AQUATHERMA Nature Series User manual

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Nature Series
Urbaine Series
January 2018 edition

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Description
Details
on page
Authorization
Permit
Before installing your spa, you must contact your municipality to understand and comply with local regulations.
Contact Info-Excavation (www.info-ex.com or 1 800 663-9228) and Hydro-Québec
(http://www.hydroquebec.com/securite/piscine.html so that you can comply with safety standards for
determining the location of your spa.
6
Place-
ment
Establish the exact location of your spa. 6
Trace and then stake out the contours of the spa based on the excavation plan. 6
Safe-
ty
Do all the necessary checks to comply with the regulations in effect in your municipality regarding the obligation
to install a safety device around your spa. 18
Excavation
Using a small excavator of adequate size, dig according to the excavation plan for your spa model. 7
Unless you have a particular constraint, dig approximately 12" wider than the outside edge of the spa. 7
Except for a particular constraint, calculate the depth of the hole to be dug so that you can deposit about 3" to 6"
of gravel under the basin and also depending on the final level to obtain including the finishing materials provided
at the perimeter from the spa (zero point).
7
Dig a trench approximately 18" wide and deep from the outlet of the pipes to the spa and to the location where
the technical housing will be placed (approximately 25’ from the spa)
Summary of the steps for installing your spa

3
Description
Details
on page
Gravel
Use ONLY ½ net gravel for levelling the bottom and backfilling around the spa. In general, 8 to 12 tons of
gravel will be required to complete these steps. Refer to your dealer for details on approximate amounts
of gravel as these may vary depending on the spa model and the digging method.
8
Preparing
the bottom
Spread a geotextile-type canvas over the entire hole. 8
Lay about 3" to 6" of gravel evenly over the bottom of the hole and over the geotextile fabric. 8
Reserve the rest of the gravel for backfilling the spa. 8
Levelling
Level the gravel at the bottom of the spa according to the digging plan. 8
Drainage
Vertically and immediately adjacent to the fibreglass spa, install a pipe about 6" in diameter that will serve
as a decompression well (also called SIGHT HOLE or DE-WATERING WELL). 9
This pipe should be about 6" deeper than the spa. It must be installed from the edge of the spa and up to
approximately 6'' deeper than it. It will be held in place by the gravel during backfilling.
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Summary of the steps for installing your spa

4
Description
Details
on page
Manipulating
the
spa basin
WARNING:
Carefully follow the manufacturer's recommendations for the safe method for unloading and moving the spa
basin.
10
Depending on the size of the spa, this stage will be done manually or with a excavator of a suitable size to unload,
move and place the spa basin in the hole. 10 - 11
Backfill
Using a long level, adjust the proper level of the basin by adding gravel under the spa basin where needed. Once
the spa basin is level, start filling it with water to stabilize it.
Use the rest of the gravel for backfilling around the spa basin. 12
Perform backfilling, taking care to fill all cavities below the basin, including under the seats. 12
Connections
While the backfilling is in progress, make connections (screw connections) to the technical box containing the
motor system. 14
Connect the hoses coming from the spa to the various accessories included in your project such as motor, filter,
heater, water treatment, etc. 14
It is MANDATORY to have the electrical connections of the accessories done by a master electrician. 15-16-17
Finishing
WARNING:
Never place heavy stones directly on the edges of the spa. 18
Perform the finishing work around the spa. 18
Summary of the steps for installing your spa

When carrying out a project of this size, there are several steps to plan before the delivery and installation of your spa. Here are some
tips and tricks to make your dream come true.
MUNICIPAL REGULATIONS
It is your responsibility to check with your municipality for rules applying to your property.
Here are some examples:
• The clearances of property lines
• The electrical standards of the municipality
• The need to obtain a permit
• The need to fence
• In some municipalities, regulations may be in effect
regarding heat pumps with respect to the distance from
the lot boundaries and the number of decibels.
CHOICE OF LOCATION
You must also plan the location of your spa taking into
account the following:
• The sunshine in the yard
•The location of the patio and shed
• Children's play area
• Overhead or underground electrical wires
• Trees and roots
We advise you to make a scale plan to ensure that you comply
all the regulations of your municipality.
For more information, visit the Hydro-Québec and Info-Excavation websites.
PLANNING
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Image of Hydro-Québec standards for illustrative purposes only

Upon delivery of the spa, you will receive the following:
- One fibreglass spa basin
- A hard cover (if included with the purchase)
- A wood housing (or fibreglass if included with the purchase)
including the items for the motor, filter and heating systems
- A set of pipe fittings
Note that spa models that contain more than 3 pumps generally do not include housing
because of their size. These larger systems will require a dry, larger space, such as a shed,
for the installation of motors and other accessories.
CONTENT
6
Note
Depending on the type of transport chosen,
items can be shipped on pallets or simply
attached to a platform trailer.

