Should You Treat Your Wood Fired Hot Tub With Chemicals?

Should you treat your wood fired hot tub with chemicals? This depends on your water source, frequency of use and personal preference. Unlike cedar hot tubs where bacteria and algae growth can accumulate, AlumiTubs are made with a marine grade aluminum foundation that's hygienic and easy to clean with just soap and water. One of the other great benefits is that it can be filled with salt or fresh water, allowing you to fill your hot tub directly from a natural water source at your property. Salt water will extend the life of your water for twice as long as fresh (7-10 days of use vs. 3-5 with fresh water). 

While you don't need to use chemicals — you can keep your AlumiTubs chemical-free through regular water changes - there are safe and gentle options that can help extend the cleanliness, preserving water so you're using less of it. With chemical water treatments, your water will remain clean for 4 weeks or longer, saving you time from changing it, and conserving water in the process. 

You can fill your AlumiTub directly from the lake or ocean, or reuse the water to water your garden, so there's several ways to reduce waste even without chemical water treatments. If you are using chemicals, be sure to use a neutralizer before emptying it into the environment. This will ensure you're responsibly recycling your hot tub water and protecting the ecosystem around you. 

Pros of Using Chemicals

• Cleaning agents like bromine or hydrogen peroxide are popular among AlumiTubbers. They're tried, true and tested options that are gentle and safe, offering the benefit of clean water for longer, allowing you to conserve for a longer period of time. 

• You can buy most cleaning agents online (and get them shipped anywhere, even to your remote cabin), and bromine and hydrogen peroxide don't require filtration - making them perfect candidates for a wood fired hot tub.

• Chemicals help you sanitize your water more frequently, meaning your water will be less prone to bacteria. Overall, this will provided a low maintenance hot tub experience.

Cons of Using Chemicals 

• If you rely on a closed loop system for your tub (in that you're recycling the water once you're done with it), you may need to treat the water (a bromine neutralizer) before reusing it in places where you don't want chemical byproducts.

• There's something very pure and ritualistic about soaking in water pumped from a natural water source - like an ocean or lake near you - that make the whole wood fired hot tub experience feel especially elemental. Pump it into your tub and back out again when it's time for a refresh.

How To Treat Your Hot Tub Water With Chemicals

If you're going to be using your AlumiTubs after 3 days, and you don't plan on refreshing the water or using a filtration system, we recommend using a brominating concentrate to keep the water clear and balanced. 

Before adding the concentrate to your tub, dilute it first in a bucket of water. Once you add the treated bucket of water to your tub, give it a solid stir (18-20 seems to be the magic number), with a paddle or a 2x4 piece of wood to ensure the treatment is evenly distributed. Make sure to always follow the recommended use and instructions on the concentrate bottle, and to store it somewhere safe. 

The AlumiTubs Wood Fired Hot Tubs owners group and user manual offer plenty of helpful information to help you decide how to soak. For more information about how to keep your wood burning hot tub clean, check out our instructional video.

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