Lay-Z-Spa Hot Tub Inflatable Lid Upgrade
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ส.ค. 2024
- Replacing the punctured inflatable lid of a Lay-Z-Spa hot tub with a solid lid made from PIR insulation board.
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0:00 Start
0:01 Intro
0:40 Buy Me a Coffee Plea
1:40 Punctured Inflatable Lid
3:31 Option 1 - New Inflatable Lid
4:01 Option 2 - Bespoke Hard Cover
4:54 Option 3 - DIY Insulated Lid
6:30 Marking out the New Lid
6:54 Cutting the New Lid
7:21 Shaping the Lid
9:37 Foil Tape
10:39 Conclusions
Today's Toolkit (UK)*
- Xtratherm 1200 x 2400 x 100mm PIR insulation board bit.ly/3x2Thss
- Workpro 32 Piece Reciprocating Saw Blades geni.us/PzIZM (Amazon)
- JCB reciprocating saw bit.ly/2UGeGus
- Foil Tape 75mm x 45 metres geni.us/cOH9V (Amazon)
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#hottub #lid #replacement - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
Thanks for this advice and it seems to have worked out very well for me.. I have a square 1.8m lazy spa Hawaii and the inflatable lid developed two holes. I used the jablite polystyrene board which was £35 from B&Q and a single sheet was enough in three pieces taped together as in your video. I carved the sides in a slope of about 70 degrees so that the new 'lid' sits slightly proud of the tub so there is an air gap underneath and no rain collects on top. I did not try and make the new lid to fit inside the fabric cover which just rolls back seperately. I reckon I am saving £1 to £2 per day and the temperature of the tub often gets to 1 degree above what the gauge is set to.
I don’t have a hot tub, nor any intention of buying one. But, I still watched this anyway and found it very interesting! As is often the case with DIY, you pick up things all the time and you never know when that knowledge will come in handy! Many thanks as always Charlie for the top quality content.
Thanks, I really appreciate that 👍🏻
Awesome Video. My Bestway Tub lid is still holding air. When it fails to do so, I will definitely go with this option. The only downside to the default lid that I see right now is that the inflatable aspect sits in the tub below the rim. When it rains... I have a puddle in the lid. I also believe that the lid is not water tight at the stitching because I've noticed my water level has raised in the tub after a significant rainfall. If I have the energy and extra money, I might just do this before the inflatable fails for the obvious reasons. Thanks for the great video.
I really enjoyed all your videos, I would suggest to fill up the old and useless inflatable lid with expanded foam, Hope to give you a light for a new project 😊
I filled mine with expanding foam, I enlarged the holes where the air was coming out, got a my foam gun with a long flexible hose. Worked a treat no more flat lid.
I am considering the same, What foam gun and foam did you use?
That's really interesting How many tins of foam did you need to fill that?
Not sure how many tins, think it was 6 or 7 tins. The gun is one Iv had for a long time it’s very similar to the one screwfix sell now, no nonsense foam gun. If your buying one for this job make sure you get the cleaner as well as this makes cleaning the gun simple and effective meaning the gun can be reused.
You filled the inflatable lid with foam while stuffed inside the vinyl cover? Interesting. But I guess it's permanently wedged in the cover now...?
How's the foam holding up? Spray foam isn't really waterproof over time do I'm curious
Thanks for the video. I did mine a month ago on a Maldives Lay Z Spa. I used 50mm and rather than taping the join on both sides I sealed all edges and then taped the top edge and so the lid could fold back on itself. Deliberately did not use the inner liner. Easy to add water treatment and less risk of damage when removing storing and putting back on. It sits on top of the sides with a very good seal.👍
Any chance you could send some pics? I tried to make one for my Maldives using the inner liner and it was useless!
I would like to see this also.
Hi Simon, did you attach your insulation to the original cover?
Great information and you're absolutely right too; they can't even hold air and stay inflated because of the holes you demonstrated.
Hello charlie from south africa….very informative video for those of you with hot tubs, thank you
Thanks Val. Good to hear from you!
A genius and elegant solution 👌
Thanks Tony. A bit of a niche video but hopefully a few people will find it useful. 👊🏻
Great video, the flat lid looks great, much better than the inflatable one. We have the lazy spa miami, not had any issues with the lid yet although its only 2 years old. To stop it from sagging under the weight of water (rain) we have put a £1 inflatable beach ball in the hot tub which helps push the lid up in the middle and encourage water to run off.
Thanks. That's a great idea Matt 👍🏻
I just bought my lazy spa st lucia yesterday and that is a great idea mate, as my inflatable lid is basically floating on top of the water right now i'll try this.
