Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs

Hot Tub General

Fire and hot water can cause injuries.

Do not leave children unattended around the hot tub.

Do not use the hot tub when under the influence of prescription medication, alcohol, or recreational drugs.

Do not leave the hot tub unattended when the stove is burning.

Typically, it comes down to two main reasons. The first is the natural beauty and aesthetics of our products. The beauty of the cedar gives you a much more natural and elegant look in your backyard than you can ever get with a plastic spa. The second is comfort; our customers like that they can stand up, walk around and stretch out and are not confined to uncomfortable, pre-molded plastic seats that don’t fit everyone’s body type. As well, our products are priced very competitively.

We used to sell our hot tubs without liners but there are just too many problems with unlined cedar hot tubs – leaking, sanitation issues, wood-rot, etc. To address these issues, we developed and introduced a liner for all our hot tubs. Liners also make the tub more comfortable to sit in (no rough edges or slivers). As well, our liners help reduce the “steeped tea” problem inherent in unlined cedar hot tubs; that is color and pigment from the wood will leach into the water and discolor it, giving bathers the effect of sitting in a pot of tea.

Starting in 2022, the hot tub liner must be used to prevent leaks. Previously, some customers chose to use their hot tub without the liner as they preferred the all-wood aesthetic. Due to a change in our stave design, tubs can no longer be used unlined. Using the tub without a liner will result in leaks.

We sell hot tubs in many different sizes, some are small enough for a romantic dip, and some are big enough for the whole family! Our best-selling model is made for up to six people (6ft diameter).

Our biggest hot tub has a 7ft diameter and when filled with water weighs ~9,000 lbs.

Our smallest hot tub has a 5ft diameter and weighs ~4,500 lbs.

Check the product pages for specific weights and dimensions for each product.

We offer several different sizes of hot tubs. Please see the list below for an approximate measure of hot tub capacity in gallons.

5ft x 3ft = 350 gal (2,900 lbs)

5ft x 4ft = 460 gal (3,850 lbs)

6ft x 3ft = 500 gal (4,160 lbs)

6ft x 4ft = 670 gal (5,550 lbs)

7ft x 3ft = 680 gal (5,670 lbs)

7ft x 4ft = 910 gal (7,560 lbs)

Most of our customers find 104° F is the ideal temperature for relaxing.

Our 6ft x 3ft wood-fired hot tub (our most popular model) takes about 3.5 hours on average to heat to 104° F (assuming starting water temperate of 55° and an internal wood-burning stove).

Larger volume hot tubs will take longer to heat up.

Heat-up time can range widely based on many different factors, such as the starting temperature of your water, the outdoor air temperature, the size of your hot tub, and the strength of your heater.

A 6’x4’ hot tub with a 5.5kW heater will heat your tub from hose temperature to 104F in approximately 12 hours, under normal conditions.

An 11kW heater will do the same in half the time, so approximately 6 hours. After the water is warm, you should be able to maintain your tubbing temperature by running the system for 3 x 60-minute cycles per day.

You can use your wooden hot tub all year round. It can also be used with hot or cold water. This means you can use it as a refreshingly cool plunge pool in the hot summer months and as a relaxing hot tub in the cold winter months.

Your cedar hot tub should last 10-15 years with appropriate maintenance. To maximize your tub's life, it is essential that you are regularly balancing the chemicals in the water. This includes both sanitizer (bromine) levels as well as pH, alkaline, and calcium levels. We have detailed guidance on water maintenance as well as a recommended maintenance plan in our "Care and Cleaning" section.

Cleaning the inside of the hot tub regularly with soapy water using a brush or high-pressure cleaner will extend the hot tub’s life. Do not paint the hot tub or treat the inside of the wooden hot tub. You do not have to clean or treat the underside of your wooden hot tub.

It is not necessary to coat the tub with a protective finish. Left alone the tub will weather and turn light gray. We do not recommend that you use wood sealers or paints on the tub, because the wood benefits from exposure to the air. The water will seal the interior surface; therefore it is important to leave the exterior surface unsealed so it can breathe.

