The Electric Cedar Hot Tub

A soak so quiet it is almost undetectable. The Electric runs one gentle 30 gpm jet off a single circulation pump at the lowest practical horsepower, rather than banks of jets driven by several pumps and a blower. The heater, pump and filter sit inside the insulated cedar steps, so what you hear is the setting around you.

One jet, by design. It is hydraulically designed to move water efficiently, quietly and effectively, keeping the water clean and clear and giving a gentle massage on the lowest possible horsepower and the fewest possible motors. More jets would mean more pumps and hoses on the outside of the tub: more to maintain, more to install and more noise, in the one place you came to get away from it.

A dedicated 240V, 30 amp GFCI-protected circuit, hardwired by a certified electrician. The 4 kW heater draws 18 amps, and the run is typically #10-3 wire. Have it run before the tub arrives, and the electrician makes the final tie-in on delivery day.

For a tub that will rely on electric heat alone somewhere that stays well below freezing, an optional 5.5 kW heater is available. It needs a larger circuit, so ask us before the run goes in. There is no 120V Electric, because a standard outlet cannot hold 104°F in cold weather; 120V is offered on the Small and Standard Hybrid, where the fire covers the gap.

We used to offer a 120V Electric and withdrew it, because a standard outlet will not hold 104°F once the weather turns cold, and an electric-only tub has nothing to fall back on. The Electric is 240V on a dedicated circuit so it works on the coldest night of the year, not just the mildest. For properties short of power, the Small and Standard Hybrid offer 120V by request, because its fire covers what the element cannot.

From a cold fill it heats about 3°F an hour, so allow up to 14 hours to reach soaking temperature. After that it holds whatever you set between 50 and 104°F, so it is ready whenever you are. With Wi-Fi control you can lower the temperature while you are away and schedule it back up before you arrive.

Built-in filtration runs on a schedule, about 12 hours a day by default, drawing water through a 50 micron cartridge filter, past the heater and back through the jet. Bromine tablets sit in an in-line dispenser in the filter lid and hold 2 to 3 ppm. Rinse the filter every two weeks, and soak it in The Filter Cleanser only when it no longer rinses clean or after heavy use. Replace the cartridge every three to four months. With filtration and balanced water, one fill lasts three to four months.

The Electric is designed to be cared for with Good Clean Living, our own six-month water care system. The Purifier filters fill water at the hose, The Balancers hold alkalinity, pH and calcium in range, The Stabilizer keeps the water clear, Filter Care looks after the cartridge, The Tub Cleanser handles the seasonal drain and refill, and The Aroma Therapist adds a eucalyptus ritual. Start clean, balance well, treat only what you need.

The ranges to hold: alkalinity 80 to 120 ppm, corrected first; pH 7.4 to 7.8; calcium hardness 150 to 250 ppm; bromine 2 to 3 ppm, never above 3. Bromine and test strips are intentionally sourced separately. Chlorine in any form, salt systems, and copper or silver products are not compatible with an aluminum tub.

An acrylic spa has banks of jets, long internal plumbing runs and sealed cavities where water sits between soaks and biofilm forms out of reach. The Electric has one jet, a short filter loop outside the tub and a smooth aluminum interior that a drain and rinse reaches completely, so 2 to 3 ppm of bromine is enough. It is also why no UV or ozone is fitted: they exist to reduce sanitizer demand that this tub does not create.

Yes. It holds its set temperature through winter, and the insulation means the heater cycles less to do it. If the water drops to 44°F, freeze protection runs the pump so the water keeps circulating and cannot freeze, for as long as there is power.

It gives no protection in a power outage, so if a long outage is likely at an unoccupied property, drain the tub. Water held at 104°F takes time to cool, which leaves time to do it. For electric-only heating in places that stay well below freezing, ask about the optional 5.5 kW heater.

Yes. Set anything from 50 to 104°F and it holds that temperature day and night, so it is ready whenever you are, even on the coldest evening of the year.