The installation and excavation of your spa must be determined according to your plan.
A spa located under trees will certainly look impressive, but consider that you will
eventually have to deal with falling leaves or twigs which will make spa maintenance a little
more difficult.
Make sure you have made all the usual checks with Info-Excavation and Hydro-Québec
before digging to prevent any potential damage to any underground wires and/or
pipes.
First outline the sides of the spa with stakes, ropes and paint cans.
It is possible you will need to level the ground in order to make up for a vertical drop and
thus create a platform that is sufficiently straight to accommodate the spa and its
rims/edges.
Plan the surroundings of the spa by providing landscaping such as contour stones
(coronation), cobblestone, plants, shrubs, a riprap or a small wall for a waterfall.
Provide a place where the technical housing will be permanently situated that is 25’ from
the spa starting from where the section where the pipes come out of it.
Check with your dealer if you need to plan for a greater distance.
The housing is made of wood and can stay outdoors. It is recommended to put a protective
coating on it.
Housing dimensions
1 pump systems: 42’’ L. X 24’’ W. X 30’’ H.
2 pump systems: 47-1/2’’ L. X 36-1/2’’ W. X 30’’ H.
LAGON spa systems: no housing available (see notes on page 23)
PREPARATION
7

The excavation width should be approximately 12'' wider all around the spa basin.
For spas with a curved shape, you are not required to follow this shape with great precision
during the excavation. However, you may need more gravel for backfilling.
The excavation depth should be approximately 3" to 6" deeper than the total height of the
spa, in preparation for the application of a layer of gravel.
On the other hand, once the installation is complete, you want the edge of the spa to be
higher than the ground, you will have to reduce the depth of the hole by the same number
of inches/centimetres as the total and final desired height.
Dig a trench about 18 inches deep by about 18-24 inches wide to accommodate the
connecting pipes between the spa basin (see the outlet plan of the selected basin pipes),
up to the location intended for the technical housing.
NOTES
It is MANDATORY to pass all the light and keyboard wires through a rigid pipe
for ease of maintenance or subsequent change.
EXCAVATION
8

INSTALLATION AND LEVELLING OF GRAVEL BOTTOM
9
Have the required amount of gravel placed next to and, if possible, around the
hole. Refer to the table for the approximate amount required depending on the
spa model to be installed.
Once you have reached the right level of digging then roughly equalize the
bottom of the hole, spread a geotextile-like fabric over the entire bottom hole
surface and also on the edges.This step is intended to maintain and stabilize the
gravel that will be deposited.
Begin dumping the ½ net gravel in the hole, over the geotextile fabric.
Roughly level the gravel, while trying to respect the final level at which
you want the spa basin to be once completed.

CAUTION
Completely emptying a spa can have serious consequences such as shifting or lifting the spa. It is
therefore NOT recommended to do so without having first taken care to check in the well if there is
water under the spa.
Sometimes referred to as a de-watering well, the Sight hole is used to check soil moisture and
the depth of groundwater beneath the spa basin.
If necessary, it then serves as a passage to introduce a small pump to evacuate the water
present under the spa if draining it is necessary.
The well must be installed when backfilling the spa basin. It is made of a semi-flexible Big 'O’
type hose of at least 6" in diameter and it must be placed vertically, right next to the spa and
about 4" to 6" deeper than the bottom of the spa basin.
It will then be backfilled with ½ gravel, just like the rest of the spa contour.
Its lowest point must be positioned a few centimetres below the lowest point of the spa basin.
Its highest point should slightly exceed the final height of the spa once installed.This type of
pipe and its cover are not supplied with the spa.You can get them at hardware stores (just like
the geotextile canvas). The pipe with its cover can then be camouflaged through the
landscaping.
SIGHT HOLE / DE-WATERING WELL
10

