Hi
I have a Hot Springs Sovereign LE circa 2000. In December a small leak emerged, and by February it was a leak losing an inch of water or more per day. My hot tub sits on the roof and is closed in on 3 sides. It was installed by crane. The open side of the tub contains the light, heater, pump, control panel, circuit board etc...basically all the major hardware is accessible. Unfortunately the leak is coming from the opposite side which is totally inaccessible other than by crane!

A friend suggested a liquid sealant that seals leaks after 5 hours of circulating through the system. The sealant was 80% effective....but the unit still leaks.....any other ideas that do not involve a liquid sealant or a crane???

That doesn't sound good. You probably have a leak behind the moto-massage area. There is a nipple that exits the moto-massage compartment area and has a small hose connected to it that was prone to leaking. It would need to be repaired by taking off a few of the composite slats from the outside! Unfortunately, leaks in fully built in tubs never have an easy remedy.

This would be my best guess, but it could also be a glue joint somewhere. I have never had any luck with those 'miracle' liquid leak stoppers in pool or spa applications.

ugh- those sealants are crap.

If it's the motto bleedline, it can be fixed without moving it or removing any wood.
Anyway, probably an issue in the motto jet housing, can be sealed without removing foam or wood. Take a pic of ther euip compartment, especially on the circ pump return plumbing. Take note of it's location.

With the hot tub still full, take the cover off the motto-jet, stick you hand inside the cavity, and feel for a small bleedline flow coming from the housing. The circ pump pushes a tiny amojnt of water through the housing, you'll see several possibilities from within the tun- you need to isolate which of those points is the actual input for that bleedline.

Once you do so, drain the tub, use an epoxy to seal off the bleedline in the motto compt. Look for a fitting with 1/8" bleedline coupling on the pressure side of the circ pump. Disconnect that bleedline in the equip compt. too, and seal the bleedline, and the fitting from which it was removed. Be sure you're removint he correct bleedline- inlcude pics.

This will seal off that pesky bleedline in the back of the moto, and isolate it. If the leak stops, you've found where it was without removing any wood or foam, and can either repair the bleedline fitting on the back of the moto, or just leave it like it is.

EDIT: just read dan-the man's reply

That's the highest probability, but as Dan said, it could be anywhere. The mini-jets are the second most likely spot.

Also, I know you've heard it before, but double check BOTH drain caps for gaskets and cracks

Dan and Swine thank you for pointing me in the right direction. The previous owners used a lot of Bromine which has caused a few pieces to crack or break already...so wich me luck with the leak!