How to Choose the Best Hot Tub Placement
You can place your new hot tub just about anywhere you see fit - patio, gazebo, backyard, indoors, etc. Truthfully, only you can determine the best hot tub placement options for your home and lifestyle preferences. Before choosing a location for your new spa or hot tub, you’ll need to consider a few key points. We have six tips to get you started.
Intended Use
Are you planning to use the hot tub for quiet relaxation and stress relief? Or will it be used for entertainment and enjoyment during social events and parties at your home? Will you using the hot tub for treatment of chronic pain? Or do you want to spend romantic evenings in the company of a loved one? The intended use of your new hot tub should play a role in its placement. For a more secluded, relaxing environment, you may want to install it where you can add some type of privacy barrier. Likewise, if you want to enjoy scenic landscape views in an inviting setting, you may want to place it somewhere that's a little more open or centralized. Hot tubs used during daylight hours may benefit from shade, while those used at night will likely need some type of pathway or step lighting for safety reasons. Keep this all in mind as you choose your hot tub location.
Proximity
How close is the hot tub to your home? A hot tub placed in the very back corner of your yard will be less enticing than one that’s right outside the back door, and it may not be used as often. This is especially true during the cold winter months. Another thing to consider is the location of the water outlet and electrical circuit. If utilities are not close to the hot tub, you may need to hire a plumber and/or electrician to bring the access closer, which will increase the total installation cost.
Aesthetics
You're going to be looking at your new hot tub quite often, so it's important to consider its appearance. How will the hot tub look in its new location? Will it be easy to create and maintain aesthetic appeal with furniture arrangement, landscaping and decor? Or is it going to stand alone and stick out like a sore thumb? Will this view change with the seasons? Remember that a hot tub should complement or enhance the area it's sitting in, not detract from it.
Delivery & Installation
Portable spas and hot tubs are large, heavy and cumbersome to move around. If you’ve purchased one from a local showroom or hot tub dealer, a delivery crew will likely help set the hot tub in its new location. There needs to be a clear, wide path from the point of delivery to the desired placement area. Any obstacles, narrow passages or tight corners can make delivery and placement considerably more difficult. If the company has to move the spa or hot tub by crane, there will need to be room for the crane to maneuver. You may have to temporarily remove fence panels, gates or deck railings to make the delivery process easier.
Support
A hot tub can weigh more than two tons when it's full of water and people. Wherever you decide to place your hot tub, it’s important to make sure there’s enough support to hold the weight. The surface should be flat, level, and resistant to sinking, shifting or sagging. Most portable hot tubs are installed at ground level on a concrete slab. You can also use gravel, bricks or stone pavers to prevent it from settling down into the soil. If you plan to place it somewhere higher, like on top of a deck, the hot tub should have proper reinforcements underneath. Wooden decks are likely to warp and/or collapse without sufficient beams or braces to support the weight of the hot tub.
Maintenance
Before your new hot tub arrives, double-check the dimensions. How snug is the area where you'll be putting it? In the event of a repair, you’ll want to have easy access to the spa cabinet to reach the plumbing and electrical components, so keep that in mind. If installing the hot tub on or near wood, take proper measures to seal or protect the wood to keep it as water resistant as possible. Splashes and frequent water exposure can spell disaster for untreated wood. Speaking of water, drainage is also something to take into consideration. A portable hot tub is usually drained every 3 months. All drainage should be able to flow away from your home and hot tub. The same goes for storm planning. Will excess rain water collect and pool around your hot tub area? If so, this can rot wood, short out electrical circuits and allow mold to grow in insulation, as well as other issues caused by too much lingering moisture. If this will be an indoor hot tub, make sure there's adequate ventilation, or else you'll have similar moisture issues in your home.
It really doesn't matter where you put your hot tub, just as long as the position works well for you. As we've discussed, there are a few things to keep in mind that will save you from placement regrets later on. Intended use, deliverability, ease of maintenance, base support and proximity to your home and utility connections should all play a role in your final decision. Additional factors may come into play for different hot tubs and individual preferences.