DIY Wood Fired Hot Tub

Full instructions for this DIY Wood Fired Hot Tub made from a galvanized stock tank are coming soon to HomeMade-Modern.com
follow me on instagram for project updates: benjaminuye...
link to the stock i bought for $130 www.behlencountry.com/product/...
links to the fittings i used: www.mcmaster.com/#9400t92/=15...
www.mcmaster.com/#36895k151/=...

[@JM23007]

Can't help but chuckle a little of how this reminds me of Looney Tunes where they'd lure someone in thinking it was a hot tub and really be making them into a stew. haha. Looks relaxing! And also looks good for ice baths.

[@guyh.4553]

Nice video. This concept and design has been around for years. My thoughts/comments are: 1) If you're going through the whole process of making forms and pouring concrete, just make 1 form and make it for the entire size of the tank. Better stability, less chance of the pads coming through bottom of the tank. That's how stock tanks are designed to work. 2) For the heater, build and actual fireplace around your copper pipe and increase the number of coils. That will get your temperatures up and more constant. 3) To retain heat, wrap the tank in insulation and make a decorative outer wrap. Good information tho! 😁😁😁😁

[@jj-gf2wd]

I completed this project today just as you explained. It is currently 28 degrees so it is taking me a bit longer to heat up. I did put a cover on and tarp to contain some heat. Great video. I am an arborist and own and operate a tree service so I have plenty of wood to burn. I will definitely enjoy a hot tub when I'm at 10,000 feet in my off grid cabin. Thanks for sharing the great info.

[@captnnero]

This was pretty well thought out. One serious thing though, because of electrolysis between dissimilar metals there can eventually be corrosion between the copper tubing and steel bars. If you use stainless steel instead for the steel bars it will be ok.

[@ramytk1]

Quick suggestions. Change the steel/iron support bars to copper if you are going to leave it outside. The dissimilar metals will start corroding much faster then if they are the same metal. The other solution is wrap the copper tubing around something that is being heated by the fire. This will allow much better heat transfer into the water so you can wrap more more turns and have more hot water. Great video and concept.

[@markpaul7887]

Did you work on aircraft?

[@brandysigmon9066]

I built my own also and used boiler tube and enclosed the heating coils in a large piece of pipe. It heated fast and after it got hot it took very little fire to keep it warm. Good job!

[@TrustinTimber]

Can't wait to play with this idea. Been wanting to make and outdoor hot tub for a while. Thanks Ben.

[@JonRheaume2282]

Yeah very nice. I've been wanting to do one of these for about 7 years now. Never got around to it. I'm glad to see it tried and tested and successful. I have been wanting to make the same thing for my pool, to begin and extend the season here in New England.

[@tybailey3391]

I've always wanted an outside tub...ever since the FALL GUY tv series! !!!love it man 👍👍👍

[@ShannonSmith4u2]

Super well done!! A huge amount of heat loss is from the ground/concrete/sand, put some foam insulation under it to keep it warm longer and less fuel to hear it.

[@CraftswithCole]

You have such a talent! Loved the creativity of this project. Big fan!

[@pointblank1978]

Great idea. Add a check valve to the bottom side of the pipe. This will help when pressure is built up and push out the hot water to the top. Don't know if they make a cooper check valve. But could use a regular pvc bc the heat isn't much on the intake side. Excellent vid👍🏽👍🏽

[@DR.ELEKTRIK]

Man I could really use one of those right now. This would be great after long hours of work.

[@chazlyle41]

This is why when building a home you put your wood burning stove directly on the other side of you bathroom/shower/tub. If you have a shared cement or rock wall to hold heat between the stove and the shower as well as run hot water or copper tubing through the wall and into a gravity fed water heater you get free hot water while you warm your home in the winter :)

[@blackriflemensorganization6139]

I will be recreating this excellent project! Thanks for the crystal clear tutorial.

