Getting the Most from Your Wood-Fired Hot Tub: Owners’ Tips and Tricks to Help New Users Get it Right from the Start

Not everything you’re going to need to enjoy hot tub ownership will be covered in the instruction manual, and knowing how to efficiently use your wood-fired hot tub comes with experience. Avoid the trial-and-error approach with our tips and tricks to make your hot tub life easier from day one.

How to get the temperature up while keeping the heating bills down

It sounds simple, but the goal is to keep your burning time to a minimum. What’s less simple is that there are a number of different ways to go about it. 

The two most important factors in cutting the time it takes to heat your water are choosing the right firewood and using an insulated hot tub cover. In the same way that your house is better at retaining heat than a tent or garden shed, an insulated cover will stop your tub’s heat escaping much more effectively than plastic, wood or canvas. Artificial leather thermal covers are also lighter and more manageable than some other options.

In a wood-burning stove, it’s crucial to build the fire up gradually. Different sizes of logs have different jobs to do, so avoid piling up large hardwood logs as soon as the kindling has taken. Use a mix of soft and hardwoods (pine, fir, birch, ash or oak), and burn medium-sized logs first. Once you’ve got a healthy-looked fire, use the larger logs in the last stage of heating the water to generate hot embers that will last longer, needing less attention and leaving you free to enjoy the tub!

Make sure your firewood is as dry as possible (ideally kiln-dried) so it burns more efficiently, generates more heat and produces less smoke. 

If you plan on using the hot tub a few days in a row, or even skip a day in the middle, don’t let it cool right down. It’s much more economical to maintain warmth than it is to start from cold again. If your tub has a hybrid heating system, you could leave the electric heater on to keep the water up to temperature, or if not, feed the fire a few logs at least twice a day. Once you’ve put the work in to get the fire going, it doesn’t need a lot to keep the water toasty. 

As a side note, if you use the massage system to move the water in your hot tub while heating, it’s always better to do that with your hydro jets. Using an air jet system to move the heat around the tub creates bubbles which can actually slow down the heating process. If the water gets too hot, then air jets can help – add some cold water, stir it well, and use the bubbles to help bring it back to bathing temperature. Always check before you get in, and you’re aiming for between 37-39℃.

How to make sure your artificial leather cover lasts

If you don’t take good care of your insulated cover, it can start to gather mould, or even harden and crack from being exposed to the UV rays of direct sunlight. 

Firstly, don’t shut the cover tight straight after draining the tub. Moisture left in the hot tub needs to evaporate, and if you trap it inside, it’ll collect on the underside of the cover. Without air circulation, this condensation will create the perfect conditions for bacteria and mould. So, for a couple of days after draining, it’s best to either leave the cover off, cover it but leave it half-open, or you could put something under the edge of the cover to create a tiny gap for the moisture to escape. After you’ve given it a few days, you can secure the cover tightly.

Secondly, the hot tub cover needs to be cleaned monthly to avoid the buildup of bacteria. While a simple wooden or plastic cover only needs a scrub with some detergent and a good rinse, an insulated faux leather cover requires a little more attention. Clean it regularly using leather or saddle soap, and treat it with a faux leather conditioner with UV protection twice a year to keep it looking good, and make sure it lasts.

How to avoid regularly changing the water

Keep your water clean by preventing debris from building up in the tub. When it’s not being used, keep the tub under cover. 

More importantly, properly check the water on a regular basis (ideally every day). A quick glance under the cover isn’t enough here –  knowing the pH level tells you whether you need to increase or decrease the water alkalinity with the right chemicals. Regular water maintenance ensures that you will need fewer chemicals overall, and don’t have to resort to more drastic treatment actions.

When making these adjustments, be sure to use the right combination and quantities of chlorine, bromine or oxygen-based chemicals and closely follow the manufacturer’s instructions!

If you don’t change the water after using your wood-fired hot tub, you must use the water filter and run it for a few hours (most manufacturers recommend 4–5 hours) daily, even if you’ve not used the hot tub. An automated switch or timer plug socket can come in handy to make sure this step doesn’t get forgotten!

Another additional option that experienced users choose to keep their hot tubs in good shape is  a UV light for the water filtration system. It makes the system more efficient at killing pathogens and also reduces the amount of chemical products needed to keep the water in your hot tub safe and free from bacteria.

What you should know about cleaning the hot tub

Cleaning the hot tub is all about getting into good habits. As long as you’re careful with the following points, you’ll cut down on bigger maintenance jobs and keep your hot tub running smoothly. 

Never put off cleaning the liner after draining your tub, and definitely don’t let it dry out. If you wipe it down immediately after draining the hot tub, you’ll remove any sediment and debris from the liner surface before it dries. If you don’t, they’ll stick, and they’ll take more effort and more cleaning products to get off later.  

Clean your hot tub regularly. Don’t leave it until the water starts to smell! Use the right specialist cleaners to treat the hydro massage system to prevent the tubes from getting clogged, or even blocked, which can damage the tub. 

If you have a hot tub with a light-coloured liner, you should also keep the cleaning schedule more frequent. The mains water in some parts of the country can have a higher level of iron or other metals, which can eventually cause discolouration of the liner turning it yellow or greyish. Don’t compromise on your cleaning and upkeep regime, and your hot tub can look and work like it’s brand new for years to come.

During the cold season

When there’s even the slightest chance of temperatures dropping below zero, you have to be extra cautious about protecting your wood-fired hot tub from the damage that frozen water can cause.  Follow these tips to keep your hot tub safe in the colder months:

• If your tub has an electric or hybrid heater, keep it on to maintain a warm water temperature, or drain it from the tub. 
• When you drain the water from the hot tub, turn on the massage systems for up to thirty seconds to blow out any water residue from the tubes and nozzles. (Check with the manufacturer if they allow this function so as not to accidentally damage the massage system.)
• Leave the drain valve open to save it from cracking should any water collect in it and freeze.
• Make sure there’s no water left inside the water filter or massage system motor. Check your model’s user manuals very carefully to find out if you need to take any specific steps when preparing the whole system for winter.
• Check your manufacturer’s recommendation for the water filter – some companies clearly require you to disconnect the water filter and store it in a warm place through winter.

In the UK, the cold season is often accompanied by strong, blustery winds, so remember to remove the upper section of the chimney to protect it from wind damage, or from becoming detached. 

When using your hot tub in cold weather, be careful not to heat the water to more than 39℃. It might not feel like it, but your body is still very sensitive to high water temperatures, even when the ambient temperature is low. 

If you’re having a winter soak, keep your head covered. Of course, you’ll feel warm when in the tub, but the reality is that your head will be at a much lower temperature than your body. Losing body heat from your head can be bad for your health, especially if you let wet hair stay exposed to cold winds. 

Hopefully, we’ve covered some of the more practical pointers to help you get the most out of your hot tub. We’ll go into more detail on some of these elsewhere on the blog, and will keep adding to our how-to lists to keep you up-to-date with the latest user hacks and improvements for your wood-fired hot tub. You can also find tips related to wood-fired hot tub maintenance works and expected costs in one of our earlier articles. 

Enjoy your toasty soaks!