I have the same tub (6 months old). Leaking slowly but not a huge issue yet, but it does collect water, sags, and not holding in heat as well as it should. I also couldn’t find a replacement lid available in the US. If I get brave enough, I’ll try a DIY lid like yours. Thanks for posting!
Thanks for the shout out Charlie!
You're welcome. Credit where credit's due, my friend 👍🏻 Kind of wishing I had done it your way though. That extra circumference would have made it even better.
Awesome video! Such a great idea!
Thanks mate. Just use a clear tape in the middle if you do this though as the foil tape tarnishes due to the chlorine.
Brilliant! Saved for future reference.
Thanks David 👍🏻
I was about to repair my 1st leak. that was in the EXACT SAME SPOT... Thank God I didn't.
If your ever interested in working at NASA I live in Houston TX and will drop off a pic of ur finished product. Spot on!
Thanks buddy 👊
Thank you so much for this video, well explained and loads information!
You're very welcome Asta. Thanks for the comment. If you do something similar go with a clear Gorilla style tape in the middle as the foil tape tarnishes.
@@CharlieDIYte thanks for tip I’m going to make one as mine sagging in middle and not got punchers yet but i can see it happening. Great tip 🤩
I’ve made one of these and I put 10 inch wooden dowels in my joint to stiffen it up and make it stronger and finished off wrapping the complete thing in carpet protector roll just to be 100%. Best move ever loads cheaper to run and also when it rains I don’t worry and out the lid anymore
The carpet protector roll is genius. That'll stop the foil tape oxidising. Wish I had thought of that!
Carpet protector roll?
@@benarmstrong2150 clear plastic with a sticky back used to protect carpet during construction projects.
I filled mine with expanding foam. Never had an issues since.
It's easy to do just get a Stanley blade cut out the flap inside valve then use a Hoover to suck all of the air out, then got a silicone tube and put it on the end of the pu gun place the pipe all the way inside to the other end of inflatable cover and start filling.
I use my hand to help the expanding foam get to the hard to reach places by also keeping my hand firm down to try to push any air released from the foam back into the foam before it had a chance to expand properly
Done and Done 👍
Blimey. That's a lot of forethought to pull that off. How many cans did you use?
@@CharlieDIYte I used approximately two cans of 750ml
I've got to admit it was tricky at first but once you got the sides filled up the middle filled up really quickly.
What I have noticed is I'm using less electricity to maintain the heat of my hot tub.
I don't know if this is worth putting on your TH-cam channel but I've been using active oxygen and a 13 watt fish tank UV light to keep my water clean and with over 1 and a half weeks using this method I have had a cleanest water I have ever seen without chlorine
@@obviouslytwo4uwow! I would love to get rid of toxic chlorine.
Can you make a video?
Nice job Charlie and I am sure it is a better thermal performance than the lilo. I reckon cutting the skirt out is probably the easier solution. Btw I would never have a hot tub. We have a Bath and I use it once a year wether I need it or not.👍
Thanks Norman, and good to hear from you. Ha! This is like a bath in the garden 365 days a year, with the temperature the family insist on keeping it at 🤦🏻♂️
I have this dilemma too with my hot tub inflatable. I have had to blow it up repeatedly. Now I see from your video the problem areas for leaks I will have a look to see if I can do a repair/repairs. Thank you.
Linda if you do what I did, put transparent gorilla tape on top of the foil tape in the middle to stop it reacting with the chlorine. Also you'll achieve a more comprehensive job cutting off the skirt but then you'll have the PIR board and cover separate.
Amazing!!
Thank you! We have the same tub, and it’s the valve on our inflatable lid that has failed. The replacement inflatable lids are unavailable/out of stock everywhere. Your video just kept coming up in our searches, so looking forward to getting it sorted. We’re thinking of allowing the centre seam to fold so we can store it more easily out of season (or just keeping 2 halves for the same reason)
If you have it folding you'll need to dispense with the skirt. Use a clear gorilla tape on the central seam as the foil tape does tarnish when it comes into contact with chlorine.
We have the same problem with our inflatable hot tub cover. I will make the rigid foam board fit inside the skirt as you did. I suspect that the gaps you speak of may disappear when you cinch down the cover with the straps
good video! thank you
Yes that's probably right Stu. It does seem to retain the heat pretty well. You just want to make the circumference as large as you possibly can. 👍🏻
I’ve done this last year to my Helsinki hot tub after going though 4 inflatables they are terrible, but I’ve wrapped it in pond liner which o bought which has its sealed sides on top which is hidden inside the lid when it’s pushed in, this solves the problem and it’s completely water proof and will last as a finish .
Good work 👍🏻
Good content! Very useful!
