Pre-Delivery Instructions
Page 2
Site Selection and PreParation
IMPORTANT
: Site selection and preparation are your responsibility. Carefully read these instructions and consult
your authorized Caldera
®
dealer if you have any questions.
You probably have a spot picked out for your new spa, whether it’s indoors or outdoors, on a patio or on a deck. Just
make sure you check the following:
Always put your spa on a structurally sound, level surface. A filled spa can weigh a great deal. Make
•
certain that the location you choose can support the weight of your filled spa.
Don’t forget to level your spa. (See the Ground and Spa Leveling Preparation section on the next page.)
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Locate your equipment compartment, which houses all of the electrical components, in a place where
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water will drain away from it. Allowing water into the equipment compartment can damage the electronics,
or may result in tripping your house’s circuit breaker.
Leave yourself easy access to the circuit breakers in the subpanel.
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Never let water get into the subpanel. Your 230 volt spa’s subpanel is raintight when installed correctly
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with the door closed.
Leave access to the entire front of the spa (the removable panel provides access to the spa’s equipment)
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for periodic spa care and maintenance.
Note that on the Utopia spas, the SpaGlo
®
exterior lighting fixtures are located on only three sides. The side
opposite the main control panel has no lighting.
indoor/BaSement inStallation
Be aware of some special requirements if you place your spa indoors. Water will accumulate around the spa, so
flooring materials must provide a good grip when wet. Proper drainage is essential to prevent a build-up of water
around the spa. When building a new room for the spa, it is recommended that a floor drain be installed. The
humidity will naturally increase with the spa installed. Water may get into woodwork and produce dry rot, mildew, or
other problems. Check for airborne moisture’s effects on exposed wood, paper, etc. in the room. To minimize these
effects, it is best to provide plenty of ventilation to the spa area. An architect can help to determine if more ventilation
must be installed.
Caldera spas are equipped with a jet pump shroud to remove excessive heat from the equipment compartment.
Find this vent, and be sure it is not blocked by anything, including carpeting.
Your Caldera dealer can help you with local information such as zoning regulations and building codes.
deck inStallation
To be certain your deck can support your spa, you must know the deck’s maximum load capacity. Consult a
qualified building contractor or structural engineer before you place the spa on an elevated deck or indoors. To find
the weight of your spa, its contents and occupants, refer to the Spa Specification chart (on back cover). This weight
per square foot must not exceed the structure’s rated capacity, or serious structural damage could result.
outdoor and Patio inStallation
No matter where you install your new spa, it’s important that you have a solid foundation to support it. Structural
damage to the spa resulting from incorrect installation or placement on an inadequate foundation is not covered
under the spa’s limited warranty. (See next page for specifics)
Ground and SPa levelinG PreParation
Your Caldera spa has been engineered to perform on several types of common yard surfaces. While a concrete
slab is best for long-term use*, other foundations are acceptable as long as a level base is prepared prior to delivery.
Three foundation base pictures, shown at right, represent examples of alternatives to a concrete slab for spas
