Hey man, have become a big fan of your channel since I bought a stand up cold plunge few months ago. Just ordered the Ice Barrel 300, super excited!!! I saw that you have 2 videos on how to connect it to an ice chiller - one published 10 months ago and one 2 months ago. In the older one, you suggest a quick connect adapter for easy connection/disconnection but in the latest video you don’t mention it and go a totally different route…Any specific reason? Which one of the 2 videos would you recommend following?
I'm always toying with new ideas. If I were to do the quick connects again, I'd stick with 3/4" hose instead of a garden hose. It would be cheaper and the diameter would be a bit larger. You can do it with or without them though. The original idea was that I was going to be disconnecting them a lot, but over time, that just hasn't been the case. For the sake of simplicity, I'd probably recommend following the instructions from this video.
In that case, it seems you would have to drop the pump in the bottom, connect a hose to it, and throw it over the top of the barrel and then perhaps have a sediment filter inline before hitting the chiller. Doable, but it would be worth getting a pump you keep outside the barrel.
@@Recovatech yeah I’m thinking the quick second option you showed with the sediment filter right off the barrel, and then my existing pump just dropped in the bottom of the barrel
Thanks for the write up and instructions! Just one note, I purchased one of the 1/3 HP chillers and only realized after that the rating and reviews for it were inaccurate. All of the 4/5 star reviews were for a different product completely. All the negatives were for the chiller. Definitely not a slight on you, but I wanted to point that out. Cheers!
I've noticed that too. Not with the chillers, but with other products. Somehow the sellers are combining reviews from multiple products to boost the number of overall positive reviews. Very dishonest. For those that might see this, and this does not imply any sort of endorsement or guarantee, but I've personally owned the 1/3HP chiller from Poafamx, Baoshishan, and Ezcasch on Amazon and they all worked the same...well, are the same.
You're correct, it's 5/8 but with a hose clamp, it easily seals it up. You could find a brass 3/4" barb, but they all seem to be pretty expensive for just one. The hose mender is just a dollar or two.
No, they definitely work. I'm always experimenting with new ways of doing things and simplifying the process. This is just another way of doing things without buying extra parts.
Do you know what the type of threading is on the ice barrel, itself? Trying to locate a second valve but can’t find the technical specs for this particular part of the barrel.
How do you like the 300? Costco has it for $999 (shipping included). Was going to get the 500 but the price difference of $500 makes it less appealing. Knowing what you know now - would you say the 500 is worth an extra $500 difference or is the 300 just fine. Note: I’m 5’8
Great option, thank you for putting this out - question... my IB 300 is indoor and I attach a hose to empty it to clean. If I go with the filter attached directly to the spout option, does it unscrew easily to allow me to empty and clean the filter easily? Is this the best option for one indoors? thanks again
Yeah, the sediment filter attached directly to the IB300 spout uses the same connection as a regular hose. Just close the valve, unscrew it, and attach the hose to drain it. Thanks for commenting!
Can you explain the switch in this video (older I know) and the small filters to your newer video with the whole house filter? Just wondering if you see a big performance change … thanks!
The whole house filters can certainly extend the water life a bit. Obviously they strain out more from the water including finer particles. But there are tradeoffs like the extra cost of the filters and maintenance. Both methods work great.
@@Recovatech last question: if i opt to just begin with with ice / ice packs (no chiller, it’ll be in my garage so away from sunlight), do you still recommend a submersible pump for circulation purposes?
I have the exact same set up. When I turn it on I can only get the water to go about 6in past the pump. It doesn’t even make it into the chiller. What am I doing wrong? Thanks
I noticed in your other video you used a whole house filter. curious if you found that was overkill? in my ice barrel 300 I'm setting up a DIY chiller option but I'm trying to figure out the appropriate filtration set-up. I've used it for several weeks w/o any filtration system (just hydrogen peroxide & spa stabilizer) and noticed lots of skin flakes floating around. Not sure if the sediment filter shown here would be sufficient. have you tested them both for at least several weeks?
A whole house filter will definitely filter out smaller debris (like skin) vs a sediment filter. If you go that route, I’d use a 20-40 micron or above filter. Too fine and it will clog up way too fast.
The 400 works great and moves about twice the amount of water that the Ice Pod pump does. That said, I have used the 1100 for a lot of builds and would go with that one if I had to choose.
Hi, I appreciate your channel. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find the filter you used in option #1 (threaded on both sides), as very hard to find - if still available. Could you reply with a direct link?
Great question! I normally just set the temp on the chiller and it will automatically come on when the water temp rises 3-5 degrees (depending on where I set it). The Ice Barrel is so well insulated that it doesn't come on all that much. As for the pump, I just let it run so that the water is always circulating and kept fresh. If you want to have it come on/off at certain times, just connect it to a smart plug. That would work.