Thanks John. If you do one of these use clear Gorilla tape in the middle as the chlorine makes the aluminium tape tarnish in time. The aluminium is fine around the edges though
Great video! I just made a new lid by following this, and I love it already. I triple taped the two boards together, and I’m curious to see if it makes enough of a difference to heat loss to be noticeable on the power consumption
Good work James. If you used foil tape in the middle like I did, you might just get some clear Gorilla tape and cover the join with that as you'll find the foil tape tarnishes with the chlorine. Still love mine but wish I had made it a touch wider (possibly by dispensing with the skirt) to eliminate any gaps. 👍
Great effort mate
Thanks. If you're going to do something similar, get some clear Gorilla tape for the centre join amzn.to/3WrI57o as the foil tape does tarnish.
I just cut the 100mm insulation to the width of the hot tub and glued a inner circle with spray foam to it underneath to give it extra insulation , glued with underfloor rubber backed underlay using spray foam again as found this the best fix !! put the cover over the top of it and it works a treat !
Can you elaborate a bit? I am very interested in doing this but get lost when you mention a inner circle of rubber underlay with spray foam… Do you mean that you have a 100mm insulation board sitting on top of the sides of the tub and then glued a rubber smaller circle that sits on the bottom that is the diameter of the inner walls? Thx
Great solution to this problem pal … just burst my lid too ‘ power washing on low setting still ripped through it🤦🏻♂️’…. I’ll try this solution. 👍🏻
Thank you!! Mine hasnt given up yet, but i saved your video
I think I would leave the foam and cover separate myself so you could get the best fit possible, I would also experiment with putting a tennis ball or a small plastic bowl etc, basically something under the cover in the middle of the board to create a tent for water to run off the cover more easily.
Thanks. Yes that seems to be the consensus so far. 👍🏻
Great idea I need this to stop water pooling on mine
Excellent, thank you.
You're welcome. If you make it like this, use a clear tape in the middle eg gorilla tape as the aluminium tape I used does tarnish with the chlorine.
Excellent!!
Thanks David. If you're going to copy this put some clear Gorilla tape in the middle joint as I find the foil tape reacts with the chlorine.
Thanks for that. Very interesting. I think I'll go for the separate board cover option, but will definitely seal the edges with foil like you did. Possibly with a smaller square of board in the centre to tent the cover.
That's wise Alex as mine does have a tiny gap because of the issue of fitting it in the skirt. Also the central foil tape needs clear Gorilla tape to stop it reacting with the chlorine. Other than that it's working a treat 👍
Thanks for posting - it's something I've been considering doing and expected it to be more straight forward than you found it to be. It may well have to wait though - Kingspan 100mm TP10 (in stock) is currently listed at £100 per sheet at the local Wickes ! I have some foil insulation which I might try wrapping around the inflatable portion in the interim.
You're welcome Chris. Yes building materials are far too expensive at the moment!
Absolutely brilliant video have a lazy spar Helsinki been there Patch after Patch at those stupid semi circular designer error outer seems! thought it was just a one off and I had a dud apparently not! Own an £8 air mattress from Wilco's after 6 years off being jumped on by the kids not sign of a leak! How can they not be held accountable? years ago we had trading standards. The irony is the actual Hot Tub is fine....
I've thought about buying a big sheet of ply wood and cutting a circle out the same diameter as the hot tub so it sits on the top and completely seals it.
Obviously paint it too with waterproof paint.
The weight of the wood would create a good seal and it wouldn't be a problem when it rains.
The only drawback is the weight, it may take 2 people to take it off and on.
Just wondered if you considered this before going down the route you chose?
Great video though buddy! 👍
You need the insulation though mate and yes the weight would be a problem. When I first started trimming that PIR board I had a shamfered edge that sat beautifully on the top, sealing it completely, but I had to keep reducing it to get it into the skirt. It's neater the way I've done it but you do get a bit of heat leakage out of the small gaps around the edge. Might have been better to ditch the skirt in hindsight. If you need to join the PIR like I did with that tape, clear Gorilla tape is better as that foil tape reacted with the chlorine.
I was speaking to a penguin the other day and said to it about the cover on top of the hot tub. he told me that the reason why these inflatable covers keep getting holes in is because of chemical and PH imbalance which reacts with the material🤗.
Which makes total sense because since getting a new inflatable hot tub and deciding to use UV filtration and sodium percarbonate. it seems I've not had a problem with the cover and filter changes are becoming less frequent
Using the right vinyl glue when sealing holes is the game changer. Light fast dry layers. 🤛
That wasn't the problem. Had a great vinyl glue but as fast as I was fixing them, new ones would appear.
@@CharlieDIYteI did every seam twice
@@TinyGoHomes
When there are more holes than vinyl it's time to give up. I've also used the correct vinyl repair glue but it never works for long.
The airless insert idea is far superior!
