Do dealers typically setup or deliver?

[bulmer4nc]

Of all the dealers we saw in our are only one said they would actually come out and set it up.  They would connect all the wiring that an electrician would do before hand and get the thing running.  Most said they would deliver and put it in place and then you are on your own.  If I have it delivered to my backyard is it hard to connect all the wiring and set it up on my own?  What do most people do?

Ken

[Rboehme]

In my area most dealers let the electrician hook up the wireing. If your dealer has an electrician on staff than I do not see anything wrong with the dealer hooking it up.

[Mendocino101]

I think it is most common to have an electrician wire your spa but a good dealer should come out to your home for an in home orientation....

[ZNICK]

We deliver the tub and provide training at that time on how to operate the tub, etc.... but we do not do the electrical.

Once you have your electrician hook everything up we will have a technician come BACK to your house at a later date and take the time to show you how to operate it, maintain it, etc etc.  

There is no charge for this service.

Z

[spahappy]

We try to schedule our delivery at the same time the electrician can be there. Our city code prohibits our crew from hooking up the wiring. If the customer can stay around until the fill is done they are trained right there. If they need to leave to go back to work, myself or the other salesperson will come over that evening to train. I prefer after hours training as everyone in the family is usually home. The spa is up to temp and the customers are so excited, it's my favorite part of the sale.
Of course the fact that we're located in a smaller town makes it easier on us as you can get from one end of town to another in about 15 min.
         Spahappy

[Brewman]

Unless you are very familiar with electrical wiring, I would leave the hookup to the pro's.  Wiring a hot tub is not a good project for the first timer.  
Our dealer did everything but the electrical hookup, which I did myself, and had inspected by the state after.
Unless you are replacing an existing spa, most likely you will need to hire an electrician to install the rough in wiring for your spa.  That's the person I'd use to do the final hookup.

Brewman

[Spatech_tuo]

Typically the dealer will deliver and setup the spa. Setup includes bringing it to the spot you want it, setting it in place, unwrapping it, etc. It does not include the electrical hook-up.

[Electro]

Hi EveryOne,

Electrical connection can vary substantially, depending on what is required for specific tubs and what is already in place at your home.  I suspect this one reason that hot tub dealers almost never include the electrical connection.

The least cost that I can imagine would be for materials of about $200 - 300, to include a 50 amp GFCI breaker package with box from Home Depot.  To that you'd need to add some AWG #6 or 8 THHN wiring and an inexpensive 50 amp breaker for your existing home service panel and some 3/4 inch EMT conduit and associated connection devices.

In my case, I have added some electrical features to accomodate future plans and have located my tub 120 feet away.  Including the cost of an electrician's or their company time at $60 to $100 per hour for 16 hours (3 to 6 hours would be more common), I figure my cost, if I were actually paying it for the electrical connection is close to $2,000.

Also, you need to add the fees for electrical inspection by the local electrical authority.  This could vary from about $25 to $200, depending on where you live and how extensive your installation is.

In general, I suspect that most folks will be out about $500 to 800 for electrical installation if they have it done in compliance with local codes and the National Electrical Code.

Electro

[dpgtech]

we follow the same program as Znick.  We refer electricians out and we are happy to advise on what wire goes where but do not physically touch the hook up.  Unless they have a license that dealer is assuming a lot of liability even if most of the work was done by an electrician and they just made the final connections.

[Tubber]

Electrical is the customers responsibility with us. Our techs are, certified tub techs not electricians. I will refer a licenced electrician if the customer wants.

[Wisoki]

it aint brain surgery, and most customers want to see the tub running before the delivery crew leaves. That is my stand as well. All hot tubs/spas are going to run off of a gfci protected circuit. If the electrician has done his job as per the manufacturers specs, where is the liability in connecting 6/3 red to red, black to black white to white and green to ground, or in the case of Jacuzzi/Sundance 6/2, hot to hot ground to ground. Even more simple. It is as simple as pluging in an iron once the wires are there and ready. I personally am not going to the expense of sending out a sencond crew/individual to teach the customer how to operate the tub, when in fact my delivery crew can do it at the time of delivery. It's expensive enough to run a business with out having to pay someone 2 hours wages to go out and tell the customers to push this button to turn it on, turn that lever to make the water do that etc...

[bulmer4nc]

Should I expect a dealer to at least give me a chemical lesson?    At this point the only thing I really know how to do with a hot tub is sit in one...  Water treatment / maintanence is something that I'm going to have to learn.   Should I expect the dealer to get me started or am I on my own?

[Spatech_tuo]

Its fairly typical nowadays for the dealer to give you an in-home orientation either at the time of delivery or after the fact for those who aren't up and running for awhile. If its not a routine (and free) service of theirs but you ask for it before the deal you'll get it without question as they want to make the sale. Asking after the sale makes it subject to whether they practice good customer service techniques but you should ask and I imagine they'll follow through. Chances are they'll do it gladly, especially if you're flexible with when they can schedule you in.

[SerjicalStrike]

It is not always as simple as black to black, red to red etc... I have been out to houses where all three wires were black.  You are assuming that the electrician did the job correctly.  

It is a lot easier to go over all the chemicals and operation of the tub once the tub is running and warm.  It also doesn't hurt if the customer has tried it out first to get a fell for the spa.  

The dealer should definitely give you a chemical start up as well as show you how the controls on the spa work.

[paige]

I have been told by a few of our dealers that you can void your warranty if it is not installed by a professional which to me could possibly indicate a licensed electrician.
Not sure about that but I plan to have my first tub installed by an electrician.

Paige