Newbies can't figure this thing out...it won't hold water!

[Mrs. Bridges]

My husband and I recently purchased a new-to-us house that came with a lovely hot tub.  Unfortunately, the previous owners did not use it a single time in their 10 years in the house, so we know absolutely nothing about what to do with the hot tub...and we can't even figure out how to make it hold water.  The pool inspector said that it should work, but we don't know where to start.  I took pictures to post here, but also now can't figure out how to get them to load into the post...argh.  Help??

[clover]

Maybe someone else can be so kind as to help you with posting the pictures, but in the meantime, when you are trying to fill the hot tub, where do you see the water coming out? 

Is this an in ground, permanently installed tub with equipment located in another area, or is it a portable spa that is self contained with the equipment in the cabinet.  When filling, the water must be evident someplace, but where?

[wmccall]

Welcome to the forum.  You can upload the photos to a site like photobucket and post a link here.  Or if you like send me a private message and I'll give you my email address and can post them on my website and give you a link.

[Chas]

Clover asked the right first question - above ground or in ground?

In either case, you may have some drains on the pumps or plumbing which were opened to prevent water sitting in the pumps, filter, heater or other places. I don't know if you live in an area where freezing is an issue, but if so, and IF the tub was sitting empty, then I would look for such drains.

If you can get a recommendation for a service guy in your area, I think it would be well worth the money to hire one. They may very well be able to close up your system, or let you know if it looks like more expensive repairs are called for. And if they are able to find the source of the water loss, they can then go on to give you a walk-through of how to run the system you have.

HTH

 

[Mrs. Bridges]

Thank you all so much!!

The water drains out tiny holes in the bottom of the hot tub, flows through a pipe underneath the tub and goes...I have no idea where.

It is an above-ground hot tub, right beside our in-ground pool.  I'm pretty sure that much of the plumbing goes underground and connects, somehow, with the pool's plumbing. 

Here's a link to a photobucket page where you can see the pictures I took in hopes that someone recognizes all this and can help me figure out what's what.  I added captions to most pictures, just so that they're more clear.  Any help would be wonderful!

http://s1167.photobucket.com/albums/q637/MrsBridges523/

[Waterbug]

In the "underneath" picture, there is a device that is at a 45 degree angle.  I think that  device is an air pump.  It sounds like your tub is equipt with air jets/holes in the floor and seats.  Those jets/holes only produce bubbles when the air pump is turned on.  When the air pump is off, the piping will back-fill with water.  When first filling the tub, the water will seem to disapear until the piping fills with water.  Let the tub fill until the holes are covered and then let it sit for an hour or two.  If the water covering the holes doesn't disapear, there is no leak.