Insulation does most of the work: 360 degrees of it between the aluminum and the cedar, a floating layer on the water and the lid on top, so the heater cycles less to hold your temperature. With Wi-Fi control you can turn it down while you are away and schedule it back up before you arrive.

If you are away for a while and the power stays on, leave it running at a lower temperature. Freeze protection keeps the water circulating whenever it drops to 44°F.

For a long absence, or anywhere a power outage could go unnoticed, drain it. Empty the tub and the equipment in the cedar steps as the manual sets out. Drained, an AlumiTub has nothing inside it to freeze, and it fills and heats again the day you are back.

Most of the work is done by insulation: 360 degrees of it between the aluminum structure and the cedar, a floating layer on the water, and the lid you add, with 3.5 inches of rigid insulation laid beneath the base during site prep. The heater cycles less to hold temperature, and Wi-Fi scheduling lets you turn it down when nobody is home. Running cost depends on your climate, your electricity rate and how warm you keep it.

Small: 60 inches (5 ft) across, seats 4, 315 US gallons, $12,495 CAD (about $9,000 USD). Standard: 72 inches (6 ft), seats 7, 420 US gallons, $12,995 CAD (about $9,400 USD). Large: 84 inches (7 ft), seats 10, 650 US gallons, $13,995 CAD (about $10,100 USD).

Every size is 38 inches deep as standard, with 44 and 48 inch builds available. A $500 CAD deposit reserves your production slot, and the balance is due 30 days before your tub ships.

It arrives pre-assembled and weighs 200 to 300 lbs empty, so two people roll it into place on its side, through a gap as narrow as 38 inches. No crane, no plumbing, no assembly. It needs a flat, fully supported surface with 3.5 inches of rigid insulation beneath it, and setup takes 1 hour, plus an electrician for the connection.

The heating and filtration system lives in the cedar steps against the tub: 35 inches wide, 27 deep and 25 high, in two 12.5 inch steps shaped to the curve of the tub. If your setting doesn't allow for steps, such as when the tub is completely recessed in a deck, the equipment can sit up to 10 feet away with no elevation change, in a weatherproof enclosure you build.

Yes, on a deck, against a deck cutout, or flush or partly sunk into it. The structure must carry the filled weight: 3,200 lbs for the Small, 5,000 for the Standard and 7,000 for the Large, plus roughly 1,000 lbs on deeper builds. The two plumbing ports sit behind the steps, 4 and 17 inches from the base and 16 inches apart, so send us the deck elevations early and we will confirm them and the drain against your framing.

A traditional cedar tub depends on the wood swelling to seal, so it leaks when drained and has to stay full. The Electric is built on a riveted 5052 marine-grade aluminum structure that is watertight on its own, clad in Canadian Western Red Cedar held by stainless bands. It can be drained, moved and left empty without consequence, and every cedar board, band and piece of equipment can be replaced by hand.

Yes. Marine-grade aluminum takes sea water; specify the titanium heating coil when you order, and change ocean fills every five to seven days. Lake and well water work too, balanced to the ranges above. Do not fill through a water softener: it strips the calcium that keeps water from drawing minerals out of the surfaces it touches.

The Electric heats; it does not chill. The range starts at 50°F, so it can be brought down for a cooler summer soak, but it is not a cold plunge. Hot and cold contrast works best when you can move between two tubs, so that is what we usually recommend. A tub can also be built with ports for your own external chiller; email hi@alumitubs.com to order one that way.

The structure carries a 25 year structural warranty. Every component is replaceable rather than disposable, and we still supply parts for tubs built two decades ago. Full terms are on the warranty page.

The Electric holds a set temperature with no fire to tend, which suits a home you use most weeks or a rental. The Wood Fired heats with nothing but wood and suits off-grid properties. The Hybrid has both, for a cabin you visit on weekends or anywhere with summer fire bans. All three share the same aluminum structure, cedar and warranty, and you can change system at no charge up to 30 days before your tub ships.