Pittsburgh, PA Hot Tub Inspection

Swimming Pool Inspection Services was hired to inspect a hot tub in Pittsburgh, PA to determine why it had emptied out and stopped working properly.

Initial Consultation on Pittsburgh Hot Tub

Our inspector visited the home of the insured in order to perform a thorough hot tun inspection to determine why the water leaked out of the tub, and why it was not functioning properly. Our inspector spoke with the homeowners, who informed our inspector that the hot tub was well over 10 years old. in addition, they informed our inspector that they had experienced a power outage in their Pittsburgh, PA neighborhood, and a few days after the power outage is when they discovered that the hot tub as empty.

Inspection and Observations

During the inspection, our inspector made the following observations:

• The heater was cracked and leaking.
• The topside control was not working properly.
• The manifolds and PVC connections were checked and no obvious plumbing leaks were seen.

Analysis of Damage to Hot Tub

Although our inspector was not able to observe any obvious plumbing leaks, until the spa is operational, the plumbing cannot be checked. While he checked the areas that usually crack when a spa freezes, it often occurs that there are hairline cracks in the plumbing manifolds and the PVC connections which do not become apparent until they undergo pressure with the water movement. If that is the case in this instance, the spa would not be repairable since 3 of the side panels are permanently attached to the spa and cannot be removed for service.

Cause of Damage and Repair Estimates

Our inspector determined that the circulation pump stopped working, possibly due to the age of the pump or from a power outage, and then the spa froze, and cracked, causing the water to leak out.

If the plumbing was in fact undamaged, the repair estimates for the spa would be just under $2,000.00, including labor and sales tax. However, if after repairing the spa it was found that the plumbing was in fact damaged, the entire unit would need to replaced. Our inspector estimated that a similar model would cost around $7,200.00.