Foire aux
questions (FAQ)

A spa is a pool filled with hot water, fitted with massage, whirlpool and bubble jets, often including light therapy (underwater lights of different colours). A heating, filtration and water pressure system for the jets is systematically associated with the tank. A bath is a pool filled with water, with wood, electric or hybrid wood and electric heating.

1. Jacuzzi is a registered trademark that has come into common use to designate an acrylic spa with massaging jets.

2. At Størvatt we don't use plastic: our spas are made from noble wood (red cedar), with stainless steel outer bands.

3. Our Størvatt spas are deeper than acrylic spas, so the feeling of weightlessness and lift is much greater.

1. A bath, as its name suggests, is an outdoor pool in which you can bathe in water that has been heated, either by: a. a submerged wood stove, b. a 100% electric heating system adjacent to the bath c. a mixed configuration (submerged wood stove + outdoor electric heater) d. to those three solutions we add (as an option for the wood-burning heating) a high-performance filtration system, so that the water is always clean and complies with health standards. 

2. The main advantage of our baths is their silence, a bit like in your bathtub indoors, but with a lot more water! 

3. Depending on the configuration, our baths are between 90 cm and 120 cm deep, and can accommodate from two to fifteen people. 

4. No breakdowns possible: for baths without an external filtration unit, there is no electric or mechanical equipment. And no risk of damage due to freezing temperatures.

Durable and unbreakable by definition, the wood selected by Storvatt has a number of advantages: 

● Perfect, harmonious integration into a garden, a stone or wooden patio, 

● We choose knot-free, smooth, sanded wood boards: there’s no risk of splinters, it’s pleasant to the touch whether the wood is dry or wet. But it's when your bath or spa is filled with hot water that the magic begins: the fragrance of the wood's tannins is soothing and inviting. 

● Once emptied, the baths only need to be hosed down and sponged before being refilled, no chemicals are needed.

● It’s a wooden jet bath with an electric heating and filtration system. Balneotherapy in the garden, whether built-in or not, it's possible! 

● No special tank maintenance, whereas jacuzzis require a lot of care when they’re cleaned. 

● Once emptied, the spas only need to be hosed down and sponged before being refilled.

Our oldest bath was over 20 years old. It was probably the oldest Nordic bath in Europe, and we dismantled it some time ago. It was still completely watertight. The veins in the wood had been worn away by bad weather, and all the outer parts had a silvery-grey finish. We cut a board in half, the wood was greyed to a depth of 1/2mm and the inside was as good as new.

Depending on how they’re used, on whether they’re wintered or stored with or without water, on the weather and humidity levels, the wood may dry out and shrink temporarily, letting a little water or air pass through after a long time without being used. We recommend that you re-tighten the bands when you re-start the bath, then unscrew them the same number of turns once the wood has swollen to make a watertight seal. The same applies to saunas. Spas must remain filled with water with minimum of filtration all year round.

We can deliver a Størvatt bath, spa or sauna to your home and install it. The cost will depend on your geographical location. You must have prepared the base for the bath and laid the wiring beforehand. Usually, considering the ease with which a bath can be installed, we ship it fully assembled. On delivery, all that's left to do is place it where you want it by gently rolling it on its side using the crate panels on the ground to protect the wood or on a bed of blankets, carpeting, etc. For complex, difficult to access configurations (rooftop, terrain that cannot be driven on, etc.), we can always deliver a bath, spa or sauna in parts and have it completely reassembled by a qualified technician. Tell us about your project, and we’ll look at the best solutions together.

Storvatt baths and spas are for everyone including children, adults and seniors. However, as the hot water and air are vasodilators, we strongly advise against using our baths, spas and saunas for very young children, pregnant women and persons with cardio-respiratory issues. We also advise against drinking alcohol during your session, as it passes into the bloodstream more quickly than at normal temperatures and can cause drops in blood pressure and fainting. When in doubt, we recommend you seek medical advice to avoid any risk to your family, friends or customers!

Depending on the frequency of use and the type of filtration used, the water must be changed regularly. Between two weeks and three months, depending on your habits! We recommend the use of strip testers (swimming pool type) to analyse, qualify and correct water compliance before a session (liquid chlorine, pH, alkalinity and stabiliser).

Yes we recommend water treatment as hot water is conducive to bacterial and parasitic growth, as well as the propagation of algae, and to combat the risk of infection. We recommend the use of natural, non-allergenic, biodegradable and environmentally-friendly products. You can see our selection of maintenance products in the Buy a Storvatt / maintenance products section.

Yes! There are several common-sense reasons: 

● To avoid having to change the water too often and enjoy crystal-clear water, immerse yourself clean and rinsed as you get out of the shower, after having removed all traces of oily residue, sun lotion and make-up. 