I tried this a couple of years ago.
The result was that the chlorine corroded the silver layer and left a grey powder like substance in the bottom. It meant wet vaccing the stuff out before each use.In the end we just bought another inflatable lid.
We have found though that by keeping it and the hot tub inflated over the winter months has prolonged its lifespan. Also it is in a shelter so doesn't suffer from direct sunlight.
Thanks for this. The corrosion is an interesting one. I'll have to see if that happens on mine. So far no signs of it. Like you, I leave mine inflated all year round, partly because if I put it into store it would probably get eaten by rodents 😬
@@CharlieDIYte I'm planning to do a vid on how I've managed to keep my early model lay z spa going for years.
I worked out that the punctures in the main pool bit of it seemed to be in the corner creases where it was folded for storage over the winter.
Awesome. I just bought this hot tub. Looking for ways of keeping it outside in winter and to run it more efficiently.
My advice would be make the insulation a bit bigger and don't worry about the skirt. Also that foil tape does corrode with the chlorine so a plastic alternative would be advisable. 👍
Make up a solar water heater too 🌞
Thanks for this video. I’ve got a St moritz to and planned to use insulation board, your experience cuts out all the time wasted to measure up… I plan to use a external Sand filter to this year to prolong water changes…
Only thing I'd say is if you can make it a tiny bit wider, do as that way you'll cut down on any heat leakage. The skirt does restrict you though. And use clear Gorilla tape in the middle as the foil tape reacts with the chlorine.
I use long jigsaw blade to cut through thick insulation boards. This is much more controllable then a reciprocating saw
Yes, I can see that. 👍🏻
Hi ,just done my hexagonal tub , like you did . Used 100mm thick panel, difficult to work out the proper shape as I didn't have the inflatable Bladder to copy . Definitely a two man lifting process otherwise I nearly folded the 2 half panels I to each other, family accidentally turned off the heater from plug and I've just checked the temperature, very impressive its lost only 4 degrees in about 8 hrs I think . So this idea definitely works but a little struggle to place the cover, also mine is hitting the water.
Just make sure not to use the foil in the middle particularly if it's hitting the water as it will react with the chlorine. I bought some clear Gorilla tape and applied that on top of the foil. It stops it oxidizing or whatever the chlorine is making it do.
@@CharlieDIYte thankyou for replying, I've just bought the round inflatable Bladder and placed that on the water, it seems to do the job in keeping the panel off the water and also lifts it a little to stop rain collecting.
Thanks!
I am thinking of putting pool noodles into the inflatable lid that seems to float in top of the water anyway… but going to look into the PIR insulation you talked about - thank you 👍
Noodles will keep it off the water but won't stop the leaks.
I just had this same thought last night? Did you try it and did it work? That was my thoughts also. Put the noodles inside the inflatable lid.
Nice vid
Thanks Lewis 👊🏻
Good stuff. We just got ours a week ago and I already hate the inflatable lid. I started looking at the insul panels as an option. I wouldn't mind making a hinged lid so may need some wood on the top where hinge would go then glue insul panel to that. If anyone has done that I'd like to know. It would be heavier
Again Charlie I haven’t got a hot tub and i don’t intend getting one but I’ve watched all the video because it was so well put together and solves another problem that looks like many people have, well done matey.
Thanks Jim - I really appreciate that 👍🏻
I used 100mm insulation board to sit mine on top of to retain heat when not in use, didn't think of using it for the lid too.....genius thanks!
What 100mm board did you buy for the base please?
@@helenalovelock1030 same as used in this video, pir insulation board.
I used the same brand name too but I'm sure you can buy non branded for a bit cheaper if you look around.
Hope that helps?
The only thing you'll find, as I showed here th-cam.com/video/ZOQ2L1TMayc/w-d-xo.html is that the foil delaminates under the pressure of the water and creates a bit of a mess. I've gone back to using the Lay-Z-Spa mat now
@@CharlieDIYte I covered it over with a thick grade DPM and then used the mat on top of that again.
I have decking around the tub then at a depth of about 150mm in total so you can still step in/out ok.
@@freddyply Ah, good thinking! At some point In going to construct a circular base to act as a sacrificial layer that maintains air circulation to preserve the deck under the tub.
I agree. Mine is now 1/8 full of water because it get’s condensation inside and you can’t empty it out. Shame as the rest of the tub is really good quality overall. I have the Vancouver model. I think the more expensive ones should come with a better lid.
The new lid is working well but it needs clear Gorilla tape in the centre seam because the foil tape reacts with the chlorine. If I did this again I'd probably ditch the skirt so I could make the PIR a bit wider but you do then have the hassle of two covers to remove each time. It's much more efficient to heat though
I thought I Saw it here, maybe it was somewhere else. I put a moving Blanket ( 8.99) over the cover and a Tarp over that. Seems to be working well.
