The decisions that make a good DIY hot tub design, including the seat and water depths I design to, heating, the control room, safety and common mistakes.
What’s in my stock tank and cedar/wood hot tub plumbing kits, which one suits your build, and what to use instead if you’re building an in-ground tub.
A step-by-step guide to leak-free PVC solvent weld joints for hot tub plumbing, checked against Oatey, Weld-On, Griffon and Tangit instructions, including primer and cure times.
I spent a weekend with an off-grid, wood-fired hot tub. The fire worked, but with no thermostat, filter or sanitiser it overheated and the water had gone off by the next morning. Here’s my honest review and how I’d make one work.
Why water gets into a hot tub air blower, how to dry it out safely, and how a check valve plus a high blower or Hartford loop stops it coming back.
A step-by-step checklist for restoring or repairing an old hot tub or spa: structure, leak testing, identifying and flushing the pipework, checking the pump, blower and spa pack, and getting the water safe again.
An air source heat pump can cut your hot tub running costs by more than half. Here are the five things to check before you buy one.
How to waterproof a DIY block or concrete hot tub, from preparing the surface and applying a pool membrane to the flood test, adhesive and epoxy grout. Includes a correction to my old PVA advice.
Humming, rattling, gurgling or screeching? How to work out why your hot tub pump is noisy, from a failed capacitor or blocked impeller to cavitation and worn bearings, and what to do about it.
Configuring a Spa Pack is perhaps the last thing on your mind. I know from my own experience building a tub, getting things done as quick as possible is quite often a priority. You just want to fill it up, heat and get in it. This is the end goal.