Moving a hot tub that weighs up to 2,000 pounds when empty is very difficult. The logistics are complex like moving furniture, but hot tubs also have a lot of pipes and plumbing parts that can easily break if not handled carefully.
Attempting solo transports risks real catastrophe – crushed limbs, tweaked backs, cracked shells, and electrical fires if components disconnect but reactivate absentmindedly.
Instead, utilize best practices to plan preparations and then execute turtle-slow transfers utilizing appropriate gear that prevents both bodily harm and functional damage along the way.
Soon that cherished hydrotherapy oasis resets even more ideally situated steps from the patio to deliver daily relaxing refuge.
That said, here are actionable tips and tricks for moving a hot tub.
Pre-Move Preparation
When assessing how to move a hot tub, first quantify the key traits governing all equipment rentals and process decisions. Determine precise specifications of the actual hot tub itself including:
Weight and Size
Consider empty weight alongside length, width, and height with doors detached to gauge moving equipment needs and route access limitations.
A six-person rectangular portable spa can span seven feet wide and weigh 800 pounds unfilled.
Larger models stretch longer and wider with exponential weight increases beyond 2,000 empty pounds depending on seats and jet features built-in requiring heavy-duty moving gear.
Location
Verify the existing hot tub positioning allows ample room to maneuver all sides during lifting and shifting onto equipment.
Ensure the planned new location offers a level, stable foundation for placement along with viable electrical and plumbing access nearby to simplify future reconnection.
Photograph Connections
Finally, fully document the positioning of current electrical, water intake, and drainage connections under hot tub shells before dismantling anything to simplify proper couplings later after relocating.
Safety Considerations
When undertaking any large-scale moving project, prioritizing safety remains imperative before all else. Here are key elements in this regard.
Personnel
When managing bulky cargo weighing anywhere from 800 to over 4,000 pounds, safety reigns paramount during all moving phases.
Always utilize professional hot tub moving service movers following rigorous protocols that dictate coordination carrying awkward heavy loads to minimize bodily injury risks.
Minimum teams of four movers remain ideal but augment with six for larger hot tubs exceeding 500 square feet or 2,000 empty pounds.
Procedures
Ensure the moving team wears sturdy gloves and steel-toed boots with gripping soles as protection since most homeowners assist transfers barefoot risking grave foot injuries if slip-ups occur.
Always keep movements gradual and communicate to prevent strains or crushing accidents.
Besides, leverage equipment appropriately using ramps, straps, lifts, and dollies customized to individual hot tub builds for secure bonds that prevent catastrophic crashes or tipping during transfers.
Disconnecting and Draining
A few days before moving day, first thing first – head to the circuit breaker and shut off all electrical power connected to the hot tub. You don’t want any leaks or loose wires causing nasty shocks later as you start dismantling things.
Next up, grab your garden hose and completely drain every last drop from the hot tub itself. This will make life way easier by lightening the heavy load so it glides instead of straining muscles later.
Plus it eliminates worries about deep puddles sloshing around from water spills if hits bumps en route.
Oh, and while prepping, remove all those peripheral pieces like filter baskets, cushy pillows, solid covers, and decorative side panels.
Pack them up securely to avoid breakage as stuff shakes and rattles down the road. Taking off these bits also shaves more pounds off before lift time.
Now here’s the thing – removing parts leaves pipes, hoses, and wires exposed that used to connect to jets and pumps and such underneath. Make sure dangling ones don’t pick up dirt or get yanked loose creating bigger installation headaches down the line.
So grab some heavy-duty plastic sheeting and rugged waterproof tape to seal up the open ends well and tight as we go. This keeps gunk out so reassembly flies smooth later.
Lift and Shift onto Equipment
When moving day arrives, handle that empty hot tub shell gently as a newborn babe. Limit how many times you lift and shift its weight to prevent straining fragile pipes or cracking the rigid acrylic tub.
Use wide straps to evenly distribute mass as we slowly pivot upwards inch by inch. Load directly onto prepped dollies and trailers in one fluid motion if feasible.
Otherwise, tiptoe across level terrain minimizing all bumps and intermittent drops which could torque the whole frame out of whack right quickly. Take it nice and easy to keep things intact from start to destination finish line.
Truck Transport Considerations
When selecting moving vehicles for hot tubs, oversized flatbed trailers offer optimal space securing bulky squarish cargo stable amid transport. But professional moving trucks with ramp loading work too.
Ratchet down shells tightly across the entire base once centered within beds utilizing furniture pads below strap friction points that could otherwise scratch or crack shells through excessive vibration across bumpy roads.
Drive cautiously obeying all speed limits and acceleration/braking grades to deliver perfectly level balanced loads reducing risks of shifting weight crashes.
Unloading and Reinstallation
Position and Level Empty Shell
Perform reverse equipment loading steps when safely delivering emptied hot tub shells secured tightly across the moving truck bed or trailer right to the brink of the desired new destination positioning.
Gently unload onto pre-laid furniture dollies or rolling pipes, maintaining the integrity of all plumbing and electrical accessories taped off during transit without snagging.
Then wheel into precise positioning orientations ready for reassembly and reconnections.
Reconnect Plumbing and Electronics
With shells leveled atop properly prepared foundations, plumbing and electrical lines appropriately resurface to reconnect following precautions.
Match all water intake feeds, drain pipelines, jet assemblies, and filtration pump apparatus to original photographs detailing positioning to revive operational functions correctly utilizing the precise appropriate hardware combinations compatible with individual hot tub system compositions.
Fill and Function Test
Allow appropriate silicone sealant, glues, and pipe attachment compounds full 48-hour setup timeframes to cure adequately watertight before refilling shells. Carefully check for any ignored drips or leaks as filling commences before final electronics testing.
Top off then power on to verify heating mechanisms, jet propulsion flows, and proper filtration all reboot effectively.
Lastly, reinstall all decorative hot tub features like cushioning, steps, and insulation side cladding securely to finalize a successful transition. Soon familiar bubbles churn stress and worries away as ideal relaxation returns albeit enveloped within new backyard scenery.
Conclusion
Orchestrating a smooth, successful hot tub relocation relies upon meticulous planning, high-quality equipment, trained movers, and gradual safe execution navigating countless obstacles across drainage, disconnection, transport, unloading, and reassembly phases petrifying homeowners.
However utilizing professional movers and properly customized moving apparatus may minimize risks of structural damage, personal injuries, and functionality loss even when navigating tricky terrain.
Soon home hydrotherapy havens resettle into better backyard real estate, revived and rejuvenated after careful handling transports every last bolt and jet fixture soundly to the new locale overlooking better scenery.
Going forward, soak up serene daily escapes from life’s stresses enjoying flawless fittings immersed now in both bubbling water and upgraded views capped with perfect sunsets.
