Are Wood-Fired Hot Tubs Sanitary?
Wood-fired hot tubs typically comprise hard piped-in water, a bed of ceramic tiles, and stone walls. The water is heated by the heat created by burning firewood fuel inside the tub.
Wood-fired hot tubs have many advantages in forming sulfur gas which produces heat.
No! The wood-fired hot tub can allow mildew, bacteria, and fungus to accumulate from the wood burned inside the furnace.These microorganisms will then release toxins into the heated water when circulated back into the Spa. The toxins can irritate skin or mucous membranes or even cause chemical burns.
The toxins can also cause symptoms of respiratory distress to those who inhale them or absorb them through the skin.
A wood-fired hot tub will continue to release toxins until the wood is completely burned and the water has cooled.
When the water has cooled, it can be drained and refilled with clean water if you happen to own a portable hot tub that you can drain.
There are several other dangerous chemicals released from burning wood. Smoke from wood fires contains various dangerous chemicals, some known carcinogens (cancer-causing agents).
Even if all emissions were clean, it takes very little smoke to be harmful. Many studies have shown that long-term exposure to the chemicals in wood smoke is linked to respiratory problems and cardiovascular diseases.
Additionally, many hot tubs do not use the electricity generated by burning wood. The electricity is used elsewhere in the home and does not adequately supply power to operate the Spa.
If the owner does not allow it to be used for this purpose, this electrical output is wasted and does nothing to power an efficient and effective hot tub.
How To Stop Hot Tub From Smelling?
There are several ways of stopping your hot tub from smelling, including:
- Make sure that there is always adequate water in the hot tub.
- Empty the hot tub when it comes to the season’s end and clean it thoroughly before storing.
- Covering your hot pump with a mesh cloth or material will help keep dirt and leaves from getting into your pump and causing odors.
- Check for leaks or cracks in your liner; new liners are inexpensive.
- Make sure that your hot tub filter is clean and working properly.
- Using a quality hot tub chemical kit will ensure that your water is kept clean.
- Make sure that you keep your hot tub covered when not in use to reduce the dust and leaves blowing into it.
- Check the connections to ensure they are watertight and have no leaks.
- There are several cleaning products available to help reduce hot tub odors.
- You can also purchase an ozone hot tub cleaner or UV light for your hot tub to help eliminate odors and sanitize the water.
- If you have water in your hot tub that is not draining out of the tub properly, this can create an environment for odors to form.
Do Wood-Fired Hot Tubs Smell?
Yes, But the smell dissipates in just a few hours. Wood-fired hot tubs have a distinctive smell that some people find unpleasant. Wood fire hot tubs have a unique way of heating water using only renewable resources.
This means that the water gets heated using something other than electricity.
Unlike large industries, wood-fired hot tubs do not use fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, or oil. Instead, they use all types of woods, including hardwood and softwood.
The process combines hot water with peat moss and charcoal made from sawdust and chipped wood.
After a while, the hot water becomes saturated with minerals like calcium, silica, and magnesium, leaving the water crystal clear like spring water.
Since the hot water is left to sit for a while to deposit the minerals, it does not evaporate, making it a very efficient system. The minerals within vitalize the water and make it much more fragrant and scented.
The minerals also stabilize the water in a way that keeps it clean and free of impurities that would cause scale buildup. This makes all types of chemical additives unnecessary, so you don’t need to use them either.
Many people think that wood-fired hot tubs smell bad, but there is no need to worry because the smell disappears quickly.
You may experience a stronger than normal smell when the hot tub is first turned on, and you can use chemical-free fragrances to make it disappear.
The smell of wood-fired hot tubs can vanish in just a few hours after you turn them on, making them a good choice for those with chemical sensitivities.
How to Prepare Your Wood-Fired Hot Tub for Winter
I recommend that you drain or pump your water before winterizing. You can find a pump at your local home improvement store or Spa and pool supply store.
Close jet pumps and dumps any remaining water from jets: The jet nozzles should be turned off so they don’t freeze and become clogged during winter storage. This can cause damage to your hot tub’s plumbing and could drain your hot tub.
Protect the hot tub from the elements: It is recommended to remove the skimmer and fill the Spa with sand at the beginning of winter storage. NOTE: The sand should be agitator free and must not contain any rocks.
Keeping a cover on the hot tub is recommended but not necessary. Covering the hot tub helps to keep out leaves and debris that may fall into the Spa during winter storage.