The delivery of the spa basin is usually done with a flat bed trailer.
For deliveries to remote areas, the services of an independent transportation
company may be used.
The excavator or other machinery used to dig the hole is also used for unloading
the spa basin and placing it in the hole.
Medium and smaller spa basins can be moved manually. Depending on the weight
of the spa basin, 4 to 6 people will be needed to handle it.
Some much larger models need to be moved using a excavator
or other machinery.
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DELIVERY AND MANIPULATION OF THE SPA BASIN

PREPARING FOR INSTALLATION
The installation of your spa will require the help of 3 or 4 people.You will also need the following tools and materials:
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ITEM
Quantity
Gravel ½
net Approximately 8-10 tons/Small basin
Approximately 12-15 tons/Large Basin
Check with the dealer
Canvas (felt) geotextile
Enough to cover the entire hole
and its edges
Long nails to hold the geotextile fabric
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Agricultural drain type pipe
(Big ’O’) to create the sight hole or de-watering well 3’6" (approximately)
Drain hose cap (to cap the check well)
1
Plastic canvas to cover and protect the basin during installation
Concrete
glue (Bull Grip - PL) to affix the finishing stones on the upper and inner rim of the basin if necessary
According to the quantity of stones
PVC waterproof canvas or basin canvas (for the installation of the waterfall if necessary)
Enough to cover the back and the full
height and width of the waterfall riprap
For loamy soils that hold groundwater, it may be necessary to create a permanent drainage device for the bottom of the hole.
Ask your dealer or
an earth moving professional for the correct method.
Wheelbarrow
Paint can to mark the location of
the hole
Carpentry level, ideally 3m long or laser level.
You can also use a shorter level attached to a small
straight plank.
Mini-excavator
Standard shovels and rake
Functional garden hose

SETTING UP THE SPA BASIN
Manually haul or, with the help of machinery for heavier basins, move and drop the
spa basin onto the gravel at the bottom of the hole.
Place a long level on the top of the basin to determine if the spa is placed as level as
possible.
If this is not the case, add or remove a little gravel from under the basin at the desired
place to raise or lower it and get a relatively perfect level.
Warning
The molds used to make fibreglass spas are not always perfectly straight at the
beginning, which sometimes causes a slight difference in level from one end to the
other of the edge of the spa. It may be that you have a difference in level on the order
of ½ inch without thereafter affecting the operation of your spa.
Once you have reached the satisfactory level, put water in the spa basin
approximately to the bench. The purpose of this it to keep it in place during the
backfilling stage.
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Step
1

BACKFILLING THE SPA BASIN
Once the spa basin is properly levelled on the gravel bed, you can start filling it. Let the
water level rise as the backfill height increases with the gravel around it.The weight of the
water will prevent any movement of the shell on its bottom during backfilling.
Continue the backfilling process, taking care to "crush" the gravel slightly with a round
shovel (this will allow you to fill the spaces under the stairs and benches).Your backfill is
perfect when the gravel no longer goes down.This operation is important to definitively
fix the spa basin on the ground and avoid the risk of shifting.
For the stairs and benches, make sure the gravel is well packed under the steps to the riser.
Fill the spa as soon as the backfills are finished.
WARNING
NEVER leave the spa basin completely empty, without control of the external
underground water (risk of shifting and destabilization of the spa basin).
WARNING
It is important not to put gravel in the pipes coming out of the spa basin. This would block
water and air access to the various jets in the spa basin.
Do not put gravel in the pipe opening called Sight hole.
The latter must remain accessible at all times even after the landscaping has been
completed. It should be covered with a lid and then hidden under a stone or behind a
plant.
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SEMI ABOVE GROUND BASIN INSTALLATION
The fibreglass spa can be installed so that it is halfway out of the ground.This makes it
possible to highlight a portion of the spa without it becoming too large of a visual mass.
Note that this can also be a good solution for those who cannot dig to a depth of at least
3'.
There are two options to do this.
Option A
First, be sure to secure and backfill the outside of the basin, in ½ net stone up to slightly
above the height of the bench. Depending on the type of exterior decorative finish you
want, you will have to fill the difference in height with a small wall that can contain ½ net
stone.
Option B
Make a wooden structure to help support the spa basin and to have a retaining structure
to which to affix the finishing materials such as decorative stone, wood, lattice,
cobblestone, etc.
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ABOVE GROUND BASIN INSTALLATION
16
The fibreglass spa can be installed so that it is completely above the ground. This allows,
for example, integrating the spa basin into a terrace. Note that this can also be a good
solution for those who cannot dig at all due to inadequate soil.
There are two options to do this.
Option A
Build a wooden structure to surround the basin to help support it. In addition, this
structure will provide the base needed to affix finishing materials such as decorative
stone, wood, lattice, cobblestone, etc.
Option B
You can choose to build a small wall of stone or concrete strong enough to contain the basin
around which you have taken care to backfill with ½ net stone. This method recreates, in a way,
a form of artificial soil to support the basin and its ½ net stone fill.
Then you can affix finishing materials such as decorative stone, wood, lattice, cobblestone, etc.

