The best completion of bath procedures is considered to be a half-hour rest in the air. An outdoor heated plunge pool will help relieve stress and improve muscle tone after a heavy load, no matter whether this was a consequence of visiting a Russian bathhouse, or whether you simply need rest after a hard day. Recently, an outdoor bathhouse has become as desirable an attribute as a contrast shower or diving into an ice hole.
Plastic hot tub on wood
How do heated water baths work?
Oddly enough, but a heated outdoor bath provides the necessary relaxation effect for the muscles and nervous system only in conditions of cold or cool air and open space. The higher the contrast, the stronger the effect. Even in frosty conditions, taking into account the heating of the air and warm water mist accumulating above the font, a person feels extremely comfortable.
How to use an outdoor heated swimming pool in cold weather:
- The container, especially plastic or cast iron, is thoroughly washed from dust, the stove is melted, and the font is filled with water. As a result of heating the surrounding space, the steps and platform are heated to a comfortable temperature for the feet;
- After an hour and a half, depending on the intensity of water heating, a warm fog appears above the font. You can take seats in the font;
- The stove damper is closed, and at low speed the firebox provides constant heating and temperature.
The effect created by an outdoor font with a stove is almost impossible to achieve in a bathhouse. Firstly, the warm atmosphere of the steam room cannot be compared with fresh street air, and secondly, when the stove operates at minimum heating, a certain amount of carbon monoxide is formed. In outdoor conditions it does not pose a threat, but inside a bathhouse it can be dangerous.
Mobile hot tub with propane stove
For your information! It turns out that the person’s head is above the warm layer of water vapor in the font, and there is no danger of overheating. That is why doctors recommend an outdoor heated swimming pool as a universal preventive and anti-stress remedy.
Ice outdoor plunge pool
Luxurious garden Jacuzzi for all-season use
It turns out that a sauna font can act as a luxurious Jacuzzi with thermal wood that has undergone 100 hours of heat treatment. Such containers are ideal for both garden and indoor sauna use. The luxurious Jacuzzi is equipped with a hydromassage system on the bottom or sides with the addition of a chair. Heating, hydromassage and water filter are hidden. There may be a convenient staircase next to the font to make entering the font easier. The reservoir has an insulating coating that protects the water from dirt in the garden. Thanks to the use of the best materials, the Jacuzzi can be used outdoors at temperatures down to -30°C.
Shape and material of the font
Before choosing any specific material and model of the hot tub, you need to know exactly which options for an outdoor bath will be most in demand. There are quite a lot of options for making an outdoor hot tub, and most often manufacturers focus specifically on appearance, and not on consumer qualities.
Classic version of Furaco
Outdoor hot tubs are manufactured in several form factors:
- Classic wooden outdoor bathtub in the form of a barrel-tub. It is considered the safest and most environmentally friendly, but in practical use such a bath causes a lot of trouble;
- A plastic outdoor swimming pool, usually large in size, is built with a plastic decking board or natural oak plank trim. It is very reliable and durable, does not require special care, you can safely leave it on the terrace for the winter without any consequences for the plastic shell;
- Stainless steel bathtubs are the most expensive and not always the most convenient to use. They cost several times more than plastic ones. They can withstand even the most barbaric heating methods, including thermal shock. The service life is several decades;
- Cast iron hot tub is the most difficult to maintain and install. An outdoor heated bathtub made of cast iron is bought mainly by connoisseurs and true connoisseurs of this kind of relaxation.
Cast iron must be cleaned and washed regularly, otherwise rust will appear. Additional constant heating in outdoor conditions is not required; it is enough to warm up the cast-iron font once to enjoy water procedures for an hour and a half.
There are also composite and ceramic models in which the inside of the mini pool is coated with a special compound that prevents corrosion or salt deposits during the water heating process.
Plastic outdoor hot tub
The inside of the mini-pool is made of polypropylene plastic, which ensures good heat retention and you don’t have to worry too much about the condition of the surface. The plastic walls of an outdoor bathhouse are quite hard and difficult to scratch or break through. If you are looking for a suitable font for your dacha, then a polymer bath will do just fine.
