Hot Tub on Lanai

[mixsonci]

Doesn't anyone have a hot tub on their Lanai? I will have one within the next two weeks and now I think I wish I didn't bother. It's too late to back out, the 220v wiring has been done and the tub has been paid for. However, now I have been told that I need to worry about the hot tub and mold on the lanai.

How would I prevent mold with the hot tub. Even with the lanai open with just the screening would that still allow mold to grow? Yes, it will have a cover that I will keep on it when not in use. Also, I guess I can turn it off (or down) when not in use?

[Chatbrat]

Ventilation and or air flow-good fans- We had an endless pool in the equivalent of an enclosed lanai when we lived in NC-treated it like a green house-lots of ventilation & humidity control-we had an automatic cover & that helped
.

[zonerboy]

Don't worry. There will always be always be people with negative comments!
You can get mold on a lanai even without a hot tub with the high humidity levels here in Florida. Just look around once a week. If you see any black spots, spray them with bleach or hydrogen peroxide. Kills mold on contact.
Easy peasy.

[golfing eagles]

Doesn't anyone have a hot tub on their Lanai? I will have one within the next two weeks and now I think I wish I didn't bother. It's too late to back out, the 220v wiring has been done and the tub has been paid for. However, now I have been told that I need to worry about the hot tub and mold on the lanai.

How would I prevent mold with the hot tub. Even with the lanai open with just the screening would that still allow mold to grow? Yes, it will have a cover that I will keep on it when not in use. Also, I guess I can turn it off (or down) when not in use?

I'd be interested in an answer to this as well inasmuch as I plan on putting one on my lanai shortly. I can only guess, but I would think with a screened in lanai and ceiling fans, that the humidity would not increase all that much since the atmosphere is quite humid here anyway. After all, how often does the wind blow rain into the lanai which dries up and doesn't create a mold problem? Plus, the spa water is brominated so this might cut down on potential mold as well

[DangeloInspections]

I have a screened in Lanai with a full roof over it. I have a 220volt newer hot tub in it. I have never had any mold issues in the Lanai. When the hot tub is not in use there is a tight, insulated cover on it. The inside of the cover needs a cleaning a couple of times a year, and I do maintain the chemical balance in the tub according to the manufacturer's recommendations...it is no problem.

I would not be concerned or have buyers remorse. Enjoy your hot tub. It's great to sit in it and relax at night before going to bed.

Frank

[jnieman]

Don't worry. There will always be always be people with negative comments!
You can get mold on a lanai even without a hot tub with the high humidity levels here in Florida. Just look around once a week. If you see any black spots, spray them with bleach or hydrogen peroxide. Kills mold on contact.
Easy peasy.

You are so right. We had one for 4 years on the lanai without issue. We never ran the fan. The little mold we had was because we went on vacation and the person who was supposed to do the chemicals didn't do it and when we got back we had a little mold ring. I spritzed it with pure bleach and it was one in 15 minutes. We love our hot tub.

[Chatbrat]

Instead of doing the chemical act, get an Ozonator-

[mixsonci]

Thank you all for your help. I feel better and not worried. I have been looking forward to this and can now enjoy without worrying.

[golfing eagles]

Instead of doing the chemical act, get an Ozonator-

I've had an ozonator on all my hot tubs for 30 years. While it allows you to cut down on chemicals, you can't eliminate them entirely, at least in my experience.

[villagetinker]

Have had a hot tub on the lanai for over 2 years, no mold, this includes the area where the water drains off the cover to the ground.

Just an aside, you did get a permit for the hot tub? There are some specific grounding requirements, as well as distance to other electrical outlets, and the type of glass in the vicinity of the hot tub. In theory, the electrical permit for the 240 volt supply should not have been issued without the hot tub permit. Please be safe, not sorry.

[cquick]

We didn't like the smell of bromine for the spa and we went with chlorine. It has an ozonator, too

[mixsonci]

Have had a hot tub on the lanai for over 2 years, no mold, this includes the area where the water drains off the cover to the ground.

Just an aside, you did get a permit for the hot tub? There are some specific grounding requirements, as well as distance to other electrical outlets, and the type of glass in the vicinity of the hot tub. In theory, the electrical permit for the 240 volt supply should not have been issued without the hot tub permit. Please be safe, not sorry.

I did get a permit (hot tub/electrical) and my brother who is a licensed electrician did the wiring for me. All of the glass is tempered so it should be OK. I do have one covered electrical outlet that may be too close that may be a problem and if they have an issue with it, I will have the outlet closed/shut off.

[villagetinker]

I did get a permit (hot tub/electrical) and my brother who is a licensed electrician did the wiring for me. All of the glass is tempered so it should be OK. I do have one covered electrical outlet that may be too close that may be a problem and if they have an issue with it, I will have the outlet closed/shut off.

OK, you may fall into the exact same trap we fell into....When we bought our hot tub, we had the vendor arrange for installation. We did not know about the required permits. All the work was done without permits. Fast forward 18 months, we are having a birdcage installed, and guess what, it was noticed the we did not have permit for hot tub.......lots of confusion and delay in the BC project due to missing permit.
Permit costs about $65, your choice, hope this helps.

[NYGUY]

We had a hot tub on our lanai in Tampa for 15 years and never had a mold problem.

