How To Jack Up A Hot Tub (For Moving or Storage)

In this guide, we’ll explain how to jack up a hot tub for moving or storage purposes. Lifting a hot tub is not easy at all. Following safe practices is critically important when you are moving something as big and as heavy as your hot tub.

If you do not take proper care when lifting something as heavy, you could seriously end up suffering a debilitating injury. Many people suffer from chronic pain and injuries because of a botched moving job.

It’s imperative to plan the whole moving process as cautiously and as carefully as possible, otherwise even the smallest thing could cause damage.

This becomes all the more important when you are trying to move something without the help of a professional moving company.

So, how about the hot tub? In the following paragraphs, we will talk about the important steps that you need to take when moving a hot tub in a safe and sound manner.

This is ideal for when you are moving a hot tub to your house or when you are moving it to a storage unit. When moving objects that are incredibly heavy, such as a hot tub, it’s usually recommended that you seek help from a professional moving company.

These experts have the skill and experience needed to move such heavy objects. More importantly, you have to understand that hot tubs are quite delicate.

In case you drop it while moving, your entire investment is going to go down the drain. When you hire an experienced moving company, they will already know how to move it.

These professionals have quite a bit of experience in moving heavy appliances and furniture, and they are quite physically fit to be able to lift these things without sustaining injuries.

More importantly, they can set up a proper plan to move the hot tub up or down a set of stairs with ease.

But, if you are not going to seek assistance from a moving company, here are a few tips to help you get the job done on your own. First of all, let’s talk about the supplies that you are going to require before you get started.

Get the Right Supplies

There are a few important supplies that you are going to need at hand to lift your hot tub. The most important resource you are going to need is manpower; you need at least two or three able-bodied, strong and physically fit people in your party to help you lift the hot tub.

There’s no way one person can lift the hot tub all by themselves. Even if you decide to move on your own, it’s just not worth the strain that it’s going to put on your back or the risk of injury that it entails.

Just ask your friends and then thank them in an appropriate manner (a good dinner is a great way to thank them). Once you have the required manpower, you are going to need a few other things.

You will need at least two durable two-by-four planks of wood, a couple of furniture dollies, and of course, moving straps. Once you have everything that you need, you can move to the next step.

Preparing the Hot Tub

Before you decide to lift the bad boy up, it’s important that you prepare it properly. This is going to take a bit of time, so it’s best to start preparing at least two to three weeks before you have to move the hot tub.

After checking the instructions in your owner’s manual, you need to disconnect the hot tub properly and then drain it out completely. When you disconnect your hot tub, it’s highly recommended that you take a picture of the setup as well.

This way, when you set up the hot tub again, you will find it easier to get things going. Then, wrap up and secure all of the cords.

If there are cords that can be completely detached from your hot tub, you should label them and tape them so that everything is ready for setting up later on.

As for all the component parts, you need to wrap them and place them in a separate box. This includes all of your filters, water treating supplies, as well as the plumbing equipment.

A common mistake that many people make is that they believe dumping out the water from the hot tub is akin to draining it out.

That’s not something that you should do; the water in your hot tub contains a lot of chemicals that should not be dumped out into your yard.

The chemicals could cause irreversible damage to your yard, so the water must be disposed of in an appropriate manner. It’s best to use a hose or a pump to dispose of all the water.

It’s best to refer to the owner’s manual to find out more details about how to get rid of the water. Finally, you will want to clean the interior and the exterior of your hot tub, especially if you are going to place it into storage.

This is going to ensure that any remaining moisture from your hot tub is cleaned out before you start moving the appliance. Moisture, as you know, can be disastrous for the longevity of your hot tub in the long run.

How To Jack Up A Hot Tub

Now that you have finally prepared your hot tub and it’s time to move, you need to start lifting. Talk to your team members and assign roles. You have to make a plan not just for lifting the hot tub, but also to figure out how you are going to move it into the truck.

Heavier items must be lifted into the back, so you have to check the loading bay properly and make sure it’s ready for placing the hot tub in it.

The first step is to position the hot tub properly. If you have a narrow route to move the tub, you may want to turn the hot tub on its side altogether. If you are going to carry it across a yard, for example, you can just let it be.

Then, you need to slide the two-by-fours under the tub. Just lift it slightly before placing the planks under the tub. Inserting the planks makes it infinitely easier to move the hot tub across different spaces.

Now, you have to move the hot tub and place it on the dollies. First off, place the dollies on each side of the hot tub, and slowly lift the tub before placing it on the dollies, replete with the planks underneath.

Just push the dollies until you have the hot tub in position to the moving truck. Now comes the hard part; you have to load the hot tub on your moving truck.

This is going to require a bit of effort. If you have a ramp already set up, just apply force until you are slowly able to move it up and load it.

After it’s in the truck, secure it properly before you drive away. Then, you will have to follow the same steps to unload it and place it into its new spot.