How to level a hot tub

[OKC]

Here is a question I hope someone can answer. I have a concrete slab for a patio. It is pretty good size 15.5'x18' it is about 8" thick. It is a good slab and was the perfect place to put a spa. I thought it was pretty level which it is, however when we filled the spa you could see that the water was a little higher on one end. im wondering is there a prefered way to level a spa on a fixed slab. I obviously cant level the slab and feared that if I raised one end of the spa a half an inch it wouldnt be sitting flat on the slab. Im a spa newb so any info on this would be appreciated. Does it need to be perfectly level or is a half an inch ok?

[hottub.pool_boy]

first, ask your dealer or manufacturer if they even allow your spa to be shimmed. If so, follow their procedure for leveling.

for pitched slabs, i'll generally rip 2x4 pressure treated studs if the pitch is greater than 3/4". for most cases a stud every foot is sufficient, even for spas they say can not be shimmed.

Always follow man. guidelines. good luck

[Jim_The_Jim]

Here is a question I hope someone can answer. I have a concrete slab for a patio. It is pretty good size 15.5'x18' it is about 8" thick. It is a good slab and was the perfect place to put a spa. I thought it was pretty level which it is, however when we filled the spa you could see that the water was a little higher on one end. im wondering is there a prefered way to level a spa on a fixed slab. I obviously cant level the slab and feared that if I raised one end of the spa a half an inch it wouldnt be sitting flat on the slab. Im a spa newb so any info on this would be appreciated. Does it need to be perfectly level or is a half an inch ok?

You can build a sub platform under the spa. Using pressure treated 2x4 cut as long wedges, placed about one foot apart. Then put plywood on top of that, pressure treated if you can find it. To determine the cut, us a 2x4 cut to the size of the base of the spa and a level. Place the level on the 2x4 and measuer the height at the end to the ground. That is the size of the mark on the end to cut.

We do this often enough.

[SpaMan]

You can build a sub platform under the spa. Using pressure treated 2x4 cut as long wedges, placed about one foot apart. Then put plywood on top of that, pressure treated if you can find it. To determine the cut, us a 2x4 cut to the size of the base of the spa and a level. Place the level on the 2x4 and measuer the height at the end to the ground. That is the size of the mark on the end to cut.

We do this often enough.

Dont use plywood unless you want to build it annaually, this is the same guy who uses cardboard to remove water from a draining spa and a lightbulb ran by an extenioncord in an empty spa to keep it from freezing. Hoaky at best!!Build your platform correctly the first time using only pressure treated lumber!

[OKC]

Dont use plywood unless you want to build it annaually, this is the same guy who uses cardboard to remove water from a draining spa and a lightbulb ran by an extenioncord in an empty spa to keep it from freezing. Hoaky at best!!Build your platform correctly the first time using only pressure treated lumber!

Ok so I now know that it can be done with a little work and several friends to help me lift when it is time. Can i do this in a couple of months when I drain the tub? Will the spa being unlevel hurt anything for an extended period of time? Is it bad for the spa?

[Jim_The_Jim]

Ok so I now know that it can be done with a little work and several friends to help me lift when it is time. Can i do this in a couple of months when I drain the tub? Will the spa being unlevel hurt anything for an extended period of time? Is it bad for the spa?

Yes; All you have to do is to lift the tub up on to pvc pipe and roll it out of the way, build the platform and roll it back onto the wedged platform from the top side, skinny side.

Unless your spa is a constant leaker, like the ones that the other guy sells, the wood is never going to see water under the tub from mother nature, but the 2x4's will because they are on the ground. When we can't find pressure treated plywood, we pour on a quart of stain and let it soak in. If you use exterior grade plywood there are no problems with it. Use short coated deck screws to screw the plywood down. We have so many of these leveling platforms out there that I lost count. No problems at all.

IF you have a compound slope, you can build the wedges in a circle towards the peak of the slope, coming from all directions.

[Jim_The_Jim]

Dont use plywood unless you want to build it annaually, this is the same guy who uses cardboard to remove water from a draining spa and a lightbulb ran by an extenioncord in an empty spa to keep it from freezing. Hoaky at best!!Build your platform correctly the first time using only pressure treated lumber!

