Wood fired hot tub vs electric

How fast does the water heat up?

Usually, the heating time depends on the temperature you can find outside as well as the tub size. Normally it’s around 1600 liters on average, but it can be more or less depending on the product itself. In this situation, the wood-fired hot tub heater is better. It takes up to 2 hours to heat up the water and double that during the cold season. If you want to have the right heating results, you do need a lot of wood, and you must feed it to the heater manually.

In the case of an electric hot tub heater, these units can take anywhere from half a day to an entire day to heat up the water. Even so, the heating time depends on the water temperature, tub sizer and the heater power. Obviously, you want to go with a wood fired water heater if speed is what you are interested in, as it just conveys a better value for money.

The overall costs that come from using a water heater

If you go for a wood-fired hot tub heater, then all this costs you is the firewood and matches. However, estimating how much wood you will really need to heat up the hot tub heater is the issue here. For some people, getting wood is easy because they are near a forest. Others will buy it from a store, and the amounts will vary. It’s always important to understand that the costs are very different so it can be extremely challenging to figure out the total costs.

For the electric hot tub heater, costs are easier to study since the standard 6 kW water heater will require 6 kWh every hour it stays active. So if you need to heat up the water for 12 to 24 hours, then the overall costs can add up. If you just use this one, the electric water heater is still ok. But if you use it often, that can add up to quite a large cost. That’s you need to figure out what problems can arise and what you can do to eliminate any possible issues. It will take a bit of a trial and error but if you manage it right, nothing is impossible.

Which is the more eco-friendly approach?

Protecting the environment is extremely important, and that’s why you must put both options into perspective. It’s important to keep in mind that around 30% of the electric power in the UK comes from renewable supplies. That’s great, however not all the energy you use is renewable. In the case of firewood, this is indeed renewable.

There can be restrictions when it comes to local regulations. In some regions, it’s not allowed to use a wood-powered hot tub heater. So even if it might be cheaper to use and sustainable, the truth is that you will end up with challenges, which is why you may want to avoid any problems that might arise. You may have smoke restrictions or even burning firewood if you’re near a protected location or forest.

Does the wood burning or electric hot tub heater provide you with more convenience?

Thinking about convenience is crucial when you buy a hot tub heater. The truth is that both situations are very different. One of them just implies the press of a button, while the other one brings in an entire ritual.

The wood-fired hot tub heater is one that you can have anywhere in the garden. If you go for the electric unit, then you must have an outlet near it and obviously, an electrician needs to create the entire system to work properly. However, once you use the electric system, you remove the need for manual work. While the wood-fired units need manual loading, for the electric hot tub heater you will just need to press a button.

As a result, you get a lot more convenience from an electric hot tub heater. That being said, a lot of people are still enjoying the wood-burning systems because they create a great ritual. So it’s up to you to figure out what approach is better and what you enjoy the most. Some people will like the convenience of an electric hot tub heater, while others want to enjoy the ritual and faster heating speeds of a wood-fired heater.

Conclusion

There’s no denying that both options come with their pros and cons. The truth is that it makes a lot of sense to adapt and assess the situation to clearly identify what system works better in your situation. Wood-fired heaters tend to be faster, while electric systems are more convenient. If you assess everything here you will find it easier to fully identify what’s the right approach and in the end that will be well worth the effort. Make sure that you assess both pros and cons to fully figure out what works for you. Overall, wood-fired heaters tend to deliver the right value for money, but electrical units are also a good pick in some cases!