Q. Many insurance companies still don’t seem to have caught up with the Hot Tub Revolution. Are spas classed as permanent fixtures or do they fall into the same category as garden furniture? Obviously they are worth a lot more than your standard (or even designer) set of garden furniture so we want to get our new spa insured when we buy it.

Has anyone got any recommendations or contacts of insurance companies who are up to speed with hot tub ownership. I want to insure against loss and accidental damage (i.e. if a ridge tile blows off in high winds and lands on it!)

A. I think this is very dependent on your existing buildings and contents insurance company, so an initial call would be prudent, perhaps even before buying the tub. From experience I think it sometimes depends on how accessable the spa maybe to a potential theft also, if you needed a crane to get the tub in then the insurance company don’t need to worry too much about theft. I have noted companies will usually class it as part of the buildings insurance as once in place it is unlikely to be moved by the owner. Bottom line call you insurer and check.  If they won’t insure your hot tub it is probably worth pulling your policy and vote with your feet to a company who will insure it.

We have our hot tub insured with Direct Line as an itemised item on our buildings and contents policy.  If anyone has successfully got their hot tubs covered with other companies place a comment below as this is a very common question.

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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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