Bathroom Home Improvement - How to Install a Hot Tub

Installing a hot tub doesn’t necessarily require a professional. If you’ve ever hooked up a dishwasher and built an outdoor deck, you can probably handle it yourself.

Installation options range from a raised platform, to a gravel and sand pad, depending on your yard. There are many home design software packages out there to help you with choosing a layout. Though they don’t do the work for you, they are invaluable in providing measurements and helping you see the final product. Sometimes local building codes are included as well.

The area needed for installation is determined by measuring the base of the tub and adding two feet on each side. Then, multiply the width by the length, being sure to include the extra four feet in each direction.

The next thing you need to know is how much water the tub holds. In most cases, this information is provided by the manufacturer.

Eight pounds (3.6kg) is the approximate weight of each gallon of water. A full tub can weigh up to 5,500 pounds. That can increase to around 6,000 pounds when you factor in the weight of three or four people. It’s essential that the area supporting the tub can withstand that kind of weight.

Use a rake and a long two by four to level the area, if installing on the ground. Carefully remove all rocks and stones that could damage the bottom of the tub. Some weed paper covering the dirt may be the only thing necessary, if your tub has a wooden skirt.

To help protect your tub, and add to the appearance, you may want to consider installing on a raised platform. Not only does it create a nice look, but it will help prevent mildew and wood decay by not allowing moisture to lay at the base of the tub.

A level surface and the ability to support the weight are, again, the most important factors to consider. The weight divided by the area will determine the pressure on the surface supporting the tub. This figure is more important than the total weight.

Although it can take some time and effort, you should be able to build an appropriate concrete platform yourself. First, you’ll need to build a frame to pour the concrete into, being careful to follow local building codes.

Wooden platforms should be more than adequate for supporting most tubs, if built properly. A platform of 4 x 4’s on a frame made of 2 x 6’s, laid on edge, should be more than enough for a medium sized hot tub. The entire platform could be constructed out of 4 x 4’s, but the end result would be two inches shorter.

Again, being sure to follow local building codes, begin by laying out the grid for the frame on ground level. Fasten the boards using nuts and bolts through pre-drilled holes, or utilize strong L-brackets.

Make sure you have plenty of assistance when it is time to move the tub into position. Even empty tubs can weigh up to a thousand pounds.

Unless you have a good working knowledge of electricity, bring in a professional electrician to run wires and hook up the controls, motor and lighting. You should be able to do it yourself, if your comfortable with such things.

Dig a trench about 18 inches deep and run PVC conduit from the junction box. Pull the wires from the 240V GFCI protected equipment by using electrician’s fish tape or something similar. After that, connect the wires per the manufacturer’s instructions.

Fish tape is a flexible material on a reel that is used to fish through pipes. Wires are attached on the other side and pulled back through. Flexible wire hooks can be used for this as well.

Before filling the tub, make sure the installation is thoroughly inspected. This will save you the trouble of having to drain it later on to change something that wasn’t done correctly. It will save you a lot of time and money to do this in advance.

Enjoy!