Probably I'd go with the cutting off the skirt, having now seen both options.
I agree Craig. It's not quite wide enough left in place.
Fill your old inflatable lid with expanding foam job done
Are you able to comment on what energy savings you got with your foam lid vs the original inflated one? I imagine it would be big?
Thanks.
Well made video. Thanks for the idea. My first inflatable (Coleman Bahamas) should arrive on Tuesday. Apologies if someone mentioned this already, but I would consider maximizing the top diameter of the foam, and then cutting a straight, 45 degree +- angle to the bottom of the board, thereby making a type of "plug" or "stopper". This would effectively close the gaps on the sides, as you would achieve more surface area. In essence, the foam sides would be shaped like "7", not ">". This would also eliminate any shaping, and the dimensions would not be so critical. I would also consider creating a larger angle on one side, thereby forcing the cover to tilt. Although this will not look quite symmetrical, it should effectively pitch the cover slightly, so most water will roll off to the side and reduce puddling. Also, aluminum is easily corroded by calcium hypochlorite, etc., so i would consider a non-metallic duct tape for the center, and seal the foam edges with some sort of roll-on sealer, spray sealer, etc. I have not researched any options, but I am relatively sure there are some non-marring options that will not effect the plasticizer in the vinyl sides. -------------------- The easier option... I have seen 2" blue foam-board without any metallic surfaces, so that would probably be best. That foam is bonded with a thin layer of some type of clear plastic sheeting, which should not impact the vinyl when sitting on top of the tub. So, I may simply go this easy route, and use this 2" blue solid foam board cut with simple 90 degree sides, just slightly larger than the diameter of the peak around the circumference of the tub, and ignore the skirt completely. When ready to uncover, simply remove the cover, then remove the foam, in 2 separate operations. This would avoid any gluing, or complicated / damaging cover modifications. Maybe you or someone else can expand on these ideas!
Thanks, all valid comments. I started with the angled edges but unfortunately I couldn't get the cover back into the skirt so then began the process of gradually reducing it in size. I agree, dispense with the skirt and you have a much better solution. A bit of a pain though each time you want to use it to have you remove two separate components. I'll look into the blue foam though.👍
@@CharlieDIYte " two separate components" That's how it works for the thinner-walled versions of the layzspa's anyway, I think?
1 year old mine is still great use it multiple times a week 🤞🏻
The original cover or a DIY replacement?
@@CharlieDIYte original cover 🙌🏻. To be fair it’s under cover (clear roof sheets). So doesn’t get smashed with weather :)
Will definitely keep your idea in my pocket though 🤙🏻
Helpful video, my hexagonal tub has no inflatable part ,so I'm liking your idea of the boards , does anyone know what the savings are with the energy Bill's.
great, you did a lot
Nice video. Was just thinking what about filling the punctured inflatable top with expanding foam??
Did you try the expanding foam? Did it work?
Great video Charlie. Love it! One question - 100mm board - do you think you could get away with anything a bit thinner?
Thanks Jimmy. Yes I'm sure you could. It was only because 100mm was similar to the inflated thickness of the original, although a thinner board might be easier to get into the skirt, meaning you could make it a little wider. Someone's suggested XPS foam board would be better, in terms of resisting moisture long term, so you should maybe look into that as an option too.
Thank you for buying your hot tub 12 months before me so I can learn from your mistakes 😁
You're welcome. The trick is to buy it out of season. That way you can get one at normal retail prices as opposed to the inflated prices you have to pay when everyone hoovers them up and then sticks them on eBay 👍🏻
@@CharlieDIYte I feel this. I wanted one at the start of lockdown, unfortunately so did everyone else. The cheapest I could find was £650 and I just couldn't bring myself to part with that sort of money. I so waited in case one popped up cheaper. A year later when the hype had died down I bought one for £310. Staggering difference!
I know this is two years ago but I would have fit the insulation inside on the diameter of the pool, not the inflatable. But you have given me an idea. Thanks
My hot tub just came with a fabric lid. I put an air mattess on top to keep snow and rain off.
Good work 👍
I wonder if keeping the old lid but inserting a floating rounded bubble sheet, like the solar ones used in swimming pools, would be effective?
Great video Charlie. Another option is to buy some elasticated webbing and sew two strips 90 degrees to each other in a cross and sew the ends ends to the cover at the edges where the PIR would meet. You could then slip the PIR in, probably in one piece too? Easy to replace in the future if the PIR or cover fabric fails.
Thanks John. Yes, that's a good idea. I also thought of some sort of zip on the skirt but I guess even a plastic one could be problematic in terms of rubbing on the tub.