[@GadgetAddict]

Awesome project. It's a good thing you have that tall fence or your neighbors would think you're crazy lol

[@TnMtnRdr]

Been using one of those tanks for several years, but I just set it up on rocks and build a fire underneath it. After all it's a metal tank. But I do have to rake the fire out before getting in and then have a limited time to stay in, unless I want to make a grid floor to sit on above the bottom which I haven't. After a number of years use the seams got to leaking a bit too much so I caulked them. Eventually I'll make a better one for more people, since the oval tank is only large enough for 2.

[@HomeMadeModern]

the stock tanks come with a built in drain and plug that a hose can screw into. nice for watering the garden after a long soak.

[@Gordanmgleb]

but how does the water circulate? and also.. there was a girl in the bathtub, you shrek ! you transform by night or what?

[@yellow2000SR]

Thermosiphon is how the water circulates. Cold water is dense, heat rises, creates a natural circulation. Thumbnail girl: i.ytimg.com/vi/HMjpWlgcK-M/maxresdefault.jpg

[@Gordanmgleb]

yellow2000SR that is pretty cool, thank you :-)

[@SkyValleyStuff]

alaskan bush people just copied this

[@Gordanmgleb]

flyback 2me what are you talking about? who's hawk?

[@MikeZ32TT]

At my friends cabin there is a regular fiberglass hot tub and have the copper coil/wood fire as the heat source. Works great.

[@defour6475]

my grandpa had something similar in his backyard and always wanted to recreate it. thank you so much.

[@robn8036]

Great vid, the inlet at the top of the tub if you put a 90* on it with another section of copper down into the tub. the terminal siphoning would push the water. So your hot water would enter the tub from the bottom, Evenly heat the tub

[@cybercapri]

Here are a few ideas you, or someone making this, may find useful. You could wrap the copper around 8" Duct Pipe from a Stove and move this unit inside. Also you could make more loops closer together so it heats the water faster. Having the copper wrap around the Stove Pipe would keep the smoke at bay and allow the heating to be a bit more efficient. Depending on the Drum you use for the Burner, you may want to make multiple Copper Runs to Multiple Stove Pipes to allow for faster heating of the water, perhaps a copper pipe for each side. Also you may want to install some sort of circulation pump to move the water a bit faster to keep hot spots from taking place. Or you just might want to put a Pound Pump in the Tank to just circulate the water that way. Of you could must make a Copper Run, two connectors at the bottom with a Circulation Pump only, to circulate just the Tub Water so that is move the Cold Water constantly. Great Project....

[@HomeMadeModern]

good ideas! thanks!

[@Badgerworkshop]

That looks a great way to relax

[@Chr.U.Cas2216]

Very well done! It's so easy to have fun. Thanks for taping and sharing.

[@bryanreeme8584]

Dude great idea, I feel justified because I did similar project.. I have no neighbors so I bathe outside all the time!.. I made a tighter heat-riser coil so it would fit into a stovepipe, mounted on a stove made from a propane cylinder.. tempted to plumb/heat my house same way!.. A plus with using a little stove is that you have control of your fire/coals.. Nice!

[@SeanRubino]

That's a cool idea, Ben. Nice one.

[@HomeMadeModern]

thanks Sean!

[@flutterbysea]

Ahhhh! watching the chickens zoom around makes me sooo Happy!

[@AngelA-wf1sg]

I love this, it's like luxury in a simpler time. Beautiful😘

[@GoldGullyFarm]

This is going to be the next project I do! I've been planning it for a little while but this one is heaps simpler than what I was planning.

[@HomeMadeModern]

awesome! share some photos with us when you do :)

[@GoldGullyFarm]

HomeMadeModern for sure! I was planning to have it done by now but it's been pushed down the things to do list... maybe next month!

