Whirlpool bath leak - Forum

CASSIEJIM - hi, the black stuff was probably old soap scum that had built up on the inside of the piping. There are whirlpool cleaners on the market that you can use - add it to the water, circulate it for a few minutes, and then drain. If you know you'll be using the whirlpool feature, you'll want to avoid things like bath oil beads and such because it'll just recreate the problem unless you do a regular cleaning of the tub with the cleaner.

You didn't indicate where the water leak seems to be coming from - the front or rear of the tub, etc. For a fast education on them, you may want to go look at the tubs for sale in the big box stores. You can see how the piping runs and get an idea of how the controls should operate.

I had a whirlpool tub and a Jacuzzi at the last rental home I was in that I fixed for the landlord. It took some time to figure out the finer points to get things going. I would say your air intake should be on the top surface of the tub so water shouldn't be getting into it. The air intake controls how much air is mixed with the water coming out of the jets - closing the intake cuts back on the air (less bubbles) and opening it lets more air in (more bubbles). You shouldn't turn the pump on until the tub water level is at least up to and covering the highest jet in the tub.

Is the leak appear to be huge or small? Do you notice the water level in the tub going down at all? If so, does it go down slow or fast? Have you located the method to gain access under the tub to get to the pump and piping? You may be able to remove the tub skirting from the front side of the tub in the bathroom, or you may only have access through a portal cut through the wall from the adjoining room. Normally, the pump will be located at the rear of the tub - that may help you locate the access port. In the rental house which was a split level, the access port to the tub's pump was behind the wall mirror in the half-bathroom on the lower level...so the access port may not be obvious.

Please post back with some more details about the leak and whether or not you were able to gain access to the pump and piping...hopefully we can help you out. Again, you can get a basic education on whirlpool tubs just by taking the time to examine those display models. The tub I had was about 11 years old and wasn't sold in my area at all...but 30 minutes at the store and talking with the sales associate gave me lots of good info! Good luck! Jim D/West Point, VA