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#1
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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 -- ************************************************** ********** * 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. * ************************************************** ********** |
#2
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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~ |
#3
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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 |
#4
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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. * ************************************************** ********** |
#5
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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 |
#6
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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. * ************************************************** ********** |
#7
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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 |
#8
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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 |
#9
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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 |
#10
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Old Fiberglass Spa - New Pond?
I'm pretty sure nothing can "sink into" fiberglass.
-- Mark B. |
#11
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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 |
#12
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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 ================================================== ============== |
#13
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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. |
#14
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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 |
#15
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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 ================================================== ============== |
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