Frog1 Posted January 19, 2021 Report Share Posted January 19, 2021 Hi! Looks like I have a decent leak coming out of my left corner. Is this probably the nipple line tied to the motto seat that I’ve been reading about? Is there a way to plug it until I get to slat pulling and digging? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDspaguy Posted January 19, 2021 Report Share Posted January 19, 2021 Answered by PM. You've been busy. The slats are stapled at bottom and top. The bottom is pretty easy, but the top staples are under the overhang of the shell and cannot be pulled or pried out. You have to break the slat off of the top staple by swinging it back and forth until it breaks free. Then you will have to dig out the remaining piece of slat under there to get the slat back on. Expect to break some slats beyond repair. Have a pneumatic stapler to reattach the bottom, and even then you will have slats that are loose at the top. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frog1 Posted January 19, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2021 I checked the motor compartment like you advised in my PM. Dry as a bone- looks like I’m heading to the corner if I can’t get a temporary plug in for now. It runs year round with no horrible winters on the NC coast so if I can plug, sounds like a good temporary option. I’ll update you on my progress! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
castletonia Posted January 19, 2021 Report Share Posted January 19, 2021 Hot Spring does make a plug that can be inserted into the drain nipple from inside the moto-massage. This is intended to still keep the drain functional but reinforce the part that may have cracked. You will need to epoxy this in so it will require a empty hot tub to do so. In my experience, this only works about 20% of the time and there is a decent chance that if it doesn't it will further disturb the cracked nipple and make the leak worse. Part number on the plug is 1299901 and it is called a Niche Nipple Repair Plug and there is also a tool to help insert the plug, part number 1481101 called Niche Nipple Repair Tool Blank. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frog1 Posted January 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2021 Thanks! So I peaked inside both Moto housings to see what the drains looked like. Having no idea what is normal, I discovered the side that “isn’t leaking” had a visible plug sticking up that looked sealed in with silicone. I then peaked at the leaking side Moto and saw the cavity without the plug sticking up like the other, and what looked like a piece of the plug further into the siliconed hole. It also had some sediment like coloring in the end of the piece I could see. Assuming the sediment was being drawn into the “cracked off” plastic part? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frog1 Posted January 23, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2021 So I dug it all out and here’s the culprit! A light assembly in the top of the MM. can I fix this or do I need a pro now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDspaguy Posted January 23, 2021 Report Share Posted January 23, 2021 Nothing to it, unless that is a shell crack I see running down from it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frog1 Posted January 24, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2021 I just checked- you’re right. It’s a crack. It’s about 9 inches up and down from that plug. It’s not leaking- am I screwed now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDspaguy Posted January 24, 2021 Report Share Posted January 24, 2021 https://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/52536-ever-wonder-what-biofilm-looks-like/&do=findComment&comment=201733 I did a hot springs shell crack repair in this thread. Sand it and add several layers of epoxy and fiberglass mesh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frog1 Posted January 24, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2021 On it- got the mesh in with three coats of JB weld like you used. When I sanded before the first coat, took one little pass to remove the crack so I don’t think it was too deep yet. I replaced the washer on the light screw (cracked in half) and put some silicone on the screw part and screwed it back up in and let it set over night. Fingers crossed I found the main leak in that light and my crack now will cease! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frog1 Posted January 24, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2021 Ok- 4 coats and mesh. Nephew came over and looked at it (underwater welding engineer at GE). He passed once with the sander and that crack was gone. He’s pretty confident it was from the stress of the hot tub move to my house. Tubs filled back up- dry as a bone so far. Amazing how a little washer can cause all of this trouble. I don’t know how you do this for a living! Thank you for your help on this one! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimRegan Posted November 16, 2021 Report Share Posted November 16, 2021 On 1/19/2021 at 6:15 PM, castletonia said: Hot Spring does make a plug that can be inserted into the drain nipple from inside the moto-massage. This is intended to still keep the drain functional but reinforce the part that may have cracked. You will need to epoxy this in so it will require a empty hot tub to do so. In my experience, this only works about 20% of the time and there is a decent chance that if it doesn't it will further disturb the cracked nipple and make the leak worse. Part number on the plug is 1299901 and it is called a Niche Nipple Repair Plug and there is also a tool to help insert the plug, part number 1481101 called Niche Nipple Repair Tool Blank. @castletonia - sorry to add on to this old thread, but I'm wondering if you'd say more about the niche nipple repair tool blank and plug. I've ordered these parts and was hoping they came with some directions but no luck. I'm guessing you put some epoxy on the outside of the little black plug, stick the tool's needle-like end into the plug and ... just push it in to the drain hole in the front bottom of the motomassage recessed cabinet? I don't quite understand why you'd need the tool to just stick this plug in the drain hole so I feel like I'm missing something. Thanks in advance for any help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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