Please take the time to read these hot tub delivery guidelines carefully, as it will provide you with the information you will need to ensure the safe, secure, and timely installation of your new spa. The following sections are guidelines on how to prepare for delivery and set-up of your new spa. Specifically covered in these delivery guidelines are site selection, delivery access, ground preparation, and electrical requirements.
Remember to carefully read the Owner’s Manual that accompanies your spa.
Important
Before signing for any delivered items, please make sure that you have inspected the packaging for damage and if necessary take photographs. We cannot be held responsible for any claims made for damaged items once the goods delivered have been signed for.
Deliveries requiring lifting equipment
If lifting equipment of any kind is required, this is the responsibility of the customer to organise a suitable crane or lifting equipment. When the tub is being lifted the responsibility for safety and any damage which occurs to the tub or property is the responsibility of the crane or lift operator.
Site selection and preparation
IMPORTANT: Site selection and preparation are your responsibility. Carefully read these instructions and contact us if you have any questions.
Palm Spas must be informed if there is an existing hot tub in the delivery location that will need to be moved to allow access. This will incur an extra charge. Also, any cabling from existing hot tubs must be as per Palm Spas specifications, as listed in the delivery guidelines electrical requirements If we are not informed that we will have to move a tub, or that incorrect cable is in place, remedying this will incur extra costs.
Location of hot tub or swim spa
Whether you’ve chosen to have your hot tub indoors or outdoors, on a patio or on a deck just make sure you check the following:
Always put your spa on a structurally sound, level surface. A filled spa can weigh a great deal. Make certain that the location you choose can support the weight of your filled spa.
Locate your equipment compartment, which houses all the electrical components, in a place where water will drain away from it. Allowing water into the equipment compartment can damage the electronics or may result in tripping your house’s circuit breaker or RCD.
Leave yourself easy access to all circuit breakers and RCD’s.
Leave access to at least the entire front of the spa (the removable panels provide access to the spa’s equipment) for periodic spa care and maintenance.
Outdoor and Patio Installation
No matter where you install your new spa, it’s important that you have a solid foundation to support it. Structural damage to the spa resulting from incorrect installation or placement on an inadequate foundation is not covered under the spa’s limited warranty.
If you install the spa outdoors, a reinforced concrete pad at least four inches thick is recommended for your Hot Tub. If you place the spa on the ground, even temporarily, place stepping stones under the levelling areas. The stones should be at least two inches thick and twelve inches square. Even with stones in place, the spa will inevitably settle and become un-level. Plus, a spa surrounded by dirt or grass will soon be filled with dirt or grass from user’s feet; therefore, it is important to get it onto a solid foundation as soon as possible.
Palm Spas will not fully install a spa on a substandard temporary surface.
Decking
To be certain your deck can support your spa, you must know the deck’s maximum load capacity. Consult a qualified building contractor or structural engineer before you place the spa on an elevated deck or indoors. To find the weight of your spa, its contents and occupants, please contact us. This weight per square foot must not exceed the structure’s rated capacity, or serious structural damage could result.
If you intend install a tub and surround it with decking, please bear in mind that you will need to install access panels to allow access to the sides of the tub for maintenance and any remedial repairs that may be required in years to come. These access panels should be large enough to allow an engineer access to the side panels of the tub and should allow enough room for the engineer to remove the screws in the side panel. This is also the requirement for tubs that are sunken into a pit or are indoors.
Intending to sink your tub into decking?
Build your base, put your tub on the base, then build decking around it.
Lowering a tub into a hole that is only just big enough for the tub to go into is very difficult, requires at least 8 people or a crane and could damage your new decking.
If you have your tub surrounded by decking that needs to be removed before work (either warranty work or otherwise) can be carried out, this must be removed by yourself prior to our engineer arriving at your property as we cannot be held responsible for any damage that may occur to your decking or tub surround when it is removed for repair or maintenance purposes.
Bear in mind also that decking will vibrate and can have the effect of amplifying the sound from the pumps with its vibration.
