Hot Tub Pump Leaking ?

In Canada,
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A leaky spa pump can be caused by either poor water chemistry, seal going bad, loose unions or bad o-ring inside the unions that join the pump to the spa plumbing.

Another reason pumps can have leak issues is if the spa is left drained over the winter and left over water inside the pump freezes.

This issue can be prevented by opening the drain plugs on most pumps if storing over the winter and even putting a few drops of RV anti-freeze inside.

Hot Tub Seal Replacement

If the seal is leaking, only the seal can be replaced in the case of a newer pump where the rest of the pump is still unworn.

If you notice water under the pump, that may confirm your suspicion that the seal is bad. First make sure the leak is not coming from somewhere else such as the pump unions or surrounding plumbing. Unions can even be loose on new spas in case they were jostled loose during transport or even in case the spa manufacturer didn't water test the spa :(

The seal is located in the spa wet end, so replacing the seal requires removal of the spa pump (after assuring qualified personel are on hand to perform the repair and shutting off the power to both spa and the actual supply breaker).

Hot Tub Pump Parts

Hot tub pump partsHot tub pumps may need periodic replacement. Usually, the job is not too difficult or time consuming but involves disconnecting and unmounting the existing pump and mounting a new one in its place. Of course the new one needs to be of similar size and type as discussed below.

WARNING: Electrical repairs should be made by qualified personel such as electricians or hot tub spa service professionals.
Whoever performs the electrical repair should assure that power to the spa is turned off and that the circuit breaker is shut off
at the electrical panel as well.

If a spa pump is more than a few years old and has failed, it is best to replace the entire pump rather than replace only seals, motor parts or other hot tub pump parts.

Hot Tub Pump ImpellerHot Tub Pump parts
vary from pump seal, pump motor or pump wet end which contains the impeller.

Depending on the pump's age you can choose to replace individual pump components or the entire pump. With some newer pumps, if the spa pump is not starting, there may be an issue with either a start capacitor or the power to the pump itself.

Before replacing a spa pump, it must be established that the pump is actually getting power passed from the spa pack or else the problem is somewhere else. An electrician may provide power directly to the pump to see if it is indeed broken, just needs a new start capacitor or has another issue.

Hot Tubs CanadaFind out where in Canada to find spa parts or any hot tub part or accessory.

 

Ultima 48 frame hot tub pump

This is because there are several spa pump parts that can become worn such as bearings, seals and more.

Sometimes early failure of a pump seal may indicate poor water chemistry that caused the seal to fail. Maintaining spa water quality
hence directly affects the longevity of other spa components.

 

What can cause a hot tub pump to fail?
Hot tub pumps are usually under-utilized. Pumps are designed to run longer than they usually do in a hot tub application, but
neglecting spa maintenance can directly affect the long term operation of a spa pump.

A pump can stop working due to a number
of reasons including a frozen shaft, damaged bearings, defective start capacitor, jammed or damaged impeller or even a short in the
supply cable or motor electrics.

The pump consists of a wet end containing an impeller "wheel" that spins and moves water through the pump and plumbing similar to how a windmill operates.

The pump motor spins a pump shaft which in turn spins the impeller. The wet end of a pump can be replaced or a pump motor can be replaced.


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Spa Pump Brands

Although you may think you need a Beachcomber hot tub pump or Arctic Spa pump, most hot tub manufacturers source and install pumps from third party manufacturers.

Various manufacturers and brands of pumps will have different seal types so if a seal replacement is required, check with your hot tub parts supplier to make sure you are getting the right seal when ordering. Spa pump types include American Products, Aqua-Flo, Hayward Pumps, ITT Marlow Pumps, Jacuzzi Pumps, Pentair Pumps, Premier Pumps, Waterway spa pumps, Purex Pumps and Sta-Rite Pumps among others.