Off the grid? Not a problem for this tub!

[Zep]

[size=16]Hot Tub Off The Grid [/size]

Monday, 02 March 2009

By GreenMuze Staff


(The Dutchtub off the grid hottub)

It is possible to be off the grid and still have a few luxuries like a hot tub.
Dutchtub, is a portable, off-the-grid hot tub that runs on wood. The tub
uses a hot-water convection system that heats the water and forces the
heated water into the tub. The fire is contained within a re-circulating
spiral column heat exchanger.

Through the heat of the fire, the warm water expands, forcing the water
flow up the spiral tubing and out of the upper pipe, back into the hot tub.
The pressure of the 800 litters in the tub continually refills the spiral
and the circulating hot water keeps the tub hot.

Times to heat the tub vary, but the company estimates the hot tub can be
heated in 2 hours to 38 degrees Celsius / 100 degrees Fahrenheit, using
two bags of dry wood.

http://www.DutchTub.com

[Toothmechanic]

Nothing like a swamp and a sexy lady in a hot tub hot off the grid!!!

[Zep]

"Nothing like a swamp and a sexy lady in a hot tub hot off the grid"

And mountains work too!  

[Toothmechanic]

"Nothing like a swamp and a sexy lady in a hot tub hot off the grid"

And mountains work too!  

I like the mountains better!!!

[Chas]

UL listed?

 8-)

[Zep]

I dunno Chas....it's so basic there may be no need for UL.

I tell ya what though....I am waiting for the tub makers to develop a hot tub
that is "half way" between this dutch tub and the current standard hot tubs.

I wish the tub makers would develop basically an "outdoor bath tub"
with jets and lights.....not a huge tub.....maybe just a very basic tub
on the smaller side and it would be a "drain after every use" tub.

This tub would be geared towards people that soak a couple-three
times a month..(like me)...which is after the initial novelty wears off
where most hot tub owners end up. Notice I said most....I know there
are some that soak 5-6 times a week on this board....but this board is
not always typical of the average hot tub owner.

Sure the water costs would increase, but you would save alot on
chemicals and you would not be heating the water 24/7 - 365 days a year.

Maybe this new tub would have some type of "endless hot water" system
where you could fill it with warm water instead of a garden hose. It would
be hooked up to plumbing for filling and draining just like all your bathtubs
at your house. Maybe fill the tub sat afternoon, soak saturday evening,
maybe again sunday morning...then drain it just like you do with your bathtub.
It may have to have a heater that was designed so that you could switch it on
to keep water heated for a shorter period instead of the traditional 24/7.

No worries about chemicals, no worries about chemical odor, no worries
about foam building up, no worries about sitting in water that is months old,
no worries about paying for energy 24/7 whether you are using it or not.

Fresh clean chemical free water every time!

I think this would be a niche market, but that alot of people that dont like
the hassle of keeping up with water for months would be interested in.

[Chas]

Opinion alert- the following is the opinion of the poster. And this particular poster is already known to be a completely strange person...
 
I think that most of the people I have run into who live off-grid or partially off-grid seem to lean more toward organic things, such as a wood hot tub with a wood-burning heater.

Robert's Hot Tubs used to offer one, I think, and I know Snorkel still does. The thing is, these units put the firebox under water, right next to you. You can feed them while still in the hot water, and if the water starts to get too warm, you can simply close down the damper and the fire mellows out, or goes out. That's really what I meant when I asked my silly question about UL listing - can you control the temp of the thing?



 8-)

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

Yup. We have one too, but the heater sits outside the tub and heats through thermosiphoning.





The advantage of this style is that it doesn't take up space inside the hot tub.

There's also a propane version that requires NO electricity...though, it doesn't meet AGA standards in this country    I can sell them, but I can't legally install them