Our 10yo outdoor hot tub has started leaking at two of the four gate valves around the pumps.
Both, fortunately, are easy to get to so removing them is pretty straight forward. The two others
are not so easy to get to and seem to be fine (don't fix what ain't broken).
In reading around the 'net, the general consensus seems to be that when these gate
valves leak (and they eventually will), just remove them and replace them with sch 40 slip couplers and
not to put in replacement gate valves. The reasoning being that they frequently leak and it's
just another, unnecessary potential leak point in a spas plumbing system.
The gate valves can also be replaced with ball type valves but I've read that they too are
subject to leaking.
For those unfamiliar with gate valves, they're essentially "T" handled knife type valves that cut off water coming
into and going out of the various water pumps used in the spa. The reasoning for these valves
is that should a pump need to be serviced (e.g. replaced), the valves can be shut off so that the
pump is isolated and the tub doesn't have to be drained for the pump to be serviced. However,
most people feel that draining the tub is a good idea anyway and isn't that much of a sacrifice
compared to the added risk of these valves leaking (which *does* require draining the tub to
service).
My question is, for those that either own/owned hot tubs or have serviced them, do you recommend
replacing the gate valves or just removing them and straight piping the connection? I'm seriously leaning
toward just removing them. It only takes a couple of hours to completely drain the tub anyway.
-aki
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