[@Xyienced]

I've done this with my pool about 5 years. Pretty shocking how well it works

[@Qui-9]

Awesome! I'd probably end up using a lot more tubing in a chambers, like a boiler tank uses, or an old lead-free radiator (or a few stacked) to gather much more of the heat. But awesome start! Or... heat the tub directly underneath with a skirt and have some smooth layer shielding the user from the floor but will let water flow around under it. 😊

[@lexnuss791]

I was living off the land on Maui in 1976. When invited up to Haiku to stay in a reconditioned chicken shack I discovered the fudo tub. Japanese by design, it was a ferro cement vessel with copper sheeting on the bottom. You could hack up some wood with a cane knife and start a fire right under it. It also had a big hollowed out bamboo cane, on a swivel, to emit overly hot water and a tap to add cool. After camping on the beach and up in the jungle, all my aches and pains were gone in about 15 minutes.

[@johnedwards1968]

The enclosure for the fire would also probably help you regulate temperature better. You could have a door which allows heat to escape when open, or maintain it when closed.

[@DIYCreators]

Pretty cool man!

[@HomeMadeModern]

thanks! love your projects!

[@timokapitein414]

DIY Creators I am subscribed to both you guys 😁😁😁 you both have awesome projects keep up the great work👍👍👍

[@OmniversalInsect]

Pretty cool huh

[@jamesmcdaniel2132]

A friend did that with a bigger tub for 2. She set it on the ground, filled it with water, dug a small hole at one end and built a very small fire in the hole. Worked great.

[@schitlipz]

When I was a kid in Croatia we had a wood-heated bathtub where there was a water tank (similar to today's water heaters you find in your basement, but only about a foot in diameter). There was a place to put the wood in right uner it. When the water was hot we filled the bath. The tank kept filled up and kept heating as the wood burned. Great baths, never this much wasted wood. Was too young to remember the other details of it.

[@littlechicken963]

A Czech friend of mine did something similar but had done it with a small above ground swimming pool and the water was circulating through the pools Pump . The coil of copper pipe were in the fire box of his home made smoker . So while waiting for freshly smoked meat and cheese we had a pool party in winter . Czechneck engineering was my comment !

[@nate1829]

freddy c velki didinki

[@markpaul7887]

Czechneck! LMAO instant classic.

[@JackmanWorks]

Cool, but I want to see a wood fired infinity pool next ;)

[@robertclark1868]

Jackman Works or a Lazarus Pit!

[@cadykyst1234]

Chickens need small rocks for their crawp (gizzard), to grind their food. That's why they were interested in your gravel. Feed and Seed stores sell grit for chickens, as well as crushed shells for calcium for egg shells. Love the tub!

[@ordinarychap1085]

That's a good looking project, there. Nice work!

[@MrUncleTings]

i dont know why but i found the chickens pecking at the gravel very funny

[@RedowlMB]

Put the copper coil inside something like a rocket stove made out of an old propane tank or old hot water heater. Maybe even coat the inside of tub with porcelain and enclose outside of tank with wooden box to help insulate tub. Maybe even sit the tank inside a wooden box and leave a couple inches on all side and then fill with spray foam?

[@HomeMadeModern]

good ideas!

[@AnneAndersonFoxiepaws]

I'm in the midst of building a cabin (We've been hampered by bad weather felling trees and just about every weather mishap you can imagine) the cabin has a shower/toilet room but I think that this idea would be great after a day of freezing in Scotland. ..I think I would build an outhouse with access from the cabin and perhaps fit one of those home made propane tank woodstoves with the coils...I reckon that would keep the outhouse and the water nice and warm. ..I think this is a fantastic idea. .Thanks x

[@carlthedieselguy5147]

I think this is awesome! Gonna do this where I live! There is snow on the ground but that's ok.

[@888TopGear888]

Why not add a valve to stop the circulation of the water. That way you can "control" the temperature of the water by reopening and closing the valve.

[@HomeMadeModern]

I thought about this and will test it but was worried that the coils would get too hot.

