Old Fiberglass Spa - New Pond?
 

I picked up an old fiberglass (I'm pretty sure) spa complete with
associated plumbing and such from Craig's list for nothin'. I hope to be
able to turn it into a new pond. But before I plunge ahead and make
blunder after blunder, I have a couple of concerns about what the heck to
expect.

How should I seal up the holes in the sides where the jets used to be?
Should I remove or somehow use the skimmer box? I've filled it once and
there are no major leaks (Yippee!!!) just around one of the jets and on the
skimmer where it attaches to the spa proper.

I don't really know what else to ask; I'm just hoping that others might
have done this sort of thing and can let me learn from their mistakes or
successes.

(It'll replace the current 35 gallon tub at the base of a cascading set of
2 half-barrels. The spa should hold about 400-500 gallons.)

Thanks!

~~Bryan

--
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Old Fiberglass Spa - New Pond?
 

BB wrote:
I picked up an old fiberglass (I'm pretty sure) spa complete with
associated plumbing and such from Craig's list for nothin'. I hope to be
able to turn it into a new pond. But before I plunge ahead and make
blunder after blunder, I have a couple of concerns about what the heck to
expect.

I converted my old spa into a koi pond. It served well for over 15 years.

How should I seal up the holes in the sides where the jets used to be?
Should I remove or somehow use the skimmer box? I've filled it once and
there are no major leaks (Yippee!!!) just around one of the jets and on
the skimmer where it attaches to the spa proper.

I didn't seal up the holes, although I did block off the skimmer box with
some rocks and stuck rubber bathtub drain plugs in the large water outlets
(to keep nosey little fish out of them). I left all the old plumbing in
place, but never used it. Put in a submersible pump, wrapped in furnace
filter in a small milk crate, biobead filter and UV. Used plastic rain
gutter for my waterfall.

I don't really know what else to ask; I'm just hoping that others might
have done this sort of thing and can let me learn from their mistakes or
successes.

(It'll replace the current 35 gallon tub at the base of a cascading set
of 2 half-barrels. The spa should hold about 400-500 gallons.)

Sounds like a fun project. Maybe some pics of the process? Mine was 8' x 8'
x 3'.

--
Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their families!

Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not forgotten. Thanks ! ! !
~Semper Fi~

Old Fiberglass Spa - New Pond?
 

I second the don't-remove-them approach to jets. You won't want to
run them, but they should be no problem. If you really wanted to
close them off, fiber glass could should bond well over them. Our spa
is still a spa, but it is now over 15 yrs old without any problems.
Enjoy your new pond and do post pics.

Jim

Old Fiberglass Spa - New Pond?
 

Phyllis and Jim wrote in
s.com:

I second the don't-remove-them approach to jets. You won't want to
run them, but they should be no problem. If you really wanted to
close them off, fiber glass could should bond well over them. Our spa
is still a spa, but it is now over 15 yrs old without any problems.
Enjoy your new pond and do post pics.

Jim


Well, one is already removed and one other is leaking. (There is only a
total of four jets.) How would one bond fiberglass over the openings?
(Sorry if it seems like a dumb question; I know some things but not others.
This would be one of those I don't know. :) )

And, where would one *find* fiberglass to bond over the openings? I'm not
sure we have a "Fiberglass Depot" in town. :)

My plan has been to remove the jets and then just stick in some
appropriately sized PVC pipe with a cap and then seal that somehow to the
spa. Would aquarium sealant work? (Maybe I should get some pictures....
It might save me 1,000 words... :) ) Let's see if I can drag out my ASCII
image skills.... Naturally, fixed width fonts would be best for this...

|
|
| |---
-------- |
|
Pipe | -- Cap
fitting | ____ / /
-------- | / , \ / /
| |--- =====
| \____/ \ \
| \\ \ \
|
| -- Spa wall ^
| |
| Fishy


So, that's what I have had planned. I suppose what my question for this
is, what should go between the cap/pipe and the wall?

Thanks!

