How to Prepare for the Arrival of Your AlumiTub Wood Fired Hot Tub

You have placed a deposit and your AlumiTub is in the build queue. The good news is that the wait is useful time. Prepare the site properly and you can be in the water the day it arrives.

Every tub is built by hand on the Sunshine Coast, which is why there is a queue at all. Here is how to use it. A wood fired hot tub has no installation in the usual sense, no plumbing, no wiring, no contractor and no crane, so what follows is the short list of things the site has to provide.

1. Think about how you will use it

If you want the pared-back experience, wood fired heat and nothing else, all you need is a level spot and a way to fill it. Stack some dry wood and have matches ready. No site preparation beyond that.

If you want more, now is the time to plan it. A Wood Fired can take a 120V plug-and-play filtration system to extend water life from a week or two to three or four months, and it runs from a standard outdoor outlet. Electric and Hybrid models need their connection in place before arrival, a dedicated 240V, 30 amp, 4kW circuit with an 18 amp draw installed by a certified electrician, and trenching is far easier before the tub is sitting there. The electrician makes the connection on delivery day and is the only trade involved. That same 120V filtration equipment converts to 240V heating later, so it is worth running the larger circuit at the outset if there is any chance of wanting it.

Worth settling now: how you will fill it, whether from a hose, a well, a lake or the ocean. Whether it stays in use through winter or gets drained. Whether you want steps, a nearby shower, the tub recessed into a deck, or a spot on a dock. Any structure needs to carry the filled weight, so that figure comes first.

Ocean fills are changed every five to seven days rather than left standing, and on an Electric or Hybrid intended for ocean water a titanium heating coil is specified at the time of order. Raise it with us before the build starts. Off-grid, a battery or generator pump draws from a lake, river or the ocean, and it is worth sourcing before the tub lands. More on that in saltwater against freshwater, and on sourcing water at a remote property in how to handle water access.

If you are still deciding between heating systems, the complete guide to heating options compares all three, and a Wood Fired built with the optional compatibility ports can take electric heat and filtration years later.

2. Choose the location

The chimney must have at least ten feet of vertical clearance below anything overhanging, and sit clear of any structure or flammable object. Sparks do fly, particularly in dry season, and it is worth confirming exact requirements with your local fire authority before the tub is placed. You need a flat, level, fully supported surface that carries the filled weight.

Size	Outside diameter	Water	Empty	Filled weight
Small	60" (5 ft)	315 US gal	200 lbs	3,200 lbs
Standard	72" (6 ft)	420 US gal	220 lbs	5,000 lbs
Large	84" (7 ft)	650 US gal	300 lbs	7,000 lbs

All three are 38 inches deep as standard, with 44 inches available on Wood Fired and Hybrid, and 44 or 48 on Electric. Deeper builds add roughly 1,000 lbs to the filled weight. If the tub is going on a deck, confirm the structure carries the filled weight at full capacity before anything else is decided; that number is what stalls projects when it is found late. Leave enough space around the tub to load the firebox without brushing against it when hot, and think about where firewood and lids will live.

When choosing the spot, consider how you will drain it, what you will fill it from, whether you want power nearby for a pump or filtration, and where storage goes.

Rigid insulation goes underneath. Two layers, 1.5 inch and 2 inch for about 3.5 inches total, is the recommended base for any setup, and it noticeably improves heat retention. On pressure treated wood, concrete and crushed gravel it is required, as a barrier between the aluminum and dissimilar metals in those materials, and on gravel to level the surface and avoid denting the base. Trim excess insulation with a utility knife, and the bottom band accessory hides the edge.

For ideas, see where AlumiTubs live: owners across Canada and the US have shared how they set theirs up, several with steps, seating, filtration and alternative heating. If the tub is going into a deck, or you want the equipment on an Electric or Hybrid somewhere other than the standard cedar steps, the installation options post covers the arrangements and the dimensions a builder will ask for.

3. Plan drainage before the tub arrives

Drainage decides how much work emptying the tub is, and it is far easier to plan now than to solve later. There are two approaches.

Option 1: the Drain Kit

We recommend this. It takes a garden hose and lets you empty the tub using a valve on the outside, directing the water wherever suits: a garden bed, or back to the lake or ocean it came from. Use a 1 inch hose with a mechanical clamp.

Never leave standing water in the Drain Kit during freezing conditions. Use a 1 and 1/4 inch snap drain plug on the inside of the tub and leave the external valve open.

Three ways to fit it:

1. On the ground. Visualize the orientation and where the drain should sit. Dig a trench to size, and when the tub arrives, place the Drain Kit in the slot to confirm room and depth. Thread it into the drain hole at the base, rotating counter clockwise until snug. Do not over-tighten, which risks cracking the plastic pipe. Shimmy the tub until kit and trench align, then add rock or fill to support it.
2. On a new deck with access underneath. Use a hole saw so the Drain Kit can be threaded into the base from beneath the deck boards.
3. On an existing deck or pad with no access underneath. The tub needs propping up by four inches with rigid insulation to accommodate the kit, which sits under the base.