Drain the booster pump and close the electrical panel: Before the conversation, drain water from the pump. This pump is used during the heating season to assist in heating your Spa.
After draining, you must close the electrical panel by turning off all controls.
Close all drain valves: This is an extremely important step to prevent debris from clogging your Spa’s plumbing and causing damage. The drain valves are behind the Spa door and can be found at the bottom of each end wall.
Store the hot tub: You should store your hot tub indoors in a secure, stable environment. Avoid placing it under trees that may drop limbs or leaves during winter storage.
There is potential damage to your hot tub, particularly if it’s not positioned correctly.
Winterizing the hot tub: The major items to be aware of when winterizing your hot tub are that it needs some form of insulation (i.e., foam, bags of sand), and no chemicals should enter its water(i.e., chlorine).
After filling your hot tub with water:
- Cover it and drain it as you usually would.
- Dump any remaining water from the jets (and pipes).
- Shut off the pump and close its electrical panel. It’s possible that some of the plumbing will freeze if exposed to cold temperatures for an extended period.
- Drain the tub before covering it or putting snow on top of it.
Do You Have To Drain A Wood-Fired Hot Tub?
Yes! You must drain a wood-fired hot tub when it’s not in use, or it will become stagnant. Draining a wood-fired hot tub is simple and should take approximately 10 to 20 minutes.
Step One: Starting with the pipes closest to the bottom of your hot tub, turn off the valves. Leave them closed as you move up through the levels and drain them.
When it’s time to drain the tub, turn on both the valves to let the tub empty. You can do this by opening them both and then turning on the safety valve attached to the end of each line.
Step Two:
- Close off all sides of your hot tub with towels or other means to protect yourself from chemical exposure.
- Once that is done, turn off the propane and wait for it to be fully empty.
- When you are ready, pull each line one by one until you reach the top.
Step Three: Cleaning out the hot tub is up to you. But it’s a good idea to clean the inside and outside with all the fixtures. Depending on your conditions, you will have to remove all the water and waste.
Can You Use Chlorine In A Wooden Hot Tub?
No, Wood is susceptible to the effects of chemicals, which will accelerate its deterioration. If you need to clean stains or bacteria out of your hot tub, you should use a treatment designed for use with wooden surfaces instead.
Using chlorine to clean a hot tub can cause the chemicals to get into the wood, which carries a risk of discoloration, cracking, and eventual surface destruction.
If the hot tub is made out of cedar, for example, you will likely see darkening and browning.
More seriously, the chemicals can get into the wood and damage the cells that hold the compounds together, which results in a loss of essential oils in the wood.
Water pressure against these damaged cells causes them to expand and repeatedly contract until wholly destroyed.
If these problems have already occurred to your hot tub’s wooden surface, you should treat it with a stain protector before using it again.
There are a few other maintenance processes that do not involve using chlorine. For instance, you can use potassium hydroxide for cutting grease.
When you’re done with this process, you should thoroughly rinse off all of the chemicals from your hot tub with some water and then throw away any leftover chemicals.
How Do You Clean A Wood-Fired Hot Tub?
First, You must ensure you have the right chemicals on hand, along with a brush and work boots. When cleaning a wood-fired hot tub, wear eye protection and gloves. Drain the hot tub and ensure it’s covered.
After assembling all the necessary equipment, you can start cleaning your wood-fired hot tub by following the steps below.
Step 1: Remove the cover and tables.
Step 2: Wash the walls starting from left to right.
Step 3: Rinse off the walls using a hose.
Step 4: Clean the bottom using a brush and water at high pressure to remove the scum.
Step 5: Wipe out any remaining scum with a solution of vinegar, white vinegar, or distilled white vinegar and hot water. This will remove any lime deposits on your tub’s walls.
Step 6: Rinse both sides of the hot tub with clean water.
Step 7: Let the hot tub dry naturally, or use a hair dryer to hasten the process.
Step 8: Reinstall all parts of your hot tub, including the tables and cover.
Step 9: Fill up the water, and you can now enjoy your clean wood-fired hot tub.
Do Cedar Hot Tubs Need Chemicals?
No! Cedar hot tubs do not need chemicals. Many tub manufacturers use chemicals to maintain and keep their hot tubs safe.
Cedar hot tubs are made with local cedar harvested from the Great Lakes region and are clad in a tufa stone for superior strength and durability.
This natural material eliminates the pressure of scratches from furniture or other things in your pool area to protect your cedar hot tub walls from injury.
