To draw a bath, part 2, continued.

The drip behind the Jacuzzi had been diagnosed and the remedy required pulling the tub out temporarily to replace some plumbing underneath it.  The spa winterizing season had consumed all available resources from the company that does such work, so I had to wait a week until there was an opening in the schedule.  During this time, I shut off the water to that part of the house.

Finally, my turn on the schedule came up and two plumbers arrived in the morning.  They had to reassess the situation and now there were clearly two separate opinions.  Here is a snippet from the troubleshooting dialog:

“I’ve seen stupider.”  This was the new plumber who hadn’t seen this tub before.

Some debate ensued, especially when they found that the tub could not easily be disconnected from the drain, by virtue of the installation by amateurs who did not anticipate ever having to service the system.  The argument was over the nature of the leak:

“Take a number-four plug and apply a little back-pressure to find out where the leak is.”

“Are you crazy?”

“Ok, a number-five then.  But then you won’t be able to orient the drain right.”

“Doesn’t matter.  I guarantee you won’t draw a dribble…”

It went on like this for quite some time, talking and arguing in plumberese.  Eventually, they dismantled the spout, then reassembled it, with a silicone sealant that cures even underwater (I tried to find out how it does that, but they weren’t telling).  Several days later, I was allowed to turn the water back on, and check for leaks.

It seemed to have solved the drip under the tub; there was no evidence of water after another day of waiting and watching.  The leak is still there however, but it now drips into the tub instead of behind it.

This has now become a classic case of a leaky faucet.  All I have to do is replace the O-rings in the faucet handles and there will be no leak anywhere.  How hard can that be?