You’re excited by the prospect of owning a hot tub or swim spa, and why wouldn’t you be? Having a spa in your own backyard is the ultimate in luxury, and delivers a wealth of benefits, from health and wellness, to relationship building, to weekend fun. But there’s a problem: you feel as though the delivery and installation of your new spa might be a little tricky. The good news: there’s no need to fret.
Hot Spring hot tubs and Fastlane Pools swim spas have been successfully delivered to all manner of tricky locations: moved onto heavily sloped blocks, lowered through narrow gaps, craned over homes, fences, trees and pools. We’re confident we can deliver your spa safely, no matter the situation.
But exactly how does spa delivery work in such trying conditions?
Can I move and install my spa manually?
There may be a temptation to position your hot tub yourself by inviting a few of your strongest friends around. And in some cases this is a perfectly fine way to move and install your spa – the Hot Spring Freeflow Mini, for example, has a dry weight of 115kg and a footprint of a little over two square metres, so a team of physically able individuals could push, lift and shift it into place.
But the Mini is the smallest spa in the Hot Spring range. Compare it to the Prism, with a dry weight of 540kg and a footprint of almost 6m², or the Fastlane Pools E2000 swim spa, at 1903kg/14m². These machines are impossible to move manually, no matter how burly your friends might be. And the complexity only grows when you’re dealing with a tricky property: one with plentiful obstacles, tight spaces or a severe slope.
It's in these cases that you’ll need the help of a crane or hiab.
What is the difference between a hiab and a crane?
Cranes and hiabs are the two most common types of lifting equipment used for hot tubs and swim spas. There are two main differences between a hiab and a crane: size and lifting capability.
Cranes
A crane is a general term that covers almost any machine designed to lift heavy loads. Hot tub and swim spa lifts tend to utilise mobile cranes. These moveable machines feature legs that extend out from the base of the crane to offer extra stability, and a telescopic arm that boasts an impressive vertical and horizontal reach.
Cranes are capable of lifting heavier loads further, and will employ counterweights to do so. Cranes tend to be used when a spa needs to be lifted over a house, moved up or down a significant slope, or needs to be placed a little further from the lifting location.
Hiab
A hiab is a subcategory of crane mounted on a truck. It is a more compact version of a mobile crane: the stabilising legs are smaller and the arm doesn’t reach as far. Hiabs don’t rely on counterweights – they use the weight of the truck to which they’re attached. Hiabs are great for smaller, simpler lifts, like getting your hot tub or swim spa over a fence or garden, or if the spa will be placed close to the lifting location.
Do I need a hiab or crane for my spa or swim spa?
Whether you need a crane or hiab to put your spa in position, or whether you can do so with a forklift, pallet jack or trolley, will depend on two main factors:
Accessibility
If you have any object that sits in the path that the spa must navigate from the drop-off point to its final location, whether a fence, house, shed, tree, retaining wall, pool or nearby building, you’ll likely need a crane or hiab to lift the spa over it.
Manual spa delivery and installation should also be avoided if you have a significant slope on your block, as you don’t want your new spa hurtling downhill. A crane may also be required if the spa is going to be installed far from the drop-off point.
Spa size
Large hot tubs and swim spas are often too heavy, too bulky and too cumbersome to move by manual means, and so require a crane or hiab to be lifted and shifted.
Every hot tub and swim spa delivery and installation is entirely unique, so there are no general rules that govern whether or not you’ll need a crane or hiab to install your hot tub. But our network of experienced dealers has handled any and every type of hot tub installation, and are ready to advise you on the best option for your situation.
If you do need to hire lifting equipment to put your hot tub in place, it will be up to the crane hire company to advise on whether a mobile crane or hiab is right for the job.
How much space does a hiab need to get in?
The benefit of a hiab is that it will fit where a mobile crane won’t. Mounted on a standard truck, these machines often lift from slightly tighter spaces like driveways and front lawns.
The space that a hiab or mobile crane needs will be largely determined by the leg span. These legs extend out from the sides of the hiab or crane to add stability to the lift. Hiabs have smaller leg spans than mobile cranes, and in some cases may not need to utilise the stabilising legs at all.
Other space considerations include:
- Airspace: Are there any overhead obstacles to navigate, such as poles, wires or trees?
- Neighbouring properties: Will the spa fit between the fence, wall and roof eave gaps between your and your neighbour’s property?
- Other obstructions: Is there anything else that may hinder the installation team’s ability to put the spa in position?
How do I organise a hiab or crane?
When you order a hot tub or swim spa with Hot Spring we will talk you through your delivery options. We generally ask for you to take a video of your property and provide some basic dimensions so that we can get a sense of the space that you’re working with.
If we feel as though you’ll need the assistance of a crane or hiab to install your hot tub, we’ll put you in touch with our trusted network of delivery partners, who will advise on the best way to shift the spa into position.
To avoid delays, it’s wise to arrange your crane or hiab hire well ahead of time, such as when you order your hot tub, to ensure you’ll be soaking in the luxurious waters as soon as possible.
Now you know that there are ways and means to install a spa on almost any property, are you ready to invest in your own? If the answer is yes, book a test soak today and see why Hot Spring is Australasia’s most established, most popular and most innovative hot tub brand!
