Basically the title- this greenhouse is being built on an old concrete trailer foundation in zone 5a-b. I love soaking in a heated tub, so this would become my year round happy place if I could manage it. I have a couple of the big IBC containers with cages I can paint black and fill with water over time. My thought, if it would make sense, would be two of those plus the active bathing tub, and using something like a Chofu wood fired hot tub heater.
If you’ve done something similar, what volume is realistic to be able to heat in a few evening hours each day? And as a further complication, have you relied on chemicals to keep the water from growing nasty stuff or is it possible to set up some sort of plant based filtration system for something like this?
by Sylentskye
3 Comments
I installed a wood fired cedar tub in a geo-dome greenhouse and used it for three years. It is not worth it, IMO. Wood fired tubs require a lot of attention, and I never found the hot water to make that much of a difference in air temp.
Also, all hot tubs will become human soup without standard chemicals or very frequent draining.
Edit: I don’t want to be a downer or make it sound like if my efforts didn’t work, then yours won’t either. Maybe you can make it work, and maybe your nights weren’t as cold as mine were. I just think that “wood fired tub in a greenhouse” sounds great, but it takes a lot of effort and the volume of hot water used won’t stop winter nights from being winter nights.
I’ve been wanting to get a greenhouse big enough for a tub. My opinion is that if you already own a hottub, or are going to get one anyway a greenhouse (if it has extra space, would be just as good a place as any. With the waste heat going to the greenhouse, any maintenance you have to do on a hit tub outside, you will still need to do anyway.
If you haven’t seen them Google Chinese diesel heaters. Game changing for the greenhouse