[mixsonci]

OK, you may fall into the exact same trap we fell into....When we bought our hot tub, we had the vendor arrange for installation. We did not know about the required permits. All the work was done without permits. Fast forward 18 months, we are having a birdcage installed, and guess what, it was noticed the we did not have permit for hot tub.......lots of confusion and delay in the BC project due to missing permit.
Permit costs about $65, your choice, hope this helps.

I think you misread my reply. I DID get a permit. My brother did the work, now I have to have the inspector come and inspect what he did. However, I think I will have a problem with the electrical outlet even though it is a covered outlet so i will probably have to have that disabled before they will approve the permit. SpaKingdom will not deliver the hot tub until they receive a copy of the permit.

[rjn5656]

No mold problems with my hot tub in my enclosed lanaii. Use it all the time. Enjoy.

[villagetinker]

I think you misread my reply. I DID get a permit. My brother did the work, now I have to have the inspector come and inspect what he did. However, I think I will have a problem with the electrical outlet even though it is a covered outlet so i will probably have to have that disabled before they will approve the permit. SpaKingdom will not deliver the hot tub until they receive a copy of the permit.

Sorry, I missed that.
In our case, the closest receptacle was removed, the wires capped with wire nuts, and a solid cover plate installed, and this passed the inspection. The cable outlet (next to the electrical outlet) was also capped with a solid cover plate. In the case of our original installation, the ground connection from the hot tub to the sliding glass door frame was missed, the ground connection to the birdcage frame was in place, and the disconnect was installed in such a manner that it could NOT be seen be the worker when working on the hot tub. This also was fixed when we took care of the other items. Also, all of the glass near the hot tub was tempered.
Very glad that you are being safe.
One thing I forgot to mention regarding your initial question, our lanai is screened, so there is lots of air flow.

[outlaw]

I think you misread my reply. I DID get a permit. My brother did the work, now I have to have the inspector come and inspect what he did. However, I think I will have a problem with the electrical outlet even though it is a covered outlet so i will probably have to have that disabled before they will approve the permit. SpaKingdom will not deliver the hot tub until they receive a copy of the permit.

Just curious; is there, or was there a ceiling fan over the location where you are going to place your spa?

[mixsonci]

Just curious; is there, or was there a ceiling fan over the location where you are going to place your spa?

Yes, not directly over it but a little to the left of it.

[Ameliafay]

I have a hot tube in my lanai for 8 years. Yes it has begun to form a type of mold around the bottom edge of the tub where it meet the concrete. Mold forms from dirt and moisture. It will also form under the step. It is pretty easy to keep the inside of the tub mold free but the floor under it is harder. We power wash the lanai 2 or 3 times a year but we live on a busy street where the lanai gets dirty quickly. I love my tub so maintaining it is worth it.

[Mjune]

Do not worry about a bit of mold. A bit of bleach in a bucket and a mop once every couple of weeks does the trick. The hot tub makes it worth while. Have had one for 14 years. J.

[ronsroni]

We use a softub. It's an excellent tub AND it is portable! There is no need for a heater as the pvc coils around the motor for the jets and pump and the water is heated that way. No extra cost!
If you empty the tub, you can roll it anywhere you want. It fits in the lanai as well. As for mold, we are careful not to allow mildew. Use a hi strength anti mildew spray and clean it monthly on exposed lining and the inside of the lid.
best of luck.

[joelcaplin]

Doesn't anyone have a hot tub on their Lanai? I will have one within the next two weeks and now I think I wish I didn't bother. It's too late to back out, the 220v wiring has been done and the tub has been paid for. However, now I have been told that I need to worry about the hot tub and mold on the lanai.

How would I prevent mold with the hot tub. Even with the lanai open with just the screening would that still allow mold to grow? Yes, it will have a cover that I will keep on it when not in use. Also, I guess I can turn it off (or down) when not in use?
I have had a hot tub on my enclosed lanai next to my lap pool for the past 4 months. I have had no mold problems (yet).

[Challenger]

Four years for us wit the Largest Spa. No mold.

Is you Lanai enclosed? That's a different story

[kjhbi]

Doesn't anyone have a hot tub on their Lanai? I will have one within the next two weeks and now I think I wish I didn't bother. It's too late to back out, the 220v wiring has been done and the tub has been paid for. However, now I have been told that I need to worry about the hot tub and mold on the lanai.

How would I prevent mold with the hot tub. Even with the lanai open with just the screening would that still allow mold to grow? Yes, it will have a cover that I will keep on it when not in use. Also, I guess I can turn it off (or down) when not in use?

I have a hot tub and never use it. I run my filter everyday for 2 hrs. I use no chemacals in the hot tub and it is cristel crear and no mold.
When I have company I have T&D test the water and add what ever chem. they tell me to.

[Dailey]

We had a hot tub in St Petersburg that was outside. As with any pool or hot tub, you maintain chemicals so the water is pristine. These chemicals will help alleviate mold problems. Good housekeeping like anything we own...........

[IAHawkFan]

We have had ours for a year now and have not had any problems with mold. We love it and use it all the time, year round. We would highly recommend owning one. We know several people who have one and have never heard of a mold issue. Enjoy your hot tub!

[mixsonci]

Thank you all for your very helpful responses. Should have it all completed by next week.

[HoosierPa]

Enjoy your new Hot Tub. We had one up North for 5 years. My only suggestion is to research the most effective method of Algae control in the water using the least amount of Bromine or Chlorine. Nothing less relaxing than when you feel like you are taking a Chemical bath.