Hot Tub Installation

Ah yes...hot tub installation...not the easy-breezy process I thought it would be, but in the end I guess it wasn’t all that bad.

It’s just that I expected it to be done so soon! When I found out what was involved, I was a little disappointed. Such is the case with hot tub and swimming pool installation.

I’ll go through the steps with you that I had to go through, so you are prepared for your hot tub when it finally arrives, and so you are prepared with the additional expenses that you will incur as a result.

Hot tub Installation 101:

First you’ll have to determine where you’re going to place your hot tub. That’s easy, right? I knew exactly where I wanted mine. No problem!

Then you’ll have to prepare the bed for your hot tub. Say what? Oh yes! That’s right...you can’t just plunk that baby on the ground! Do that, and guess what will happen?? It will start to slowly sink into the ground! No big deal, right? After all, how quickly will it sink? Well, the sinking isn’t the major problem, it’s HOW it sinks that’s the issue.

When the ground hasn’t been prepared properly to hold a particularly heavy item like a hot tub, it can move and shift in all sort of directions. Shifting so slightly, that it may not even be noticeable to the human eye.

Unfortunately, the slightest shift one way and not the other can result in irreparable damage to your hot tub. If you’re going to get your hot tub installation done right, you are going to have to make sure the ground is level, and has been prepared properly to handle the weight so that no shifting occurs at all!

You can do this the hard and labor intensive way, by digging into the soil about 8-10 inches or so...layering in several inches of gravel...tampering that down...adding several inches of sand...tampering that down...and making sure this results in a smooth, level surface with which to place your hot tub...

OR...you can go the easy route, and have someone lay down a slab of concrete. I had concrete laid down by someone who came as a recommendation from a family friend. He charged me about $400, the job was done well, the job was done relatively quickly, and I didn’t have to do a thing.

I calculated the cost of the amount of material that would need to be added to the location if I did things myself, and it came out to several hundred dollars. Not only would I have to pay for the material, but I would have to do the labor myself...YUK! And not only would I have to do the labor myself, but I would have to have enough confidence in my skills to be sure that I would create a nice solid foundation for my hot tub to rest securely for many years to come. So, did I have enough confidence in my skills???? Ahh....no! Ergo...I opted for the slab of concrete installed by a professional.

Next, you’ll need to have the electrician come. (I actually had my hot tub placed on the cement slab before the electrician came out. It worked, but wasn’t the best order to things. Establishing the electrical connection should be your first order of business.)

A hot tub installation requires quite a bit of electricity for continued operation. When I had mine completed, I had electric work done for the pool as well. It came out to about $1,400, and it was fortunate that I didn’t need to upgrade my electrical panel. If I had needed to do that, it would have cost a lot more.

The electrician (by all means, go with a licensed electrician!!) will need to obtain a permit from the municipality for the hot tub installation process. Once the work is complete, before the ground is backfilled, the municipality will need to inspect the work to make sure that it meets regulations. A licensed electrician should be familiar with this entire process, and should coordinate these steps for you.

Now you’re ready to have the hot tub delivered! Hopefully you’re delivery people will be able to connect the hot tub to the electrical source. You should make sure this can be done! My hot tub was already in place when the electrician came, so he was able to make the connection for me.

So your hot tub installation should (almost) be complete! The hot tub is sitting in the location that was properly prepared for it, and it is connected to its electrical source.

Now you’ll need to purchase the appropriate chemicals. I would recommend buying everything locally at first to familiarize yourself with the different products. Review all of the instructions and everything you’ll need for set-up. Make sure you purchase everything you’ll need so that once you get home, you'll be able to finalize the hot tub installation.

Next, everything should be assembled as instructed, including the filter and filter cartridge. The instructions that came with the hot tub should direct you on these final steps, which will involve filling the hot tub with water and adding the appropriate chemicals. Chemicals added at start up, or anytime you change the water, are different than what is added for regular maintenance. Educate yourself on which products you’ll need. For assistance with this process, please refer to hot tub care.

When I was learning this process, I used a Sharpie marker and wrote right on each chemical container what I needed that chemical for, and how often it was needed. For example: “startup only – one capful” or “2 spoonfuls weekly” This helped me keep everything organized.

Once the hot tub is full and the chemicals are in, you’ll actually have to turn it on. Most likely there is a circuit breaker located close to the hot tub, on the outside of the home. Flipping this circuit breaker will turn on the hot tub.

Once it’s on, you’ll need to program it for the first time to run at least 4 hours every day. The only way the water in a hot tub gets cleaned is when it’s running through the filter. This process needs to occur for a minimum of about 4 hours per day. Mine is set up to run for 6 hours per day.

Once that’s finished, you have actually completed the tedious hot tub installation process in its entirety...but you can’t use it yet! You usually have to wait at least 3 days before getting in due to the toxicity of the chlorine that’s added on initial start up...but THEN you can get in it!

And you surely deserve it at this point! Now put hot tub installation behind you and go for a good soak!

For more information on hot tub related posts, please refer to hot tub info, hot tub replacement cover and hot tub cover lift.

Happy tubbing!

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