Buying a Hot Tub in Autumn or Winter: What to Plan For

Plenty of people decide to buy a hot tub as the nights draw in, and it makes sense. A spa gets most of its use in the colder months, when warm water and cold air feel at their best. Buying in autumn or winter does mean planning around wet ground, short days and cold tap water, though. Here's what to sort out before your tub arrives.

Get the base ready before the ground turns soft

Every hot tub needs a level, solid base that can carry the filled weight plus everyone in it. The Toronto, for example, weighs 1,380 kg filled, which is around 1,830 kg with six adults in it. A properly laid concrete slab is one of the best bases. A deck has to be designed for the load from the start.

Autumn and winter add two things to think about:

• Concrete and mortar take longer to cure in cold, damp weather. Ask whoever lays the base how long it needs before it can take a full tub, and book delivery for after that date.
• Rain shows up drainage problems. Make sure the area falls slightly away from the spa so water doesn't pool around the cabinet.

Our guide to deck vs patio installation compares the options and gives the loads for several models.

Walk the delivery route in winter conditions

Hot tubs are moved on their side on a trolley, so every gate and opening must be wider than the tub is tall. Our tubs range from 73 cm to 99 cm in height. In summer a lawn might be fine to roll across. After a few weeks of rain the same lawn can be soft enough for a loaded trolley to sink, so plan a firm route or lay boards across the grass. Check steps and slopes for moss and wet leaves.

Daylight is short from November, which makes a clear, safe route even more important. If you're buying from us, send photos of your base and access through our back garden delivery form and we'll use them to plan the delivery. Our hot tub delivery guide explains the difference between kerbside delivery and full back garden delivery with installation.

Choose the right power supply for winter use

13 amp plug and play

A plug and play spa plugs into a dedicated weatherproof outdoor socket with RCD protection, so there's no hardwired supply to install. The Cornwall Plug & Play Hot Tub (£4,999) seats 5 to 6 in six moulded seats, holds 700 litres and has a 2 kW heater. A smaller heater copes with winter, but it relies more on the cover and on holding a steady temperature. Our guide to using a 13 amp spa in winter explains how to get the best from one. Never run a plug and play spa from an extension lead.

32 amp hardwired

Larger tubs such as the Toronto Hot Tub (£6,999) need a 230 V, 32 amp supply with an RCD breaker, fitted and tested by a qualified electrician. The Toronto has a 3 kW Balboa heater, two 5 HP pumps and 1,000 litres of water. Book your electrician in good time and have the supply installed and tested before delivery day.

Plan for a slow first heat-up

Mains water in the UK is much colder in winter than in late summer. With the cover on, a hot tub heats by roughly 1 to 2°C an hour, so heating fill water at around 8°C up to 38°C can take 15 to 30 hours on a 13 amp spa. In winter, allow at least an extra day for a large tub before you plan the first soak. Our article on how long a hot tub takes to warm up has figures by model.

A few habits help:

• Put the cover on straight away and strap it down.
• Keep the jets and air controls off while it heats, as mixing air into the water cools it.

Once a tub is filled, keep it powered. Its control system watches the water temperature and runs the pump and heater if it gets close to freezing, but that only works while it has power. Don't fill a tub and then leave it switched off in frosty weather.

Have your water care ready on day one

Get your chemicals in before the tub arrives so you can start balancing the water as soon as it's filled. The Starter Hot Tub Chemical Kit (£29.95) contains chlorine granules, Foam Free, pH Up, pH Down and 50 test strips, and works with our free Water Test App.

Bring total alkalinity into the 80 to 120 ppm range first, then adjust pH to 7.2 to 7.6. Once the water is warming, add chlorine and bring free chlorine to 1.0 to 1.5 ppm. If the water is still below 20°C, dissolve the chlorine granules in a bucket of water before adding them. Test again before anyone gets in.

What to expect in the first few months

New owners use the tub a lot at first, so many do their first water change at 2 to 3 months, then settle into a change every 4 to 6 months depending on use. Rinse the filter regularly, and replace the filter in an acrylic hot tub every 6 to 12 months.

Keep the cover on whenever the tub isn't in use. Most heat escapes from the water surface, so a well-fitted cover that's strapped down is the main thing that keeps a hot tub affordable to run through the winter.

Common questions

Is winter a bad time to have a hot tub installed?

No. Our acrylic hot tubs are built for outdoor use all year round. A winter install just needs more planning: a cured base, a firm route, the electrics ready and time allowed for the first heat-up.

Can I fill the hot tub if frost is forecast?

Yes, as long as the spa is powered up as soon as it's filled and stays on.

Should I choose a plug and play or a 32 amp hot tub for winter?

Both work through a UK winter. A 32 amp tub with a 3 kW heater recovers heat faster after a soak, while a 13 amp model avoids new electrical work but rewards steady temperatures and good cover habits.

If you'd like help choosing a hot tub or planning a winter delivery, call Canadian Spa Company on 01293 824094.