Thanks for the reply. It seems like you would burn the pump out pretty quickly letting it run all the time. I bought the pump recommended. Do you have any idea on how long it will last running consistently.
@@shanerourke5885 I don't, but have had one running for months without issue. They're made for aquariums and ponds and designed to run non-stop. But now that I say that, don't be upset at me if yours burns out prematurely. 😄
Yes and no. I cold plunge right there under that gazebo. As you can see it's covered, but not enclosed. I leave the chiller on a table close to one side, so yes it does get some moisture on it and occasionally some sun exposure, but it's minimized. Leaving it out in direct sunlight or rain is not advised at all. And to answer your other question, the chiller comes on and off on its own whenever the temp rises about 2-3 degrees above the set point. I couldn't say exactly, but it only comes on a few times in a 24 hour period with the Ice Barrel 300.
Thank you so much for your video that helped me tremendously.🎉
You bet! Thanks for watching.
Hey man, have become a big fan of your channel since I bought a stand up cold plunge few months ago. Just ordered the Ice Barrel 300, super excited!!! I saw that you have 2 videos on how to connect it to an ice chiller - one published 10 months ago and one 2 months ago. In the older one, you suggest a quick connect adapter for easy connection/disconnection but in the latest video you don’t mention it and go a totally different route…Any specific reason? Which one of the 2 videos would you recommend following?
I'm always toying with new ideas. If I were to do the quick connects again, I'd stick with 3/4" hose instead of a garden hose. It would be cheaper and the diameter would be a bit larger. You can do it with or without them though. The original idea was that I was going to be disconnecting them a lot, but over time, that just hasn't been the case. For the sake of simplicity, I'd probably recommend following the instructions from this video.
Super helpful thank you. Quick q - if my pump is submersible only (unlike yours which works external to the tub), how would this impact your setup?
In that case, it seems you would have to drop the pump in the bottom, connect a hose to it, and throw it over the top of the barrel and then perhaps have a sediment filter inline before hitting the chiller. Doable, but it would be worth getting a pump you keep outside the barrel.
@@Recovatech yeah I’m thinking the quick second option you showed with the sediment filter right off the barrel, and then my existing pump just dropped in the bottom of the barrel
Thanks for the write up and instructions! Just one note, I purchased one of the 1/3 HP chillers and only realized after that the rating and reviews for it were inaccurate. All of the 4/5 star reviews were for a different product completely. All the negatives were for the chiller. Definitely not a slight on you, but I wanted to point that out. Cheers!
I've noticed that too. Not with the chillers, but with other products. Somehow the sellers are combining reviews from multiple products to boost the number of overall positive reviews. Very dishonest. For those that might see this, and this does not imply any sort of endorsement or guarantee, but I've personally owned the 1/3HP chiller from Poafamx, Baoshishan, and Ezcasch on Amazon and they all worked the same...well, are the same.
@@Recovatech I noticed that too - they just put a different sticker on it and call their own. :) Thanks
Do you use a hose mender with a 5/8” male outlet or 3/4”? I can only find 5/8” which is narrower than my 3/4” tubing.
You're correct, it's 5/8 but with a hose clamp, it easily seals it up. You could find a brass 3/4" barb, but they all seem to be pretty expensive for just one. The hose mender is just a dollar or two.
Curious why in this video you didn't do the quick connects? Any reason why not? Did you find it slows water flow by having those on?
No, they definitely work. I'm always experimenting with new ways of doing things and simplifying the process. This is just another way of doing things without buying extra parts.
I have the same pump and water doesn’t flow well. Is it because the tubes are too long? I imagine that’s the case…
If the hoses are 6ft or less, you should have any issues. I’d check to see if you have a clog somewhere, like the filter.
Do you know what the type of threading is on the ice barrel, itself? Trying to locate a second valve but can’t find the technical specs for this particular part of the barrel.
3/4" NPT if I recall correctly.
Is there a system bypass you need to use to get it below 59 degrees?
No, not sure what you mean. The chiller setup outlined here will get it down into the 40s without a problem.
How do you like the 300? Costco has it for $999 (shipping included). Was going to get the 500 but the price difference of $500 makes it less appealing. Knowing what you know now - would you say the 500 is worth an extra $500 difference or is the 300 just fine. Note: I’m 5’8
I would say get it! I've heard a few people mention that they don't really like the seat in the 500 anyway. That's a really good price for the 300.
