Q. I definitely can’t get a hot tub into my garden by conventional means as I have no access at all to my back garden apart from through the house and going via neighbours gardens is not an option. I will need a crane…what is involved and how much should it cost?

A. If you are considering a crane lift for installation or removal of your hot tub it is important to be aware that there are 2 main types of service available from crane companies.

1. Contract Lift:
The more expensive of the two options but the crane company will be responsible for everything:
Site Survey
Preparing Risk Assessment & Method Statement
Liaising with any relevant authorities such as Highways Agency/Police
Providing all equipment, crane operator and a banksman
All of work fully insured from start to finish

2. Crane Hire
Tempting as the price will be lower but you are literally hiring the crane and the driver for a period of time and pretty much everything else is your responsibility. The reason this is important was highlighted in the recent case where a crane toppled over during the process of lifting a hot tub over a house and the jib demolished the house. Luckily nobody was hurt or killed but the question of liability for insurance purposes then really starts to kick in. With a contract lift there is no scope for your involvement. With crane hire if such an incident happened the Health & Safety Executive will be involved and insurers will be looking for liability.

Obviously we don’t want to worry you but it is important to be aware of all of the facts before you commission a crane company to lift your new hot tub into your garden.The size of the crane required will be determined by the load (fairly insubstantial…most spas weigh less than 1 tonne) and the radius of the lift (the reach required from the bed of the crane to the point to which the hot tub will be lowered) Also the heights of buildings will need to be taken into account. The cost will be dependant upon the type of lift as above, the size of the crane required (the longer the required reach the bigger the crane) and the distance from the crane depot to site as the rate will include the travelling time of the crane. Obviously try to get several quotes from local crane companies and insist that they conduct a site survey first.

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Q. I live in a newish house and the access is not very wide. What are the alternatives to get hot tubs in? What are the important dimensions of the hot tub that will determine if it will go in? Is it possible to go through a neighbours garden or will I need to resort to a crane?

A. Yes unfortunately developers seem to be squeezing houses closer together which sometimes does pose problems for hot tub delivery teams! Here are the main solutions that hot tub companies will look for when they conduct a site visit in order of preference.Since the hot tub will be trolleyed into position using a device called a spa dolly it will positioned on its end so the standing height of the hot tub (plus a little bit more for packaging) will be width that you will need (ideally on a straight run as hot tubs do not bend araound corners!) as clearance for the route to the spa base. Measure the narrowest points as these are the important ones. Look out for anything jutting out such as fence posts, steps, drainage down pipes, electrical service boxes, wall lights etc etc when measuring the narrowest points.The width of the hot tub plus about 6-8 inches for the spa trolley will be the height clearance required so look out for eaves, tops of gates, and anything sticking out from the sides of the house at height such as central heating ducts, wall lights, hanging basket brackets etc. Some of these obstacles may be removable so bear this in mind as a potential solution.If it obvious that the hot tub will not go down the side of the house the second option is to go via a neighbours garden and through a removed section of fencing. Check with neighbours first and ensure that they have adequate access. Make sure you reinstate fences afterwards and a nice bottle of wine will be much appreciated by them for the inconvenience.

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This photograph of a Sundance Spas hot tub housed within a traditional thatched hot tub building was recently sent to us by Peter Frankish of Braaihouse.  Peter informs us that Braai is the African term for BBQ and besides designing and building luxury bespoke thatched buildings for hot tub and spas, Braai offer a full range of outdoor entertainment products under the Braai brand.  For more details visit their website at www.braaihouse.co.uk

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We have had a number of emails from people owning hot tubs in areas around the North and Central England who have suffered garden flooding which has resulted in potential flood damage to their hot tubs.  As a note of advice, if your hot tub has suffered water damage DO NOT reinstate the power to your hot tub as their may still be residual water or dampness in the hot tub pumps, heater, electronics, wiring and sensors.  We advise that you turn off power to your hot tub at both the RCD and the isolation switch and let it thoroughly dry out.  Contact a local hot tub service engineer and arrange a service call inspection for them to assess the damage to your hottub.

If you have hot tub insurance (something we highly recommend for all owners of hot tubs) contact your insurer as it may be that if your hot tub has suffered serious or prolonged water damage that it will have to be written off.

A note of caution to hot tub buyers…be very wary about buying a hot tub over online auction sites over the next few months as hot tubs on offer may have suffered water damage which could make them irreparable or even dangerous.  Only buy through local reputable hot tub companies to ensure that you get bonafide hots tubs and aftersales service.  For a list of local companies request What Spa Magazine and see our comprehensive Hot Tub Retailer Directory or visit the Find a Retailer on www.whatspa.com for a real-time list of local hot tub dealers in your county.

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The Spring/Summer issue of What Spa? Magazine is here at long last…and the good news is that every single one of our readers can request their FREE complimentary copy on www.whatspa.com . Simply fill in the form on our Spa Buyer’s Guide page to request your copy now. 

Your 100 page free What Spa? magazine will be winging it’s way to you in the post within days. See which celebs are relaxing away from the flashing cameras of the paparazzi in their own luxury hot tubs in our cover feature and get the rundown on all of our hot tub buying tips, insider secrets, landscaping ideas and whatspa reviews and ratings on the best hot tubs in the UK.  So request your copy, do all of your research in the comfort of your own home and feel confident that you have all of the tools at your disposal to buy the hot tub, sauna, or swimspa of your dreams.

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