We have a pool and spa that we just paid big bucks to replumb, which
has been a multi-month project.

The spa is elevated (partially above pool level), but always
maintained its level when the pump went off.

The first thing I found was that they failed to replace the former
check valve that kept the water from draining out of the spa once the
pump was off.

The first solution was to place a check valve (spring loaded) on the
spa return. Unfortunately, for their conveniences, they placed it
BETWEEN two PCB pipes, at a 90 degree angle, making it impossible to
either see the clear area or remove the cover to work on the spring
mechanism without cutting and then replacing an adjacent pipe. When I
asked them whether this valve would require maintenance I was told
that since it was on the other side of the filter, it would never need
servicing. My thought is then why the eight screws on the valve? Am
I wrong in worrying about maintenance at this location?

There is more to this saga, but I thought I would start with the easy
question first.

Thanks to anyone that has some info!