How to Repair Leaking Hot Springs Envoy

[RGrove]

Filled the spa a few days ago after having emptied it at the beginning of summer and noticed I have a leak at one of the jets. See photo below: 

I have been able to remove the jet housing, which had somehow developed a crack.  A replacement is reasonably priced at $15, but labor costs and mileage for a service call bring the total cost of repair by the folks I bought the spa from to $800+. So naturally I would rather replace it myself, which for the most part seems straightforward. 
 

Where I am unsure how to proceed is with removing the hoses from the back of the old housing and reattaching them to the new housing. It appears that they are glued in with a special adhesive (the black stuff in the photo).

Does anyone know what this adhesive is and the proper way to detach hoses from the current housing?  I would prefer not to cut them if it is possible. My concern is that there may not be enough slack on at least one of the two to allow easily reattaching it to the new housing. 
 

Any thoughts on how to proceed with the repair as well as why this thing might have cracked would be greatly appreciated. 
 

Randy

 

[RGrove]

After doing some internet research, it appears that many people use standard PVC, couplings, primer and glue to repair leaks that involve the flexible hose used in spas. Unless someone knows that this is not good practice, I feel pretty confident that I can make the necessary repairs. 

[RGrove]

I was able to repair the leak described above using Christy’s Pool and Spa cement. Unfortunately after refilling the spa I have discovered that this was not the only leak. I have been unable to find the exact location of the other leak, and fear that to do so I am going to have to gain access from the adjacent side. The problem is that there is no easily removable panel here, all the plastic planks are glued in place. Another difficulty is that I suspect all the piping and fittings are going to be buried in expanded foam. 
 

I would love to hear advice from anyone who has attempted similar repairs before I just dive off into this and create more problems.  

A specific question:  Does anyone know if there are access panels in the bottom of the spa if I were to empty it and turn it on the side?
 

Randy

Edited October 6 by RGrove
Added specific question

[Cusser]

Myself, I have a 1988 CalSpa on my back patio that has one side about 8 inches from the block wall of the house, so not accessible.  I have a leak somewhere, not in the equipment area and I've removed the other two side panels I could access; this has sprayed-in foam and I've dug out some foam but cannot find any leak. 

Because I doubt that this spa could survive either moving away from the wall temporarily (which also would require me to move some saltillo tiles, not too difficult to remove or replace) or tilting up to access underneath, I use Marlig Fix A Leak maybe three times a year - it does work.

 

[RGrove]

I have considered trying Marlig Fix-a-Leak but admit being a bit skeptical that it will work and more importantly somewhat worried that it might be harmful in some way.   If no one who has tried it has had any problems other than it not working for them, I would be willing to try it. 

[RGrove]

Since I have not read any posts that indicated some harm has resulted from using Marlig Fix-a-Leak, I decided to give it a try and added eight ounces yesterday, then ran my jets in half hour increments. By 10pm I had accumulated a total of four hours run time, so I quit for the night. This morning it appears that the leak has improved, judging from the size of the wet spot on my deck.  Today I am going to continue running jets for half an hour at a time until I get six total hours of run time. The Marlig instructions say that it might require doing this procedure for a few days before leak is completely fixed.

For others who have tried this, what has been your experience?  How many days did you run jets, and did you end up having to add another 8 ounces before leak was fixed?

Randy

[Cusser]

My spa is about 300 gallons, if memory serves.  I've never added as much as 8 oz. though !  I remove the filter, add maybe 3 oz., then run the jets maybe 4 hours.  That has typically taken care of my problem.

It may take a while for the ground to dry up; I judge from the water level.

[RGrove]

My spa is 400 gallons and the instructions on Marlig’s website recommended putting in the entire 8 ounces. The spot on my deck is definitely shrinking and the level in the spa doesn’t seem to have dropped since last night.

I'm encouraged. 
 

Randy

[Cusser]

Doesn't the bottle label itself say 8 oz. per 1000 gallons for minor leaks ?

 

Anyway, sounds like it's working for you, good.

[RGrove]

On my bottle it says “Use 8 oz. per spa up to 1000 gallons for minor leaks. A second bottle can be added for larger leaks.”

 

Anyway, it seems to have worked. I will not run jets for 48 hours and then will drain tub and allow it to air dry and cure for a week, as recommended on the website instructions. 
 

Randy

[RGrove]

Brief update:  tub still not leaking after refilling about 3 weeks ago.