Before Delivery

These are heavy, powerful spas so you need to pay particular attention to the following points:

1. Survey

2. Delivery Access

3. Positioning

4. Service Access

5. Hard standing

6. Electrical connection

1. Survey: If you are lucky enough to live locally to us (within 20miles) we will carry out a free site survey to establish exactly how we are going to proceed. It is then our responsibility to successfully affect the delivery and you will not be liable for any additional costs once we have agreed the method. For greater distances we do make a charge towards the surveyors’ time, but if you are in any doubt about the access we strongly recommend you consider paying for our surveyor to attend as it will avoid the possibility of any un-expected expense later if access problems come to light on the day.

If you are confident of carrying out your own survey, please pay particular attention to the points in the “Delivery Access”  section below which will assist you in what to look out for.

2. Delivery Access: The Spa will normally be delivered by our expert and experienced crew on our small crane truck which can fit through most driveway gates, or a van and specialised spa trailer. The spa can be wheeled around the house on a trolley that steers at both ends but doesn’t levitate - therefore any steps, walls, rockeries, fishponds and favourite shrubs etc can only be got over by our team placing ramps and are subject to height, width, and health and safety considerations (particularly for the shrubs!). The Spa and trolley need a minimum width of 0.95m unobstructed, straight access. Any bends or corners on the route must be significantly wider to be able to get the spa around. The spa when strapped on its side on our trolley will need the following minimum unobstructed straight line clearances. Please remember that slopes, steps and bends will increase these minimum clearances significantly.

So please check carefully for any tree branches (or lop them off) overhanging eves and gutters, protruding back door steps, sticking out overflow pipes, boiler vents and garden taps, etc, etc. The spas will not go through any standard doorway (though the Ibiza and Samoa will just fit through a 36" door - this extra width door is sometimes fitted to the rear/side of a garage) and if you have any garden gates, as well as the width requirement, if they have a lintel over (often a timber or trellis across the gateway above head height) it may need to be temporarily removed to provide the required headroom. We can do steps provided they are not too steep, curved or too high by ramping over them (within reason), but just hopeing it will go because its oh so nearly wide/tall/straight/level enough and only a bit too tight here and there, just won't do it for us!

On the other hand there are often alternative ways in that are easily overlooked. We are very used to removing fence panels and gates and even the posts as well occasionally (and we put them back). Often neighbours are only too pleased to help out with access through their garden. We have air bags to lift and tilt the spa, a range of different dollies and jacks and even a lifting table to raise it to a higher level (terrace/raised decking etc). If you’re not sure how it’s going to fit around your house, just call us and we can often come up with suggestions for you to investigate. We try to be very reasonable and helpful but sometimes we have to make a small charge for this "Access work" depending on the time and complexity, so please discuss it all with us first.

Our crane truck will lift the spa and trolley over a wall or fence that we can park up next to but will not lift over any building. This sort of high lift requires the services of a local crane contractor who can lift the spa over your house or garage. This needs to be arranged by you at your cost and we can assist you with the arrangements so please call us first to ensure everything is co-ordinated with our delivery team. If you are in any doubt about your access, please call our office on 01276 857544 beforehand so we can discuss all the options available.

We want to make delivery as simple as possible but please be realistic about the access, and no, we can't bend the spa to get it around a sharp corner, and we cannot lift it over obstacles either - its just way too heavy.

In the event that our team arrive and they are of the considered opinion that the spa cannot be wheeled in without unreasonable risk of damage to it, your property, or themselves, they will at your option:

a) Leave the spa in a place designated by you pending either completion of required access works or arranging a suitable crane to affect the delivery.

b) Return the Spa to our warehouse for free storage up to 30 days pending access works/methods as above.

In either case, if we didn’t previously carry out our survey, an additional charge will be made for the subsequent delivery/commissioning subject to the particular case details. So please, please, please call us if you are in any doubt at all.

3. Positioning: Statistically the closer to the house a spa is positioned – the more frequently you are likely to use it. Try and find a level spot that catches the sun and not beneath any overhanging tree branches that could shed leaves into the water, and not overlooked by neighbours. Also try and avoid it being too close to a neighbours house to avoid any possible noise or other annoyance to them from bathers, water turbulence etc. So if you can tick all those boxes you should have the perfect position planned. Falling leaves and privacy concerns can usually be easily resolved by adding a gazebo, cabin or even a simple spa brolly – please call, we have lots to choose from.

4. Service Access: Because of the complexity of our spas and the amount of equipment installed within the cabinet, it is a good idea to leave a minimum of 600mm service access all around the spa. As a minimum the front panel of the spa must be accessible but in the unlikely event of a warranty or service call being required, a charge may be made for time/equipment needed if it is necessary to move the spa to affect access space that is not available from the original siteing.

5. Hard standing: Our spas all  have an exceptionally heavy duty and completely impervious pedestal base (so it won't absorb water or rot) but when full of water and bathers the spa will typically weigh between 1.3 and  2.5 tonnes. This weight is evenly distributed (approximately 500kg/sqm) but it needs a firm level surface to sit on. Well seated paving slabs or even well compacted scalpings can be used but may settle overtime. The ideal hard standing is a 100mm thick concrete pad with a single layer of lightweight steel reinforcing mesh laid within the wet concrete about 50mm below the surface. Remember that you will have bare footed bathers entering and leaving the spa and water will get splashed over the side so we recommend extending the pad 600mm all around the spa’s footprint to avoid a mud-bath developing into a moat!

We don’t recommend placing the Spa directly onto decking unless it is exceptionally strong and well supported. It is not only the strength of the decking that is important, but also it’s stiffness. Decking is organic and just like a wooden musical instrument it can act as a sound board for any machinery placed on it and dramatically amplify any noise levels. Heavy rubber mats placed beneath the spa base can “de-couple” the effect but overall, decking on supports is not a good base for a Garden Spa. It is better to have a concrete pad beneath the spa and either deck up to the pad and Spa all around, or simply lay the deck boards across the concrete pad surface so they are firmly trapped under the Spa’s weight and cannot vibrate. Our office can give you advice on suitable deck designs.

If the spa is to be placed on any raised structure such as a terrace, veranda, flat roof, deck, etc or to be placed over a void such a cellar, cesspit, soak away etc, we strongly advise seeking the advice of a structural engineer as to the loading suitability. In all cases where it is intended to place the spa on any such structure, our pre-delivery survey is mandatory (we need to know what additional installation equipment to bring). Please be aware that our survey is to establish our delivery logistics only, any comments we may make concerning any structural issues are anecdotal only and it is your responsibility to ensure that the site chosen is suitable for the spa as we take no responsibility for any type of damage that may occur as a result of the spa being placed in your chosen position.

Often our spas are simply sited on existing patios. It is important to check the amount of run-off (slope) to the patio surface. Use a builders level (or your iphone and a long straight plank!) to measure the slope over the length and width of the spa footprint. Up to 2  cm is just about ok but if it is much more than this it may affect the working of the spa so please call us to discuss before delivery.

6. Electrical connection: These powerful spas needs a dedicated electrical feed to take power from your consumer box to the spas control pack. This work must be carried out by a registered and certified electrician and a “part P” certificate obtained by you and a copy forwarded to us in order to activate your Spa warranty. Upon receipt of your deposit we will provide a detailed specification for your electrician. This work must be carried out prior to our delivery/commissioning date or an additional charge will be made for any subsequent commissioning call out required. We can assist you with finding suitable electricians that cover the Surrey/ Hampshire areas if required.