Hot tub plumbing

[diymirage]

I came home the other day to find water dripping from the light fixture in my garage

The only thing above the garage is the hot tub room, so I started ripping the hot tub appart, and sure enough, one of the PVC flex pipes has popped loose
(Looks like it was just a poor glue joint that failed)

Ideally i would replace the entire length of PVC BUT, im geussing the other end is glued down and hasn't failed (and has no reason to)

So, what I'm thinking of doing is cutting the tube I half so I can take it completely out of the jet

Clean it, reglue it and fix the cut i made by putting a slide coupling over it

Sound like a plan or am i overlooking something ?


(Its the bottom tube that came loose)

 

[ProjectBazza]

Can’t tell you how to fix it, but if you need some parts, we’re ripping ours out this winter…..

 

[RustyRatRod]

I wasn't aware corrugated PVC could be glued. News to me.

 

[fishmens67]

Looks like a job for the hot tub man, might be time for good look over.
Mainly because me and plastic don't work well together.

 

[Mike69cuda]

Try the gray foundation crack sealer. Gutter guys used to use it to seal up gutters. It will seal about anything. I used it once to seal up a rusted out washing machine tub. It worked great, but stunk up the basement, so it is not great to use inside. $5, dry it off, blob it on, and you are done.

 

[340six]

The flexible PVC over time has some expansion. Pros fix it by cutting it back to good surface. This is going to sound crazy but how they do it.
Most jet and jet bodies are obsolete, or have to be ordered. Even when new are avaliable changes have been made. IE switch in appearance.
They want to charge a service call. Charge by the hour after the arrival, so fix it in the same call and get paid.
Believe it or not they after cut back carefully peal the old PVC out the jet body. Then lightly sand it. Prime and Re-Glue it with what is called Hot Pool PVC Cement.
Small Spade screwdriver slowly work as around until all PVC pipe is Pealed Out.
Yes I have done it. At least 50 times.

 

[340six]

After sealed out old jet body if to short yiu glue a PVC fitting in and then short regular PVC pipe into jet body.
I am also as crazy as it sounds sitting 20 feet from new jet bodie, jets, fittings, pipe etc.
You can put your make, model, in at Hottuboutpost and get everything you need. Shipped in 3-4 days if not obsolete

 

[diymirage]

I wasn't aware corrugated PVC could be glued. News to me.

Best I can tell it glues just like any other PVC

we got a water feature outside that uses the same stuff, but quite a bit larger
I've glued that like and never blinked on it

Try the gray foundation crack sealer. Gutter guys used to use it to seal up gutters. It will seal about anything. I used it once to seal up a rusted out washing machine tub. It worked great, but stunk up the basement, so it is not great to use inside. $5, dry it off, blob it on, and you are done.

Interesting, I figured if I can get it out and cleaned out I'll fix it myself, otherwise I'm just getting a professional

The flexible PVC over time has some expansion. Pros fix it by cutting it back to good surface. This is going to sound crazy but how they do it.
Most jet and jet bodies are obsolete, or have to be ordered. Even when new are avaliable changes have been made. IE switch in appearance.
They want to charge a service call. Charge by the hour after the arrival, so fix it in the same call and get paid.
Believe it or not they after cut back carefully peal the old PVC out the jet body. Then lightly sand it. Prime and Re-Glue it with what is called Hot Pool PVC Cement.
Small Spade screwdriver slowly work as around until all PVC pipe is Pealed Out.
Yes I have done it. At least 50 times.

Have you seen a weld fail like this before ?

There is maybe 8 inches of that PVC between where it leaks and the next jet, so not a whole lot of wiggle room there


Since it is all PVC I thought of buying a slip coupler and cutting it in half, putting that over it, right up against the jet and glue it all together
Keep it on place with a hose clamp and hope it all fuses together, but the more i this l about it, the more Im leaning towards a professional

 

[340six]

.

 

[340six]

It over time expanded and vibrated and is leaking where it is glued into the jet body normally

 

[340six]

Best I can tell it glues just like any other PVC

we got a water feature outside that uses the same stuff, but quite a bit larger
I've glued that like and never blinked on it

Interesting, I figured if I can get it out and cleaned out I'll fix it myself, otherwise I'm just getting a professional


Have you seen a weld fail like this before ?

There is maybe 8 inches of that PVC between where it leaks and the next jet, so not a whole lot of wiggle room there


Since it is all PVC I thought of buying a slip coupler and cutting it in half, putting that over it, right up against the jet and glue it all together
Keep it on place with a hose clamp and hope it all fuses together, but the more i this l about it, the more Im leaning towards a professional

Yes have one right now with 5 leaks where weld failed it is common

 

[340six]

These leaked onto the motor and ruined the motor. So the leaks where fixed. A new motor and pump put in. These are hard to find jet bodies and jets since they also have air going to them.

 

[340six]

As you can see above the jet bodies and jets were installed then a insulation coating was sprayed over them.
To get the jet bodies out you have to grind or chip that off without cracking the fiberglass tub. Thus peeling the old PVC out of them.

