Santee, CA Hot Tub Leak Detection and Inspection

A Santee, CA homeowner suspects that her hot tub may have a leak in the plumbing when it begins rapidly losing water. Swimming Pool Inspection Services Investigates.

Homeowner Suspects Plumbing Leak

Swimming Pool Inspection Services was called out to perform to an inspection and leak detection on an unground hot tub adjacent to an unground swimming pool in a Santee, CA home. The homeowner noticed that the hot tub was losing up to an inch-and-a-half of water everyday, despite her efforts to refill it. The homeowner suspected that the hot tub had a plumbing leak, which was concerning because plumbing issues were not covered in her insurance policy.

Hot Tub Inspection: Observations

Our inspector visited the home twice: once to inspect it, and a few days later to perform the leak detection. During the inspection, our inspector ran the spa equipment to see how it was working, and inspected the structure and integrity of the spa construction. Our inspector made the following observations:

• There was a visible crack on the inside and outside of the spa circumference two inches below the coping stones.
• When the pool filtration system came on, the water rose and went into the aforementioned crack and through the bond beam. The water then leaked out the outside of the spa, and into the expansion joint between the raised bond beam and deck.
• The shell of the spa was cracked at the tile line.

Our inspector returned a few days later with the equipment necessary for performing a leak detection on the spa. The following was revealed:

• All underground plumbing lines, suction and return lines for the pool and spa did not leak.
• The pool’s Jandy valves leaked internally and externally.
• The back wash valve dripped.

Professional Analysis of Inspection and Leak Detection

After performing a thorough inspection of the spa, as well as conducting a series of leak detection tests on the spa, our inspector made the following analysis on the spa:

• Check valves were needed for the pool.
• The back wash valve needed to be replaced.
• Judging by the amount of calcium build up on the outside of the spa, below the crack, it seems the leak has been present for a long time, possibly years.

Cause of Loss and Repair Estimates for Santee, CA Hot Tub

Through his inspection of the Santee, CA hot tub, our inspector determined that the leak has been going on for an extended period of time due to faulty construction of the raised bond beam and coping stones, not because of the plumbing, as the insured originally suspected.

Replacing the spa coping stones and tiles, including labor and materials would cost around $6,000.00. To repair the leaking and broken parts of the spa would cost another $475.00, bringing the total repair estimate for this leaky hot tub to $6,475.00.