Leak detection and repair

A swimming pool or hot tub leak can become an extremely frustrating problem, as leaks (especially small ones) are quite hard to locate. And of course, the leak isn’t getting fixed if you can’t find it.

A leak in your hot tub or spa can happen simply as a result of routine wear and tear or from carelessness, accidents or sometimes adverse weather conditions can cause damage.

However, not all water loss can be attributed to leaks in your hot tub or spa. Water losses are experienced due to evaporation, splash out and prolonged uncovered periods. So at what point does water loss from a hot tub or spa become excessive and a leak is suspected? Water loss of more than ¼” daily (~1cm) should be investigated when covered and not in use.

How do you find the leak in the hot tub?

Although there are products available to help determine where the hot tub leak is located and seal it, the job is often more complicated. Luckily at Blue Cube Pools, we have specialist equipment combined with years of experience that can help locate your leak in your hot tub and fix it.

Blue Cube Pools’ specialist services for Leak Detection, “Leak trac” leak location, Leak dye testing, and “Leakalyzer” (volume verification and confirmation); make it possible to measure even the smallest water loss and to guarantee the pinpoint location of any hot tub leaks.

The LeakTrac 2400 uses patented technology to direct you to even the smallest pinhole leaks in minutes. The LeakTrac 2400 finds leaks by putting a small electrical charge into the pool water, then tracking the flow of electricity as it makes connections to the ground through conductive penetrations in the liner. This technology is effective on any water containing vessel with an electrically insulating shell (i.e. vinyl, fiberglass, etc.)

The Leakalyzer enables the rapid determination of a pools water loss. It measures water level changes to the 10,000th of an inch, enabling leaks to be identified in as little as 5 minutes.

Some of the common places where your hot tub can leak are:

The pump:

The pump is one of the most common places for a leak. You can check this yourself by turning off the power and checking under the pump for leaking water. If you find it here, you may need to replace either the pump itself or the pump seal. Blue Cube Pools can help inspect your pump and where possible fix and replace parts.

The Union Fittings

The union fittings located around the pump and heater can come unfastened rather easily. Even on new hot tubs, there is a chance that they’ll vibrate loose in shipment and if you have not used an expert installer for your new hot tub this could easily happen. If the union fittings are loose, tighten them by hand. Never tighten spa unions with a wrench!

The Heater

The heater assembly manifold, consisting of the heater, pressure switch, and other surrounding components. If a leak is found in any of these areas you can often replace any parts necessary to fix a leak here rather than having to purchase a new heater.

Valves

Valves are a prime location for leaks. On knife style valves, there is a gasket between two halves bolted together, which can fail and cause leakage. Some hot tubs have valves installed on either side of the pump so that water doesn’t need to be shut off or drained in order to replace or fix the pump. Unfortunately, these are actually a very common cause for leaks and are often removed entirely after the first issue.

Connections

All pipes, jets, and connections could be the source of the leak in your hot tub. Some connections can be tightened or sealed, while leaking jets might have a failing gasket inside that will need replacing.

The Shell

Modern shells are made from such strong fibreglass combined with other layers that if there is a shell leak, it is usually a problem with one of the jets or other attaching components instead. There are products that can be used to seal leaks detected in your hot tub shell.

The Pipework

Leaks in the pipework can occur after damage from extreme weather conditions, particularly frost damage here in the UK. The ability to repair hot tub pipework varies on a number of factors and unfortunately are not always as simple as they may seem. If the hot tub is sunk into the ground there are further complications to the repair works.

How much does it cost to have Blue Cube  Pools specialist leak detection services?

As some leaks are easier to fix than others it can be hard to specify the exact cost and time involved. However, with our specialist equipment and experience, finding the leak is no longer a difficult challenge.

Contact Blue Cube Pools to book your hot tub leak detection and repair.

If your hot tub is displaying a fault why not book in for the Blue Cube Hot Tub Service is a focused visit based purely on fault finding and condition reporting.