is just the board. If you want to identify make and model it should be stamped on the fiberglass inside the equipment compartment. There will be a make model and build date. It will say Watkins Mfg. You will need to break that corner panel off to get into the plumbing where you are seeing the leak or flip the spa over and dig from the bottom up. The panels on a hot spring of that age are not designed to be removed easily. The problem is that with full foam there is no guarantee that will be the exact spot where it is leaking. Water can travel from all areas of the spa and show up in random places. It is a tough call. Sometimes it can be a easy fix or you can tear it all apart and see it coming from somewhere else. Good luck.