10 Hot Tub Setup Tips For Your Lay-Z-Spa

Whether setting up your hot tub for the first time or unpacking your spa again for the season, we have put together our top 10 tips for setting up your Lay-Z-Spa. From the positioning of your hot tub to understanding what hot tub chemicals you need, read below and get a head start on creating the perfect spa setup for your indoor or outdoor space.  

1. Read Your Lay-Z-Spa Owner's Manual

Yes, we know no-one wants to read instructions, but they really are useful and will make the setup process a lot easier! Including useful guidance on inflating and deflating your spa as well as important safety information, there is a bunch of important snippets to ensure you setup and pack away your Lay-Z-Spa correctly. Lost your manual? Find it here.

2. Watch The Lay-Z-Spa Set Up Videos

Videos are a great visual guide to helping you set up your Lay-Z-Spa. Head over to our Setup Videos page and you’ll have your spa inflated and filling up with water in no time!

3. Think Carefully About The Positioning Of Your Hot Tub

It may sound like an obvious one but remember that once you have filled your Lay-Z-Spa with water, you would have to empty it again to change the position.

The Lay-Z-Spa Miami AirJet for example weighs a whopping 697kg when filled with water so it's important you get its positioning right from the off. Due to its filled weigh it is also essential that you place it on a strong surface – particularly if you want to add it to a decking area.

Before filling your Lay-Z-Spa also consider where the pump will be positioned and whether it can be easily accessed and removed should you wish to upgrade your pump in the future.

Placing near a drain is also something to bear in mind for when you come to empty your hot tub. Investing in an 800gal drain pump can make light work of draining your hot tub in minutes into the location of your choice.

4. Ensure The Ground Is Flat And Level

Positioning your Lay-Z-Spa on uneven or unlevelled surface can cause all sorts of problems - not least it will be less comfortable when you jump into your hot tub after a busy day!

Use a spirit level to check your surface before placing your spa and filling it. This will prevent an uneven spa which can result in unequal water distribution and unequal pressure on your hot tub liner.

5. Use A Hot Tub Floor Protector

A Lay-Z-Spa Floor Protector helps reduce heat loss as well as protects the base of your spa. By helping to reduce the amount of heat exiting your spa you will lower your heating costs by maintaining a steady temperature

Tips for setting up your Lay-Z-Spa - the Lay-Z-Spa Floor Protector, available alongside a wide range of useful hot tub accessories.

6. Place Your Hot Tub Near A "Windbreak"

Placing your Lay-Z-Spa near a windbreak, like a fence, wall, gazebo or Lay-Z-Spa Dome will help to reduce wind exposure and in turn, help to reduce your hot tub’s running costs.

When placing your pump make sure it far enough away from the windbreak that you can walk uninhibited around it. Placing your pump too close to a wall or fence can cause the sound to reverberate which can amplify the pump’s sound. We recommend you place the pump on the opposite side to your windbreak to prevent this from happening.

7. Make Sure There Are No Sharp Objects Nearby

Sharp objects and inflatable hot tubs don’t mix! It’s important to make sure nearby hedges are maintained to prevent them encroaching on your Lay-Z-Spa. Pets should also be kept well away from your Lay-Z-Spa as their exuberance combined with their little sharp nails and teeth could result in a rather deflated spa!

Sharp objects on the floor are also a no-no. So avoid setting up on gravel and make sure you check the surface where you intend to place your hot tub because there is no way you'll be able to move it when it is filled with water!

8. Stock Up On Hot Tub Chemicals & Accessories

Keeping your Lay-Z-Spa’s water sparking is a simple process as long as you have the right chemicals and accessories at your disposal.

If you're adding chemicals to your hot tub for the first time, a Chemical Starter Kit by Clearwater is the perfect accompaniment for your Lay-Z-Spa. Also, make sure you have a read of our dedicated Chemical Guide which tells you everything from what chemicals to use when and recommended chemical dosage amounts.

Ensuring that you have more than enough filter cartridges is equally essential. A filter cartridge can effectively extract any dirt and other fragments from your hot tub. Washing them regularly with warm water can extend their lifetime but if you need to stock up, our Filter Multipacks is the most affordable way to do it.

Buy hot tub chemicals, specially designed by ClearWater for Lay-Z-Spa.

9. Be Aware Of The Ambient Temperature

As a rule of thumb, your Lay-Z-Spa should not be used or left unused for long periods of time when the ambient temperature is 4ºC (40ºF) or below. This is because there is always the risk of water freezing inside the pump and spa, causing irreparable damage. In this scenario, your spa will unfortunately not be covered under warranty.

However, if you own a Lay-Z-Spa with Freeze Shield™ technology you can use it all year round. With this built-in technology, the pump enters a power-saving mode whilst maintaining the internal temperature of the pump to prevent freezing.

10. Do Not Use An Extension Cable

Lay-Z-Spa pumps come with a 7-metre cable which is usually sufficient enough for customers to reach their nearest grounded socket with RCD protection. If however, the cable is not long enough we recommend getting a qualified electrician to install a grounded socket with RCD protection.

Lay-Z-Spa setup tips

By following these simple tips you’ll have your hot tub setup and ready to be enjoyed. Don’t forget to check out our Lay-Z-Spa FAQs for even more helpful info on owning a Lay-Z-Spa.