As water evaporates and cools, microorganisms living in the air and skin grow and multiply in the water. Hot tubs are a perfect growth medium for bacteria, fungi, and other microbes.
There are many hot tub chemicals available to treat this problem. The advantage of using these chemicals is that they can eliminate bacteria and fungi in minutes.
The disadvantage is that they can also hide in locations where you may not expect them and cause harm.
Two common hot tub chemicals are hydrogen peroxide and chlorine. Both chemicals boast harm when ingested due to a mistake or possibly by accident.
One of the most common concerns about cedar hot tubs is gel use and chlorine levels. Hot tub gels are designed to kill bacteria,algae, and fungi in your hot tub water.
They can be harmful if they get into your mouth and are not a part of the hot tub chemicals you should be using.
Even though a hot tub chemical such as chlorine is not used to clean or sanitize your hot tub water, it can still harm your health if ingested or inhaled.
Do Wood Hot Tubs Bubble?
No! Wood hot tubs don’t bubble because their porous structure doesn’t allow moisture to enter and disperse once inside the tub, and they typically have no circulating water.
Turning on an air-heating device like a space heater produces bubbles as warm air condenses into liquid or gas, which decreases density.
The air heating element becomes less efficient if the air duct is larger.
For example, a low-cost heater with a large air duct will quickly fail because no water can enter the hot tub from any point and cannot boast absorption by the tub material or bubbles.
However, a gas/electric heater produces no bubbles in liquid as it heats the air and then vaporizes it. Some newer hot tubs come from one piece of fiberglass wood instead of having individual panels.
Wood hot tubs do not bubble because they come insulated with foam or ballistic material, a type of soft plastic that won’t absorb moisture. Carbon composite cedar hot tubs will never leak.
Wood hot tubs with a built-in water filter system have no troubles with leaks because the water is purifying before it enters the Spa. This filter system will extend the life of your wood hot tub to over ten years in use.
Wood hot tubs boast one or more layers of waterproof yet breathable wood. They have a heating system that heats water on the surface and then distributes heat evenly throughout the Spa.
The thickness of each layer is typically less than 2 inches, and you can add foam insulation to make it even more efficient.
Why Is My Hot Tub So Bubbly?
Your hot tub boasts bubbliness because it has an airlock in the plumbing that allows excess pressure to escape and rise back up to the machine. There are other possible explanations for the bubbling (and maybe even some solutions).
First, if your hot tub is built-in and does not have an airlock in its plumbing, there’s likely a leak somewhere in your piping.
If the bubbling isn’t constant, your machine may have a faulty air vent that allows excess pressure to escape.
If you don’t want to replace an air vent control panel, there are still ways to combat a bubbling hot tub, like adding an air brick on the outlet pipe. This is a good temporary solution if you can’t get someone immediately to fix the problem.
However, you should look into repair because these bubbles and noises can be very annoying.
When you have the air brick in the outlet pipe, make sure it boasts plastic material. Any metals or other objects could interfere with the airflow and cause additional bubbling if your pipe boasts better placement.
The bubbles will subside when there is a steady water flow through your hot tub. You need to equalize the pressure and temperature to lower your risk of getting a leak or corrosion on door hinges or other fittings.
The bubbling should stop on its own. If it doesn’t, contact a professional to check the air vent control panel and work on fixing the plumbing.
Can You Run A Hot Tub Cold?
Yes! As long as the water has drained, you can put your hot tub into “Winter Mode.” The manufacturer calls it “Auto-defrost,” but the water will automatically be drained from the tub, channeled out a drain, and then re-filled with cold water.
The hot tub system will heat the new water before returning it to the tub, but you must drain it before “Winter Mode” can be enabled.
You need to wait until after all the water has drained from the Spa before setting “Winter Mode.” If you don’t wait, your hot tub will overflow.
Because of this, it’s a good idea to drain the hot tub for at least two or three days before you put it into Winter Mode. You’ll also want to be sure that there is a hose bib near your hot tub and that the connection is straightforward.
If you have an older hot tub, add a “Winter Drain Kit” to the existing drain kit. The Winter Drain Kit replaces the original part of the drain kit that collects water in your backyard.
It’s connected to your home’s plumbing and drains into a nearby waste or yard drain.
Once the water has drained, you must tell your hot tub it’s time to enter Winter Mode. Most hot tubs have an “Auto-defrost” button on the control panel that you press, then turn off (or hit again) once you have drained all the water.