Delivery methods and access
If you have any access queries, call us on 01773 591541
First, obtain the dimensions of the hot tub you have ordered from us. You will need to consider the Spa will be delivered on its side on a special hot tub trolley system.
The minimum width of a pathway that is needed is 1.1Metres to enable us to deliver a tub on its side without damage to either the property or to the tub.
Height can also be an issue, 350mm must be added to the longest dimension. If your hot tub is 2,100mm x 2,100mm, when it is on its side on the trolley it may stand 2,450mm high. Any obstructions will have to be removed to allow access
Also, you must consider that the trolley is not flexible and will need a wide turning area to negotiate any corners.
Steps can also be an issue as hot tubs are heavy bulky items that can be very difficult to transport up steps.
Extra assistance by several fit, able bodied people will be needed in the event of needing to get a hot tub up several steps.
Check these things to ensure we can deliver your hot tub:
- There’s enough clearance; check gates, protruding electrical metres, vents and other fixed appliances.
- Is there enough overhead clearance; check for low roof eaves, overhanging branches, rain gutters…
- Is the path clear? Remove any obstacles along the delivery path, check for 90-degree turns we might not be able to clear.
- Notify us in advance of any steps we’ll have to clear.
You can send us a photo of your delivery path if you’re unsure.
Indoor installation
Be aware of some special requirements if you place your spa indoors. Water will accumulate around the spa, so flooring materials must provide a good grip when wet. Proper drainage is essential to prevent a build-up of water around the spa. When building a new room for the spa, it is recommended that a floor drain be installed.
The humidity will naturally increase with the spa installed. Water may get into woodwork and produce dry-rot, mildew, or other problems. Check for airborne moisture’s effects on exposed wood, paper, etc. in the room. To minimise these effects, it is best to provide plenty of ventilation to the spa area. An architect can help to determine if more ventilation must be installed.
Electrical installation
Any electrical supply for a hot tub outdoors should be installed by a competent, certified electrician.
All works must be certificated to part P of the building regs. Electrical installation work should always conform to BS:7671 17th edition of the wiring regulations.
Electrical requirements
Most, if not all domestic hot tubs are designed for single phase 230v ac operation.
We will tell you the total load the Hot Tub will draw at full operation. Your certified electrician will then be able to work out what size of cabling is required. Even the smallest Hot Tub would usually require at least a 16-amp supply. Bigger Hot Tubs with 3 pumps or more generally require a 32-amp supply but this is a guide only.
ALL outside electrical supplies must have mechanical protection, this is either in the form of steel wire armoured cable (SWA) or suitable conduit.
The Hot Tub MUST have its own dedicated circuit with correct size fuse breaker and RCD protection. See tub specifics for further details.
A rotary isolator switch not closer to the Hot Tub than 2 metres is required so that the Hot Tub can be isolated from the main supply quickly and efficiently.
We generally ask for a coil of cable to be left immediately next to the Hot Tub base so that we have enough to wire it in whichever final position the customer chooses.
Palm Spas specific requirements for circuit breakers
Almost all Palm Spas hot tubs require a 32 Amp RCD protected circuit breaker fitted to your consumer unit. From the consumer unit you should have suitable armoured cable or cable protected by a suitable conduit to a suitable waterproof outdoor isolator switch 2 or 3 metres from the tub. Please consult your electrician for cable thicknesses. For 32amp hot tubs we advise on having a 6mm, 3 core armoured cable fitted direct from an isolator switch (please see diagram above).
From the isolator switch there needs to be enough cable left to reach the furthest away corner of hot tub so that our engineer can connect the tub to the electrical supply.
If you have purchased one of our 13amp plug and play rated hot tubs you will still need to supply a dedicated feed from the electrical supply, this will need to be positioned out of reach when using the hot tub. 13amp plug and play hot tubs require a dedicated ip65 waterproof socket (if outdoors). DON’T run 13amp plug and play hot tubs off a ring main or extension cable as this will cause issues and will void warranty to the electrical components.
If you have any queries about your installation, these delivery guidelines or items mentioned, please call us to ensure you are ready for delivery.