@@CharlieDIYte Hi Charliue, you could also cut the inner skirt along a diameter, at the extremities, and face each side with velcro. Then you can open the velcro to fit a very tightly cut PIR Board! Then velcro both sides back up. No issues with zips cutting the material. And if you rotate the PIR boards 90 degrees once installed, the weak points would be on different axis.👍 Great video ass always!
Awesome video Charlie. Could you not have put a hinge on the top of board in the middle to allow the lid to be folded over to allow easy access and then maybe tape down the joints in the middle joint? Just wondering.
Nice idea but the problem is it's hard to fix into the foam. You'd need to bolt through but you want to minimise any metal in there, because of the chlorine.
@@CharlieDIYte You could use nylon bolts/nuts. I imagine there are non-metal hinges you can get as well. Having a hinged top would be nice if you just want to hop in yourself and leave the cover half open.
I like the idea what you’ve done, but wondering myself if I should just try expanding phone instead
I've had a lazy spa Monaco for the last 7 years and fortunately for me haven't experienced the leaking lid problem although is does need reinflating every couple of weeks (no holes though).
I probably would have climbed inside the tub, marked the internal diameter on the boards and added a bit. I suspect that probably wouldn't have gone any better and the tub would have had to have been empty too...
Glad to hear you haven't had any probs with yours, Ryan. 👍🏻
Incredible, my Monaco lid started leaking within a year :(
Hi, do you feel you absolutely need the rigidity of PIR board, and accept the cost, or could you save a lot on costs abd use Jablite / polystyrene board instead?
That's a decent shout. Doesn't have the reflective foil on it and might not be so easy to tool but worth a go. I suppose the issue is whether you can get tape to stick to it - which you'll need to join the pieces.
Fill it with expandable foam. No more leaky lid ;) just makes harder to store away
Great ideas everyone,
re: foil tape.....Would flex seal tape work?
I have the exact same problem!
Interesting video mate, any plans to complete the pergola over the decking you’ve built?
Yes I'm desperate to, particularly as two of the pillars have twisted now. Hopefully I'll get it in place before the winter so we can make it weather proof.
I used to have an intex inflatable hot tub and the top never got punctured but it did become heavy from water. I believe the water was from condensation but it was a big pain for about 5 years to get the water out.
Thanks Joseph, that's interesting. Must be some sort of osmosis going on 🤔
Yes I have a lazy spa Bali and my lid has water in but no puncture it's coming up to 3 years old now had 2 winters outside I made something very similar out of 50mm insulation board but sat the board on top to try and stop the water pooling on top of the cover it worked not perfect but stopped most of he rain pooling. My only problem is the top edges have misshaped in two places. The inflatable lid has now curved inwards so I have turned it over and it's now sat perfect like a dome on top. When the lid finally gives up I will definitely make one out of insulation board such a great idea
I have found the BEST way to patch holes is with 3M sealant. Find the hole, make sure its dry and apply. You do NOT have to totally deflate to apply but is MUST not be fully inflated. It is so thick
when applied the leaking air will not push through the applied sealant. The patch kit that comes with your inflatable tub should be thrown straight in the trash. I've never had a leak restart wherever i've applied it.
Hi, I'm considering using your DIY lay z spa lid idea, but I was just wondering how well it has aged. Has the PIR insulation got damp at all? Or has it lasted well?
I have been thinking about building a replacement lid with a solar water heater built onto the top of it. I live in the south of Spain so at the moment the water temperature without being heated is between 30 and 33 degrees most days I was hoping to raise that by 5 degrees with a black hose coil and water being pumped round it with a 12v bilge pump. Any ideas or can you foresee any snags?
Sounds ingenious Warren. I suppose the question is whether the hose would get hot enough to heat a continuous flow of water 🤔 Worth a try though. Let me know how you get on.
What about using expanding foam in your inflatable top?
Would it be possible to then wrap the underside of the newly modified lid with some epdm or equivalent and the tie in into place hooked over the skirt and PIR. This would totally prevent water penetration.
Would you have to remove the skirt to fit the pir over the top of the hot tub or just fold it?
I think edpm or something like that would be useful as that foil tape has really tarnished with the chlorine although the foil on the PIR is absolutely fine. Maybe just a stronger tape, or stick a transparent tape on top. Note sure what you mean with the skirt. You could leave it in place but it will bunch above the PIR and form a trap for water. At the end of the day or would be better to ditch the skirt because it would have been good to make the PIR a bit wider but I'm not sure glueing the PIR down is the answer.
