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Home Hot Tubs: RoSPA’s Safety Advice, the Standards to Look For and Electrical Basics (UK)

Posté le par Just Relax Store

A hot tub in the garden is one of the most popular ways to unwind at home, and it is also one of the few relaxation purchases that involves hot water, electricity and open-air storage all at once. RoSPA, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, publishes short safety advice for home hot tub owners, and British Standards and Electrical Safety First set out what to look for in the equipment and the supply. This guide brings those together for households in the UK. It is general safety information, not medical advice, and anyone with a health condition should follow the advice to speak to a health professional.

Session length and how to use a hot tub

RoSPA suggests sticking to 15 minutes per session. It also advises putting rubber mats down to make entering and leaving the tub safer, and saving alcoholic drinks for after the session rather than drinking them in the tub. RoSPA says that drinking plenty of water before and after a session can prevent feeling dizzy or nauseous. Those are simple habits that suit the aim of relaxing, since a short, unhurried soak followed by a cool-down is easier to enjoy than a long one.

Health and medication

RoSPA says medication may dehydrate a person and cause balance issues, and that anyone with a serious health condition should be advised to talk to a health professional before using a hot tub. That is a general caution from RoSPA, not a substitute for individual advice, so this site does not attempt to say who should or should not use one.

Children and covers

RoSPA’s advice on children is direct:

  • no under-fives: young children and babies should not enter a hot tub;
  • be vigilant and keep a close eye on children around an open hot tub;
  • use a solid, lockable cover that a child cannot open without an adult’s help, and keep the tub covered when it is not in use; and
  • store cleaning chemicals safely, well out of reach.

Where a household includes young children or visiting families, the lockable cover is therefore part of the purchase decision, not an optional extra.

Cleaning chemicals

RoSPA says to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and always stick to the guidance on how long to wait before using the tub after adding cleaning chemicals. This is why a hot tub is not a quick purchase: water treatment is an ongoing routine, and the manufacturer’s handbook is the reference for it.

The standards to look for

RoSPA says hot tubs should meet the BS EN 17125:2018 and BS EN 60335-2-60 safety standards. The BSI catalogue describes BS EN 17125:2018, published on 31 December 2018, as setting out safety requirements and test methods for domestic spas, whirlpool spas and hot tubs for indoor and outdoor use. It covers portable spas, inflatable spas, exercise spas, Scandinavian hot tubs and field-engineered spas, along with associated equipment. It does not apply to swimming pools, public spas, therapy or beauty spas, flotation tanks or bathtubs. When comparing models, buyers can ask the seller which standards the tub is tested to and ask to see the documentation.

Electrical basics

Electrical Safety First’s general garden advice says electricity and water do not mix, and that an RCD (residual current device) should be used with all outdoor electrical equipment. If there is not one built into the fusebox, a plug-in RCD should be used. It also says that outdoor extension leads, cable reels and connectors must be suitable for outdoor use, weather-resistant, with moulded connections, and that cable reels should be fully unwound and fitted with a thermal cut-out. Its garden advice adds that a fault with a garden water pump’s electrical supply should be switched off immediately and repaired by a registered electrician, which is a sensible model for any fixed hot tub supply.

Where a hot tub fits with other relaxation choices

A hot tub is a form of warm-water relaxation, similar in principle to a bath or a sauna. The guides to warm baths and hydrotherapy and sauna and heat therapy explain what the evidence does and does not show, and the guide to hot water bottles and warmers covers RoSPA’s advice for smaller sources of heat.

Checklist before the first soak

  • Confirm the tub meets BS EN 17125:2018 and BS EN 60335-2-60, as RoSPA advises.
  • Have a registered electrician deal with any fixed supply, and use an RCD.
  • Fit a solid, lockable cover and keep it on when the tub is not in use.
  • Keep cleaning chemicals locked away and follow the waiting times.
  • Plan a 15-minute session with water to hand and non-slip mats.

Frequently asked questions

How long should I stay in? RoSPA suggests 15 minutes per session.

Can young children use it? RoSPA says no under-fives, and that older children need close supervision around an open tub.

Do I need an RCD? Electrical Safety First says an RCD should be used with all outdoor electrical equipment, either built into the fusebox or plug-in.

The bottom line

RoSPA’s advice for home hot tubs is to keep sessions to about 15 minutes, avoid alcohol in the tub, keep under-fives out, use a lockable cover and follow chemical waiting times. Buy a tub that meets BS EN 17125:2018 and BS EN 60335-2-60, use a registered electrician and an RCD, and take advice from a health professional where there is a health condition.

Sources

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