Heated plastic all-weather barrel
In addition to the fact that a 1.5 m3 outdoor tank in the courtyard of a summer house can be used as a backup source of water, a plastic mini-pool has a number of advantages and disadvantages over other types of swimming pools:
- Firstly, the body is not susceptible to corrosion, even if you use a plastic mini-pool several times a week, actively use heated water and regularly wash the walls using modern detergents. Even in such harsh conditions, an outdoor hot tub with a stove will last at least a year and a half;
- The walls of an outdoor bath - barrels made of cast polypropylene - are tactilely more comfortable when touched by open parts of the body. They are quite smooth and warm, even if the water heating does not work quite as well as we would like, bathers will not experience serious discomfort;
- The small weight of the plastic container, usually no more than 100-150 kg, makes it easy to carry and install an outdoor heated bathtub in any convenient place.
Among the disadvantages of a plastic barrel-pool, one can note the relatively high sensitivity to overheating of water. If you use a submersible oven for heating, it is best to buy a special option designed for this type of hot tub. Wood-burning plastic outdoor hot tubs retain heat very well, at least as well as wooden ones, but they require careful handling when connecting an external stove heater.
Advice! An outdoor plastic hot tub should not be left in the countryside in the open sun. The food-grade plastic from which the container is made does not tolerate ultraviolet radiation from the sun; the material often fades and becomes covered with cracks and stains. At a minimum, an outdoor barrel should be covered with a cover or lid.
It should be noted the high decorative qualities of outdoor models made of polypropylene. Typically, a plastic liner is mounted on a frame and covered with a beautiful finish, giving the font a complete resemblance to wooden pool models.
Wooden heated outdoor hot tub
The use of an oak barrel bath for water procedures dates back almost several hundred years. Modern models of wooden hot tubs are made mainly from oak, ash, cedar and larch wood. Wooden outdoor bathtubs are not particularly varied in shape; they are usually a barrel or a wooden vat, with high sides that widen or taper towards the bottom.
Hot tub and water heating system just delivered from the salon
Wooden outdoor containers require special care and special storage conditions. The gaps at the joints between the planks have to be regularly checked, caulked, sealed, the body must be tightened with hoops, and dirt must be removed, especially from the bottom and lower tier of the walls. A wooden font is almost always stored filled with cold, clean rainwater; this guarantees the safety of the wood and the absence of cracks due to drying out of the wall material.
Metal mini-hots
Cast iron and steel bowls are the most expensive and difficult to install. According to many experts, the use of metal is considered just a tribute to the fashion for this type of recreation. Heating an outdoor container requires a lot of wood consumption, but is considered the safest. You can use an open fire, a fire or a stove installed under the bottom of the font. It is clear that even the most barbaric heating is not capable of burning through the wall. The stainless steel walls retain heat very poorly, so you have to swim in the bowl with almost a lighted fire in the firebox under the bottom. This method often causes burns.
Stainless steel barrel
Advantages of plastic hot tubs
Polypropylene and composite hot tubs have numerous advantages:
- aesthetic appearance;
- light weight;
- durability;
- a wide variety of shapes and sizes;
- UV resistance;
- can withstand temperatures from -20 to +85°C;
- have an anti-slip coating;
- safe for health;
- undemanding in care;
- easy to install;
- resistant to minor damage.
Bath and sauna baths made of durable polypropylene can be made of any shape and size
Plastic baths and saunas
Many models are equipped with steps, seats, handrails, lighting, hydromassage and other devices.
Plastic swimming pool with lighting and hydromassage
The colors of the fonts are also quite varied - from white to dark blue and green. So that the plastic container does not stand out against the background of the bathhouse interior, it is lined with clapboard or wooden panels. The appearance of such a font is no worse than a wooden one.
Plastic hot tub lined with wood Plastic hot tub lined with wood
There are three types of water drainage in such fonts:
- cumulative;
- overflow;
- skimmer
Drain pipe
In the first option, the water leaves through the drain hole located in the bottom of the container. This method is very convenient if the font is used regularly and the water needs to be changed frequently. They install drains not only in open, but also in recessed fonts; When deepening a container, organizing drainage is a very labor-intensive task, so many people prefer to pump out water with a pump.
