old fountain valley hot tub

[francishsu]

Hi,

I bought a house last year that has an old Fountain Valley hot tub sunken in three season room.  I'd guess it's on the order of 15 years old.  We put some water in it, and there appears to be a small leak since the water level dropped after a day.

Even if I could find the source of the leak and fix it, what can I expect from a hot tub this old?  I cannot afford a new hot tub, so it's either get this one running or get rid of it.

Thanks.

[spahappy]

That spa is at the age where quite a few things could start to need repairs. Since you bought the place you probably have no way of knowing how the spa was taken care of and what its service history was.

Sounds like the leak is small so why not try to fix it and enjoy it for as long as you can. Who knows you could get 4 or 5 years useage out of it. By then perhaps you'll be in a posistion to purchase a new one. Good luck!

Spahappy

[francishsu]

Thanks for the response.  Are there any ways to detect or narrow down the source of the leaks without getting into the spa cabinet?  If I fill it up with water, let it sit, and find that the water level is lowered the next day, does that mean it's a shell leak for certain?  or should I cover up the drain with something to make sure?

I've no idea how my old spa is constructed..  were they built very differently 15 years ago?  I have a small access door on the outside of my three season room.  When I open it, I see a motor, some electical, PVC pipes and some loose insulation.  But that's just a small section that's completely surrounded by the cabinet, which does not look easy to get into, and I've no idea what I would find if I could get into it.

[wmccall]

Be sure to check back tonight and tomorrow. Our forum has several good Spa Techs (They say they're good)   They may be out of jobs today.

[spahappy]

Although it happens, shell leaks are not common. My bet is it's a plumbing leak, or a pump seal that dried out from the spa being empty.

Is the equipment in another area or is it under the spa cabinet?

When you say it's sunken, do you have access to any area besides that access door?

How much does the water level drop in a day?

[Cgar]

As mentioned above, it's quite likely the pump seal that's causing the leak.  If not, there is a possibility that running some 'Stop Leak' solution through the plumbing could seal up the leak.  This is a solution that will seal holes/cracks up to 1/8" in size.  We've used it a number of times with good success.  Good luck!