Can I Put a Hot Tub in My Garage?
Yes, you can put a hot tub in the garage. You need to ensure enough space for the hot tub, available water and electricity supply, proper drainage, and protection from mold and mildew. You will be able to enjoy soaking in the evenings when it’s dark with better privacy. Your hot tub is also protected from extreme weather conditions outside that can damage the hot tub’s plumbing system.
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For waterproof floor tiling, I recommend the fully waterproof AsterOutdoor Interlocking Deck Tile.
Are you curious about putting a hot tub in your basement as well? Check out my full article on the subject for more information!
A few months ago, I had a friend ask me if he could put a hot tub in his garage? I thought this would be a fun idea so I looked into it.
After buying a hot tub, the idea that people have after buying a hot tub is to place it on their deck or at an appropriate location in the backyard.
There are other incredible locations where someone can place their hot tub, one of which is the garage.
The garage is advantageous for your hot tub because you won’t have to deal with incremental weather elements or get your hot tub water contaminated by leaves and other debris.
It will also guarantee you a private soaking experience at any time of the day.
This article will discuss placing a hot tub in a garage and some things to keep in mind.
Let’s get started!
Can I Put an Inflatable Hot Tub in My Garage?
You can place an inflatable hot tub almost anywhere, provided a flat surface, and a garage is no exception. An inflatable hot tub is a cheaper alternative without many special requirements over most other hot tubs. This type of hot tub is portable and increases the ease of installing it anywhere.
What Factors Should I Consider When Placing My Hot Tub In The Garage?
When you have finally purchased a hot tub, deciding on the most suitable location can be challenging.
The popular sites for a hot tub are usually decks or the backyard on a proper concrete slab.
However, you can also place your hot tub in a garage.
A couple of factors should be considered when placing a hot tub in a garage, as discussed below.
Ventilation
Ventilation in garages is usually poor, leading to high moisture contents and humidity levels. If you were to add a hot tub, the situation would worsen because of the evaporating moisture from the hot tub’s surface.
However, you can minimize the mildew and mold from the garage even before placing your hot tub by improving the ventilation levels to address the moisture contents.
One of the options I have found effective is a powerful exhaust fan, as it can help eliminate high humidity levels.
The power of the exhaust fan and the garage size can determine the need to supplement the exhaust fan with a dehumidifier system or an additional ceiling fan.
Ventilation should not be dismissed as a minor problem. This is because it can create mildew and mold conditions to the levels that one cannot reverse.
I recommend the Tjernlund V2D UnderAire Crawlspace Ventilator Fan to help remove moisture.
Flooring
You can easily slip and fall around a hot tub if the floor is slippery.
I understand that most of the garages are built on a non-slip concrete pad. I advise you to inspect it further to ensure that the floor is not slippery and to lay down non-slipping material to ensure safety.
If the floor is not coarse enough, consider installing additional flooring material like rubber or tiles.
For waterproof floor tiling, I recommend the fully waterproof AsterOutdoor Interlocking Deck Tile.
I also recommend the Diversitech Black Pad for pools and spas.
Space
Space is an equally vital factor to consider during the installation of a hot tub in the garage.
The two aspects to consider in determining whether the garage space is large enough are the hot tub size and adding an extra foot of extra room around the hot tub for maintenance purposes.
You could also consider providing space for a chair or two, towel rail, and steps for entering or exiting the hot tub.
Another space consideration that comes to mind is whether you can get the hot tub inside easily.
Fortunately, most garages have enough door size that getting the hot tub through is easy.
After checking and approving these space factors in installing the hot tub in your garage, the next thing you might want to check is drainage.
Drainage
I highly recommend the provision of sufficient drainage in your garage for two main reasons.
First, you will not want to have stagnating water on the floor of your garage every time you’re emptying the hot tub for cleaning. As such, it will be necessary to access the floor drain of your garage with ease.
On the same note, you or your loved ones will always spill water on the floor when getting out of the hot tub. If the drainage is poor, you will have stagnating water pooling on the floor. This can cause damage to the garage and the hot tub if it’s not maintained correctly.
Check out this great article from Garage Transformed about installing drainage in a garage.
Check out my full article on draining a hot tub for more information!
