Hot Tub Preparation Guide

Buying the right hot tub:
Why are you buying a spa is it for relaxation, health benefits or socialising with friends? knowing this will help you buy the right spa to perfectly suit your needs.

Access consideration:
Most spas are transported to your home on a flat bed truck or trailer called a spa dolly, then are unloaded and moved to the positioning site using a spa sled the spa will be standing on its side so think about the route the spa will take from the road side to the positioning site, check the width of any walkways down the side of the building you will need around 900mm – 1 meter wide access, check any tight points like corners that the spa will need to travel round you can always ask your spa supplier for advice and it’s a good idea to take a few photos of the route so they can see the route too.

In some cases, your access may not be suitable and it’s not uncommon to ask a neighbour if you can come through their property and a removal of a section of fence is common, if there is no way round from your own or a neighbours garden then you will need to hire in some lifting equipment. A Hi-ab can lift over walls or unmovable fences and if there’s no other option a crane will be needed to lift over your home.

Positioning site:
Think about who’s going to be using the spa and in what content, for example if you have children you will want to view the hot tub from your home or garden seating area to keep an eye on them, couples may want a more private spot away from neighbours or do you have a nice view you want to take advantage of while relaxing.

Ground preparation:
An average spa 2.1 x 2.1 meters will weight approximately 400kg empty and around 2 tonne filled, However the weight is spread over approx 4.5 m2 so a good suitable base is required normally patio, block paving, gravelled area’s and decking are all fine just make sure the decking is strong enough and well built, we advise not to put the spa directly on grass as subsidence can occur and your more likely to introduce contaminants like grass, soil etc

Electrical requirements:
For a 32 amp spa you will need to get a qualified electrician to install a suitable cable normally 4mm twin and earth will do but if the cable run is long then 6mm may be needed also if your spa is located outside then steel wired armoured cable will be needed, the cable will come directly from the fuse board and into a 32 amp rotary isolator then from the isolator into the spa motherboard, if your buying a 13amp plug and play spa, a normal 3 pin socket will be required or suitable external socket for outdoor usage.

Sinking into the ground or decking:
If your planning on sinking your spa into the ground you’ll need to consider access to the internal workings of the spa as most spas have key components on all sides you’ll need to have enough access for potential future maintenance you’ll also need to have a way of pumping out rain and groundwater from the hole your lowering the spa into, normally a submersible pump will be used or drainage system.