● For hygiene reasons, especially if you share your bath or spa with several people, it's nicer if everyone’s clean!

The spas must be kept filled all year round to prevent the wood from drying out and for hygiene reasons. Only our baths can stay empty. We have equipped many holiday homes that are only occupied for one or two months of the year. The rest of the time, the bath stays empty. Just be careful to leave a little water in the bottom during heat waves. Otherwise the wood will dry out so much that it will take several days before it is watertight again. But it will always become watertight again once the wood has sufficiently swollen.

Nothing. The water can completely freeze without causing any damage to the bath or the stove. With Størvatt you have an unlimited guarantee against freezing. Be careful, however, with the technical units and all PVC parts: these cannot withstand freezing, so remember to fully drain the filtration system or hybrid system if you're going to be away for a long time, and drain the tank part too.

There are several solutions: 

● Without treatment or filtration, you can keep the water for a weekend, but no longer. 

● With the portable skimmer and active oxygen treatment, you can keep the water for 10 - 15 days, depending on how often you use it. 

● With permanent filtration and bromine treatment, you can keep the water for 1 to 3 months, depending on how often you use it.

The temperature rise depends on a number of factors: the starting temperature of the bath, the outside temperature, the quality of the wood used, and whether there’s someone nearby to reload the wood. Usually, starting from a water temperature of 10°C, it takes between 1 and a half and 3 hours to reach the target temperature of 38°C. In addition to the 40 kW aluminium wood stove, a 3 kW electric heater coupled to high-performance filtration will help reach the target temperature more quickly, in summer and winter alike.

The submerged wood stove has a cover with a handle that you can slide open to create a draft for your fire. When closed, the fire is smothered. When open, you restart the heating process. When you keep the door partly open, you maintain the temperature. With a little experience, a floating thermometer will allow you to play with the right settings (adding wood, draft). For the more lazy amongst us, one or two spare logs placed at hand, will let you maintain the right temperature without having to get out of the bath. Before enjoying a bathing session, we recommend you use a stand-up paddle to mix and harmonise the water temperature throughout the tank.

We recommend flat, level, stable ground strong enough to support the weight of the appliance when empty (between 250 and 400kg), the water (between 1.5 and 2.8 tonnes), and the people using the appliance (several hundred kilos). A patio built according to the usual recommendations, reinforced under the specific surface, can be enough to distribute the total weight of your installation. If the ground isn’t perfectly level, you can always level your appliance using scrap wood and a spirit level. Remember that baths or spas are filled, emptied and overflow regularly: the ground must be suitable and non-porous to avoid any risk of subsidence. The same applies to saunas, which you should hose down regularly.

All you have to do is get out your garden hose, let the water run for a few seconds to remove any impurities from inside it, then dip it into the bath. If the water overflows when you get into your bath, it doesn't matter and isn’t dangerous.

There are no particular contraindications, just remember to select the driest wood possible and to light from the top to limit smoke coming out of the chimney. We recommend that you use soft wood (poplar or birch) that produces flames quickly to start heating. Hardwood such as oak can be a good idea when the target temperature is reached to maintain a constant temperature over the duration of your session in the bath thanks to the long-lasting embers.

Yes! It’s the tannins in the red cedar wood that give this colour by mixing with the water. This colouring fades over time, leaving the water crystal clear after a few months in the water. 

After a few months of use, red cedar loses its tannins and fragrance. You can then add a few drops of essential oil to the water: we recommend red cedar essential oil, eucalyptus or rosemary. But your tastes are unique, so it's up to you to choose what suits you best!

A bathtub-style rubber stopper is located at the bottom of the tank connected to a short connection kit placed under the bath. When emptying, we recommend connecting a hose to the outlet so that you can reach the place where the water is going to drain off (bottom of the garden, drains, gutter, rainwater drain, etc.). You can also use a small lift pump immersed in the bath or spa and connected to a garden hose. Electric baths and spas are connected from the drain valve to a pre-installed drain in the ground.

For residential use, we propose two types of filtration for your bath: 

● The small portable skimmer provides temporary water filtration. In that case, the water can be kept for around 15 days depending on how often it’s used. Ideal for use in holiday homes, when you're away for long periods, you can empty the bath and store the skimmer in the garage. 

● High-performance filtration or hybrid filtration+heating systems are fitted with cartridge filters that provide excellent filtration and make it possible to keep the water for around 3 months. They are permanently connected to the bath. For establishments open to the public that comply with strict hygiene standards, there are two types of filtration: 

● sand filtration with automatic chlorine control is essential. The technical unit must be installed in a specific technical room located at the same level as the bath or spa or lower. Maintenance must be carried out regularly by technical staff who we train when we install. We have decided to totally ban all single block systems consisting of a small pump and a sponge or other type of filter. These cheap systems aren’t very efficient and are of mediocre quality