- Placement – where you place your hot tub will significantly impact how much you use it. Imagine stepping out on a windy, rainy day to trek out 60 feet to the hot tub in your backyard. You’re cold, in a bathing suit, wearing flip flops as the wind and rain gush. Most people look outside, and the experience of having to get to and from the hot tub on a bad day is enough for you to say, “forget it”. Pick a space closer to your home, preferably undercover. It may feel like a romantic setting to be staring out at the stars in your spa. However, you’re likely to have a more enjoyable experience shielding yourself from the elements.
- Pad – You need a solid non-shiftable base for your hot tub to sit on. This can be concrete or Aggregate Pad. Hot tubs can also be placed on a deck, but you must ensure that the deck can support the spa’s weight, water & bodies. Decks should be rated for up to 6000lbs. An engineer must sign off on any deck attached at the 2nd or 3rd levels before installation can happen.
- Access – Getting the hot tub from the street to your location in the backyard can sometimes be tricky. Narrow areas or rough terrain can require the know-how of an experienced hot tub mover, or in a lot of cases, we need the assistance of a crane operator to get it into place. Hot tubs that are moved manually are put up on their sides with a plastic slider or dolly. Things like slopes and steps can be navigated with wooden planks that are temporarily built into place. You can either send photos of the pathway you think might be suitable for entry or contact us for an onsite inspection, and we can tell you how best to get the hot tub into its final position. If no access is available, hot tub installers will work closely with a crane operator to get the hot tub into place.
- Electrical – All hot tubs can be run at 220V, but only some spas can be run as a 110V plug in. If you decide to go with a smaller unit with only one pump, you can most likely run it as a 110V plug-in style spa. This requires a dedicated 15amp wall socket. However, there are limitations to this setup. It will draw more power, costing you more in hydro. It will also be limited in operation. The heater will only draw 1kw of energy, meaning it will take 3-4 times as long as a 220v system to heat up, and in the colder months, that heater will not be able to keep up with the surface heat release when the cover is off. Anytime you punch the pump into high speed, the heater will disengage, giving you an option of either Jet power or Heat. A 220v system will be more energy-efficient and allow you to install 30-60amps for operating power. The heater will run anywhere from 4 – 5.5kw, allowing the tub to heat up quickly and maintain heat on colder days. You will also have access to your heater and jets together if you have the appropriate amperage suited for your spa’s components.
The Hot Tub Shop has been in the industry for 35 years and has all the know how of buying a hot tub. If you're looking to Buy a Hot Tub in BC, contact The Hot Tub Shop today!
