How does a Wood Fired Hot Tub Works?
Wood fired hot tubs are been here since 1968. It uses the traditional method of heating the water by burning wood. You will be able to see a stove attached to the side of the tub. The stove can be either external or internal depending on the model. If the stove is internal then it would be separated from the bathers by a wooden fence. The water in the tub receives heat from the stove either directly if the stove is internal or indirectly if the stove is external.
The amount of wood you put in the stove determines the temperature of the wood fired hot tub. This heating method makes the temperature unreliable compared to other heating methods like electric. You have to make sure the water doesn’t overheat. You have to put check the temperature from time to time by using a thermometer. If it gets too hot then you have to add cold water into it or remove some logs. And if it gets too cold, you have to add more logs to the stove.
How Long Does it Take the Water to Heat Up?
The heating process depends on multiple factors such as the amount of water, tub and stove size, outside weather conditions, etc. But it usually takes 2-3 hours to reach the temperature of 38c. A warm day with a little bit of movement in the water would make the healing process faster. Similarly, on a cold day, the heating process would become slower. But still, you can make the healing process faster by adding more logs to the stove. You can also control the temperature by adjusting the amount of airflow. The more air it gets, the hotter it becomes. In case the water becomes too hot, you can always pour cold water into it.
How to Cool Down a Wood Fired Hot Tub?
The simple mechanics of wood-fired hot tubs makes them easy to operate. In order to cool down your tub, you just have to reduce the size of the fire by using a chimney damper. Or you can just let the wood burn by itself. However, it is not recommended. In some unfortunate cases, it can lead to burning down an entire house.
How Long Does a Wood Fired Hot Tub Lasts?
It depends on the model, company, and the quality of the wood. But you can still expect it to last up to 25-30 years. Although these tubs don’t require too much maintenance but still, without scheduled maintenance, it is not going to last 10-15 years. Woods are known as some of the toughest materials. And the wood used in wood fired hot tubs are even tougher. But still, if it gets too much exposure to water and heat, it can take damage. No matter how hard you try to protect the wood, it won’t be enough. But still, 10-15 years is a long period of time.
How Much Wood Fired Hot Tubs Costs?
The cost depends on the quality of the tub. Basic wood fired hot tubs costs around $1,500-$3,000. However, if you want some fancy features such as lights, faster heating, extra seats, etc, you can expect to pay around $3,500-$5,000.
Electric Hot Tubs vs Wood Fired Hot Tubs:
There are goods and bad in both tubs. It up to you what tub you prefer. If we talk about the price, wood fired hot tubs are cheaper than electric hot tubs. Because electric hot tubs come with many features like inbuild thermometers, temperature controllers, etc.
When it comes to portability, electric hot tubs are required to be placed near a power source. But when it comes to wood fired hot tubs, you can place them anywhere you want. They don’t need electricity to heat up. Just put some logs and you are good to go.
The heating process depends on multiple factors as we discussed earlier. It depends on factors such as outside weather, the starting temperature of the water, the amount of water, etc. As you may realize, wood fired tubs are heated by woods and electric tubs are heated by electricity. They both get the job perfectly. However, when it comes to comparing the heating speed, wood fired hot tubs are one step ahead of electric hot tubs. If a wood fired tub takes 3 hours to heat up to the water to 38c, an electric tub would take 13-15 hours to heat up the same temperature with the same amount of water.
If you want a hot tub that functions more in a traditional way then wood fired hot tubs are for you. Maybe they have fewer features or functions differently than their gas or electric counterparts, they are very easy to use and last longer as well. So if you are planning to buy a hot tub for the first time, you should definitely consider buying a wood fired one.