Cracks in Hot Tub – worth repairing?

[kiwi_liv]

The house I just bought has a big green scary hot tub… no really, the condition is so horrendous its like a big green boogy man for adults

Aside from the god awful condition, there are a number of what I would consider to be significant cracks around the outer edge (see pics). From the research that I have done, it looks like “Plast-Aid” is the way to go for repairs. What I would like some advice on is if these cracks are even worth repairing? I don’t want to invest in the new cover, cleaning, conditioning etc, if these cracks are too significant, therefore rendering the hot tub unusable. From what I can tell, the hot tub has no issue retaining water, so the cracks are only around the outer edge. But, there are probably 4-5 of these significant cracks, and then a number of fissures.

Should I attempt to repair this? DIY, or should this be done by a pro?

 

[Butterfly]

Bump

 

[dannyboy]

To be honest and a pro at freezing these things, I would personally fill with water and see if there are any leaks anywhere else. The cracks do not look too big to me and you would not lose much water through them but still a concern. I have spent about 2 weeks fixing freeze issues in the hot tub left at my house from when we brought it and have finally given up. Every time i fixed a joint, the next one in line would pop. I do not know enough about cracks to advise you on them but just thought I'd reply with my useless knowledge...(and pool season is about to start so i felt I have to get back on here and rabbit)
From yahoo answers:
Stabilize and epoxy the cracks, re-glass and wet out, featheredge, and re-gel coat.

This isn't really a do-it-yourself project if you don't know what you are doing. Have you ever fixed a boat? Well, a hot tub is an outside-in boat.

What are the components like (in good shape? digital?). Maybe if you don't want to tackle the cracks then you could look on craigs list in your area for hot tubs and use parts form yours to create one good unit)

Good luck with whatever you choose - I have nightmares about hot tubs after laying under one for so long recently...

 

[kiwi_liv]

Thanks for weighing in dannyboy - it was helpful insight.

It does seem to retain water well, so I dont believe there are any other issues in that respect. But, you are right though - I probably should call a professional in since I have zero idea about what I am doing, or even what I am looking at. When I bought the house, the hot tub's cover was all torn and a complete mess, but it was in better condition than the hot tub itself. It was full of muck so I just kept the cover on since I didnt want to deal with it So I have just drained it, ready to give it a good scrub out and am now at the cross roads. My fear is that if I get someone out, they are just going to want to sell me a whole heap of things I dont necessarily need. But then again, I dont want to spend money trying to seal cracks, replace manky/rotted filters if the whole thing is junk anyways. Guess I should bite the bullet and get someone out for some advice.

 

[dannyboy]

It's a tough one. I had a tiny crack in my impeller that I couldn't see ($70 part) and did not see it leaking until the water pressure was piling through it.
I personally hate hot tubs and have spent far too much time keeping them up. A swimming pool on the other hand is 'a piece of cake' to maintain in my opinion.
You can power on the pump for a brief period without water (dry) to see if it spins. I guess you can quickly go through any of the buttons on the top to see if they all function - light, two speed etc. This would then tell you if the electrics are in order.
For the sake of 3-500 gallons of water, I'd fill it and see what it does...
If it leaks everywhere then I'd take an axe to it but if there's only a small puddle or two then I could live with it and would have a go at patching. Obviously ensuring these are nowhere near the power...

Good luck to ya

 

[kiwi_liv]

Good point! I will turn it on again and see what it does before refilling it.

If the previous owners haddnt gone to so much trouble to build it into the outdoor area (its surrounded by flagstone paving, steps surrounding it complete with air vents and lighting), then I would just get rid of it. But since its there, and a fairly permanent fixture, I am going to put in a bit of effort and see what happens. I think I am going to need all that luck lol

 

[cobra46]

You could always replace it with a newer one. SJ has a very active Craigslist so you may be able to find a decent one cheap or even free.

BTW - I grew up and worked there until four years ago.

 

[kiwi_liv]

*Update*

After scrubbing all day (after it was drained), I powered her up and it made noise and a few of the jets started firing, so I gathered something was working. I have since filled her back up again, and all jets seem to be working fine (both on low & high power settings). The electrics work, although the touch pad is a little dodgy (it flickers a little, and the numbers are hard to read). The filter seems to be sucking water into that general direction, although it is not spinning (although I am not sure it is supposed to?). It is really badly worn (if not rotted), so perhaps this is affecting it. I am leaving it running and the touch pad indicates that the temperature is increasing, so another good sign I have to think. I have left it running for over an hour and I am not seeing any leaks or evidence of any water, so hopefully the cracks are too high up at this stage to impact the running of it.

Is there anything else I should be checking for?

Cobra406 – I have looked on craigslist, but “if it aint broke…”