With the overflow type of drain, a special tray is mounted around the perimeter of the sides, a gutter is attached to it at an angle, and the end of the gutter is connected to the drain pipe. The container is filled to the very top, and the water that overflows over the edge of the font falls into the tray. From there it flows down a gutter into the sewer.
Skimmer for hot tub
Skimmer drainage of water is also quite simple and convenient: a small hole is cut out in the upper part of one of the walls of the font and a skimmer is installed on the outside. Once the water reaches a certain level, it is discharged through the skimmer into the sewer pipe.
Options for draining water in hot tubs
Organization of water drainage
Draining water from the font is quite simple if you take care of it in advance even before installing the mini pool. If in a steam bath the barrel drain is usually connected to a sewer pipe, then in the street version you usually have to use a portable hose, or even worse, use a storm sewer.
The situation is worse with wooden hot tubs; in this case, you have to drain the water through a submersible hose, as in the case of an ordinary garden tank. It’s better not to even try to cut the fitting into the bottom or wooden wall; over time, the wood will swell or shrink, and a water leak will certainly appear.
Things are a little better with plastic barrels - fonts. Most containers are installed on a pre-prepared site, and the water is drained through a drain pipe soldered into the bottom. You will have to lay additional street drainage, but it can also be used to drain water after washing the font.
Draining water outdoors is always difficult. If a wooden container is left to winter outside, then at least ¾ of the volume of water will need to be drained and a couple of pine or deciduous logs filled with the remaining amount. This scheme does not allow the remaining water to rot and fill the mini pool with a foul odor, and in cold weather it will not allow frozen ice to deform the font.
Where to put the font?
The bowls are placed in the shower bath or in a separate room. Water and sewer pipes must be connected to the container. Carrying water for the bath in buckets is too troublesome.
This installation option is very comfortable, that is, water procedures will be pleasant both in the heat and in the severe winter cold. The water in the font will be clean, without blades of grass or fallen leaves from trees. But it is worth considering that in a small bathhouse of 3x4 meters there is simply no space for arranging a bathhouse. What to do in this case? Improve the street option.
Outdoor baths can be heated or unheated. Treatments in warm or cool water are much more pleasant than ice immersion, especially in winter. However, fans of ice dipping can install a chiller - a water cooling system to a temperature of +3 degrees (the equipment is installed in a separate room due to its size). Water heating is usually carried out using wood-burning units, the quality and design of which I will discuss below. To preserve heat, a greenhouse can be installed above the font. And in order not to frequently clean the font, it is advisable to close it with a lid each time after use.
Cover for the font
Bathing containers can be installed openly and buried in the ground. It is easiest to install open containers; installation takes a minimum of time. Fonts that are installed or poured in a pit require high-quality connection of water pipes; in the event of an accident, it is not easy to get to them. If concrete walls are poured in the pit, then it is no longer possible to move such a mini-pool to another place. It is worth carefully weighing the pros and cons when choosing the type of installation of the font.
On a note! There are mini-pour-out fonts, which are usually installed in the shower. They are a bucket mounted on the wall, inside of which there is a mechanism installed that prevents overflow of water, and a water pipe is connected. Anyone who wants to swim pulls the string and water pours onto his head. These devices can complement classic fonts.
Bucket waterfall
Prices for different types of ready-made hot tubs
font
Heating type
For steel and cast iron containers, water heating can only be organized through the bottom. The metal bowl is installed above the stone platform, at a height of at least 50 cm. The rest of the space is filled with bricks in the shape of the letter “P”; you don’t even need to make a blower and an ash pit. The more coals left, the longer the heating will last.
Heating a plastic barrel with an attached stove
For plastic and wooden bathtubs, water is heated using wood stoves. In the outdoor version, such a stove is equipped with a built-in coil, through which hot water flows by gravity into the font. In many models, boiling water from the stove does not flow into the bathtub, but into a system of pipes laid along the walls and floor of the font.
Oven for immersion heating of plastic barrels
In large plastic barrel baths, heating can be provided by a special immersion stove. The stove body is equipped with a high enough chimney so that combustion products do not poison the bathing process. The furnace body must be fenced off from the free space with a wooden lattice. The top cover can be removed, and if necessary, you can add a briquette and increase the water heating.