~~Bryan


--
************************************************** **********
* Can't see the Forest | Bryan B. *
* Through the Trees? | Reply if you want. E-mail *
* Take it out! | address changes frequently *
* (Damn Viruses!) | to foil spambots. *
************************************************** **********

Old Fiberglass Spa - New Pond?
 

"BB" wrote in message
. 3.70...
Phyllis and Jim wrote in
s.com:

I second the don't-remove-them approach to jets. You won't want to
run them, but they should be no problem. If you really wanted to
close them off, fiber glass could should bond well over them. Our spa
is still a spa, but it is now over 15 yrs old without any problems.
Enjoy your new pond and do post pics.

Jim


Well, one is already removed and one other is leaking. (There is only a
total of four jets.) How would one bond fiberglass over the openings?
(Sorry if it seems like a dumb question; I know some things but not
others.
This would be one of those I don't know. :) )

You should be able to bond a piece of stiff flat plastic over the holes
with 5 minute epoxy. Make sure all surfaces to be bonded are spotlessly
cleaned. Be sure to apply pressure while the piece is bonding. And then
allow the epoxy to dry for at least 24 hours before you get it wet.

George

Old Fiberglass Spa - New Pond?
 

"George" wrote in
:

You should be able to bond a piece of stiff flat plastic over the
holes with 5 minute epoxy. Make sure all surfaces to be bonded are
spotlessly cleaned. Be sure to apply pressure while the piece is
bonding. And then allow the epoxy to dry for at least 24 hours before
you get it wet.

George

AH! That I can find and do.... Thanks!

~~Bryan

--
************************************************** **********
* Can't see the Forest | Bryan B. *
* Through the Trees? | Reply if you want. E-mail *
* Take it out! | address changes frequently *
* (Damn Viruses!) | to foil spambots. *
************************************************** **********

Old Fiberglass Spa - New Pond?
 

Epoxy would work. Certainly would be a permanent and easy solution.

Silicone rubber would probably hold the pipe easily. That is what
they use to seal the heaters on our spa and, of course, aquaria. The
biggest issue there would be tightness of fit. Tighter is better and
'play' can loosen the bond. Epoxy would not have that problem.

Will your new pond be outside? Above ground?

Would you want to have the drain of the spa draw water to your pump?

Jim

Old Fiberglass Spa - New Pond?
 

On Mon, 10 Sep 2007 03:43:04 CST, BB
wrote:

You should be able to bond a piece of stiff flat plastic over the
holes with 5 minute epoxy. Make sure all surfaces to be bonded are
spotlessly cleaned. Be sure to apply pressure while the piece is
bonding. And then allow the epoxy to dry for at least 24 hours before
you get it wet.

George

AH! That I can find and do.... Thanks!

That sounds more like instructions for contact cement which works
better under pressure. Epoxy works better with a bit of space between
the pieces being joined. 1/16' is probably enough for what you are
doing, but you have to get the epoxy mix into the space before it
heats up to cure, and if the space is vertical that may get tricky.
May I suggest you build a dam with masking tape, or duct tape and pour
the epoxy into a cavity between the parts you wish to join. Be aware
that the epoxy gets hot (Too hot for fingers.) when curing and will
gravity flow and sometimes penetrate small openings in your taped dam.
These repairs can sometimes look ugly, but a small Dremmel tool or die
grinder with a sanding disk can smooth them over.

I don't recall trying a fiberglass and PVC join, but last month joined
a PVC well screen to a polystyrene barrel bung with epoxy and it is
working.
--
Hal Middle Georgia, Zone 8
http://tinyurl.com/2fxzcb

Old Fiberglass Spa - New Pond?
 

I would forget the gluing etc and just line the spa with pond liner.
With fish involved I dont know how much chemicals have sunk into the
matrix. Ingrid

On Sun, 9 Sep 2007 17:17:57 CST, BB
wrote:

I picked up an old fiberglass (I'm pretty sure) spa complete with
associated plumbing and such from Craig's list for nothin'. I hope to be
able to turn it into a new pond. But before I plunge ahead and make
blunder after blunder, I have a couple of concerns about what the heck to
expect.

