Congratulations on your decision to buy a swim spa. You will find that swimming is one of the most beneficial low-impact exercise options, and nothing beats the convenience of having a place to swim in your own home.
Not to mention all the fun that you and the kids can have with your own, private, swimming hole!
Considerations On How to Install a Swim Spa
There are a few considerations that will need to be taken into account before you can enjoy all the benefits of your swim spa. The most important are site selection and installation. It is a good idea to take these together; ideally the best place to put the swim spa will also be one that is easy to deliver it to.
What Is the Best Placement for Your Swim Spa?
Drainage is the most important consideration. A swim spa will hold several times the amount of water of a regular hot tub spa. On the other hand, due to the high water volume, maintaining water chemistry will actually be easier with a swim spa. You will have to change the water less often than you would with a conventional hot tub spa.
There will still be occasions when you need to drain your swim spa, so plan ahead for where the water will go. This will also help with the normal splashes that are bound to occur.
More importantly, your site must have the ability to support the weight of that much water! A hot tub spa can weigh a couple of tons when filled with water, but a swim spa may be seven times as heavy.
As a general guideline, think about the truck that Black Pine uses to deliver your swim spa; could you safely park the truck on your site? Most experts recommend a 4 inch concrete slab for the hot tub, a general guideline for swim spas is a 6 inch slab reinforced with #4 rebar on 18 inch centers.
What Is the Best Way to Install a Swim Spa?
Swim spas are designed for outdoor installation, although putting one indoors is certainly possible. The same weight support and drainage requirements will apply to an indoor installation, but ventilation is an important part of having an indoor swim spa. The extra humidity from the swim spa has the potential to damage the structure if not properly controlled by ventilation or air conditioning.
Outdoor installation is usually recommended to be as close to the house as possible, because there is less distance to travel between the pool and the warm house during bad weather. There should be 36 inches of clearance at the end of the swim spa where the equipment access panel is, as well as 24 inches clearance to the other sides.
Some home owners prefer an in ground or semi-in ground installation. There is nothing wrong with this, as long as the drainage, weight support, and drainage requirements are met. An alternative to in-ground installation is to construct a deck around the swim spa which will mimic a higher ground level.
If you are ready to purchase a swim spa, choose only the best. Black Pine Spas has been supplying quality spas to the Puget Sound region for more than thirty years. If you have any questions about purchasing or getting the most out of your swim spa, contact Black Pine Spas and Billiards today!
