In short, yes, you can. However, even in your garage, your inflatable hot tub will need a little care -especially during the autumn and winter. In this guide, we’ll show you the top tips you need to know to make sure your hot tub can survive life in your garage.
Heat Is Important
Inflatable hot tubs can’t be left outside during the winter. As such, when the weather turns cold they need to be packed away for safe storage until the warmer days return. This is part of the appeal of placing one in your garage – you can use it all year round.
It is worth remembering, however, that most garages lack any form of heating and the temperature inside will drop when it’s cold. The problem is virtually all inflatable hot tubs can only be used when the ambient temperature is above 4-5°C.
With this mind, you may want to invest in a small heater to ensure the temperature never falls below these minimum levels to prevent damage to your hot tub. Buying one with an in-built thermostat means you won’t need to remember to set the heater since it will automatically switch itself on and off as required.
The Potential Problem With Your Garage Floor
The concrete floor of your garage provides the ideal surface to support the weight of an inflatable hot tub, which can often weigh in excess of 1000Kg when full.
However, a garage floor does have one or two drawbacks. The first is it might be marked with oil. And, if your inflatable hot tub is placed on this oil it will degrade over time.
The reason for this is because many inflatable hot tubs are made of vinyl. In order to keep the vinyl flexible, an additive is used known as a plasticizer. Oil will dissolve the plasticizer which, in turn, will make the vinyl brittle and more likely to split.
The second problem is the lack of insulation when using a bare concrete surface. Concrete is cold! And, even though your inflatable hot tub will have some insulation in its base the concrete will sap its heat over time.
You can buy inflatable hot tub mats designed for this purpose. However, a popular remedy many people opt for is to use gym flooring tiles. These provide an insulating barrier and to provide a bit more cushion for your hot tub. Plus they are very cheap too.
Don’t Forget To Tackle Humidity
The average hot tub heats the water it contains to 40°C. At this temperature steam is produced and, with the airjet function running, this can release a lot of moisture into the air. This results in a significant rise in humidity within your garage.
High humidity can cause a multitude of problems. The most notable of which are condensation on walls and ceilings. Over time this provides the ideal conditions for mould and mildew to grow.
To help prevent this problem we’d recommend buying a mid-range dehumidifier to place in your garage. A dehumidifier will not only keep the humidity levels low but will also warm the room while running since they emit warm air. This is especially true for desiccant dehumidifiers since this kind of dehumidifier contains a mini heating system to help remove moisture from the air.
This will not only tackle humidity and prevent mould growth but also keep your garage a little warmer too.
How To Be Smart When Choosing The Size Of Your Hot Tub
Because space is limited in many garages the size of the hot tub you choose is important. There are obvious considerations such as the outer diameter of the tub and making sure there is room around the sides of the hot tub for easy access.
However, a less common consideration is the internal diameter of the hot tub. That is, the usable space inside. The reason this is important is because many inflatable hot tubs feature thick walls to provide them with enough rigidity to support not just the weight of the water but the weight of people as they climb in and out.
A good tip here is to look for inflatable hot tubs that feature drop-stitch construction, such as the Lay Z Spa Monaco. Using this construction method the hot tub walls are considerably thinner when compared to regular inflatable hot tubs. This allows, for more usable space without increasing the overall dimensions of the hot tub. In short, you get a larger hot tub without it taking up more room!
The Final Word On Placing Your Portable Hot Tub In Your Garage
As you can see many of our tips concern winter care. During the summer less protection from the cold and damp is required. For example, you can leave your garage door open, when using your hot tub, to help reduce humidity. In addition, the temperature is much warmer so there is no need to worry about additional heat sources.
If you use the simple guidelines set out in this article you’ll have a hot tub you can use all year round and whenever you want. Enjoy.
