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Hot tub just delivered -- but my patio isn't level!


LakesideGuy

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Okay, I'm sure you've all heard this one before -- but first-time new owner here.

But we had a stamped concrete patio -- but I *knew* that it wasn't level for draining purposes. So we hired a company to put in an 8' x 8' concrete *level* slab specifically for the hot tub. The hot tub arrived today -- and it's clearly not level. I noticed it wasn't when I leaned on it and could feel the hot tub move. Using measuring tape, it looks like it's about a 5/8" gap. I'm not sure if this is "good enough" or not, but I'm pretty upset because I made it a big deal to the concrete people that it needed to be level.

The electrician is literally here setting everything up -- but I'm afraid to fill it if it's like this. Do I have any options here -- short of having a new concrete pad put in? Is there a way to "level this" in a way that isn't dangerous for the hot tub? Is this "good enough" to fill and use?

Any help you can give would be much appreciated.

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"Good enough to fill and use" depends on a few things like the tub material / the manufacturer acceptable tolerances, and also your comfort level taking risks 😎 If you're really lucky your manual will explicitly say what is allowable, but I doubt it. People with experiences with your type of tub material (acrylic etc) will be valuable to hear from. You can call where you purchased it too and ask them if 5/8" is a risk for damage.

Personally I would be very surprised if that could cause damage but I have almost zero experience. I have a polyethylene (roto mold) tub and it is quite soft material. It certainly flattened out when I filled it on my somewhat unlevel pad.

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Pretty sure that would risk cracking your shell once filled with a few thousand pounds of water (water is 8.34 pounds per gallon, so do the math).

You want a flat surface.  It doesn't have to be 100% level, but it must be flat. Move the tub and see if there are any stones or pebbles over one corner of the tub?  Ensure everything is flat before you put down the tub and fill with water.

Just my $0.02.   My dealer's tech specifically pointed out where the manual states factory warranty is void if the tub is shimmed. 

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On 9/4/2020 at 11:38 PM, thethunderbird said:

Read your hot tub manual.  Some of them come with shimming instructions to level differences of <1" or so.  It's not super hard to do and in the long run, you'll be glad you got it level.

This

My 1988 CalSpa has sat on my patio since new; I've never taken a level to it, but think it's slanted a "tad".

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You cannot shim the edges of a spa, you must support it all the way accross the bottom or it WILL break your cabinet and/or shell sooner or later.

Flat is MUCH more important than level. Dips and bumps will cause damage, a small angle will not.

You specified level and it is not. I would call the concrete people and get them back out there. 5/8" is not much and won't be an issue if it is flat but, whether it works or not, it's not what you paid for.

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