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Question on Normal Water Loss


mscdman

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I realize this is a question that like many others depends on many factors.   So here is the background:

new hot tub -215 gallons.  Partial 3/4 foam (making leak detection I presume difficult).  Issue: Was delivered about 1 week before I could have the electrician complete the work.   Because I live in Denver and it’s winter/freezing I was super concerned about leaks due to freeze expansion until the electrician arrived.  The humidity is dry here in the winter.  Very dry.  The tub was delivered obviously with some water in it - could see it come out when they loaded it off the truck.  I did my best once it was delivered to try and blow out as much water as I could by putting my shop vac on blow and putting over the filter hole.   This blew out about 2-3 gallons of water of which I removed.   I also went jet to jet and attempted to suck out the water with the vac but wasn’t seeing much come out.  

so the hot tub sat empty for about a week in this state in some freezing temps (lows around 20 highs 45).  After a week the electrician completed the work and I filled up and started the tub.  I initially filled up by eyeball to 2/3 up the way the filter fins (or about 1 inch above the highest jet)  I am also using a spa blanket but I’ve noticed there is still a fair amount of condensation on the inside of the cover when I open the tub presumably because it’s not a tight fitting cut

 

Side Note - I wish I had waited, but prior to start up I installed some additional bat insulation and also wrapped around the perimeter with a Mylar bubble radiant barrier and staple gun to the wood frame.    I only mention this side because i wish I’d waited a few weeks to add the insulation etc.  as removing it all now and putting it back to check for initial leaks will be a pain and I should just been patient and have waited a few weeks then installed it after I could have felt around to make sure it was all okay.   Anyway too late now. 


The hot tub has now been running for roughly 1 week.  I’ve used it myself only 2 times in that week for about 15-20 minutes each with jets on high at night in the cold 25 degree weather with the tub at 102 but opened the cover to various checking of water balance Etc Probably 7 or 8 times. 

CONCERN:  last night when going in the tub by EYEBALL the water level seems about 1 inch lower than my initial fill.  Me being OCD, I’m worried as hell that I have a leak from the week it sat without water in the cold.  Now I’ve not seen ANY water seeping from under the tub and I’ve been checking daily. But that doesn’t mean the foam hasnt just soaked it all up 

Because I’m worried and want to know for sure if there is a leak,  I have refilled and marked on the fins where the new level is and am not going to use the tub or open it for one week and see how much it drops (or doesn’t).  I’m hoping none as it’s “sealed”.  But if it does, I’m going to have to take it all apart (pain) and I guess just start feeling around the heavy(ish) foam for moisture.  I presume this is the procedure. 
 

QUESTION:  given my light usage and somewhat frequent open and closing of the cover to check water balance etc.  what is a relatively normal water drop per week?  Does water drop even with the cover on and no usage typically?  I realize I’m probably going to have to take it all apart and feel around for leaks to know for sure - but wanting to see if I’m over reacting or what.   
 

 

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@RDspaguy no it’s on that gravel box I built.  But I can clearly see the gravel around the entire perimeter is dry as a bone.  Ans when it gets wet I can tell (ie from snow) so if it was coming out the bottom I feel REASONABLY confident I’d see some seepage.  And i currently don’t see anything and I’ve been watching. 
 

my fear is rhat the open cell foam has sucked up gallons and gallons though and that’s why I might not see anything.  Which is why I’m planning this weekend to once again open the whole cabinet and feel around.  
 

iguess if the foam all feels dry and I don’t see water out there bottom I’ll feel a little better that it’s just from evaporation and or loss from carry out and opening the lid. 
 

I don’t want to go pulling out all the foam though if it feels dry just to test further. There are limits to what I’m going to tear apart as this is a brand new tub. I just want to squeeze/touch it first and see if it feels moist and go from there.  I’m honestly concerned about repeated unscrewing of the cabinet.   
 

also I have a snake light/camera I might use and see if I can fish that through?

 

🤷🏻‍♂️

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UPDATE:  Completed my test.  I kept cover shut, marked water level and did not open except slide it over in order to turn on the jets 3 times in the week to simulate use (with cover closed) to make sure that wasn’t a cause. Left in this state for 1 week.  Opened today and the water level is 100% as full as where it was last week when I added the water!  No loss. 
 

I also see no gravel wet at all around the perimeter.  Given this, can I reasonably assured that the 1 inch loss I experienced in the previous week was from the 7-8 times opening the lid and 2 times using the tub/evaporation and not due to a leak?

 

 

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39 minutes ago, PNW Soaker said:

I hope this is right! But I've never seen so much water loss so quickly. Our tub is constantly opened/closed, used multiple times a day, we even take water out to fill a little basin for my daughter to play with and I still hardly see any drop until about a month has passed.

All I can’t say is I did the test described above with no use and there was no droppage so Im guessing it can’t be due to a leak so I don’t see what else it could be other than evaporation and carry out loss.   We have low low humidity here and cold temps.  

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To give you some perspective my heated pool (88 degrees)  is losing about an inch or so of water a day because of evaporation with ambient temperatures at night in the 30s to 40s. In warmer weather I lose maybe in inch a week or more. I have waterfalls and a spillover attached spa which creates aeration that increases evaporation. My pool has no leak and this has been normal operation for over 15 years.

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