Table of Contents
- 1. Check Drain Placement Before Installing Soaking Bathtubs
- 2. Measure Space for Moving and Placing Soaking Bathtubs
- 3. Ensure Floor Load Capacity for Soaking Bathtubs
- 4. Plan Electrical and Plumbing Needs Early
- 5. Confirm Hot Water System Supports Soaking Bathtubs
- 6. Conclusion
- 7. FAQ
Introduction
Have you ever heard the story of "changing the location of the bathtub, and the whole bathroom is redone"? This is not an exaggeration, especially when installing soaking bathtubs.
This deep bathtub looks very elegant and is indeed comfortable to soak in, but its requirements for space, drainage, power supply, and water pressure are far more "picky" than you think.
According to the 2023 report of "Plumbing & Bath Remodel", in high-end bathroom renovations, soaking bathtubs are the second most reworked product, second only to custom shower rooms. And more than 65% of the rework reasons are not product problems, but the basic conditions were not clarified before installation.
This article is written for you who want to "soak comfortably, but don't want to tear down the wall and reinstall." We will dismantle 5 details that are most easily overlooked before installing soaking bathtubs, but will cause endless troubles, to help you save your budget and keep your mood.
1. Check Drain Placement Before Installing Soaking Bathtubs
The drainage system is the first point of installing soaking bathtubs, and it is also the biggest "turnover point".
The drainage position of soaking bathtubs on the market is not a unified standard. Some are centered, some are sideways, and some are offset. Once you buy the wrong model, not only will it be impossible to connect to the original drainage system, but it may also require grooving and re-laying the pipes.
When choosing soaking bathtubs, the drainage structure design is the first factor you must confirm in advance.
Practical suggestions:
- Carefully check the CAD drawing before placing an order to confirm the position of "Drain Placement"
- Measure the distance between your original floor drain and the nearest wall (the error should not exceed 1 inch)
- If it is an upstairs bathroom, it is recommended to choose soaking bathtubs with a silent drainage system to reduce the risk of noise nuisance
According to Houzz's 2022 home improvement report, more than 38% of secondary installation projects require rework due to the offset of the drain outlet exceeding 2 inches. In serious cases, the newly installed tiles need to be smashed and re-pasted.
2. Measure Space for Moving and Placing Soaking Bathtubs
You can move the soaking bathtubs into the house, which is the prerequisite for its successful landing.
When measuring, many families only focus on whether a 60-inch soaking bathtub can be placed between "walls to walls", but ignore transportation route issues such as corners, stairs, doorways and furniture locations.
Practical suggestions:
- Measure the width of the door opening (at least 32 inches) and confirm whether the corridor is narrow or has a corner
- For large independent soaking bathtubs, it is recommended to choose two-stage or lightweight materials such as acrylic
- If you encounter handrails, ceilings or wardrobes during transportation, please reserve a temporary disassembly plan
Special reminder: The space you can put does not mean that you can move in smoothly. **Removing door frames and corner restrictions are hidden and high-frequency reasons for the failure of soaking bathtub installation.
3. Ensure Floor Load Capacity for Soaking Bathtubs
Soaking bathtubs are not empty shells, and the weight after filling with water is the real "test".
A standard-sized soaking bathtub (60"x32"x22") weighs about 300 kg when filled with water, and close to 450-500 kg with an adult. Especially when installed on a wooden floor or upstairs bathroom, if the load-bearing capacity is insufficient, it will bring structural safety hazards.
Practical suggestions:
- The total weight of the bathtub + full water + human body ≥ 400kg, be sure to ask a structural engineer to assess the load-bearing capacity of the ground
- Acrylic soaking bathtubs are the first choice for lightweight, especially suitable for installation on wooden floors
- It is recommended to add beams to strengthen the upstairs or use a distributed load-bearing structure
A study by North America Homebuilding Safety Review shows that more than 22% of the failure cases of soaking bathtub floor installation are due to miscalculation of load-bearing.
4. Plan Electrical and Plumbing Needs Early
Soaking bathtubs with heating, constant temperature, Bluetooth or lighting all require power support.
Now more and more soaking bathtubs use intelligent control systems, and heaters, light strips, and bubble pumps must be connected to GFCI Leakage-proof sockets, wiring, and installation all need to be pre-buried in advance.
Practical suggestions:
- It is recommended that the power wiring be laid on the back wall of the bathtub, 12-18 inches above the ground
- Before purchasing soaking bathtubs, be sure to check whether the control module needs to be pre-buried
- The drain outlet should match the size of the water supply and drainage pipes to avoid leakage or backflow from the joints
If you decide to install soaking bathtubs in the later stage of decoration, you may face the trouble of opening the wall to make wires and re-sealing the grooves.
5. Confirm Hot Water System Supports Soaking Bathtubs
No matter how good the soaking bathtub is, if the water heater is not powerful, you can only soak half of your body in cold water.
Many users found that when using soaking bathtubs, the water filling time was too long, the water temperature was not hot enough, and the water pressure was insufficient, which greatly reduced the experience. In particular, water heaters with a capacity of less than 40 gallons cannot meet the water filling needs of soaking bathtubs at all.
Practical suggestions:
- 60-inch soaking bathtubs are recommended to be equipped with 50-75 Gallon water heater
- The water filling rate is recommended to be ≥ 6 GPM (gallons per minute), and high-rise users need to install a booster pump
- It is recommended to install a thermostatic valve to prevent hot water fluctuations from affecting the user experience
Energy star data shows that 38% of American home users upgrade their water heaters after installing soaking bathtubs to ensure that the bathing experience is not interrupted by "cold water".
Conclusion
Soaking bathtubs are an expression of a lifestyle, but the premise for achieving it is to have a global consideration of space, structure, water, electricity, drainage, and hot water systems.
Choosing a soaking bathtub is not "buy and install", but "plan and install" to avoid a wrong step and a mess.
Our selected soaking bathtub series products are all equipped with structural drawings, professional customer service installation assistance and selection guides, specially designed for American families, from ordering to landing, without missing a step, zero rework.
Click the button below to explore the soaking bathtub that best suits your home. Bathtubs make bathing not only an enjoyment, but also a safe upgrade.
FAQ
Q1: Does a soaking bathtub need to be reserved for drainage height?
Yes, the drainage pipe of some deep soaking bathtubs is located at the bottom, and a 3-5 inch deep space needs to be reserved on the ground. If it is a renovation project, it is necessary to evaluate whether the existing drainage structure is compatible.
Q2: Can electric soaking bathtubs still be used during a power outage?
Yes, it can be used, but the heating and bubble functions will be suspended. It is recommended to choose a model that supports manual drainage and water temperature control as a backup plan.
Q3: Are soaking bathtubs suitable for the elderly?
It is recommended to choose soaking bathtubs with handrails, non-slip bottom texture, and backrest design. Some models also support seat mode or lifting design to improve safety.
Q4: Do soaking bathtubs need to be filled every time?
No. The water filling height can be adjusted according to the user's height and comfort. Some water-saving soaking bathtubs The design has a "half-body deep soaking" function, which is water-saving and practical.
Q5: Are acrylic soaking bathtubs easy to scratch? How to maintain them?
Compared with cast iron models, they are easier to scratch, but they can be wiped daily with a soft cloth and neutral detergent, and avoid scratching with hard objects to extend their service life.
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