homemade hot tub
Dan
wondering why I couldn't just build it like you would
a landscaping pond using the black plastic. Would it be able to stand hot
water? If not, what about just using the same
techniques used for swimming pools? All I want is a hot tub for just 1
person; the size of a bath tub, just little longer so
you can stretch out. There was a guy who had a web-site of a pool he built
in his backyard.
Dan
BugHunter
news:NXtea.12335$j8.2...@twister.tampabay.rr.com...
This is something I've wanted to do myself for some time. I've done a fair
amount of research and thinking on the subject. My goal is to make a
homemade hot tub for as little money as possible.
I have two tubs. One is an old Mr. Spa junker that a buddy gave me. I
repaired the rotted wood sides, did some plumbing repairs and fixed some
leaks and used it for about 8 years. It was a pain keeping that thing
running because of it's poor plumbing design. But it's hard to complain
about a tub that cost me no more than $100 in repair materials. That's
better than paying $3-4k, which is what a tub this size costs.
Now, I also have a 6' SofTub. It is a nice simple design, relatively cheap
to run, lightweight and portable (when empty). It also had the advantage of
not requiring a crane to install it on my deck. They use an interesting
design where the heat is provided by scavenging heat off of the pump motor.
No separate heater is used, and it is very economical to run. It was still
too costly in my opinion, but the wife wanted to replace our failing tub
fast.
I look for a basic tub that is not an energy hog, and is simple to maintain.
I have no need for a lot of fancy jets and such. Reliable hot water does it
for me.
Still, I want another tub for my camp in the Great North Woods of NH. I'd
prefer to build my own instead of paying a couple grand for a traditional
acrylic tub. I have thought long about building an in-ground unit, or even
making one using a cattle watering tank. I'm thinking in the range of less
than $1000 for the whole works.
The SoftTub brand model is made of EDPM rubber. EDPM is often used for pond
liners or even for roofing. It is relatively inexpensive, and can withstand
temperatures well in excess of what any hot-tubber can withstand. If I
recall, it can handle about 500 degrees F. You would need to bond it
together so that you have smooth sides (no wrinkles). A regular geometric
shape like a plane cylinder or a rectangle would be simplest and have the
fewest seams for this purpose. You could frame a reinforced box of exterior
plywood and 2x4's, and then coat the inside with EDPM. Rigid foam could be
used for insulation, and you could make a an insulated cover with Rigid foam
as well and even cover it in EDPM or something more attractive. EDPM is
black, and would be somewhat ugly for a cover. You can buy replacement
covers, but they can be a bit expensive for all you get.
Building in-ground is a definite possibility. They do it all the time using
pool building techniques. I would think it could get quite costly to have
pro's do it, but you might be able to get functional results with some
homemade DIY ingenuity.
The structure itself is less of a problem if you build in the ground,
because the ground itself will support most of the weight of the water.
Insulation is still necessary, and that would be trickier on a free form
shape. My "Mr. spa" has blown on insulation under the frame and the acrylic
and fiberglass tub. It covers the plastic plumbing and the bottom of the tub
and is between 2 and 4 inches thick. I think I'd want to have about 5" of
insulation on any in-ground tub, otherwise it could get too expensive to run
with heat loss into the earth. You might be able to buy a bunch of cans of
"Great Stuff" type of insulating foam. It's messy to work with, but I
believe it would do the job.
Gunite, or shot-crete would make a good water holding vessel for a tub. But,
it's application requires some special tools and skills that I don't happen
to have. You might be able to hand mix, or have a truck deliver some stiff
concrete and hand form it into an irregular shape with hand tools. But, any
concrete is going to need reinforcement or it will crack. Bending and tying
a lot of reinforcement rod is not my idea of a fun project. It takes a lot
according to the pro jobs I've seen on the net.
Sealing concrete is not a problem. UGL drylock paint would do the job.
But, I think the freeform concrete type of design starts to sound like a lot
of work, and may be at some risk of failing (cracking) if not done right. I
think it could exceed my $1000 total price goal pretty quickly and be a lot
of hard work.
There are other options I've considered for a cheap tub. I mentioned cattle
watering tanks. You could dress up an ugly watering tank with some nice
redwood siding. I've been shopping for a tank, but so far have not found one
locally that fits my size requirements. And ugly one could be sunk into the
ground.
I installed a septic tank and well a couple of years ago. Bingo! The bottom
half of a 1000 gal reinforced concrete septic tank would make a nice 6-8
person tub, and they are reasonably cheap. (~$250 a half) No worries about
cracking, but don't tell your guest what you used for to fabricate the tub
or they may be repulsed. (avoid used tanks)
Smaller tanks might be found, but I haven't done any serious shopping for
these as yet. They also sell fiberglass tanks that might work.
Reinforced concrete well tiles also present some interesting possibilities
for 1 or 2 person in-ground tubs. Buy a reinforced well top and use it for
the bottom of your tub by grouting and sealing it to a cylindrical well
tile. I'd use a backhoe to dig the hole, line it with sand, make provisions
for a gravity drain of some sort, and one inlet and one outlet for a filter
and heating system. Spray the exterior sides with 5" -6" of great stuff
foam, and use some rigid foam on the bottom. Paint the inside with UGL
drylock paint, and make a round top cover with rigid foam.
Heaters and pump and filters are another issue. My site is off-grid, so I
cannot use an electric heater. Propane heaters can be outrageously expensive
although there is no reason that a 6gal hot water for a RV wouldn't work.
Wood snorkle stoves are reasonable and would work for me, but you need to
size the tub larger to fit them in the tub with you. I suppose you can buy
replacement pumps and filters and other hardware, but the price can add up
quickly to where you are spending more than for a manufactured tub if you
are not careful in you design and selection of parts.
Sorry for rambling. It's a subject of interest to me. I really want a tub
for my camp.
Dan
Robert
you with a wood burning hot tube heater. Our CowBoyHotTubs hot tub
heater starts for about $170.00 As mentioned earlier in the post, a
cattle stock tank could be bought for about $150 - $200. That can put
you into a fully portable hot tub for well under $400. We are able to
make custom sized heaters for any special applications. Have any
questions?
Want to check it out? Please feel free to email us.
"BugHunter" <CIA00...@langley.gov> wrote in message news:<3e7af361_3@newsfeed>...