Option 2: a snap drain plug

Hold the water with a 1 and 1/4 inch snap drain plug instead, and empty using a sump pump or siphon.

Whichever you choose, lead the water well clear of the tub and downhill. Water released at the base softens the ground under a structure that needs to stay level, and in winter it refreezes exactly where people step in and out. And never drain below the fill line until the firebox has fully cooled. Draining and refilling covers where the water can go.

4. Plan how you will receive it

AlumiTubs arrive pre-assembled and are light enough to move: 200 lbs empty for the Small, 220 for the Standard, 300 for the Large. There is no crane and no contractor involved, which is what makes them workable for off-grid cabins, rentals and guest properties where a conventional spa cannot go.

Whether you are towing it to a boat-access cabin or moving it across a property, plan the last stretch. For depot pickup you will want a trailer at least 4 by 7 feet, or a pickup with a six foot bed and 46 inches between the wheel wells, plus two 20 ft ratchet straps and 2x6s with cleats. The tub travels on its side at 38 inches, which passes through most gates and side returns.

Walk the route in advance. Clear overgrown branches, move large rocks that could dent the base, and check any roots or steps in the way. The off-grid guide covers what owners have managed at genuinely difficult sites.

5. Use the wait to build out the space

The tub is the centerpiece, but the space around it is what makes people stay out there.

• A privacy screen from decking, lattice or planting
• Steps from decking or cedar rounds for easier access
• Decking prepared if you are recessing the tub or adding a wrap-around
• An outdoor towel rack, which is a weekend project
• An outdoor shower or cold plunge alongside
• Lighting, seating and somewhere to put a drink down

It is also worth having dry wood seasoning by the time the tub lands. The best firewood to use covers the species and the seasoning.

6. Setting up when it lands

Roll the tub into position, then unpack the cedar slats, stainless bands and components. On a prepared site the whole thing takes about an hour whichever system you have.

1. Set it on the prepared insulated base, with the Drain Kit aligned in its channel if you have one
2. Wrap the insulation around the outside and tape the seam
3. Position the cedar beneath two ratchet straps, working from the front toward the firebox side
4. Fasten with the three stainless bands, top 4 inches from the rim, bottom 4 inches from the base, middle at 19 inches, tightened evenly and not overtightened, then remove the straps
5. Fit the chimney into its sleeve and onto the stove
6. Put the stove lid on the firebox and hang the thermometer from the cedar fence
7. On an Electric or Hybrid, have the electrician make the connection
8. Fill with water. Only then light the fire

That last point is the one that matters most. Fill to the line marked on the tub, or at least 4 inches above the chimney collar, and keep the water there the entire time the firebox is hot. Firing an empty or part-filled tub warps the firebox, takes the tub out of service, and voids firebox coverage.

Extra cedar boards come with every tub for seasonal shrinkage. Keep them. The setup and use videos on the FAQ page walk through each stage, and your manual covers the detail. For the first fills, what to expect in your first year covers the cedar tannin period, how to fill a hot tub covers balancing the first fill, and how to use a wood fired hot tub walks through heating it.

Have dry wood and kindling ready, a hose to fill with, and matches to hand. The wait will be worth it, and the preparation is what makes the first evening feel effortless.

Common questions

What do I need to prepare before a hot tub is delivered?

A flat level surface that carries the filled weight, at least ten feet of chimney clearance below anything flammable, a plan for draining, a way to fill it, and a clear access route from the delivery point. Filled weights are 3,200 lbs for the Small, 5,000 for the Standard and 7,000 for the Large.

Does a wood fired hot tub need to be installed by a professional?

No. It arrives pre-assembled, rolls into place by hand, and on a prepared site setup takes about an hour. There is no plumbing and no wiring on a Wood Fired. The only trade involved is an electrician, and only on an Electric or Hybrid, to connect the dedicated 240V circuit.

Can a hot tub be placed on a deck?

Yes, provided the structure carries the filled weight at full capacity. That is 3,200 lbs for the Small, 5,000 for the Standard and 7,000 for the Large. If there is no access underneath the deck, the tub needs propping up four inches with rigid insulation to accommodate the drain kit.

Does a hot tub need insulation underneath it?

On pressure treated wood or concrete, yes. Rigid insulation beneath the tub creates a barrier that prevents the aluminum reacting with dissimilar metals in those materials. The same applies on crushed gravel, both to level the surface and to avoid denting the base. Two layers giving about 3.5 inches is the recommended base for any setup.

How is a wood fired hot tub delivered and moved into place?

It arrives crated on a pallet, pre-assembled, and ships to your nearest freight depot by default where a forklift loads it into your truck or trailer. It travels on its side at 38 inches, which passes through most gates, and weighs 200 to 300 lbs empty depending on size, so two people can roll it into position without a crane.

How long does it take to set up a hot tub on arrival?

About an hour on a prepared site, across all three heating systems, because the tub arrives pre-assembled rather than as a kit. On an Electric or Hybrid, have the dedicated circuit run to the site beforehand so the electrical connection is quick on the day.