How should I seal up the holes in the sides where the jets used to be?
Should I remove or somehow use the skimmer box? I've filled it once and
there are no major leaks (Yippee!!!) just around one of the jets and on the
skimmer where it attaches to the spa proper.

I don't really know what else to ask; I'm just hoping that others might
have done this sort of thing and can let me learn from their mistakes or
successes.

(It'll replace the current 35 gallon tub at the base of a cascading set of
2 half-barrels. The spa should hold about 400-500 gallons.)

Thanks!

~~Bryan

Old Fiberglass Spa - New Pond?
 

I'm pretty sure nothing can "sink into" fiberglass.

--
Mark B.

Old Fiberglass Spa - New Pond?
 

mark Bannister wrote:
I'm pretty sure nothing can "sink into" fiberglass.

You can get fiberglass and all the mixing stuff in a kit at any auto
parts store. Really easy to use, just follow the instructions.

Chip

Old Fiberglass Spa - New Pond?
 

"mark Bannister" wrote
I'm pretty sure nothing can "sink into" fiberglass.


Au contraire, Monsieur. As any boat owner will tell you, the fiberglass
plies are coated with "gel coat", an outer layer of resin not containing any
fibers. This protective layer works pretty well, but breaks down in sunlight
over time, and it can be damaged/scratched by hard objects. Holes in the
fiberglass (as for jets) are usually unprotected by gel as well. I would
imagine that an older tub has lots of wear and more than a few avenues for
"stuff" to get into the layers of fiberglass below the gel.

OTOH, I doubt that the stuff put into a hot tub over the years is likely to
be harmful to the fish. A good non-abrasive scrubing should remove any
surface contaminants. And if there remains some concern, line the tub with
pond liner (difficult and unattractive) or paint a layer of clear gel inside
yourself (easy and not a lot of work). Boat owneres do it all the time and
you can get some at most any boat supply retailer.


Michael
New Orleans, Louisiana USA
================================================== ==============

Old Fiberglass Spa - New Pond?
 

OK, I stand corrected. If the fiberglass is damaged then it would be
possible for something to wick into the areas between the glass, but the
glass and polyester resin themselves will not absorb anything.
As you mentioned repairing the fiberglass is simple and will look fine.

Mark B.

Old Fiberglass Spa - New Pond?
 

MLF wrote:


"mark Bannister" wrote
I'm pretty sure nothing can "sink into" fiberglass.


Au contraire, Monsieur. As any boat owner will tell you, the fiberglass
plies are coated with "gel coat", an outer layer of resin not containing
any fibers. This protective layer works pretty well, but breaks down in
sunlight over time, and it can be damaged/scratched by hard objects. Holes
in the fiberglass (as for jets) are usually unprotected by gel as well. I
would imagine that an older tub has lots of wear and more than a few
avenues for "stuff" to get into the layers of fiberglass below the gel.

OTOH, I doubt that the stuff put into a hot tub over the years is likely
to be harmful to the fish.

C'est vrai (two can play at this game!). I would be slightly concerned
about gel coats for boats. I imagine its possible to get them containing
anti-fouling agents - which are typically toxic to invertebrates. I'd want
to avoid those.
--
derek

Old Fiberglass Spa - New Pond?
 

"Derek Broughton" wrote
OTOH, I doubt that the stuff put into a hot tub over the years is likely
to be harmful to the fish.

C'est vrai (two can play at this game!). I would be slightly concerned
about gel coats for boats. I imagine its possible to get them containing
anti-fouling agents - which are typically toxic to invertebrates. I'd
want
to avoid those.


C'est vrai! You definitely don't want to use any gel coating with
anti-fouling additives. However, they are fairly rare, since the
anti-fouling materials are usually in the bottom paint and not in the
fiberglass gel. And you also want to let the stuff completely cure ("dry",
so to speak) because it gives off some pretty nasty vapors until it is
cured.

Michael
New Orleans, Louisiana USA
================================================== ==============