Some times water leaking from the seal in the pump is hard to find. It is usually identified by a drip directly under the pump housing. If that fails and it seems water is leaking from somewhere else, take a very bright flashlight and shine it on the back side of the pump housing where the motor shaft enters.

There will be a distinct white water mark where the water leaks and runs down to a drip. This is a calcium deposit left behind when the water dries up. Is this a huge problem to fix? Not at all.

The pump will have to be removed for this. If you have not changed your water since fall, this may be a good opportunity. Depending on the motor used for the pump, will depend on the difficulty of repair.

I find A.O. Smith motors one of the easiest for a seal repair, but that is only my opinion. Is there anything magical that can be put in the water to stop the leak? Absolutely not! It is a ceramic mechanical seal.

These seals can be purchased either from where you purchased your tub or a local electric motor shop that does pump repairs. If the unit is reasonably new then you might be lucky and only have to replace the seal.

If rust is very evident on the shaft where the leak was, an impeller may also have to be replaced. The impeller is what moves the water through out the plumbing system. The rust usually prevents the impeller from being unscrewed without damage during disassembly and therefore may damage the new seal if reused.

To replace the seal, turn off the power source for you hot tub at the breaker panel in the basement. Disassemble the pump from the rest of the unit. Digital pictures or movie camera of how you took it apart can be a great asset of how to put it back together again.

Place your motor / pump on a work bench and disassemble the front housing which usually consists of about 6 or 8 nuts and bolts. There will be a housing seal around the outside edge. Do not damage this as it will be reused.

The impeller should now be exposed. This is where things get a little more complicated. The motor shaft will have to be held still to unscrew the impeller counter clockwise. The back end of the motor itself may have to be disassembled or something placed in one of the air cooling holes to hold the motor shaft stationary. If you use gripping pliers such as vise grips, be sure there is protection of some sort between the part you will be gripping and the vise grips

Unscrew the impeller CCW and the seal will be exposed. One part will be in the housing and the other part on the back side of the impeller. Carefully remove the old seal and clean the surfaces.

When installing the new seal, absolutely make sure you do not put your fingers on the face of the seal. The oil from you fingers will cause premature failure and will leak. To help remedy this issue, put one drop of dish washing soap on the face of the seal. This will ensure a smooth start and longer life of the new seal.

Be sure the threads are clean and install the impeller back on the shaft hand tight only. Reassemble your pump in the reverse fashion of disassembly. Do not use silicone as it will leak. Replace any other damaged O rings if required.

Check all your electrical connections are tight and no parts are left over. Fill the hot tub with water before making any attempt at turning on the pump. Once full, start up the tub and check for leaks. Be sure to adjust all you chemicals as soon as the hot tub is up to temperature. Always remember, repairs are only as hard as you make them.