GENERAL VISUAL
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Sight hole
Notes:
The number of pipes varies depending on the spa model. Generally: 1 pump = 3 pipes, 2 pumps = 5 pipes, 5 pumps = 11 pipes.
You must install the mechanical system at about the same level as the basin. However, if the mechanical system must be installed lower than the spa,
you must tell your dealer from the beginning that your unit is equipped with a ball valve.
Water and air
hoses, light /and
keypad wires, all
Connected to
mechanical
system
keypad
Shell
Gravel ½
Membrane between soil and gravel
Soil

PLUMBING CONNECTIONS
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Step
2
Tips and Tricks
For added safety, you can insert the
plumbing into a large diameter pipe. You
can also insert the lighting wire and the
remote control.
In order to maximize the energy
coefficient, those who want it can plan to
add an insulating membrane (Styrofoam
type) over the plumbing pipes once
deposited at the bottom of the trench
It is simple to connect the pipes connecting
the spa to the mechanical housing using
the color codes :
-Red : Water from the pump, through
the water heater then to the spa
-Blue : Water from the spa to the
pump
-Yellow : Air from the mechnaical
housing to the spa and the jets.
The spa water circulates in a closed circuit between the fibreglass
basin and the motor system included in the technical housing.
Connections are made using pipes with screw-on tips each with a
colour code (see next page). All you have to do is join them according
to these colour codes.
Extend the plumbing rollers along the trench that joins the
mechanical housing. You must also run the lighting (for the
spa and the waterfall if necessary) and key pad wires
through a pipe of a minimum of one inch.This will allow
wire insertion for potential replacements.
Remember to put the seals in place before tightening the
plumbing connection unions. These seals are provided and
usually stored inside the mechanical housing when
delivering your spa.
BE CAREFUL to keep the air hose (yellow) almost level with
the top edge of the spa and as straight as possible as water may
get in and block the airflow to the jets.
During the entire installation procedure, it is very important and your responsibility to make
sure that no debris, dust, pebbles or any other particles get into the pipes, thus causing water
pressure problems or significant damage to the mechanical system. This type of damage is not
covered by the warranty.
Pipes placed in the trench

PLUMBING CONNECTIONS continued….
19
When you connect the plumbing pipes to the basin respecting the colours...
GREEN = waterfall supply valve (if applicable)
YELLOW = air connected to an intake in the housing
RED = heated and filtered water to the spa basin
BLUE = spa water toward the technical housing
Be careful not to invert the hoses when connecting. If one of the coloured ribbons comes off the pipe, be sure to put that colour on the
pipe with a felt pen.
Supplying the waterfall
Be careful to keep the accessibility and mobility of
the waterfall supply valve
Note
In the pipe connection stage, also consider
connecting the spa light wires and the
electronic keypad wire. The latter will be
placed on a base of wood or stone, at a
location of your choice near the spa pool
but at a maximum distance of 40 feet from
the technical housing.
2 pump models1 pump models

PLUMBING CONNECTIONS continued….
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WARNING
It is mandatory to start the spa and let it run at least 1 hour before completing the backfilling and
landscaping. No liability will be assumed by the merchant or the manufacturer for the removal or
re-installation of landscaping materials.
Note
The spas are all thoroughly checked before
leaving the factory. However, there may be
damage during transport, an error or an
oversight on the part of one or other of the
actors during installation. The spa
manufacturer takes no responsibility for
the installation and landscaping around
the spa if there is a need to correct a leak.