Moving a hot tub

[giulietta1]

Hello, I am getting ready to buy a secondhand hot tub and wondered if anyone had any tips on the moving process. I have received the advice that it's fairly simple, transport it standing on the heavy side/end (where the pump, etc., are located).

I'm planning to hire someone to do this for me, but I am wondering if it would be worthwhile to spend additional money to hire professional movers, or if a few strong young men could handle the job (for a lot less money, of course).

The other issue is, I know I need an electrician to install it at my end (it's 220), but do I also need the electrician to disconnect the wiring at its current location?

The current owner of the hot tub says it seats 8; I think it's about 7'x7'. I've done some research on hot tubs and estimate its (empty) weight between 400 and 500 lbs.

Would appreciate comments and suggestions!

Thx,
Jules

 

[waste]

A few young people should be all it takes (I've moved and installed quite a few with 2 -3 'strong young men') For the electrical connections, you should get a qualified and licensed electrician, but in reality anyone who can connect 3-4 wires correctly will do. Please make sure that whoever does the electrical connections is compotent to do so! Saving money is good, but keeping the people who use the spa alive is better!!

 

[giulietta1]

Spa chemicals vs pool chemicals

Thank you for the input! I definitely plan to have an electrician do the wiring. Our local pool man is an electrician, so he might be just the man.

I am leaning towards using bromine in the spa rather than chlorine. My understanding is that bromine is more appropriate in a hot-water environment. I have been pricing the chemicals, and it looks like one gets a substantial price break when buying so-called "pool bromine" as opposed to "spa bromine," the latter typically being packaged in smaller quantities.

I've been trying to find a compromise between buying a HUGE quantity for a low unit price (say $3.50-4.00/lb, usually labeled POOL bromine) and a small quantity, labeled spa bromine, for $10/lb! I'm assuming there's no difference chemically, it's just a difference in packaging, with the co's wanting to maximize profits.

Best deal I've found is a 10-lb bucket for about $4/lb. To get any better price I'd have to go with a 50-lb quantity.

Any comments? What is the approximate shelf life of bromine tabs? How long would 10 lbs of bromine tabs last in a 300-400 gallon spa?

TIA,
Jules

 

[RavenNS]

You've probably already moved your hot tub by now, but on the chance that you have not had the chance to move it yet ( & to help someone else if they read this thread for advice), I suggest calling some hottub stores in your area to see what they charge.
When we moved our hottub ( in nova scotia canada), we had the hot-tub store do it.. it was $25 per person involved (minimum 3 people), we picked 4 people. They loaded the tub up on their own trailer and moved it to the location.. and did the reconections ( Plus they had a commerical electrician so we got a really good deal on that) and they did the start up.

 

[giulietta1]

You've probably already moved your hot tub by now, but on the chance that you have not had the chance to move it yet ( & to help someone else if they read this thread for advice), I suggest calling some hottub stores in your area to see what they charge.

There aren't any in our area. :lol: Yes, we moved it two months ago, and it worked out fine. The electrical work turned out to cost much more than the movers; a lot of wire and conduits had to be put in.

Thx,
Jules