Collection: Hot Tubs

A firewood stove heats the water instead of an electric element. Water beside the firebox heats and rises, drawing cooler water in underneath, so the tub circulates on its own and warms gradually. You load the firebox, light it and keep feeding wood until the water is where you want it. The heater sits inside the tub or alongside it depending on the model, and each listing says which.

Keep the water at or below 39 degrees. That is the safe ceiling for bathing and going hotter is a genuine health risk. A wood fire has no thermostat, so use a thermometer. Ease off the fire as you get close and add cold water if it overshoots.

Both use the same kind of fire, and the difference in heating time is negligible. An internal heater sits submerged in the tub, so very little heat is lost, and it costs less. It takes up seating room, you feed wood in from the top, and the chimney comes off before the cover goes on.

An external heater stands beside the tub and circulates the water through it, so the interior is free for bathers. It is easier to feed and clean. You step out to add wood, a little heat is lost on the way round, and it costs more. Which heater a model has, and how many it then seats, is on its listing.

An electric spa runs on mains power and holds a set temperature around the clock. A wood-fired tub is heated on the day you use it. There is no standing power cost, no wiring to install and no need for power at the spot you choose. Firewood is the running cost instead.

The trade-off is that you plan ahead and tend the fire while it heats.

It depends on your conditions on the day rather than the tub. As a rule of thumb, expect a rise of roughly 4 to 8 degrees an hour. Measure your tap water, work out the gap to the temperature you want to bathe at, then divide by that rate.

Cold tap water in winter, a cold or windy day and damp or poorly seasoned firewood all push you towards the slow end. Keeping a cover on while it heats makes a noticeable difference. Never take the water past 39 degrees.

No. A wood-fired tub heats with fire alone, so there is nothing to wire in and no plumbing to connect. You fill it with a garden hose, light the heater and empty it through the drain. You can site one well away from the house without running power or water out to it.

There is no chemical routine either. A wooden tub is kept clean by changing the water, not by dosing it. Keep pool chemicals such as chlorine out, because they attack both the timber and the stainless heater. Anything a model offers beyond that fill, light and drain routine is set out on its listing.

On firm, level, free draining ground that can carry the load. A concrete pad, pavers bedded evenly, or a deck built to take that weight all work. The aim is even bearing across the whole base. If you are in any doubt about the ground or the load, get advice from a builder or engineer before it arrives.

Leave clear space around the flue and keep it away from fences, eaves and overhanging branches. Think about the prevailing wind so smoke drifts away from your house and the neighbours. Plan where you will run the hose and where the water will go when you drain it. Each listing gives the size of that model so you can measure up.

It depends on where you live. Approval is set by your state and your local council. Across much of Australia a tub holding water beyond a certain depth can be treated like a pool for safety barrier purposes. Fencing or a compliant lockable cover may apply. Size, height, siting, setbacks and overlays such as bushfire, heritage, flood and easements can matter as well. Nothing here is legal advice.

Use our free council permit check by postcode, then confirm the requirements with your council before you order.

Yes, at first. Every wooden hot tub weeps when it is new, because the boards are dry and there are tiny gaps between them. Fill it and the timber swells over the first few days, closing those gaps until it holds water. How much it leaks at first depends on how tightly the boards were drawn together during assembly. That is why the ratchet strap step in the guide matters. A small amount of silicone sealant can help with a stubborn spot.

What swelling cannot fix is a gap left too wide at assembly, so take your time on that step. Once it has sealed, keep it full. A tub left empty dries out, the boards shrink, and it starts leaking again.

The stainless bands hold the tub together. They do not pull the boards into place, so the boards have to be assembled tight to begin with. The bands then keep everything in tension as the timber moves. Over-tightened bands will break, so that tension needs watching.

The risk is highest just after first assembly. The boards swell with water and tighten the bands on their own, so loosen them a little in the first weeks. After that, check them once a month and adjust a fraction either way if needed.

Not the way a spa does. Keep chlorine, bromine and salt water out of a wooden tub. Chlorine and bromine break down the wood fibre and strip its natural oils. Along with salt they corrode the stainless steel heater. Clean water comes from changing it, and for home use that is rarely needed after every soak.

Shower before you get in and keep the wooden cover on between soaks, because algae needs light to grow. A simple test kit for pH, alkalinity and suspended solids tells you when a change is due. The one thing you may add is a small dose of an active oxygen product such as OxyFresh. It clears body oils and organic matter without chlorine. Keep the dose low. Heavy or commercial use wants more frequent changes and a sand filter pump.

Outside, protect the timber in two stages. Use a water based wood preserver first, then a paint or stain that shields it from UV and rain. Refresh the coating in accordance with the manufacturer's recommended schedule. Keep the cover on between soaks to limit evaporation and sun.

Inside, brush the timber with a soft brush and pine soap when the tub is empty, then rinse well. Disinfect regularly so bacteria cannot form a slippery film. Never leave it empty for long. Dry timber shrinks and the tub starts to leak.

The tub, the wood fired heater and its chimney, the fixings and an illustrated assembly guide come with every kit. Beyond that it varies by model. Items such as a cover, steps, benches and a safety fence around an internal heater are included with some tubs and optional with others. Check the listing for the one you are looking at.

Our tubs are built from slow grown European spruce, kiln dried and sourced from FSC certified suppliers. What is packed with each tub, and which extras it can be ordered with, is set out on that product's listing.

It depends on the model. Most arrive as a flat-pack kit on a pallet and you build them on site. The fixings and an illustrated guide are in the pack. Some models arrive fully assembled instead. Which applies is stated on each listing.

Set the tub on a stable, level, free draining surface such as a concrete pad, pavers or a deck rated for the load. It needs to bear evenly across the whole base. For any question during the build, call us on 03 6145 0600.

You can pay in full at checkout. A made to order tub can usually be secured with a deposit, with the balance due before it is dispatched. If you would rather talk it through, we can go over lead times and arrange an invoice.

A free consultation with a product specialist is available if you would like a hand choosing. Call 03 6145 0600 or email hello@nordicspa.com.au.

Your hot tub arrives on a pallet by freight truck. We offer free freight to metro depots in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney. Request a freight quote if you live outside our free delivery zones.

From the depot you can pick up for free, or arrange delivery to your property with the depot. Items held in stock are dispatched within one to four business days. Made to order items take roughly eight to fourteen weeks. They're manufactured in Europe and shipped once your order is placed. The listing tells you which applies to the hot tub you're looking at. We confirm the timing with you when you order.