Times vary with ambient temperature. With a strong fire, you’ll be soaking in about 1–1.5 hrs (summer) or 1.5–2 hrs (winter)

Absolutely! Winter soaks are incredible. There’s nothing like sinking into hot, wood-fired water while the air is icy and the fire’s scent drifts around you.

Just a few cold-weather notes:

• After each use in freezing conditions, drain the tub.
  
• Run any spa systems (jets/air) briefly before you leave to purge water from the lines.
  
• Leave the drain tap open so any residual water can escape and pipes don’t freeze and burst.
  
• Keep the insulated cover on between uses to hold heat and keep ice and debris out.
  

Do that and winter bathing is pure magic.

There’s no single required base but a filled tub weighs almost 1 ton, so the ground must be level, firm, and well-drained. Popular options include:

• Concrete pad
  
• Decking built to handle the load
  
• Compacted hardcore topped with gravel
  

As long as the surface won’t sink, shift, or pool water, you’re good to go.

Yes—both can be used in low doses but because wood-fired tubs don’t have a pump or filter, we recommend the simplest, cleanest routine: drain and refill after each use. This gives you fresh water every soak and avoids chemical buildup.

If you choose to sanitize between back-to-back sessions:

• Keep it light: target 1–3 ppm free chlorine or 3–5 ppm bromine.
  
• Pre-dissolve in a bucket and stir the tub - never dose while anyone’s in the water.
  
• Avoid tablets/floating feeders and don’t add chemicals near the heater inlets/returns.
  
• Keep pH 7.2–7.8 and rinse before soaking to reduce contamination.
  

Note: High or poorly mixed doses can discolor acrylic and may shorten the life of metal components. For most owners, fresh-fill / fresh-drain is the easiest and lowest maintenance approach.

If you’re skipping spa features (air bubbles, hydro massage) with our Off Grid Package then no mains power is needed. The wood fire heats the tub via natural convection.

If you want the spa systems and pick our Lux Package then ensure a standard 13A, 3-pin socket is available near the tub.

We ship all orders of the Polar Ember from our warehouses located in the UK, delivery of our nova sauna is only possible to UK address's at this moment in time.

Once the water reaches your preferred temperature, close the heater’s air vent just like a log burner at home. Let the fire simmer on low to hold a steady temperature. If it creeps a little hot then top up with a splash of cold water from the hose and you’re good to go.

The Polar Embers come with a 1-year warranty. Should anything go wrong with your sauna please email us at support@polar-recovery.com and our team will work to resolve this for you asap.