Water Supply
Water supply is an essential consideration for a hot tub in the garage.
The hot tub can be filled with a garden hose using a tap in the corner of the garage, the backyard, or a different part of the main house.
For the ease of filling the hot tub, it is commendable to locate a tap in the garage. This will ensure that you eliminate different challenges like transporting water with buckets or using long garden horses to supply water in your hot tub.
Draining the hot tub will also require the water to be appropriately connected to the sewer lines for proper disposal or a recycling system before reusing.
Covering
The role of a hot tub cover is indispensable even when the installation is indoor.
I highly recommend placing the cover on your hot tub when not in use because this will minimize the moisture and the humidity levels in the garage.
In addition, the cover will help your hot tub retain heat and lower your energy consumption.
Check out my full article on the best hot tub covers to ensure your hot tub always remains protected!
I recommend the ULTCOVER Waterproof Hot Tub Cover for the best protection for your hot tub.
Garage Insulation
I highly recommend the insulation of your garage before the installation of your hot tub.
Most garages are not equipped with heating systems because they are intended to store vehicles and tools. Therefore, you can insulate the walls before installing a hot tub in the garage to minimize the amount of condensation from the cold surfaces of the ceiling and walls.
Consequently, insulation will ensure that mold and mildew do not develop. For the doors, you can do insulation with foam panels. However, moisture-resistant insulation is usually the most suitable material for application on the other surfaces of the garage.
Check out my full article on hot tub insulation for more information.
Mold Prevention
Mold forms from the combination of air, moisture, and an organic source of food like drywall.
The moisture comes from evaporation on the surface of your hot tub. This moisture rises and condenses on the walls of your garage, combining with air to form mold.
Unfortunately, mold loves to grow on the drywall. You can prevent this mold from forming by ensuring you maintain proper insulation after the hot tub installation.
Check out this great article from Puro Clean about preventing mold in your garage for more information.
Stop wasting time and money with hot tub maintenance and confusing water chemistry! Get Instant access to this easy-to-use book and video course so you can spend less time cleaning and more time soaking.
Learn MoreHow To Put a Hot Tub in a Garage
There are a number of different factors to consider when putting a hot tub in a garage. Some of these include measuring your space, ventilation testing, and plumbing and drainage testing.
Measure Your Space
Measuring the sufficiency of your garage is one of the essential elements that you must consider when it comes to putting your hot tub in the garage.
You should aim to check that your garage will provide enough space for your hot tub, its maintenance, and placement of other items like a towel, steps, and a chair if need be.
If the space is sufficient, then you’ll be free to proceed to further stages of your hot tub installation.
Get the right tape measure for the Job! I recommend the DAYOU Tape Measure.
Hire a Moving Company
Hot tubs can weigh 400 kgs or more! They are huge and awkward to transport even when they are empty. Therefore, I usually recommend that you hire a moving company because they will help move the hot tub to the appropriate location.
When you hire the services of a dealer to move the hot tub, they will first visit the site to determine its suitability for the hot tub installation before moving it.
Hiring a moving company will be much safer and easier to transport the hot tub than you can do.
Check out my full article on moving a hot tub for more information!
Hire An Electrician For Installation
After you have placed your hot tub in its correct location in the garage, you need to find out a way of connecting it to the electricity.
The wiring in the garage may not be sufficient for a hot tub to bear, meaning that plugging in the hot tub might cause problems.
Therefore, I recommend that you hire an electrician for installation. The professional will assess and reconnect your electricity to ensure enough voltage to sustain your hot tub.
They might install a circuit breaker and permanent wiring for the hot tub. These reconnections will make the hot tub safe to use and give you peace of mind.
Test Ventilation
Whether or not you place your hot tub in the garage, you should be ready for steam and water vapor. In addition, the humidity will condense in the room and create a severe problem with dampness in the absence of adequate ventilation.
The dampness problem must be minimized by planning for good ventilation and thorough testing before and after you place your hot tub.
You can use a hygrometer to test the humidity in the garage before installing the hot tub. Besides, the humidity should be checked at regular intervals after installing the hot tub to ensure that moisture levels in the atmosphere remain within safe levels.
