First time hot tub buyers often have many questions and rightly so! A hot tub is a major purchase, not only in price, but also size. Installing something as big as a hot tub, knowing that it will be properly supported is extremely important. Simply plopping a hot tub down on your lawn can lead to cracking or outright collapse. A hot tub full of water and people weighs a lot, so it’s important that this weight is properly supported. This may have you asking, “How heavy is a hot tub?”. While there isn’t a single answer that can refer to all hot tubs in general, it is possible to estimate how much your preferred hot tub will weigh by identifying the materials it’s made of and the number of people it holds. To help you figure out the weight of your hot tub and how it should be supported, we offer this post.
Hot Tub Bases
As mentioned, you don’t want to be setting your hot tub just anywhere. The base on which you set the unit is important in maintaining the hot tub’s structural integrity. A hot tub that’s placed on shifting, uneven ground is bound to bend out of shape, crack and possibly fail altogether. Your base needs to be level, stable and able to withstand the full weight of the hot tub, the water and the people using it.
Concrete
Poured concrete is a popular base for hot tubs because it can be easily leveled during installation. However, it requires some expertise or hiring someone with experience. Concrete pavers can be used in place of a poured concrete pad, but it may be somewhat more difficult getting it properly leveled and should be consulted with a licenced contractor.
Decking
Having your hot tub on a deck is very popular. If you plan on putting your hot tub on a deck surface, it’s imperative to know that the deck will support the full weight of the hot tub and its users. Consult with your hot tub dealer and/or a structural engineer to compare the weight of your hot tub with the buttressing abilities of your deck.
How Heavy Is A Hot Tub?
It’s important to understand that it’s the water and people in the hot tub that makes up most of the weight. The smallest hot tubs hold two people and maybe 200 gallons of water. Keeping in mind that 200 gallons of water alone weighs over 1600 pounds. So, when full, you’re looking at over a ton for the smallest hot tubs on the market. If you consider that some of the largest hot tubs hold up to eight or nine people and over 500 gallons of water, you’re dealing with a total weight of as much as 6000 pounds. When you look at it that way, the importance of the hot tub base begins to make a lot more sense.
To learn more about hot tub specifics, download a free buyer’s guide today.