I don't know what "annaually" is? Is that something to do with anatomy?

By the way if your spa is out in the cold and you can't drain it all the way and all you have are table lamps, your darn will better put one inside the shell to keep it from freezing and stuff one or two inside the cabinet where the pumps are. This method has saved many spas from freezing. I am an expert on frozen spas, because I have seen many hundreds of them in Colorado. The cost for a frozen full foam southern Califorina spa to be repaired with freeze damage starts at $1000 and goes up from there as they pressurize the system and find the rest of the leaks. Oxymoron: Southern California Full foam spa in Colorado winter.

In case you forgot, when you are home alone and your spa is down, you need to do whatever you can to stop it from freezing. Any type of heat is better than being forced to get a new spa. Try running to KMart to get a heater, when it is below zero and in a snow blizzard, while your 6,000 california spa is sitting out in the cold with the equipment freezing.

I don't think you understand about Colorado winters. I have been in Colorado for 23 years.

[SpaMan]

I don't know what "annaually" is? Is that something to do with anatomy?

By the way if your spa is out in the cold and you can't drain it all the way and all you have are table lamps, your darn will better put one inside the shell to keep it from freezing and stuff one or two inside the cabinet where the pumps are. This method has saved many spas from freezing. I am an expert on frozen spas, because I have seen many hundreds of them in Colorado. The cost for a frozen full foam southern Califorina spa to be repaired with freeze damage starts at $1000 and goes up from there as they pressurize the system and find the rest of the leaks. Oxymoron: Southern California Full foam spa in Colorado winter.

In case you forgot, when you are home alone and your spa is down, you need to do whatever you can to stop it from freezing. Any type of heat is better than being forced to get a new spa. Try running to KMart to get a heater, when it is below zero and in a snow blizzard, while your 6,000 california spa is sitting out in the cold with the equipment freezing.

I don't think you understand about Colorado winters. I have been in Colorado for 23 years.

I disagree as I grew up in Idaho where it would drop to 30 degrees below zero for days at a time!

Besides I also have some experience here in the winter.

However I still have not seen any power outages since I have been here, so I still dont understand the days of downtime as described previous!

[SpaMan]

Back to the subject! Okc Good luck on shimming your tub and happy soaking!

[SpaMan]

Back to the subject! Okc Good luck on shimming your tub and happy soaking!

I forgot one! Sorry.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

I forgot one! Sorry.

1) You call that winter. That is a light dusting of snow.

2) Nice outfit. Does your daughter know you have her shoes on?

LOL, I gotta stop by some time, looks like a nice area. Maybe we can visit our mutual friend from your area!

[SpaMan]

1) You call that winter. That is a light dusting of snow.

2) Nice outfit. Does your daughter know you have her shoes on?

LOL, I gotta stop by some time, looks like a nice area. Maybe we can visit our mutual friend from your area!

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stop by anytime we will do lunch and I can show how easy it is to see a one of those spas no salesperson has supposedly seen!

[Jim_The_Jim]

I disagree as I grew up in Idaho where it would drop to 30 degrees below zero for days at a time!

Besides I also have some experience here in the winter.

However I still have not seen any power outages since I have been here, so I still dont understand the days of downtime as described previous!

Spaman; I thought you knew something about spas and how they work. You keep talking about power outages. Most all of the frozen and ruined spas that I have seen did not occur because of a power outage.

You know this as well as I do. The number one cause of spas freezing is the GFCI tripping on the spa. A few drops of water on the motor will do it.

By the way the last frozen spa that I personally went out and took photos of for the custmer's insurance, was guess what brand? Here are the clues. It is made in Southern California, it is full foam with an equipment box on the front and no insulation on the equipment. Sound familiar?

They had gone to grandma's house for Christmass, no kidding. When they got back the inside of the equipment area looked like somebody took a hammer to it.

However, when I asked the owners if they had any clue that the spa could freeze, they said no. "The salesman said it had the best insulation for Colorado." Does that sound familiar?

Those spas do not belong in Colorado at all. They freeze way to fast and it is not ethical to sell them here.