Leak Detection
Trace a hidden leak behind a wall, under a slab or along the buried line before any wall has to be opened.
Plumbing service
Spa and Hot Tub Plumbing in Westminster, CO
A spa has a lot of small plumbing in a tight space: unions, jets, a pump, a heater and the drain. When a leak shows up under the cabinet, the water side needs a plumber and the power side an electrician.
Switch off power to the spa at the breaker before looking at a leak.
Common spa plumbing problems
- Water under the cabinetA loose union, a cracked fitting or a jet seal.
- Low water levelA slow leak, or evaporation that is faster than expected.
- Air in the linesLow flow and noisy pumps after a drain and refill.
Where spas leak
Leaks tend to start at unions on the pump and heater, at the drain valve, at the jet fittings and at the pipe that links the equipment bay. Pipes in a spa are PVC, and the glue joints can fail with age and thermal stress.
Find the leak with the power off. Dry the bay, put paper towels around fittings and watch for the first spot to darken.
Draining and refilling
Before draining, switch off the spa at the breaker. Use the drain valve and a hose. Discharge to a place the utility allows. Chlorinated or brominated water is not something to send to a creek or a street drain.
Ask Westminster's utility how it wants spa water discharged. A cleanout connected to the sanitary sewer is often the best route. After refilling, bleed air from the pump and the lines.
In Westminster
Cold snaps and spa lines
Front Range temperatures can drop sharply overnight. A spa on a patio with a thin skirt is exposed. Keep the cabinet sealed and the circulation running.
If the cover is damaged, heat loss and freezing risk rise together. Replace a worn cover before winter.
Cost
How spa plumbing is priced
Repairs are priced by access and part. These items matter.
Ask which parts of the job are plumbing and which are electrical, and who coordinates them.
Fill and drain lines for a new spa
A spa that will be filled often benefits from a hose bib at the pad and a drain route to a cleanout. A frost-free spigot nearby makes winter care easier.
The electrical hookup is separate and must be done by a licensed electrician to code. A plumber and an electrician usually coordinate on a new spa.
Winter care
A spa that runs through winter needs steady power so the heater and pump circulate. If power fails in a hard freeze, the lines can freeze and split. If you plan to close a spa for the season, drain and blow out the lines.
A split line in spring often turns out to be the result of a freeze. Pressure test the plumbing before refilling.
Quick spa leak test
How to narrow down a leak
These steps cost nothing and give the contractor a head start.
Other places water may be escaping
Frozen Pipe Repair & Thawing
Thaw an iced-up line safely, inspect it for splits and reroute or insulate the run that keeps freezing.
Water Damage Restoration
Dry and rebuild a home after a pipe leak, a frozen-pipe burst or a sewer backup.
Common questions
Answers about spa plumbing
Evaporation, a leaky union or jet or a split pipe. A bucket test and a dry cabinet help locate it.
Yes, for the water side. The pump motor and heater controls are electrical, so a spa technician or electrician handles those.
Turn off power, use the drain valve and a hose, and send water to a permitted route such as a sanitary cleanout.
It can if circulation stops. Keep power on, the cover sound and the cabinet sealed.
Anyone answering the line can help at any hour. Kill the breaker to the spa first. A tub dropping its water level quickly, or dripping near the pump, deserves a prompt call.
Spa leaking or losing water?
Switch off power at the breaker and call. Say where you see water and how fast the level drops.