Tag: Sustainable Relaxation

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Hot Tub Tickle Tub: A Guide to Fire-Driven Relaxation

Lady in Tickle Tub

Fire-Driven Relaxation From Tickle Tub

Are you ready to experience the ultimate eco-friendly luxury with your Tickle Tub fire-driven hot tub? Let’s explore the simple yet satisfying process of heating up your tub for a perfect soak under the South African stars.

Step 1: Prepare Your Hot Tub

Before lighting the fire, ensure your Tickle Tub is filled with clean water. The 450-litre recommended filling capacity is perfect for couples or small groups. Check that the water level covers the inlet of the heating coil to ensure efficient heating.

Step 2: Gather Your Fuel

For the best results, use dry, well-seasoned hardwood. Avoid using softwoods or treated lumber, as these can produce excessive smoke and potentially harmful emissions. Sustainable energy practices are at the heart of the Tickle Tub experience.

Step 3: Light the Fire

Clear the air vents on your Tickle Tub’s fire chamber. Start with small kindling and fire lighter and gradually add larger pieces of wood, building a pyramid structure that allows air to circulate. This technique, similar to lighting a wood-burning stove, ensures a steady, efficient burn.

Step 4: Maintain the Fire

Once your fire is burning steadily, add wood as needed to maintain consistent heat. The unique design of the Tickle Tub’s stainless steel fire coils allows for efficient heat transfer to the water. Remember, slow and steady wins the race – a moderate, consistent fire will heat your tub more effectively than a blazing inferno which could damage your tub.

Step 5: Circulate the Water

To ensure even heating, use a paddle or implement to gently circulate the water every 15-20 minutes. This helps distribute the heat evenly throughout the tub, preventing hot or cold spots and ensuring a comfortable soak for all.

Step 6: Monitor the Temperature

Use a thermometer to check the water temperature. The ideal soaking temperature is typically between 37-40°C (98-104°F). Adjust your fire accordingly to reach and maintain your desired temperature.

Step 7: Enjoy Responsibly

Once your Tickle Tub reaches the perfect temperature, it’s time to relax! Remember to practice energy-efficient habits by maintaining a low fire or letting it die down if you plan to soak for an extended period.

Close-up of Tickle Tub's Fire-Driven stainless steel fire coils

Pro Tips for Tickle Tub Enthusiasts:

  1. Pre-warm your tub: In cooler weather, consider adding some hot water to your tub before lighting the fire. This can reduce heating time significantly.
  2. Use the cover: While heating, use your Tickle Tub canvas cover to retain heat as we supply a geo bubble blanket with every tub purchase.
  3. Plan ahead: Start heating your tub 1.5-2 hours before you plan to use it. This allows ample time for the water to reach the perfect temperature.
  4. Safety first: Always keep a watchful eye on the fire and never leave it unattended. Ensure children and pets are supervised around the hot tub.
  5. Clean regularly: Maintain your Tickle Tub’s efficiency by regularly cleaning the fire chamber and coils, following the manufacturer’s guidelines.

By mastering the art of heating your Tickle Tub, you’re not just preparing for a relaxing soak – you’re embracing a more sustainable lifestyle. The fire-driven system allows you to enjoy luxury without compromising on your environmental values.

Remember, your Tickle Tub is more than just a hot tub – it’s a testament to South African innovation and a gateway to eco-friendly relaxation. So stoke that fire, pour yourself a favourite beverage, and get ready to immerse yourself in the warm, soothing waters of your Tickle Tub. Happy soaking!

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A Solution To South Africa’s Energy & Water Challenges

South Africa’s Energy & Water Challenges

South Africa faces significant challenges when it comes to energy and water resources. Load shedding has become a part of daily life, while water scarcity continues to be a pressing issue in many parts of the country. In the face of these challenges, innovative solutions are emerging, and one unexpected player in this field is the Tickle Tub – a fire-driven hot tub making waves for its eco-friendly design.

Energy & Water Concerns

At first glance, a hot tub might seem like a luxury ill-suited to a country grappling with resource constraints. However, the Tickle Tub proudly manufactured in Cape Town, is designed with South Africa’s unique challenges in mind, offering a sustainable approach to relaxation that addresses both energy and water concerns.

Let’s start with the energy aspect. Traditional electric hot tubs are notorious energy guzzlers, consuming significant amounts of electricity to heat and maintain water temperature. In a country where the power grid is already strained, adding such appliances can exacerbate the problem. The Tickle Tub, however, operates entirely off-grid, using an innovative fire-driven heating system.

This system consists of stainless steel fire coils attached to the side of the tub. As a fire is built in these coils, it heats the water through natural convection. Hot water rises inside the spirals, pushing into the tub through an outlet, while cooler water is drawn in through a lower inlet. This clever design eliminates the need for electricity, allowing users to enjoy a warm soak even during load shedding.

The implications of this design go beyond just convenience during power outages. By choosing a Tickle Tub over an electric hot tub, South African households and businesses can significantly reduce their electricity consumption. This not only lowers individual energy bills but also decreases the overall demand on our national power grid. If adopted on a large scale, innovations like the Tickle Tub could play a role in reducing the frequency and duration of load-shedding events.

But what about water conservation? In a country where drought is a recurring issue, any water-based luxury item needs to justify its use of this precious resource. Once again, the Tickle Tub rises to the challenge. Its design incorporates several water-saving features that set it apart from traditional pools or hot tubs.

Firstly, the Tickle Tub has a capacity of 700 litres, which is significantly less than a standard swimming pool. This smaller volume means less water is needed to fill the tub, and less water is lost to evaporation over time. The double-walled Fibreglass construction acts as insulation, helping to maintain water temperature and reduce the need for frequent reheating, which can lead to increased evaporation in other types of tubs.

Moreover, the Tickle Tub is designed for easy water management. A 3/4 inch shut-off valve connects perfectly to a garden hose, making it simple to empty, circulate, or purify the water. This ease of maintenance encourages responsible water use. Users can easily refresh the water when needed, rather than continuously topping up a larger body of water as is often the case with swimming pools.

The portability of the Tickle Tub also contributes to its water-saving potential. Unlike built-in pools or hot tubs that stand empty when not in use, the Tickle Tub can be emptied and stored during long periods of disuse, such as during water restrictions or droughts.

In addition to its energy and water-saving features, the Tickle Tub also promotes sustainable practices in other ways. The fire-driven system can use renewable biomass fuels, further reducing its environmental impact. The tubs themselves are built to last, with durable materials that ensure a long lifespan, reducing the need for frequent replacements and the associated resource consumption.

The Tickle Tub also represents a shift towards more sustainable manufacturing practices in South Africa. Produced locally in Cape Town, these tubs support local industry and reduce the carbon footprint associated with importing similar products from overseas.

As South Africa continues to grapple with its energy and water challenges, innovations like the Tickle Tub demonstrate that it’s possible to create products that offer luxury and comfort while also being mindful of our resource constraints. It’s a prime example of how South African ingenuity can turn challenges into opportunities, creating solutions that are not only environmentally friendly but also perfectly suited to our unique context.

The Tickle Tub shows that with creative thinking, we can enjoy life’s pleasures while still being responsible stewards of our resources. As more South Africans embrace such innovations, we move closer to a future where sustainability and enjoyment go hand in hand and our response to challenges becomes a source of pride and progress.