Great option, thank you for putting this out - question... my IB 300 is indoor and I attach a hose to empty it to clean. If I go with the filter attached directly to the spout option, does it unscrew easily to allow me to empty and clean the filter easily? Is this the best option for one indoors? thanks again
Yeah, the sediment filter attached directly to the IB300 spout uses the same connection as a regular hose. Just close the valve, unscrew it, and attach the hose to drain it. Thanks for commenting!
Can you explain the switch in this video (older I know) and the small filters to your newer video with the whole house filter? Just wondering if you see a big performance change … thanks!
The whole house filters can certainly extend the water life a bit. Obviously they strain out more from the water including finer particles. But there are tradeoffs like the extra cost of the filters and maintenance. Both methods work great.
@@Recovatech sweet thanks!
@@Recovatechone more: what “power” of pump is best? That brand offers a few different specifications. Thanks!
@@ericc863 I always use the 1100GPH Active Aqua. It has 3/4" connections, making it compatible with everything else.
@@Recovatech last question: if i opt to just begin with with ice / ice packs (no chiller, it’ll be in my garage so away from sunlight), do you still recommend a submersible pump for circulation purposes?
I have the exact same set up. When I turn it on I can only get the water to go about 6in past the pump. It doesn’t even make it into the chiller. What am I doing wrong? Thanks
Same, were you able to figure out the problem?
I noticed in your other video you used a whole house filter. curious if you found that was overkill? in my ice barrel 300 I'm setting up a DIY chiller option but I'm trying to figure out the appropriate filtration set-up. I've used it for several weeks w/o any filtration system (just hydrogen peroxide & spa stabilizer) and noticed lots of skin flakes floating around. Not sure if the sediment filter shown here would be sufficient. have you tested them both for at least several weeks?
A whole house filter will definitely filter out smaller debris (like skin) vs a sediment filter. If you go that route, I’d use a 20-40 micron or above filter. Too fine and it will clog up way too fast.
I saw your other video where you use the 400gph pump. Did that one not work good enough and would you just go for the 1100 instead?
The 400 works great and moves about twice the amount of water that the Ice Pod pump does. That said, I have used the 1100 for a lot of builds and would go with that one if I had to choose.
Thanks Again. I purchased the 800 ActiveAqua pump Model, but it had 5/8 inline thread instead. Which model are you using to get the 3/4 inline thread?
Yeah, that's super annoying how they do that. In the video I'm using the 1100.
@@Recovatech I guess the 1100 is the same as the 1000, as listed on your Amazon link?
@@daneshearer1188 I think Amazon has it listed as 1100 but on the pump I believe it says 1000. Either way, yes!
Hi, I appreciate your channel. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find the filter you used in option #1 (threaded on both sides), as very hard to find - if still available. Could you reply with a direct link?
For sure! Here ya go: amzn.to/3UHsUaA
@@Recovatech Great, thank you!
Can you link to the products you use to keep the cold plunge sanitary
Sure! I use the Sirona Sanitizer, Enzyme Clarifier, and then some food-grade Hydrogen Peroxide. No specific brand for that one. amzn.to/4aV3yee
@@Recovatech thanks!!
Do you leave your chiller and pump on all the time or do you just turn it on prior to using?
Great question! I normally just set the temp on the chiller and it will automatically come on when the water temp rises 3-5 degrees (depending on where I set it). The Ice Barrel is so well insulated that it doesn't come on all that much. As for the pump, I just let it run so that the water is always circulating and kept fresh. If you want to have it come on/off at certain times, just connect it to a smart plug. That would work.
Thanks for the reply. It seems like you would burn the pump out pretty quickly letting it run all the time. I bought the pump recommended. Do you have any idea on how long it will last running consistently.
@@shanerourke5885 I don't, but have had one running for months without issue. They're made for aquariums and ponds and designed to run non-stop. But now that I say that, don't be upset at me if yours burns out prematurely. 😄
How often would the chiller come on daily? On the fence of getting one. Just wanna know how well the insulation is
I keep my cold plunge outside and I live in FL. Is the water chiller and everything else ok to keep outside?
Yes and no. It's ok to be outside, but keep the chiller covered and out of direct sun and rain.
Thank you!
how often do you run the chiller?
is the chiller safe for outdoor use? exposed rain & UV?
Yes and no. I cold plunge right there under that gazebo. As you can see it's covered, but not enclosed. I leave the chiller on a table close to one side, so yes it does get some moisture on it and occasionally some sun exposure, but it's minimized. Leaving it out in direct sunlight or rain is not advised at all. And to answer your other question, the chiller comes on and off on its own whenever the temp rises about 2-3 degrees above the set point. I couldn't say exactly, but it only comes on a few times in a 24 hour period with the Ice Barrel 300.