How to choose a plastic font
The range of hot tubs made of plastic and composite materials is unusually wide, so it is very difficult to make the right choice without first familiarizing yourself with them.
Font colors
Choosing a font
The following factors need to be taken into account:
- location (inside or outside the bathhouse);
- the area of the room and the dimensions of the doorway (if the font is inside);
- the number of people who will simultaneously use the font;
- the ability to connect drainage and water supply systems;
- installation method.
When installing a font in-depth, remember that you will have to dig a pit for it, and the larger the container, the more effort and time the work will require. If 2-3 people will take a steam bath, it is not advisable to install a large-volume font, and vice versa, for a company of 6-7 people a small capacity is clearly not enough.
Polypropylene font (plastic)
The ratio of the number of people and the volume of the font with a product height of 1.2 m
| Font shape | Volume | Number of persons |
| Oval | 350 l | 1 |
| 590-1100 l | 2 | |
| 1600 l | 3 | |
| Round | 840 l | 2 |
| 1400-1700 l | 4-6 | |
| 2000-2500 l | 6-8 | |
| 2700-3500 l | 8-10 |
The main parameters of the container are indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging, so choosing a model by size will not be difficult. The quality of the hot tub deserves special attention, as it does not always meet all the necessary requirements. So, if you have already decided on the shape and size of the container, carefully inspect it from all sides. The surface should be free of inhomogeneous inclusions, abrasions, scratches, sagging and other defects. Be sure to check the wall thickness: if it is less than 5 mm, the product can only be used as a liner in concrete and wooden hot tubs.
Check the font before installation
Dimensions and cost of standard plastic bathtubs 1.5 m high
| Product shape | Dimensions (length and width or diameter) | Wall thickness, mm | volume, m3 | Price |
| Round | 1.5 m | 5 | 2,7 | from 35 000 |
| Round | 2 m | 5 | 4,7 | from 48 000 |
| Oval | 2.1x0.8 m | 5 | 7,7 | from 59 000 |
| Round | 3m | 5 | 10,6 | from 75 000 |
| Rectangular | 2x4 m | 8 | 12 | from 88 000 |
| Rectangular | 2.5x3 m | 8 | 11,25 | from 97 500 |
| Square | 3x3 m | 8 | 13,5 | from 109 000 |
| Round | 3.5 m | 8 | 14,4 | from 99 500 |
| Round | 4 m | 8 | 18,8 | from 120,000 |
| Round | 4.5 m | 8 | 23,8 | from 145,000 |
| Round | 5.5 m | 8 | 35,9 | from 198,000 |
Methods for installing a hot tub outdoors
The choice of installation method for an outdoor bathtub is largely determined by the design of the bowl, its size and the method of heating the water. For wooden structures, a platform paved with stone is traditionally used, and the font must be raised above the coating, at least 10-15 cm, so that the bottom part gets rid of condensation.
Plastic font under a canopy
Plastic outdoor swimming pools are installed on a frame, usually metal, but it can also be brick, made of sand-lime brick or rubble stone. Approximately half of all polypropylene bathtubs are installed in a pit, in the form of mini pools; in this case, it is necessary to insulate, reinforce, and plaster the walls of the pit to avoid the accumulation of ground moisture.
A steel bowl is traditionally installed either on poles - supports, or suspended on chains. The cast iron font must be laid on a frame made of stone or brick. All this requires thorough preparation and capital expenditure, not to mention heating in outdoor conditions. Therefore, such a heated outdoor font is built mainly in private households, in semi-enclosed extensions and verandas.
Even with the most careful care, a cast iron boiler always rusts without water and tends to stain hands and things, so it is better to buy a branded cast iron bathtub, with a special oxide coating that improves heating and reduces corrosion.
Finnish version of a heated barrel
How to build a font yourself
So, we found out what kind of font you can buy and how to care for it. But, unfortunately, the cost of the hot tubs offered in stores sometimes far exceeds the officially announced average annual salary. Let's consider a budget option for arranging a font with your own hands.
Please note that installing a hot tub yourself requires some knowledge in plumbing and construction. It will not be possible to put together a font on your knee from what you have at hand. You need appropriate materials and tools.