 

[diymirage]

As you can see above the jet bodies and jets were installed then a insulation coating was sprayed over them.
To get the jet bodies out you have to grind or chip that off without cracking the fiberglass tub. Thus peeling the old PVC out of them.

Thats how mine was, in fact, thats kinda how i tracked down the leak...i could see where the water had come out from under the insulation, and the water had actually lifted it off of the tub, almost like a blister


Let me ask you this, i have not seen any evidence of any of the other ones leaking, is that a real concern or do you think this is just an anomaly ?

(Kinda like with headlights, if one goes out, the other one is sure to follow)

 

[340six]

They are configured like a hollow bolt (jet body)
Seal / gasket between the body and tub.
And a nut to hold jet body in place.
The jet you see inside the tub goes in hollow bolt ( jet body)
If the seal is also hard and leaking you must pull the body to replace seal.
You will ruin it doing so. And have to removed the sprayed on insulation to get it off the inside the tub and get nut off.
If need be I can shoot some pictures of the common jet body, jets and seals as well Monday.
if my explanation does not make sense.

 

[JDMopar]

That corrugated pipe starts out flexible, but gets harder'n Chinese arithmetic after a while. It would be best to do like Kevin suggested, cut it back a ring or two, carefully remove the part still in the fitting and then fix it with a short piece of regular PVC and a coupling. My hot tub quit in 2014 because it got so cold a few pipes froze and busted. I got the stuff to fix it, but got a power bill without it running for a month and it went down $40! I didn't like it good enough to fix it and start giving my employer (power company) $40 of my paycheck back every month. It's still sitting on the porch, so I may fix all the pipes and try it again now that I'm retired!

 

[diymirage]

They are configured like a hollow bolt (jet body)
Seal / gasket between the body and tub.
And a nut to hold jet body in place.
The jet you see inside the tub goes in hollow bolt ( jet body)
If the seal is also hard and leaking you must pull the body to replace seal.
You will ruin it doing so. And have to removed the sprayed on insulation to get it off the inside the tub and get nut off.
If need be I can shoot some pictures of the common jet body, jets and seals as well Monday.
if my explanation does not make sense.

THat makes perfect sense

I was able to get the leaking end of the tube out by twisting it with a pair of channel locks

I decided to try and remove the entire tube and replace it, glue a new one back into the two jets so there is the least amount of joints as possible
The other side was fused considerebly better and I ripped the tube, so I'll have to work on that to get it out, but that sounds like a tomorrow problem

 

[340six]

You are on the right track.
Get the corrugated PVC started with a a small screwdriver. After you have it started peeling grab the end that is now loose with pliers. Some times needle nose works best on small diameter fittings. Pry with screwdriver and pull peal with pliers.
Sand with 220. Clean, Prime and Glue with the Hot Blue Pool adhesive. Let stand one day before use.

Fill tub and call the Bikini Chicks and make Frozen Drinks.
or it leaks.
Here's to hoping it dont end up that you, fill hot tub only to find out the jet body to tub seal is hard and leaks and it was all for nothing.
Then it is chip-grind the insulation, cut the nut off and new jet and jet body with fresh seal of course.
Please post pictures of the hottest in the tub.

 

[diymirage]

You are on the right track.
Get the corrugated PVC started with a a small screwdriver. After you have it started peeling grab the end that is now loose with pliers. Some times needle nose works best on small diameter fittings. Pry with screwdriver and pull peal with pliers.
Sand with 220. Clean, Prime and Glue with the Hot Blue Pool adhesive. Let stand one day before use.

Fill tub and call the Bikini Chicks and make Frozen Drinks.
or it leaks.
Here's to hoping it dont end up that you, fill hot tub only to find out the jet body to tub seal is hard and leaks and it was all for nothing.
Then it is chip-grind the insulation, cut the nut off and new jet and jet body with fresh seal of course.
Please post pictures of the hottest in the tub.

sounds easy enough, thanks for the help

the tricky part will be the bikini chicks, this is a 2 person hot tub that me and the wife use for our "morning meetings" and dress code is birthday suits

 

[diymirage]

.

View attachment 1716429573

got it all tore apart, ready or find a replacement part and clean up the jets
one last question, does this cement use regular primer or do i need to buy the matching one?

 

[diymirage]

And now we wait

 

[340six]

That's known as hurry up and wait.....

 

[diymirage]

That's known as hurry up and wait.....

No kidding, I told the wife at least 72 hours

I'm gonna let this dry for 24 hours

Then I'll put enough water in it to see if the new PVC is water tight (get the level just above the jets)
Let that sit for 24 hour and make sure it's none dry, then I'll clean it up and refill her, should take about another day at that point to get up to temp again


So far, I'm optimistic, it went together pretty well
It was real tight untill I got the primer on, then it just slid in

 

[ProjectBazza]

It was real tight until I got the primer on, then it just slid in

(Trying....to not....make a joke....about ex-wife....)

(Aw, the hell with it!)

SOUNDS LIKE MY EX-WIFE!

 

[diymirage]

(Trying....to not....make a joke....about ex-wife....)

(Aw, the hell with it!)

SOUNDS LIKE MY EX-WIFE!

I get, i dont even know your ex wife and i almost made the same joke (or at least one with the same punchline)