If you want your tub to have a finished look, you can apply boiled linseed oil to the exterior. It is absorbed into the wood without making a permanent seal. When applying linseed, coat the exterior (only) with a brush or roller. Before disposing of the application tools let them dry out in a non-confined, well-ventilated area. They may spontaneously combust if placed in a confined area.

Your hot tub must be placed on stable, flat ground. We recommend placing the hot tub on a gravel base or a concrete pad. We do not recommend placing the hot tub directly on dirt or grass as the weight of the water will cause the tub to sink into the ground. Depending on local conditions, a drainage system may be required.

When you start using your hot tub, the color of your water may turn dark red or even brown. This is a process called tannin leaching. Tannins are the natural oils / preservatives in the wood.

When you first use the tub, tannins will leach from the wood into the water, changing the water's color. The leaching process may last anywhere from 3 to 12 months, depending on the wood's tannin content. The tannins are not harmful, but they can discolor bathing suits. If your water has tannins in it, change it frequently. Eventually, all the tannins will be leached out of the wood.

The vinyl liner helps reduce tannin leaching and our lined hot tubs experience much less leaching than an unlined wooden hot tub. However, customers should still expect some leaching as the benches, struts, and other pieces in the tub are still made of cedar and contain tannins.

Our cedar hot tubs are made from 100% Canadian red cedar. Cedar is naturally resistant to moisture and rot. It is a strong, elastic, and durable wood. Additionally, red cedar has a beautiful appearance that we know you and your guests will appreciate.

All our hot tub kits are designed with the DIY customer in mind. Anyone with novice woodworking skills could build the body in approximately 4 hours over 2 days.

The hot tubs are easily assembled by matching the wood components together using the “tongue and groove” principle. All the pieces are pre-cut and there is no cutting or sawing required.

All the assembler will need is a level, Phillips screwdriver, 7/16″ and 9/16″ open end wrenches, 9/16″ deep socket wrench, vise grips, and a mallet.

We do not recommend extending the assembly period beyond seven days. After 7 days, the wood may start to warp if not fully assembled.

If you have purchased an electric hot tub, you must work with a qualified electrician to wire the electrical components. We also recommend working with a plumber to install the water piping, however, the piping can be installed by a customer with more DIY experience.

You may add any natural and biodegradable products to the water for relaxation purposes. Some customers add salt, herbal extracts, or essential oils to heighten your hot tub experience. Adding non-biodegradable products to the water could cause bacterial/algae growth.

You must maintain the water with a sanitizing agent (bromine) as well as maintain the water pH, alkaline, and calcium levels. If you are adding other products to the water (such as essential oils) this may impact your levels and interact with your sanitizing chemicals. Check the label and consult with your local spa chemical dealer before adding any foreign substances to the water.

Yes. If you are redesigning your yard or landscaping, you may move your hot tub to a different location.

The dry weight for all our hot tubs is listed on the "Shipping" section of the relevant product page. The water adds a lot of additional weight to the tub and filled tubs can weigh nearly 10,000 lbs (approximate water weights listed above).

A moderate size wheelbarrow load of DRY wood per session.

The benches are 12" high all the way around the tub in our 3ft hot tubs.

The 4ft hot tub has 12" benches as well as one "step-in" bench that is raised above the other benches. The height of the step-in bench is 26".

Our hot tubs do not come with jets and we do not offer a jet kit.

Any jet system would need to be designed and installed by the customer independently.

Yes! Visit our warranty page for detailed information on the warranties for our different products.

www.redwoodoutdoors.com/warranty/

The number we quote for seating capacity is an estimate. Depending on the size of your bathers, you may fit more or fewer bathers in the hot tub. In our experience, we do not usually see more than a +/- 1 person variance from the number quoted (e.g., the 6-person hot tub may fit 5-7 people depending on the size of bathers).

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