Consider the location, comfort, drainage and heating, the location of the railings, flooring, handles and rim. In other words, approach the construction not only with creativity, but also with practicality.
However, it is better to order a ready-made bathtub and cover it yourself. It will be much cheaper, and you will enjoy working with your own hands. Of course, the font is not a replacement for a Russian bathhouse or swimming pool. This is an additional opportunity to take spa treatments in the fresh air at any time of the year and at contrasting temperatures.
Choose materials not for cheapness, but for quality, with the expectation that this design will serve you for more than one season.
Do-it-yourself heated outdoor font
The easiest way to install an outdoor bathing tank is to equip a supporting frame. In order to eliminate the risk of the bowl tipping over, the container must rest on at least 3-4 points. A rectangular or square font can be installed on 4 massive beams mounted in the form of a lattice on brick supports. This type of street frame has proven itself well in dacha conditions. At the end of the season, you can always remove the font, dismantle the heating stove and remove the beams on which the entire structure was supported.
Outdoor font embedded in the terrace flooring
A round plastic container can be placed on a brick well-superstructure; steel and cast iron bathing boilers are often installed in the same way. The stone support is more reliable and stable, does not require painting, does not burn or deform, even if the heating furnace suddenly flares up too hot.
How to make a font with your own hands?
If you wish, you can build a font yourself. It can be made of wood, poured with concrete, another option is to buy a ready-made plastic bowl and install it.
How to make a wooden font?
- Assemble the bottom. To do this, you need to lay tongue and groove boards in a row on the work surface, coat them with glue and connect them into a rectangle, secure with clamps and leave until completely dry. Cut out the desired shape using a jigsaw. Make legs for the font: screw two bars on the bottom side with screws.
- Make a drain. Insert the tube, attach the siphon to the boards with self-tapping screws and connect it to the pipe. Treat the contact area between the bottom and the siphon with sealant to prevent the font from leaking.
- Assemble the walls. Using a cutter, make a groove on each board on one side and a protrusion of suitable size on the other. You also need to make a rectangular groove on the back of each board so that you can then insert the rail into the bottom of the font.
- Assemble the font. Connect the slats into a single structure by inserting the protrusions into the grooves. Strengthen the walls with metal clamps. Usually it is enough to make three inserts at equal distances from each other. They need to be nailed with small nails and tightened with bolts.
- Sand it with sandpaper. It is necessary to sand the outer and inner sides of the structure so that splinters do not appear during its operation.
- Install the font. Place the wooden bath barrel in a pre-selected location, connect the siphon to the sewer pipe and lead it to the drain hole.
- Install additional elements. If the font comes with benches, ladders, or shelves, then you need to attach them using self-tapping screws, and their heads should go slightly deeper into the board.
We recommend reading:
What kind of floors are made in the bathhouse?
How to make a concrete font?
The peculiarity of installing a concrete font is that if you plan to place it in a bathhouse, then you need to design it at the stage of building the bathhouse itself. This is due to the fact that such a font requires preparation of a pit.
- Prepare the pit. Dig a hole about 1.5 m deep. The width and length can be different, they depend on the desired size of the font. But you need to take into account that the width of the concrete walls will be approximately 15 cm.
- Prepare the drain. Usually, for concrete baths, water is pumped out using a pump, in which case you can skip this point. If you plan to install a drain, then you need to make a trench in the wall of the pit at a slope towards the drainage pit and lay a plastic pipe.
- Fill the bottom of the pit with sand, the layer thickness should be about 10 cm.
- Install fittings. Cut it and place it on the bottom in the form of a lattice at a height of 5 cm above the bottom. Connect the rods using wire. To lift the reinforcement, use special plastic clamps, hammer 4 pins, pieces of bricks or pipe cuttings into the base.
- Install formwork using plywood sheets or boards. They should be 5 cm above the reinforcing grid. Strengthen the formwork with timber to prevent deformation of the walls under the weight of concrete.
- Prepare the solution and pour it in stages. It is also recommended to strengthen the solution using a crowbar or metal rod. Smooth out the walls with a trowel and leave the concrete to dry. To protect the surface from cracks, you need to cover the sides with a thick film and moisten them. Strengthening the walls will take approximately 4 weeks.