[@tommythenice6799]

that's not the worst concern, if someone tries to isolate the coil trough valves the water inside it would transform into steam and make the coil explode! it could work if you drain the coil or move it out of the fire trough flexible tubing

[@gardenfork]

you need to keep water moving through the coil, i use a similar coil on my home built maple syrup evaporator , great job on this - eric.

[@benj4minD]

you can make the coil exploit because of the increasing pressure of the water vapor.

[@sixdsix5028]

You could also add a pressure relief valve.

[@mikewold3473]

you gained a sub with this project !

[@charlesgoede2809]

great video. a stove inclosure will defintely be the way to go. Wondering what improvements could me made for heat exchange? Is copper tubing the best tubing for the task? Your project just really has my mind working overtime. I have wanted to do a variation of your tub for a long time. thanks again.

[@timgreen4137]

Simple science. Effective. Great for off grid. A drain valve on the tub would turn it into a heated bath tub (using a smaller tub). The coil heating system has several other possibilities too.

[@TheSPIFA]

Try insulating the tub. You can also create an inclosure for the fire and extend a chimney increase the amount of pipe exposed to the fire and insulate the rest

[@HomeMadeModern]

good idea!

[@TrustinTimber]

That's exactly what I was thinking. I nice cedar enclosure for the tub and a clay chiminea for the fire. They burn a lot longer so you would get a lot more time out of the firewood and safer in windy conditions. This way you could close the door to dampen the fire to turn down the heat. But the basic concept of using the copper tubing is really the heart of the idea. Fun I idea to develop further.

[@bayseadones6095]

My favorite part was the chicken running around. haha they looked soo cute ! ..but yeah that was awesome

[@HomeMadeModern]

they're one of our adorable animal helpers :)

[@Tuxdaddy]

I'd say to insulate the the tub to retain the heat also..Maybe sand or vermiculite since it's light.. Great vid and thanks for sharing the knowledge !!

[@mikewolff5184]

I think using a heat shield to protect your copper from direct flames would help it to last longer, as well applying a spray in liner to the stock tank would make it more comfortable and prevent rust.

[@btrswt35]

I think more coils and a tighter spiral would also increase efficiency.

[@witch6in6the6womb]

Aaawww he is so sweet to the chicken. My kind of man right here!!

[@johnnymcblaze]

I love how people with tiny yards are the most creative.

[@jennifermenth-pavel1260]

What a cool idea, It's easy to do and the design is very flexible. The way things are going globally this could be the bathtub of the future!!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@KerrangCooper]

Maybe you can add a small water pump so it can recirculate way faster?

[@HomeMadeModern]

yes! good idea

[@jentiay]

You probably will need a temperature gough, so you don't crash a water pump.

[@baukevanderkooi8712]

Евгений Baltmaster Let the pump Pump the water to the coil, then the pump pumps colder water.

[@angelicasmith9357]

This is a great idea, I will be buying one to do the same. I was wondering, is it okay to use sea salt or will it corrode the tub? Also, will it leach lead?

[@jayd2204]

omg your chickens are so supportive!

[@undergroundcustomstoronto7493]

Hey this is great and very simple! Great job!

[@dukha82]

Dig a hole underneath the tank, fill it up with firewood and that's it!!

[@HomeMadeModern]

the metal of the tub would conduct heat differently than the water

[@doubledarefan]

I did the same. It's just like heating a pot on the stove, only scaled up. Except I raised the tub on old steel car rims. I could have cooked a stew for the whole neighborhood, it was that effective.

[@adelmehdi6174]

hhhhh

[@doubledarefan]

***** My tub had a valve on the end. All I had to was open it and wait a minute or 2. Empty tub. (and fire totally extinguished).

[@davemarx7856]

Double Dare Fan that sounds delicious

[@McRambro]

Love how you just have chickens roaming around in these videos

[@simplybeautiful4117]

really terrific concept and presentation

[@chasmarischen4459]

Thanks for doing it in fast motion, saves a lot of time. I don't have 'unlimited'' data or time. Thanks again.

