Do I Need To Earth My Wood Burng Hot Tub?

[steptoe]

you could probably wrap it in some insulation,

but,

Im thinking it wont be cheap for the sort of stuff you'd need to withstand the heat it would be exposed to,

normal insulation would just melt and possibly catch light.

 

[ted777bear]

What about building a wood frame around it and filling with earth. Apart from the front obviously!

 

[steptoe]

I suppose that  could work,

worth a try, not going to break the bank, is it.

 

[ted777bear]

Oh, and I still don't know whether I need to, or how, I earth it!

 

[steptoe]

oh, and keep the wood a reasonable distance from the drum

 

[ted777bear]

I was just about to take a load of earth down the tip too. May try that first!

 

[steptoe]

it should run on convection so you shouldnt need an electric pump.

 

[ted777bear]

ha, I did think of that. Don't want the wood going up in flames!

 

[ted777bear]

so if there's no electric used then I don't have earth it. What about lightning for example?

 

[steptoe]

so if there's no electric used then I don't have earth it. What about lightning for example?

a bit of earth wire isnt going to help you there

bad day explode

 

[ted777bear]

The circuit I used was just copper pipe and compression elbows at the top of the drum. As much as I could fit in. The water naturally comes in cold from the bottom of the tub and out the top pipe boiling hot back into the tub. Takes a while to heat though!

thanks Steptoe. I would be really pissed off if I went to the effort of earthing it and still got fried.

 

[steptoe]

ted,

I think you'd be just a tad more than a little bit mad to be out sitting in that during a lightning storm anyway.

but I like your lunancy!  

 

[ted777bear]

Thanks!!

 

[OnOff]

Here you go. There's a plethora of these builds on YouTube tbh, all variations on a theme. This one I think is quite good from www.instructables.com. A bit mad for some involving chopping up old LPG cylinders but it takes a tank similar to the OP's one and insulates it heavily for a start. The old LPG tank is for the burner & heat exchanger:

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-a-wood-fired-hot-tub/

With the link just keep clicking "Next". You could cut and paste into one document if you want.

 

[ted777bear]

Thanks alot. Will check it out

 

[OnOff]

So............how do you make the "bubbles"?  :innocent

 

[ted777bear]

Eat lots of beans!

I was toying with the idea of getting a lay z spa heater off eBay and rigging it up. They go for about £80. But was again unsure if I would then need to put a ground rod in?

 

[Marvo]

To be honest I wouldn't earth this system. There's no electrical components in it so it's purely a lightning consideration. If you're not going to extend the chimney any higher and I assume you're not going to be having hot-tub parties in lightning storms then lightning protection isn't necessary. If you extend the chimney above the gutter level I might consider knocking a rod in the ground and connecting the chimney but even then it's probably not necessary. 

 

[wozz]

Firstly, i take my hat off to the OP that is brilliant, keep us updated please.

Secondly i cant see a reason to earth it, where did the talk of lightning come from?

 

[OnOff]

Firstly, i take my hat off to the OP that is brilliant, keep us updated please.

Secondly i cant see a reason to earth it, where did the talk of lightning come from?

Erm........that would be from me. I read metal cage / garden / water etc.

Is that one of the 1000L tubs you see advertised? 1000 x 1200 x 1000 deep? Do them round my way for about £60.