How well do you think similar 50mm/2 inch insulation foam would do vs the original inflatable cover? Finding 50mm/2 inch foam much easier here in the states, and envisioning making a foldable cover with some moisture insulation around the foam
Im curious if you made your cover ? I am on my 4th inflatable cover in 18 months and quite tired of this game. I also could not find anything thicker than 2" board here in the states. I am thinking of using the 2" to basically set on the top of the hot tub and then just throw the liner/cover over it. Will be separate but may be easier even though it means taking on/off two "covers". I've also thought about trying to construct something with pool noddles, bubble solar cover or an "envelope" filled with packing peanuts but I haven't quite engineered anything yet.
The original is just air? Just because its in a plastic shell, it doesn't change the thermals - its just air. So any real insulation will be great.
I used two kids life jackets i bought at walmart on clearance. never have to worry about the sag even if water is low.
Great video, i have the Vegas model, and the inflatable lid was poor , i managed to install the same as you (foam insulated board,
all in one piece not cutting it in half to fit the skirt, I measured the inside diameter of the main inflatable body and taken 2CM off so to allow changes in size due to rise and fall to temperature. The skirt can stretch a little to fit the last quadrant, and the use of bike tire leavers helped. now the cost of heating the hot tub has improved.
Great work Steve. I actually wish I'd cut the skirt off. It's neater how I did it, but there's a tiny gap around the side but I might see if I can find some foam sheeting that I could feed between the skirt and the insulation. It's working well and cheeky much more efficient to heat, except I did have to cover that central foil tape with clear Gorilla tape to stop it reacting with the chlorine.
I've had 3 inflatable lids for the palm springs and they all lose air and fill up with water.
Steve what board did you use in the end. Some of the conversation has been around XPS board (which seems harder to find in 100mm). I'd be interested to know from you and Charlie, or anyone else that if you were to do it in 2023 what board you would choose? Taking delivery soon of a Foam sided Lay Z Spa, but the lid is still inflatable which is crazy!!! Thanks.
@creativechimp03
Good evening. My next-door neighbour gave me a sheet to use, as he is a builder. I would say to go to a local builders merchants. Thickness is not critical, but obviously, the thicker the better. I hope this helps.
@@stevepope4020 Brilliant Steve, thanks will do. Is yours still holding up well?
Nice. I have the saggy cover problem and will give this a go. I want to use my hot tub in the winter, any thoughts how I could insulate the bottom? And would it be practical? Would love you to make a vid 👍
So I keep mine running all year round. I started with the Lay-Z-Spa mat, then added a 1 inch PIR board below the mat but as you'll see in this video th-cam.com/video/ZOQ2L1TMayc/w-d-xo.html it makes a mess of the deck so I've now give back to the mat.
I use the child play foam mats that are different colours, not sure the réal name for them and the tub mat
@@vermo42 I did the very same the shop wanted £35 for 1 pack an as I had the 6 person I didnt think one would do so I went to home bargains an like you bought kids play mats 12 in a pack for £5 I bought 3 packs and had plenty even space to stand while getting in an out the tub and sitting on the floor is very soft and comfortable.
Exactly what I did
Glad to hear it Brandon. It's great isn't it. Did you manage to make yours big enough? Mine could have done with another 25mm or so on the diameter.
I would be interested to know if the new lid helps keep the temperature hotter for longer.
Even though my lid is okay (for the moment). I have been thinking of replacing it for economical purposes to see if I could save a few quid on the electric bill
Difficult to measure scientifically or compare against the old one but I'm convinced it's retaining the heat better👍🏻
Tempted by this for this reason, even though the lid on my new hot tub is still in good nick! The last one really wasn’t so expecting to have to replace at some point.
@@CharlieDIYte Why would the original retain any heat? Its just a bag of air. If you remove it, you still have air. There's no thermal advantage to this inflatable at all as far as I can tell?
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I just re fitted an M Spa 6 people round bladder about £40 which fitted perfectly and better still is domed so rain water falls away!
So you filled it with air rather than water? Cunning!
Great problem solving. What thickness did you use??
100mm. It's nice to keep the skirt but you can get a better seal by getting rid of it which means you can angle the PIR and make it bigger. Also use clear Gorilla tape in the middle join not foil as foil tarnishes.
What about gluing it straight to the cover, does this work okay ? I think I’d prefer that method
That's what Paul did and I don't think he's had any problems with it. I guess it's just a very final solution and if for any reason you wanted to replace it, you'd have a bit of a mess on your hands. But then this presupposes the tub itself is going to last more thana few years....
As Charlie mentioned - this was the approach I used and it was a much simpler process. Cut off the skirt, cut the board to the required size (the edge of mine sits on the centre of the inflatable part). I used evo stik sticks like **** as the bonding agent and sealed the foam edges of the board with foil tape which, like Charlie mentioned, did discolour with the chlorine but has lasted well apart from that. I managed to get some non-perfect board and made mine in 2 halves. I then had some spare to double up the thickness in the centre. I used much thinner kingspan (which is what I had) but is double thick in the centre.
