Yes! There is a crack in the shell! Actually there are two right next to each other. One is about 1" long and the other about 1/2". They are on the equipment side in the corner opposite the filters, consistent with where the water pools up inside the compartment.

So now this leads to my next obvious question... How should I fix the cracked shell to do it right (and only once)? This is the white knobby Endurol shell that's pretty common in Hot Spring. I also will look through all the previous postings for advice on this topic, but haven't yet. I was just so excited to find "the hair that wouldn't move" that I had to post. I confirmed the cracks with a squirt a bit of phenol red and watched the dye get sucked in. Thank you, thank you for all your amazing expertise and advice. I'm already looking forward to a leakfree tub.

I'm so glad I didn't pour any seal-a-crap into it.

Casey

Yes! There is a crack in the shell! Actually there are two right next to each other. One is about 1" long and the other about 1/2". They are on the equipment side in the corner opposite the filters, consistent with where the water pools up inside the compartment.

So now this leads to my next obvious question... How should I fix the cracked shell to do it right (and only once)? This is the white knobby Endurol shell that's pretty common in Hot Spring. I also will look through all the previous postings for advice on this topic, but haven't yet. I was just so excited to find "the hair that wouldn't move" that I had to post. I confirmed the cracks with a squirt a bit of phenol red and watched the dye get sucked in. Thank you, thank you for all your amazing expertise and advice. I'm already looking forward to a leakfree tub.

I'm so glad I didn't pour any seal-a-crap into it.

Casey

HotSpring crack repair.
You have one choice for a permanent fix and several for the temporary fix.
The permanent fix is the crack repair kit available from a hotspring dealer. This repair is done from the back side of the shell which also strengthens it. Generally all the equip. is removed from the compartment, shroud cut away and some foam removal.
A great temporary fix is LeakMaster from Anderson, in white. Flexible sealer that can be applied under water, stays flexible. Or some of the epoxyy pool putty (but these discolor overtime and don't stay flexible.)

I'm intimidated by removing the equipment, shroud, & foam; that I will break something else in the process. So first I will try temporary fix, the Anderson LeakMaster Flexible Sealer. I'll see how it goes and if it doesn't hold, move on to the permanent solution. Thanks again for the insight!

I have also had great luck using the Devcon two part epoxy sold by Watkins on the inside of the shell in instances where the crack was not accessible from the motor compartment, and the customer was not interested in digging out the foam to repair from behind.

I usually drill a small hole on both sides of the crack, then carefully use a dremel to make the crack into a 'V' so there is a channel for the Devcon to fill in and bond with the shell better. I've done this about 10 times over the last 8 years without any call-backs.

Good luck!

Dan goes one step further than we do. We'll just smear a little DEVCON into the crack, and haven't had any issues as well. However, after a year or two, we'll usually see another crack will appear on the equip side.

I ended up getting the flexible sealer. Drained and dried the tub hoping it'll adhere better dry than underwater. I applied one coat, followed by a second, and now I'm waiting the 24 hours to cure before I fill and heat it up again. If it doesn't hold, I'll try Devcon or start dremeling 'v's and holes. Hopefully this will take care of it until the next crack shows up, and in a couple days I'll be able to follow up with a final "it seems to have worked". Much thanks...

The leak is fixed now. Awesome! Thanks for your help!