Essential Tips on Gardenvity Wood-Fired Hot Tub
Here are some tips for finding what you want.
First, think about where exactly you will keep your hot tub. You might be stuck with a self-standing model if you’ve already bought a house and have to build it into your new home.
That might be the perfect space for your hot tub if you have an empty basement or garage with no rooms attached to it.
It’s also essential to get an idea of how large of an area you want the hot tub to cover. The average size for a hot tub is about eight feet in diameter, but some are even bigger.
It’s also essential to consider how many other people will use the hot tub with you. If you’re building it in your basement, you won’t have to worry about this much.
First, set your budget and determine how much you’re willing to spend on a hot tub. Plenty of models cost under $1,000, but those are usually small and compact.
Most outdoor hot tubs have temperatures ranging from 140-160 degrees Fahrenheit. These temperatures will be perfect for anyone who wants to relax in the hot tub without getting too cozy too quickly.
Water temperatures are essential, but they aren’t the only thing you should be looking for.
Once you get the right model for your budget, please look at the extras that come with it. These tend to add up quickly and give you much more flexibility than you might realize when picking out your hot tub.
If you want the recommended maintenance level (usually between $20-30 per week), an annual membership to their service plan is necessary.
If you want to keep the overall cost down, there are some excellent used hot tubs. This is the best route if you’re interested in getting a high-end tub at a lower price.
You will get a good deal if you buy used, but you’ll have to take extra care of it. You’ll also be able to get any maintenance that’s required done for cheaper than if you bought it new.
How To Control The Heat On A Wood-Fired Hot Tub?
Controlling the heat on a wood-fired hot tub is an important feature. You can do this by using the thermostat control on your hot tub, but some wood-fired hot tubs have thermostats.
Regardless of your heating system, once you appropriately set it up, it will use the energy stored in your wood to heat the water and make it warm enough to enjoy yourself.
First, I would recommend getting a good thermostat for the tub. Next, if it’s your bathtub’s thermostat, you can often adjust it by changing the setting on the dial or using a knob that is within reach.
If your hot tub has its built-in thermostat (as does mine), you may have to purchase an actual thermostat if you don’t already have one. I think they are inexpensive, so you might want to consider that.
Once you have the thermostat installed and set, you must next check the water in your tub before using it. You want to make sure your tub is ready to use. This way, you won’t waste time waiting for it to heat up when you’re just getting into a hot tub.
A tip to help you get the most out of your tub is to use the hot water setting on your faucet in the kitchen.
For years I never knew that when you turn on the hot water spigot, it heats the water in your plumbing, leaving it ready for you when you want to take something from the refrigerator or make a cup of tea.
Once I found that out, I realized the vast difference it made with how long it took for my tub to heat up. Using this method, you don’t need to wait as long.
Adjusting your thermostat is another way to ensure your tub is working correctly. You can do this at home by getting in the tub and flipping the dial or knob control in the direction it’s supposed to go until you get it right where you want it.
Is A Wood-Burning Hot Tub Worth It?
Yes! The benefits of a wood-burning hot tub over gas or electric models include:
- Low Maintenance: Wood-burning hot tubs require no maintenance; if you have to replace part of the system, it will be less expensive than the parts on a gas model.
You will have to service the wood-burning hot tub; however, you can do it yourself, saving you a lot of money over time.
- Wood is Cost Efficient: The cost of heating a wood-burning hot tub is much lower than the cost of gas or electricity.
A wood-burning hot tub should always get stocked with firewood, but it’s still much less expensive than using electricity to heat your water.
- Eco-Friendly: Wood is a renewable resource, and using a wood-burning hot tub is better for the environment than gas or electricity.
- Wood Burns Clean: There are no byproducts of burning wood in your hot tub. There is also no chlorine or other chemicals needed when treating water.
- Time-Tested Technology: Wood-burning hot tubs have been around for centuries.
The only drawback to a wood-burning hot tub is that it can be a little inconvenient for some people; you will have to find a source of firewood, keep it stocked, and then burn it as needed.
Using a wood-burning hot tub is also a more expensive proposition for larger households (4+ people) because of the cost of the wood.
In terms of energy cost, consuming up to 2,000-plus gallons of water per week in your hot tub vs. 500 or fewer gallons in an electric tub will save you money over time.
You should also buy a wood-burning hot tub to create a focal point in your backyard.
Conclusion
Wood-fired hot tubs are hot and trendy at the moment. They are much more efficient than gas or electric ones, and you can build one yourself or engage a professional.