- Carefully remove the formwork and level the floor with a screed about 7 cm thick.
- When the bottom is dry, plaster the walls. The layer thickness should be 0.3-10 mm.
- Treat the surface of the font with a special waterproofing mixture. On average you will need 3-4 layers.
- To decorate the sides, you can use ceramic tiles or rubber paint.
- Install the necessary elements: stairs, lighting, jacuzzi, etc.
How to install a plastic font?
This method is the simplest, since in this case a ready-made container is used; you do not need to make it yourself.
- Make a hole in the font for drainage. Place it in the chosen place. When installing a drain pipe, you need to thoroughly waterproof the place where it connects to the font.
- Install a frame made of beams with a cross-section of 50×50 mm around the font, and secure wooden slats to it. The beams must first be treated with a water-repellent compound. The frame should follow the shape of the plastic container. Connect the beams using self-tapping screws, plates and metal corners.
- Cover the frame with boards 3 cm thick. They will serve only a decorative function; lining and plastic panels are suitable for this purpose.
The sauna font will make your visit to the sauna even more enjoyable and comfortable.
Choosing the future design of the font and the material for its construction
Design and material are interconnected. Their choice equally depends on both the installation location of the future font and your skills. If you are an expert in laying bricks, tiles and mixing cement mortar, then it is better to take on a concrete structure. If you love and know how to work with wood, then go for cedar or oak. But still, the determining factor will be the design and size of your bathhouse, the presence and type of sewage system.
A concrete font holds a much larger cubic capacity of water than a wooden one, but requires a well-designed drainage system and significant financial costs. But it is often easier to build and will last much longer. A wooden font is very difficult to manufacture specifically in terms of tightness; you need to have great patience and accuracy when assembling, and accurately follow the geometry of the parts.
Bath font and its varieties
A traditional bath font is a fairly large container with a round shape. Now the range of materials is very large. It makes it possible to build a structure of any shape and size. Installing various devices in it that promise greater comfort in the bathhouse is also not a problem.
Modern factory containers are distinguished by an enviable variety. Now they can have a round, oval, angular, square, rectangular or original polygonal shape. They are installed in the washing compartment, on the veranda or terrace, near the bathhouse under a canopy or in another place that is nearby.
Another device called a font is a dousing bucket, which replaces one of the stages of a contrast shower in a bathhouse. This container is mounted on the wall and connected to the water supply. To prevent overflow, a float mechanism is installed inside the bucket. This is the simplest, inexpensive option, but it is difficult to call it ideal.
A wooden font is a classic option, familiar, convenient, and environmentally friendly. For a Russian bath, a font made of wood is the optimal mini-pool, since the natural material tends to retain the heat of the water for a long time. However, these containers can also be constructed from other materials - concrete, metal, plastic. You need to get to know all the applicants better.
Metal fonts
Indoors, metal baths are rarely installed due to installation difficulties; more common are original steel and cast iron baths, which are suspended on chains from a “tripod” made of thick logs. The water in such containers is heated by a fire built under the bottom; the heating process occurs very slowly. The tub takes up a lot of space, but according to the owners of such baths, lying in the water, swaying, looking at the sky and inhaling the aroma of a fire and herbs is an indescribable pleasure. The water is drained through a pipe in the bottom of the product.
Chant (font) L-1000
Bath tub
“Floor” recessed installation of the vat is possible. In this case, the fire is lit not under the bottom, but on the side of the container. Be sure to pour a concrete foundation, the sides or podium are decorated with tiles, natural stone and other materials.
Stainless steel font
It is recommended to lay a layer of river pebbles or a wooden flooring in the form of a shield at the bottom of metal vats so as not to burn your feet.
Cast iron vat
Chant (font) L-600
Stainless steel vat, mounted on a tripod
The price of a “rejuvenation vat” is quite high. A product with dimensions of 2000x730x30 mm and a weight of 1250 kg will cost at least 210 thousand rubles, and for a vat that can accommodate a company of 10 people (dimensions 2700x840x40 mm, weight 2300 kg) you will have to pay more than 380 thousand rubles.
