Do Copper Tubs Retain Heat?

Ryan M. Grambart
Founder & CEO - CopperSmith
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Ryan M. Grambart

do copper tubs stay warm

A copper bathtub is a gorgeous fixture that can add beauty and a sense of timeless luxury to your bathroom. Whether you’re simply looking for a new tub or you’re renovating your entire bathroom space, making the upgrade to a copper tub is an option worth strongly considering. However, visual appeal isn’t the only reason you may choose a new copper bath. You might also decide to install a copper tub as a means of promoting your own comfort. Copper bathtubs retain heat better than many other types of bathtubs. Thus, by installing a new copper tub in your home, you’ll be giving yourself a peaceful space in which to relax whenever you choose.

How a Copper Tub Retains Heat: What You Need to Know

A copper tub is an absolutely ideal choice for someone who enjoys lounging in a warm bath at the end of a stressful day. This is because copper bathtubs possess unique qualities that allow them to warm up quickly while losing heat slowly. First of all, pure copper is a metal. This makes it a strong heat conductor. Thus, a copper tub can heat up more quickly than an acrylic tub, porcelain tub, or other such bathtub materials.In fact, it only takes a little bit of warm water for a copper tub to begin heating up. Its conductive properties ensure a relatively small amount of hot water will allow warmth to begin spreading through the surface of the entire copper tub.

On the other hand, pure copper is a slow radiator. This means copper tubs retain heat. Other materials radiate heat more quickly and effectively. This may make them useful if you’re trying to heat an entire room. However, that’s not your goal when taking a bath. In your tub, you don’t necessarily care whether the rest of the bathroom is warm. What matters most to you is that the tub stays comfortably hot. That’s one of the many benefits copper tubs offer. Once they heat up, they tend to stay hot for relatively longer periods of time.

The Advantages of a Copper Tub That Retains Heat

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You already know that a copper tub which gets warm quickly and stays warm for a long time can boost your comfort when taking a bath. It can also offer benefits you might not have considered. Examples include the following:

A copper tub can lower your bills over time

You may be the type of person who absolutely must allow yourself to relax in a long hot bath from time to time. Doing so is a simple but effective way to destress in the comfort of your own home. Unfortunately, if your bathtub doesn’t retain heat particularly well, during a lengthy bath, you’ll need to replace the cool water with new warm water to enjoy a reasonably long soak. This can force you to use more water than you might otherwise have to, resulting in high bills.

That’s less of a concern if you have a copper tub. Again, a copper bathtub will stay hot for longer than most other types of tubs. This means you probably won’t need to replace the water during your bath. It will stay hot for as long as you want it to. Consider this if you’re not sure whether you’re ready to purchase a copper tub due to financial concerns. If you’re one to take long baths, over a fairly short period of time, a copper bathtub will likely pay for itself.

Copper tubs are also quite popular among homeowners. While your goal may be to enjoy your copper tub to yourself now, eventually, you might plan on selling your home. The presence of a copper tub could theoretically boost its value when this day comes.

Relaxing in a hot copper bathtub may improve your sleep

Research consistently shows that lying in a hot or warm soaking tub promotes physical and mental relaxation. That’s why some experts recommend relaxing in a hot soaking tub before going to bed if you struggle with falling asleep and/or staying asleep.

This highlights one of the many health benefits copper bathtubs offer. A copper tub that retains heat will give you more time to let your body and mind relax during your bath. This helps you wind down and get ready to sleep.

It’s also been shown that raising one’s body temperature by soaking in a warm bath followed by quickly lowering your body temperature when you step out of the bath can trigger the release of melatonin in the body. Melatonin is your body’s natural sleep hormone. When it gets released, sleep comes more easily. Instead of taking a melatonin supplement, bathe in a warm copper bathtub before sleep. This may be better for your health than taking a pill.

Lounging in a hot copper tub can ease pain

copper tub stress relief

Pain relief is another one of the many health benefits you could potentially enjoy as a result of upgrading to a copper tub. Many types of pain can be soothed by exposure to warm water. A simple soak in a hot bath can relieve tension and promote greater physical comfort. This has also been shown to have a positive impact on certain types of skin inflammation. Naturally, the more time you can spend in a hot bath, the more likely you are to enjoy these health benefits. While copper bathtubs heal pain by staying warm for a long time, other bathtub materials may lose their heat too quickly to offer any significant health-boosting or comfort-boosting advantages.

(Tip: Don’t add bath salts when bathing in a copper tub. Although you might want to, thinking these salts can help ease your pain to an even greater degree, bath salts can actually damage the surface of a copper tub.)

Soaking in copper tubs may improve circulation

Soaking in warm water can have a positive impact on circulation. Proper circulation benefits your overall health in numerous ways. A copper bathtub that retains heat will give you an easy way to optimize your circulation. Instead of feeling that lounging in your copper bath is a guilty pleasure, you can instead take comfort in the fact that spending time relaxing in your copper bathtub is actually a smart choice for your health.

Addressing Your Concerns: Will a Copper Bathtub Get Too Hot?

You may be pleased to learn that copper bathtubs tend to heat up fairly quickly and stay hot fairly reliably. That said, it is possible for a bath to be too hot. Your goal when relaxing in a copper bathtub is to promote greater comfort. If the bath is unreasonably warm, it won’t serve its purpose. This isn’t something you need to worry about when you install your new copper tub. Yes, pure copper is a powerful heat conductor, but it won’t generate more heat than it’s exposed to.In other words, a copper tub will only ever be as hot as the water you fill it with. This ensures your copper bathtub provides you with a significant degree of control over how warm your bath will be.

will copper tub get too hot

With other types of tubs, you need to rely on a certain amount of guesswork when adding hot water in preparation for a bath. Because you know that some tub materials don’t retain heat very well, you might have to fill a tub with excessively hot water, knowing the water will cool down relatively quickly. This can make it difficult to achieve the perfect temperature. Copper tubs eliminate this headache. Since they retain heat, all you need to do when taking a bath is add water that’s hot enough to help you relax but not so hot that it causes discomfort or even pain. The water in your copper tub will likely stay close to its original temperature after you fill the tub. This makes bathing in comfort much easier than it might be if you were bathing in another type of tub.

Copper Bathtubs Retain Heat, Helping You Optimize Comfort

copper tubs

You have to account for many factors when installing a new bathtub in your home. You need to choose a style of tub that will complement your existing interior design (or fit in with the new design ideas you have if you’re renovating your bathroom). That said, you also need to consider how your tub will impact your personal comfort. Additionally, you must keep in mind that a tub just like a kitchen range hood is a financial investment that can affect your finances in both the short term and the long term.

Luckily, copper tubs allow you to address all these factors easily. A copper bathtub will boast a classic design that never goes out of style. It will also reduce utility bills by retaining heat. Perhaps most importantly, because copper tubs warm up fast and stay warm for a long time, they help you relax whenever you wish to.

If that wasn’t enough, copper tubs are also quite durable. With a little basic maintenance, your copper bathtub will stay in ideal condition for a long period of time. This is just one more reason a copper bathtub is actually a smart financial decision. Feel free to check out our copper sinks at World CopperSmith

October 18, 2022