Question on the Jacuzzi J-445 cover lifter - clearance needed?

[unixfairy]

Hi everyone -

Wet testing has gone well and honestly you just do not know a tub until you have sat in it wet.  That being said, we are finally down to two possible tubs.  The Caldera Florence which we love and the Jacuzzi J-445 which we have been unable to wet test yet, but we sat in the J-470 and really liked it.  We have found a dealer that is putting the 445 on the floor in the next week or so and this month should be making our purchase.

We have a challenging back yard and size did become a consideration.  With the Caldera we can have the lifter open on the side and it fits well.  With the 400 series we understand the lifters only go to the back and so clearance is an issue for us.  We were told 10" by the dealer which we can work with but online are seeing min 18"-24" for the clearance for the lifter and cover which may be an issue.  If we cannot fit the Jacuzzi then we will happily go with the Caldera.

So if you have info on the rear clearance needed it would really help. For the side lift we have 2' and lots on the front

Thanks!

[Sam]

Unless they now use proprietary cover lifts that I'm not aware of, 10" is pushing it depending on the lift.  Do you know the brand and model of lift they are offering?  Some of the hydraulic lifts can get by with minimal clearance.  If it's one of those, then 10" could be possible.

[Spatech_tuo]

Unless they now use proprietary cover lifts that I'm not aware of, 10" is pushing it depending on the lift.  Do you know the brand and model of lift they are offering?  Some of the hydraulic lifts can get by with minimal clearance.  If it's one of those, then 10" could be possible.

Agreed, 10" is basically the width of the cover when its folded in half and moved behind the spa so there is little/no room for error. There are lifters that will allow for that tight space but I wonder if the lifter in question is capable. I would expect they'd have a spa with one of the cover lifters in place on the show room, I'd want to see it or get some assurance.

[dw886]

I'm no hot-tub expert.  We're actually in the shopping phases as well, but I do know that our local Jacuzzi dealer uses either a CoverMate I or a CoverMate III on their Jacuzzi's.  They listed a CoverMate I in our quote for a J-485...

Looks like the CoverMate I takes the cover to the back, and then downwards slightly behind the tub (and requires more clearance).  The CoverMate III just flips the cover up to the rear, so it's basically sitting "above" the top in the back, and requires far less clearance, but leaves the cover more "in view"...

[bud16415]

As posted above if it is the lifter that hides most of the cover behind the tub and not above then it takes a lot more space when moving than it takes up once opened. As it folds over at an angle it sticks back a lot.

Mine is that type and I left around 20-24” between the tub and the house and it is just enough. Plus I wanted the tub if needed to be able to be serviced without moving it on that side. Actually on all sides. I know a lot of people have them sunk into decks and such and don’t worry about it. 

The dealer should have a catalog that shows exactly how much space is needed.

[unixfairy]

Thank you - the dealer was the one that stated 10" and that seemed like not enough and I think you are confirming that

[unixfairy]

Unless they now use proprietary cover lifts that I'm not aware of, 10" is pushing it depending on the lift.  Do you know the brand and model of lift they are offering?  Some of the hydraulic lifts can get by with minimal clearance.  If it's one of those, then 10" could be possible.

It is hydraulic - but not sure if she was aware which lifter works with the new J-445 - I think she was looking at the J-470

[SantaCruzTubs]

For any J-400 series model equipped with the CoverMate III, it will need 8" behind the spa