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Small Cabin Forum / Off-Grid Living / Bait tank hot tub?
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paulz
Member
# Posted: 21 May 2018 21:30
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I've never owned a hot tub. So as I was laying out my deck boards the other day it occurred to me that this old heavy fiberglass bait tank I have would just fit between my 4' oc I beams and sit on a corner of the shipping container, 28" below the deck. I have one of those submersible wood stove heaters. It would be tight, it's 42" accross. I don't want a big tub, heavy and lots of water. What do you think?

paulz
Member
# Posted: 21 May 2018 21:32
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Pics
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0521181812a.jpg


paulz
Member
# Posted: 21 May 2018 21:39
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Pic
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09021612571.jpg


drb777
Member
# Posted: 21 May 2018 22:03
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Sure, why not use it. Just remember that fresh water weighs 8-1/3 lb. per gallon, so just 120 gal equals 1000 lbs. You might need some additional support to keep the container from flexing.

Bushwhacked
Member
# Posted: 22 May 2018 01:40
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If I understand correctly, you want to put the tub between the joists? So it would sit on the roof of the shipping container? I would avoid doing that. Shipping containers are weak except for the corners. The way that you have the joists showing there, you could prob put it on the end, but have the joists span the weight on both sides of the container and the end (would be best if that end didnt open, if it was a fixed end, or an end that you welded shut. Im also thinking sheer here. you dont want to have both ends of the container open with the tub on top and have it fold over like a cardboard box with the top and bottom open if you get what I'm saying). Even then I second adding some support to keep the container from flexing. Keep in mind this is a liquid weight. Different from dead loads or snow loads. If the calculations are correct about 1,000 lbs, when you get in and the water is moving around that would be a "live load"

Bushwhacked
Member
# Posted: 22 May 2018 01:42
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Are those steel I beam joists you have on there? If so do you know the LB per foot, or the thickness of the steel?

paulz
Member
# Posted: 22 May 2018 10:44
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Thanks guys. Yes I thought I would put it on one of the back corners of the container, giving it support from the back and one side wall. Think a post inside the container through the floor to the ground supporting the opposte corner might suffice? I have walked on the roof a lot, it is not up to supporting the weight alone.

The tank is roughly 43" round, I figure 200 gallons give or take for enough water, plus two people, that is a lot of weight.

Yes the beams are steel, 12", 1/4" thick. They were in a boat storage yard with boats stacked on them.

paulz
Member
# Posted: 22 May 2018 13:52
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Well, just climbed into the tank for a test fit. Two people could sit in it, especially if one is not me, but no room for the heater. Looks like that idea is off, sorry to bug you all, should have tried it first.
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Bushwhacked
Member
# Posted: 24 May 2018 00:44
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Well it could still be a bit of info for someone that comes across the same thought.

Do you have two of those bait tanks in that pic earlier in the thread. Or is that a lid/something else sitting next to it?

My thought would be if you have that tank, two people can fit in it, maybe you could get a second tank and put the heater in that. Have some 2-3" pipes plumbed in from the "heater tank" to the "soaking tank" with a small pump circulating the water. If the the tanks were close together and not more than a bend or two in the lines from tank to tank, you could make it work.

skootamattaschmidty
Member
# Posted: 24 May 2018 07:59
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I'm curious if the submersible stove has to be submersed to work properly? If not, could you use it as a stand alone fire stove beside the tank and run a copper coil to it to heat your water. If the coil is at the right height no pump would be required as you could take advantage of a thermo siphon.

paulz
Member
# Posted: 24 May 2018 11:02
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That second thing is an old plastic table top I was using as a cover. But that is a great thought to have a second tank just for the heater, keep the wood splinters out of the tub. I have never used the heater, it was given to me, looks like this. Assume it has to be in water.

Another thought occurred to me though. Without a filtration system my water would look like mud in short order. I guess if I did use a second tank and a pump I could incorporate a filter.
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skootamattaschmidty
Member
# Posted: 24 May 2018 20:47
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I made a hot tub out of an ibc container. I have it in front of my wood fired sauna. I have a copper coil running into the sauna and the coil rests on the wood stove and around the chimney. I pump water through that with a small pond pump that runs off my solar system. I fill my tank and put some chlorine in the water and did add a cheap kiddie pool pump filter. After about a week I just drain it and refill it as it only takes a while to fill.

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