I seen this for sale and laughed then I found out its a real thing.
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Wood fired hot tub?
- Thread starter john26
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Snorkel had been making wood fired cedar hot tubs for years here in Seattle. They are sold worldwide.
SpaceBus
Minister of Fire
My wife and I would like to install a wood fired hot tub, but we have many other renovations to finish before that happens.
The one I wanted to build got canceled after I characterized the chances of people catching any shrapnel from it as "fairly low".
But I learned a valuable lesson about how to pitch projects to my wife, so it wasn't a total loss!
But I learned a valuable lesson about how to pitch projects to my wife, so it wasn't a total loss!
The wife said its the only way I can have another stove! I would like to build one at least the tub anyway the stove part looks fairly simple as well.
They are neat but what do you do to prevent freezing? How about spur of the moment use? I like mine to be ready whenever. Even outside in N. Idaho it only adds $30 or so to my bill. I consider it a small price for my comfort.
Snorkels website said they are fine if you use it at least once a week unless in extreme environment. They mention them used in Alaska if you can't fire it weekly they say drain down 4" and anchor several milk jugs or an inner tube in the bottom to take up shock from freezing.
When I was growing up, if we wanted a Jacuzzi, we had to fart in the tub.
RobbieB
Feeling the Heat
I've seen a few of them. One of the area snowmobile clubs have one, they own a cabin 100km (60miles) from the nearest road for snowmobilers to stay at in the middle of the mountains, they use free flowing water from a nearby creek to fill it and deadfall to heat it. It actually has 2 heaters, an inbuilt stove, and an outside stove with heat exchanger that is circulated with a pump. The hottubs almost a necessity, you get pretty sore after riding that mogulled out trail in for 60 miles.
That would be my concern . . . nearly every winter we get at least four to six days straight of sub-zero temps.
Like you I'll stick with my traditional hot tub that is always ready to go whenever the mood strikes. In fact we just replaced our old hot tub with a new one . . . both stayed outside on the covered porch and we never noticed a huge spike in the electrical bill.
I showed the Snorkel hot tubs to my wife ... they may have a new customer, although not necessarily for a wood fired version since wood isn't free us.
How do you thaw the part of the fill pipe that comes above ground and over the top of the tank? We used to torch ours but they were iron pipe.
These days I guess you could wrap an electric pipe heater around them...
Yes, keeping pipes thawed is a task. We had insulated covers on some and electric heat tape on others. It is a lot of work to keep water open for the animals in the winter. But it beats chainsawing holes in the ice on the ponds by a mile. (or using an axe to make the holes like my grandfather had to do.)
hansenjw
New Member
Yesssss! I have a friend in Norway. His family has a tiny island with a cabin in a fjord. They have a wood fired hot tub there. They fill it up with ocean water, so it’s a hot tub with salt water. It’s absolutely wonderful to sit out there when it’s cold, even raining on you, while drinking beer of course. It’s something I hope to replicate at my cabin in Wisconsin (sans ocean).
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SpaceBus
Minister of Fire
Sea water is kind of gross... It's full of microbes and whatever is left over from other animals... Is there something going on that I don't know about?
hansenjw
New Member
Norwegians aren’t grossed out by nature. I wouldn’t worry about it though, people swim in the ocean all the time. And then you’re heating it up which would kill most microbes. Norwegians actually think the salt water is good for skin and general health. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, but it‘s really comfortable!
SpaceBus
Minister of Fire
Swimming in the ocean is different than heating stagnant seawater for more than a day.
That would be nice at our off grid cabin.
Freezing up and price is a issue.
ive been watching for a old cast iron claw foot tub, figuring just to build a fire underneath it
Freezing up and price is a issue.
ive been watching for a old cast iron claw foot tub, figuring just to build a fire underneath it
hansenjw
New Member
Heating it, and the fact that it’s salt water (salt itself is a preservative), probably negate any potential threats. Anyways, it’s pretty common over there, and we don’t hear about Norwegians dying off because of it, so I’m just going to assume that it’s safe. If you’re going to worry about something in Norway being dangerous, worry about their roads! Skinny little roads that occasionally reduce from two lanes to one lane, but everybody drives the same speed regardless. THAT got my attention!
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