I bought a used G-361014 which I believe is a 1996. I know it has at least one major leak and I'm sure a few more. I was told that one leak means more and that it isn't worth chasing them. Q 1) Is that true?

I was also told the Grandee is Hot Spring's flagship product and to try to get it working as it is a mighty fine unit. Q 2) Is that true?

Q 3) What's the best approach to going after the leaks as I'd hate to keep putting it up on its side and refilling between each test?

I'm thinking I'll dig from the sides and/or raise the spa enough (with sufficient support) to get access to the trouble spot(s) from beneath. I already had it up on it's side once and found a leaky pipe that passed through the motor compartment. It did NOT look to be any easy access area.

Q 4) Once fixed, what's the best thing to re-foam the void?

I plan to rebuild the sides regardless if I ripped them off to chase the leak or not. I'll extend them 6 inches to the edge of the oversized cement pad. Q 5) What insulation would be suitable for that area? Those 4x8 pink sheets of home insulation?

I don't get any heat. Q 6) Is there a troubleshooting process to determine if the Watkins No-Fault 5500 cartridge heater has gone kaput?

Thanks!

Heck if swine or charger show up, you could offer them a $50 consulting fee and you might get a real straight answer to that one...

OK, perhaps my post was too long. Here's all I need to know. Is a 1996 Hot Springs Grandee worth fixing. I have one indication from a dealership who services them that it is and someone else (independent) who says I'd be better off looking for one of these on Craig's List:

1986 to 1988 Sundance

1996 to 1997 Hercules spas

1995 to 1998 Emerale Spas

1998 to 2000 LA Spas

1998 to 2007 Haven Spas

Most all the Catalina spas.

Thanks!

$50 answer.



That is such a lazy ass pessimists view point.
If every h/s spa had this really going for it - they'd eventually be run out of business.




Well I'd fix that leaky pipe and try again.

You'll never gain anything without trying. After all, just about all used tubs will require some work on them within 6 mos to a year after acquisition. So you're either going to work on it now, or work on it later.

And fwiw, some of those other brands that were mentioned to you are WORSE than the hot springs for internal leak/foam service and repair.

All you have to do is screw up moving one - and that's easy. Just let it rest so that something will poke up thru the bottom and poof, you got a big problem.

I'd start with that one leak and go from there. Don't worry about the foam until you've got the thing fixed first.

Hello -

I found the leak in my tub. It's from a pressure line that originates in the pump compartment and passes around the foot area toward the opposite side of the tub. I put a picture below.

In the picture there's an elbow (A) that passes through the pump compartment's firewall. Then to a short adapter (B), Some type of air hose coupling (C) and then to what appears a long flexible hose (D).

Is the short piece (B) long enough at 1.25" to attach a new air hose coupling (C)?

Thanks for your help!
Brian

Well freakin wow...
Congratulations!
You da man!

Absolutely that piece is long enough to attach a new fitting to. It's actually just about well maybe a teenie teenie bit short, but it'll do!

Be 100% sure you CLEAN that hose of all foam/debris - (I use a wire brush on a drill - ahem, in moderation though), and properly prime it (clear primer please), and then use HEAVY body pvc cement to glue the new fittings on. (Oatey - Green and white can).

I'll tell ya, that is one heck of a blown out pipe!

Congratulations again. My hats off to you.

You're gonna have one heck of a nice tub when you're finished with it.

If it's the nipple, you can drill it out with a 19/64th bit, and just glue in another nipple

Thank you PageUp and Swine -

As for gluing the nipple, am I simply using the primer and cement (same as what I'll use for the pipe-to-pipe connection)?

Also, I found the heavy cement that PageUp suggested but I'll have to locate a clear primer (the hardware store only sold the purple stuff). How important is the clear versus purple?

Thx,
B

I'm sure I'll be a man on an island, but I don't use primer. In the past, when I've used primer, I have a higher failure rate of leaks in otherwise perfectly good connections.

I no longer use it, and never have issues.

I wouldn't sweat it.

Assuming the nipple is cracked, and this is probably a stupid question, but you're replacing the nipple with a new one, not just gluing it back together, right?

I ended up searching and finding the clear primer - it isn't the same manufacturer as the cement (Oatay). Hope the use of 2 different manufacturers isn't an issue.

Anyway, regarding the nipple... it isn't cracked. I used a rubber mallet to remove the old one because I needed it for the new coupling and I couldn't get one from the 2 local spa places (or hardware store).

Thx, b