@@spongefactory is it possible to see a picture?
I've had mine 4 months and it's already doing it. I blamed it on my cat😮 thank you.
Yep, nothing to do with the cat. Just had design. 👍
would a few tins of expanding foam do the same job filling the existing lid via the holes/tears/rips ...?
A few people have said it does Paul. I'm surprised if it fills the whole cover though.
Could you just fill the inflatable with expanding foam and find a good way to seal them seams so that it doesn’t soak up in the water?
A few people have suggested that. Not sure how you'd fill it comprehensively though. You'd need a lot of cans!
Charlie DIYte they manage to cavity fill a whole house
I used an old boat float that we towed behind our boat. You may could fill it with spray foam
Yes a few people have said that. I'm amazed it fills it sufficient.
I have got thw same hot tub as you and the inflatable lid is starting to sag in the middle due to the rain.
Please can you confirm all the measurements you require for yours? I'm going to see if I can try and make myself a lid for ours.
What happens to the boards if they have to much moisture on them??
Great video by the way.
It's all in the vid. If you try and fit it in the skirt like I did you end up with it a little too narrow so it might be best to ditch the skirt so you can make it larger. Plus use transparent gorilla tape in the middle not the foil as the foil tape reacts with the chlorine.
Do you find it is better at holding the heat than the inflatable lid?
I think it's definitely more efficient.
Had exactly the same issue with my Lay-Z Spa Tahiti. Had a few leftover PIR board laying aground to take to the scrap yard but i used 3 pieces and taped them toughether with alu tape. I wanted the lid to lay flat on the tub, but unfortunatly, my left over panels were not large enouhg. Instead of a 1500mm circle, I had to cut a 1400mm one. I did not take the time to try and fit it in the placeholder of the lid, for the reason that i wanted to be able to clean the lid. There is a possibility it can get mold i think. Anyway, i cut of the edges in a 45 degree angle and it now sits sunken in the spa, but doesnt touch the water. Long story short, the same princeble, but i did not attach it to the cover.
There are a few small gaps, but if you close it up with the lid, it's just fine. The water also stays hotter for a longer time. If someone wants to see a picture, let me know. It's a win-win. I dont have to pay for disposal of the PIR insulation board and i get a better insulation for the tub. Downside: i have to store it somewhere when not in use. But for now, I'm planning on leaving it for the winter and see .
I used 60mm PIR insulation board with alu vaper barrier. Taped the sides with alu tape. I had to make it out of 3 pieces I put tougheter. The alu tape is strong and holds the 3 pieces toughter very well. No flex at all and it can support the weight of a cat :D
Well done Arne. Yes, I leave mine out all year round. If I put it away the rodents will eat it.
Arne did you notice any gain from using only 60mm PIR boards on saving electricity costs ?
@@Crazykillerz998 I wish I could tell you. Still renovating my home so have not yet invested in a power metering device. Planning on doing so with a Shelly. Anyway, I'm pretty sure it gains you a lot of efficiency. The R value of pir is a lot higher than just air. Also, you lose the most heat on the surface of the water because it can vaporise. The only downside is that you have to store it somewhere. But I'm really happy I did it.
@@Crazykillerz998 so in short, while not measured, I'm certain it will save you a lot of energy. It hasn't really frozen a lot here in Belgium but when it does, the ice and snow stays on top of the cover. Only in a few spots it starts to melt because of some gaps in between the border of the tub and the insulation.
I was thinking it be good if you could fill a punctured one with expandable foam.
No thinking required.
Its a winner quite a few people have already done it.
@@TheWebstaff i did this now and works very well but cost a lot in foam cans
I do not recommend using foil tape. That tape is meant for taking duct work which is not exposed to heated chemical water. I used that foil tape on my lid and just after a month it was dissolving. That left a lot of residue in my tub but also are away at the tape making removal in order to replace the tape very difficult. I would recommend using a tarp tape Wich has better resistance to the elements.
What is tarp tape? Duct tape?
Interesting video, thanks. Just got my St Moritz, so hopefully the lid will be ok. Been debating getting some pallets and using a jigsaw to create a scandi style surround for it, with insulation between it and the tub. Has anyone tried this, or a good idea for you to video @charlie DIYte??
I don't think you'll get much heat leakage through the sides. I certainly haven't. If you're building anything I'd build an insulated base and it's through that inflatable lid that you'll lose most heat.
@@CharlieDIYte Put it on foam matting, and was more thinking of the surround from a visual point of view, but then thought I could make it a bit of an added benefit by doing that.