[@MrTNBassmaster]

seems this would be good for an off-grid situation.

[@gkdewees]

The best part of this video were the chickens

[@HomeMadeModern]

yes, they're pretty awesome!

[@palomapott]

no, It was his getting his shit off, hahahaha JK

[@DavidTheCastle]

I like how they pecked at the gravel for a nanosecond. :)

[@johncote2776]

BOCK BOCK

[@Fixstuffsteve]

Linda FG gimmie some money

[@musoangelo]

In the 80's when I worked on harbor tugs, some of the boats had what looked like wood burning stove's that ran on diesel oil. On the side with the burner there was a single coil of copper that led to a probably 15 gal tank on the opposite side of the bulkhead and the same set up with just convection to circulate the water. On long days you'd have to be careful because the hot water coming out of the tap would be hot enough to scald you.

[@James-zq7md]

Cool video. Good naration and speed. Your suggestions at the end I totally agree with. I would like to suggest some of mine. I dont know how much you want to upgrade but here goes. First I would definitely change the top water attachment to a metal or both. Second for sure I would insulat the tub.This would reduce heat time more that enlarging the copper tubbibg. But still enlarge it. Add something to protect the head from the cold. Some where to put a towel. I have other idea but don't know how upscale you want to go.

[@FatGayandTired]

Shirtless Ben-Thank You-Yep, I went there!

[@athao214]

Omg Ben...that bod though. Hahaha 😳

[@RavenVonK]

OMG! Perfect for off the grid living! 🙌

[@subixbarbarasson157]

This is an awesome proof of koncept. Right on man.

[@HomeMadeModern]

we rinsed off the chickens feet :)

[@s14slide]

HomeMadeModern maybe try building a cob oven around the coil, which would greatly increase the efficiency

[@isthe9484]

And that is why I love you.

[@pint71]

HomeMadeModern z

[@toysareforboys1]

You are a good human!

[@therealrobbdee672]

great vid! and, also good display of great carpentry skills bruh! I am jelly

[@6099x]

immortalized chickens - amazing :D

[@brennan3141]

Insulation around the water tank would help immensely, Great Video!

[@margiegandy9189]

I knew I had to subscribe when You added the 🐥 prints! lol perfection!

[@amievosiam]

I used the flux capacitor from my Dad’s old DeLorean to help pump the water faster. Now it’s November 2018.Does anyone know how to get me back?

[@Yonatan24]

Now build a robot that puts wood in the fire automatically!

[@CathAlexandra]

We use concrete edging around the fire so that it's more like a firepit. This holds the heat and is safer, especially on a windy day. The tub doesn't stay warm enough in colder weather - some type of insulation is needed.

[@cooldesertknight]

Impressive. Thanks for the video.

[@chadfrommancraftingtm5734]

Interesting build. If I do something like this, I will probably build a rocket stove and could the copper around it. I think the rocket stove may be a little more efficient than an open fire.

[@HomeMadeModern]

i agree! will try it

[@briansweeney6216]

Did a rocket stove but you have to constantly ad wood . It's easter to do a burn barrel stove and let er burn .

[@archangel20031]

@ 2:21 is the first mistake. The heating coils should dump hot water into the bottom of the tub on one end and should draw from the top on the other side. The way he is doing it is like a hot water heater that you draw hot water from for filling a tub, so the hot water up high should not mix with the cold water below and you draw your hot water from the top only. To keep the tub hit the hot should enter from the bottom mixing with the cold to keep the tub warm top to bottom.

[@kingsleyzissou5881]

The reason that the water flows into the copper tube at all is due to hydrostatic pressure. The means that the pressure increases linearly with depth. The tube cannot "dump hot water into the bottom of the tub" because its pressure will be less than the pressure at the bottom of the tub. Water in that case would flow in the opposite direction. There is no pump here at all. The only thing driving the flow is hydrostatic pressure. There is only one way for the flow to go.

