this is a true story told to me by a friend living with a crazy family of german engineers.... the family had just got a new hot tub, but decided it was much to expensive to heat. they came up with the idea to heat the water with a cast iron (wood burning) stove...plopped directly into the tub. they had the stove nailed to the bottom of the tub, but at one point it was free floating around. the problem with this was obvious to me at first, and im sure it was obvious to them too, but excited with their creative energy saving idea, they kept the hot tub in commission with a steady supply of firewood and warnings. one day a drunk couple got in....woman ended up in the hospital. this story got me thinking about how you could tweak their recipe for disaster to be safer. im sure it would work if the stove had a seperate compartment through which the water was pumped and heated. my friend thought it would have worked to put up a barrier around the stove, inside the tub, but who wants to waste precious tub space? maybe the side stove/heater compartment can also work as a grill? hot tub/bbq??
-- IcarusByNight, Jul 18 2005

Wood-fired Snorkel Hot Tub http://www.cnytubs....ubs_and_stoves.html
This is one of the least elegant solutions I could find. [jurist, Jul 18 2005, last modified Jul 21 2005]

Dutchtub http://www.heingartner.com/dutchtub.htm
How about this beauty? It's portable: will fit in the back of a SUV or can be easily trailered. Perfect for roasting hot dogs, kebabs or marshmallows on skewers. See the official Dutchtub corporate website for lots more photos of how and where people are using these. [jurist, Jul 21 2005]

Wood-fired hot tubs have been around longer than hippies and dharma bums. [link] There is nothing to stop you from roasting your frankfurter on the stove if it pleases you, but most of us would prefer not to bathe in any oily drippings. I think that's why the kid in the [link] picture is trying to get out as he sees you approaching.
-- jurist, Jul 18 2005


Maybe cut out the superfluous anecdote, put in some paragraph breaks, upper-case letters, and check the spelling?
Welcome to the HB.
-- coprocephalous, Jul 18 2005


I like this idea. eventhough the ideas already been around for a while im sure it could be tweeked a little.

This would allow you to have a hot tub anywhere by not needing an outlet for it. As for the jets I dont know, but atleast you could have heated water.

You throw some wood in a stove on the side of the hot tub - ontop of the stove you have a big pot in which water can be heated up to desired tempurature which safely circulates into the hot tub, controlled by a manualy pulled valve. - ViceVersa, water could be manually pumped into the heating pot from the hot tub and closed off to heat.

I also really like the idea of making a grill out of stove aswell - im sure it would get plenty of use

It would be nice if you could actually see the fire as if you were looking at a fireplace mounted above your hottub - not a bad way to relax, especially if its not costing me anything.
-- Kcsolutions123, Jul 19 2005


//It would be nice if you could actually see the fire as if you were looking at a fireplace mounted above your hottub//

I’ve seen that baked in a log cabin. The old cabins around here have tubs made of stone built beneath the floor. Water would normally be heated in the fireplace and poured in, but this cabin has plumbing. Using water pressure from a stream it has running water, with one of the (two) pipes circling through the fireplace, then under the floor to the tub. Nice indeed.
-- Shz, Jul 19 2005


Im sure it could be done :).

Im surprised I dont see this type of hot tub for sale anywhere, except for the random website www.cnytubs.com which doesnt look that good in my opinion. I would think there would be really nice fiberglass models with different types of fireplaces, grills, jet massagers, 4 person-10person sizes, and so on. I cant find them anywhere and I think i might build one for myself.
-- Kcsolutions123, Jul 20 2005


For jet massagers you need a powered pump requiring electricity, at which point it's far easier for the user to have his water heated by the same electricity source. Having to get out of the tub to load a new log every 15 minutes becomes quickly tiresome, unless the alternative is no access to a hot tub at all in a rustic setting. [additional link for KC]
-- jurist, Jul 21 2005


more than inspired for a new hot tub idea, i was shocked at my friends housemates lack of a need for safety....
-- IcarusByNight, Jul 21 2005



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