High humidity levels in the garage can manifest through mold and mildew growth. It can also manifest in the form of damage to the fabric of the building and making the wooden surfaces to become waterlogged or moldy. The brickwork or plasterworks of your basement might also acquire a permanent discoloration from dampness.
Test Plumbing and Drainage
Now that you’re almost using your hot tub, it is essential to remember to test the plumbing and drainage.
Plumbing includes the water supply to your hot tub in the garage and drainage.
You cannot bear the hustle of carrying several buckets of water from your house whenever you want to fill your hot tub. For this reason, I recommend the installation of a tap in the garage and purchasing a sizeable garden hose for use in filling the hot tub. When this is done, test that the faucet has water and that the garden hose is in proximity to the hot tub.
Similarly, drainage is critical for your garage. You will want to test your drainage to ensure that water escapes quickly. If the drainage is not good enough, relocate your floor drain to the lowest level in the garage. Check the proximity of the floor drain to the hot tub to ensure that it will easily carry the hot tub away every time that emptying is done.
Can You Put a Hot Tub Anywhere?
Yes, you can place a hot tub anywhere where there’s enough room, proper drainage, ventilation, electrical, and a stable floor. You can set your hot tub at different locations, outdoor or indoor. Among the common areas you might choose to install your hot tub include the rooftop entertainment area, under a gazebo, on a deck, the garage, basements, and the patio. Every place can be a perfect place to put your hot tub, provided you consider your landscape design, home, and layout.
Check out my full article on putting a hot tub on a deck for more information about hot tub requirements!
Putting a Hot Tub in a Garage In Winter
You can put a hot tub in a garage in winter and enjoy soaking amid the freezing temperatures. The garage would be more suitable because it will protect the hot tub from the extreme weather conditions that might cause freezing plumbing.
Other people dislike soaking in the hot tub when placed outside because it can get quite cold. Interestingly, some garages are designed as part of the house, meaning that you’ll not have to go outside your home to access the hot tub.
When you put a hot tub in the garage in winter, you’ll start enjoying the warm environment that will give you a rare experience for the winter.
Therefore, putting a hot tub in the garage in winter is a great idea.
Check out my full article on using a hot tub in winter for more information!
Consider Using a Water Care Monitor
Monitoring the health of your hot tub can often be challenging if you are not testing the water on a regular basis. This can also be a problem if you go on holiday or you are unable to take care of your hot tub due to mobility issues.
A test system I highly recommend is the Exact Industrial Test System. This system is great for hot tubs and pools and gives your a highly accurate digital readout of your water chemistry compared to other methods.
The pHin Smart Water Care Monitor for pools, hot tubs, and inflatable spas continuously tests the water and alerts you when to add chemicals with the integrated mobile app.
This water care monitor also takes constant readings of the temperature inside your hot tub. This will give you peace of mind while away from your spa.
The mobile app will inform you when to add chemicals such as chlorine, and how much chemical is recommended. This is done by entering your hot tub or pool’s unique dimensions.
Simply scan the bar code of any chemical brand and the pHin app will calculate how much chemical is to be added to the water. Most products and brands are recognized by the application.
The pHin device will sample water more than 1000 times per week to give you an accurate reading compared to using test strips.
The pHin device works with different water types including chlorine, bromine, and saltwater hot tubs, swim spas, inflatable hot tubs, and pools.
This unique device comes with a lifetime warranty to ensure your water remains clear and ready for you to use at all times.
Can I Put a Hot Tub in a Garage: Conclusion
So the question, “can I put a hot tub in my garage?” is no longer a mystery for you.
Most of the garages have good ventilation and will also offer your hot tub protection from extreme weather conditions. However, I highly recommend installing proper ventilation, flooring, space, drainage, water supply, covering, insulation, and mold insulation.
You should also test each of these elements to ensure that they work perfectly before and after the hot tub is installed. Remember, you can put a hot tub anywhere, but the garage can be especially suitable for putting your hot tub in winter.
If you’re wondering if a hot tub can be cold then the answer is yes! Check out my article on the subject for more information about cold water therapy.
I hope you found this article about placing a hot tub in a garage helpful.
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James Brockbank
Stop wasting time and money with hot tub maintenance and confusing water chemistry! Get Instant access to this easy-to-use book and video course so you can spend less time cleaning and more time soaking.
Learn More