[@MH-ty7fb]

archangel20031 I’m pretty sure the laws of physics would disagree with you.

[@rajgill7576]

You’re right, BUT he would have to add a whole extra piece to his basically 3 piece hot tub, a pump. He only did it this way because the water naturally flows without a pump because of heat

[@jacobwassell707]

Nice man! Just getting into your channel. Love the work!

[@lazarusmagellan2367]

I love it when i see you tubers from the bay area

[@bubbagreensmith7174]

Very nice job! Forget the negative comments you did great... Keep up the great work 👍👍👍

[@electronicsNmore]

I like it, came out great. Probably didn't need to do all that extra work with the concrete pads. I would have removed 2-3" of soil, tamped the soil, then applied a layer of gravel followed by a layer of sand. That tub wouldn't move. The only problem, is having to smell smoke while enjoying that hot water.

[@RiwsTV]

WOW! What a great idea. Congrats again!!!

[@MNP67]

What a great video! Very clever, well filmed.

[@LandmadeFL]

You should make a rocket stove for this. It's way more efficient on wood.

[@ksmithrn2402]

Michael Criswell I agree, a rocket stove would be the more effective way to go and it would look awesome.

[@brianjunk510]

I was thinking the same thing. I'd build it up so you add the sticks(not logs) right at the edge, so you can feed it while in it. I've seen sweet pizza ovens using a rocket stove to heat it instead of the standard bonfire. They got it to +900°F in 30 minutes instead of 2 hours. Oh- and no smoke! (if built like a true rocket stove)

[@dkjacobus]

....make a clay stove around the existing copper coil. Your efficiency on wood burning and temperature will rise dramatically.

[@leksey7870]

Excellent idea! Hot water from the fire! Super!

[@WhistleThicket]

Very interesting! Everyone on youtube has inspired us to start our own homesteading channel. One day I will have a hot tub!

[@jeffreynelson2660]

Now make a comfortable seat for the hot tub.

[@HomeMadeModern]

yes! i was thinking of a tropical hard wood slatted seat.

[@anonymouspyro5998]

HomeMadeModern or maybe someting softer that goes under your back, and bubles?

[@icarr121277]

A back rest would be a bonus

[@salarki]

Iron rods and copper tube... bad combination. Sureley corrosion will start accelerated by heat transmission.

[@AwsomeVids83]

Saw Santa Barbara on your weather app.. I live here in SB too! Never expected to see that!

[@LolaPop86V]

Hello, loved the vid, very inspirational, but I need to know, Where did you got the actual tub? Thank you :)

[@Elazul2k]

Toss in your chickens and a few vegetables and you have yourself a chicken stew! lulz...

[@mrmudslide5676]

Very nice!

[@xaviermondragonjr3376]

Animal abuse!

[@alexandercameron645]

Xavier Mondragon Jr fuck you dude

[@rob48312]

Xavier Mondragon Jr cooking!*

[@LionHeart-jv3ii]

Elazul2k in the same tub ;)

[@daniel_lisbona]

dude you look good #nohomo

[@marekbelaspkafr5856]

😂😂😂

[@FrankFactor]

starting to think he did all that just to have an excuse to take his shirt off. #notevenmad

[@leoleonardo9834]

Daniel sin Carne that's how all start

[@zacharyharms3149]

Unless you happen to live off the grid and what a DIY Hot tub for the occasional bath? However judging from your comment you've only had to turn your wrist to get this satisfaction. Some people like to escape the dependence of the system and work a little for this sort of thing.

[@tavrosnitram1529]

Pablo Clavo no homo means guaranteed homo XD

[@rangerroar7433]

Looks like some cool ideas! Great work

[@wes.b.815]

Nice work....great for a grid down situation