How Can I Dispose Of My Old Hot Tub?
Hot tubs are perfect for relaxing and soothing your muscles after a long day at work. However, just like any other home appliance, there comes a time when you need to dispose of your old hot tub. When that time comes, you need to know what your options are or how do I get rid of furniture in Austin?
The process of removing an old hot tub is vigorous and labor-intensive but necessary. You have to plan each step perfectly to avoid confusion or stress when you are midway through your DIY procedure. Here, we analyze some of the options you have regarding disposing of an old hot tub.
Demolition and Removal – A DIY Guide
As a homeowner, you can choose to disassemble and remove your old hot tub alone. The process is messy, and you will need a few special tools to pull it off.
However, DIY demolition and removal can help you save some money and time that would have otherwise been wasted when hiring and waiting for a professional.
What You Will Need
As is the case of most home DIY projects, you will need some tools that will be essential in disposing of your old hot tub. The tools include safety eyewear and work gloves, drill, blades, screwdrivers, jigsaw, large tarps, reciprocating saw, and a long pry bar.
Preparation
Before starting the demolition process, remove any water that is still in the hot tub. Make sure that all the components of your hot tub are well-drained and dried.
The process of dismantling and removing a hot tub can expose you to some hazards. Wearing protective gear such as hand gloves, protective eyeglasses, overalls, safety boots, and a face mask is essential.
Ensure that you have turned off the power source to your hot tub. Also, any connections to your hot tub, such as electrical, gas, and water, should be disconnected to avoid entanglements that may cause injuries.
Finally, remove the spa skirt. If your hot tub is made from tongue-and-groove parts, remove them for safety purposes. However, if there are no such parts on your tub, simply refer to the manufacturer’s guide to determine if there are additional safety precautions to which you need to adhere.
Dismantle Your Hot Tub
After making sure that you have taken all the precautionary measures, start the hot tub dismantling process. Use your screwdriver and long pry bar to dismantle all the removable parts of your hot tub.
Get rid of all the wires and pipes underneath your hot tub. This paves the way for the next step.
Use a Jigsaw or Reciprocating Saw to Cut the Tub into Small Pieces
Typically, the shell, or tub, is usually the most challenging part to haul majorly because of its size. However, you can use a particular type of reciprocating saw called Sawzall to do this conveniently. The Sawzall is known to cut through nearly everything, so your hot tub should not be a problem.
For a hot tub, you will need special blades that can cut through materials such as hoses, wood, fiberglass, and insulation foam easily. The 12-inch Diablo Carbide cutting blade is popular for general purposes cutting and is your perfect option in this case.
Using both a Sawzall with the right blade, start cutting through the top edges into four equal parts. Watch out for the pumps and the hoses located on your tub’s underside. While at it, avoid cutting the nozzles that are located on the tub’s interior.
Usually, these nozzles are very hard to cut through. After cutting the tub into pieces, use a long pry bar to separate them and cut them further apart.
Load Up the Pieces and Haul to Landfill
After cutting your tub into pieces, the next step is to load all the parts and components removed into a truck for hauling. Make sure that the parts are well-secured on your trailer/ truck and tarped perfectly before transporting.
You can take them to the nearest recycling center for the electrical and metal components, where you can exchange them for some cash.
It is important to note that some of the parts require hazardous material disposal. For this, contact your nearby health and environment authority for further directions.
Trade Your Hot Tub for Another
Another way to dispose of your old hot tub is by trading it for another. When out to purchase a new hot tub, you can find dealers who are willing to take a trade-in. Even though your old hot tub does not have the same value as a new one, you can save some cash with a trade-in.
Sell Your Old Hot Tub
Depending on the reason why you are doing away with your hot tub, you can sell your old product to a willing buyer. The fact that you did not find your hot tub hot enough doesn’t mean that another person won’t.
To find a buyer, you can try the available no-fee sell-it sites. Here you can find people who are looking for the exact product that you are removing.
Get Creative with Your Old Hot Tub
Just because you are disposing of your old hot tub doesn’t mean that it should leave your homestead altogether. If anything, you can get creative and repurpose your product. For instance, you can use the tub to create a structure with a water feature on your property.
Alternatively, you can flip it over and cut an access door that will serve as your insulated dog house. You can also convert your tub into a sandbox or a play area for your children.
It is said that the best two days of a boat owner are the days when he buys the boat and the day when he finally disposes of it – the same can be said for hot tub owners. When the tub is new, the water is hot. After a long workday, the tub relaxes your body and muscles perfectly.
However, as time goes by and it gets older, it becomes less effective. This calls for the need to do away with it. You can dispose of an old hot tub by dismantling it yourself, trading it in, selling it, or getting creative. Pick an option that works best for you.