Thawing & Restarting a Frozen Hot Tub
Question:
"...Due to a power outage while away my tub was completely frozen solid.
During the recent thaw I have removed the ice and there is (no) water draining out the hose. However even when I flip the circuit breaker back on there is no power to the tub. Is there a switch or something that has been tripped inside that needs to be reset? I have the panels off and I don't see any leakage etc.
I'm hoping this can be repaired, as the tub is only 3 yrs old."
Answer:
Check for fuses on the electrical panel inside the hot tub if you cannot find a reset button. Although each manufacturer uses different components, you will find that either a reset was tripped or a fuse was blown if the power came back on when everything was frozen.
Be certain that everything has completely thawed before you re-apply power, because it will only blow the fuse again if there is still ice inside the pump(s).
Also, you must be very lucky if there is no water leakage. Typically, PVC plastic pipes will crack, although flex hoses will usually survive a freeze. The pump(s) should also survive, but the junctions to the hoses may crack, and you need to make sure they are undamaged before completely filling your tub again.
Good luck!
P.S. I always try to post answers here in this blog so that others can also benefit from reading your questions. So, if you send me an email, please be patient because it sometimes takes a few days for me to get the answer posted. Although I always try to reply promptly, if you have an urgent issue, you should contact your manufacturer or dealer for immediate help.
"...Due to a power outage while away my tub was completely frozen solid.
During the recent thaw I have removed the ice and there is (no) water draining out the hose. However even when I flip the circuit breaker back on there is no power to the tub. Is there a switch or something that has been tripped inside that needs to be reset? I have the panels off and I don't see any leakage etc.
I'm hoping this can be repaired, as the tub is only 3 yrs old."
Answer:
Check for fuses on the electrical panel inside the hot tub if you cannot find a reset button. Although each manufacturer uses different components, you will find that either a reset was tripped or a fuse was blown if the power came back on when everything was frozen.
Be certain that everything has completely thawed before you re-apply power, because it will only blow the fuse again if there is still ice inside the pump(s).
Also, you must be very lucky if there is no water leakage. Typically, PVC plastic pipes will crack, although flex hoses will usually survive a freeze. The pump(s) should also survive, but the junctions to the hoses may crack, and you need to make sure they are undamaged before completely filling your tub again.
Good luck!
P.S. I always try to post answers here in this blog so that others can also benefit from reading your questions. So, if you send me an email, please be patient because it sometimes takes a few days for me to get the answer posted. Although I always try to reply promptly, if you have an urgent issue, you should contact your manufacturer or dealer for immediate help.
posted by HotTubSource at
1:34 PM
2 Comments:
What do you do if you have broken pipes which are covered in spray-on foam? I can't determine which pipe is broken. Are there certain pipes which are more likely to crack? Can I uncover and replace only certain pipes, or do I need to uncover and check them all?
By
Anonymous, at 10:59 AM
Spray-on foam is used by many manufacturers for insulation because it is inexpensive and easy to apply, but it can be a real nightmare of a problem when it's time to service a hot tub that is leaking. Water can travel under the insulation a long way from the source of the leak, which makes it very difficult to find the crack. Also, removing the insulation is a time-consuming chore that needs to be done carefully, or you can cause even more damage to the pipes.
Certain low-cost pipe materials (such as hard-plastic PVC) are more likely to crack than some of the softer, flexible tubes that will permit a limited amount of expansion. I would start looking at the smaller diameter, hard-plastic pipes if you had a freezing problem, because these are more likely to freeze first. Remove the insulation along just the bottom of a suspected pipe. If the pipe is cracked, the water will find this new path and start dripping off the lowest point of the pipe.
If you had a serious, long-term freeze, you may need to uncover all of the pipes this way to inspect them. Be on the lookout for "spider web" fracturing in the plastic that indicates stress, particularly near joints and fittings. These small stress cracks in pipes can eventually grow larger as the tub is used and will ultimately spring leaks. This can take all the fun out of hot tubbing since you will spend more time under your hot tub looking for leaks than you will spend time sitting in it, enjoying its many pleasures.
: )
By
HotTubSource, at 10:53 AM
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