I just setup my ice barrel 300 with an active aqua 1/4 hp chiller and it runs pretty much all day to maintain water at 44. I’m in Utah, been consistently in the high 90s but have my tub outside in the shade(covered patio). I’m thinking the chiller is just too weak and possibly need to upgrade to a 1/2 or 1 hp model. Thoughts?
Hi @davidmausJr On Amazon these 1/4hp AA chillers advertise cooling down to 50 degrees. Didn't hear any mention of actual temperature settings in this video. Are you able to get colder than 50 degrees with these AA chillers? If so why do they advertise down to 50? How low does it allow you to set?
Do you keep the Active Aqua Chiller outside all day in all weather elements 24/7? And it is still working fine? Do you perform any maintenance on the chiller besides filters?
FYI, I live in St. George Utah, which is basically 60 miles as the crow flies from Vegas. This summer has ranged from 100 to 116° every day. My tub is in a storage shed outside. I leave the door a jar 8 inches. I have a half horse chiller and I keep it at 35°. My chiller has no issues keeping it at that temperature. the instructions on the chiller say, do not operate over 104°. I follow those directions and turn my chiller off at 1 PM and I turn it on at 11 PM. I have 150 gallon Rubbermaid cattle tank. I insulated the outside, the bottom, and have an insulated lid on it. The R-factor on my tub is probably R16 plus. I used 2”foam panels and glued the panels and filled in the spaces with spray foam insulation. During the hottest time of the year while I have the chiller off, the water temperature raises 4-6°. At night when I turn the chiller back on, a few hours later the water is back to 35°. I was not sure whether a quarter or 3rd hp chiller would be enough in my desert environment. That is why I got a half horse and it certainly is more than I need with my insulated tank. If I did not have an insulated tank, my guesstimation would be it would be using the full half horse capabilities to keep it cool. My guess is 1/3 hp would handle the weather probably just as well as the half, especially if I let it run 18 to 20 hours a day with my insulated tub. I hope that helps anyone looking for some information to gauge their needs. My chiller sits inside the storage unit (this is a Home Depot insulated standard garden shed, and it has no cooling or air conditioning in it.) my chiller is out of the sun in the shade but certainly the shed gets well over 120°. Hope that helps. I have watched many videos from the host of this channel and he certainly is well educated on all of these topics and he gives great information and advice for my experience. I like building things and like the more inexpensive approach, but if I did not build my tank his insulated box with a lid would be my number one preference. I am 6 foot seven 270 pounds and the 150 gallon cattle tank is perfect for me. The insulated box that the host is demonstrating would be a little cramped for a guy, my sizebut I would certainly recommend his box because I think it is an outstanding product.
I have a small one person polar recover tub I keep it in the garage with a 1hp active aqua chiller. I live in Texas and I set the temperature to 39 and it fluctuates between 43-46 degrees. Not sure if I need shorter tubes or what but even with a 1HP I’m not getting down to 39.
So I’ve recently bought a nuvio recovery chiller set. I set it up in the garage and keep in mind I live in Houston Texas so it is hot. The chiller is 1/3 hp. I don’t really know the specs but I assume they’re similar to the 1/4. It does not for the life of me go below 55 degrees. Now I’m using the standard insulation cylinder pod the comes with it and I’ve recently discovered that their pumps are poor quality that only pump 200 GPH. So I’ve ordered an active aqua 400GPH and hose insulation hoping it will help. The pump comes in this Friday. Is there anything else that I can do to help this problem?! I love your videos bro, ur truely helping this community out. Just looking for some help, I want the the water down to atleast 48 degrees during the summer.
Hi, thanks for actually talking about BTU's. But I'm puzzled with your numbers. For the 1/2hp, it has 4000 BTU/hr and 5.4 amps. But, 5.4 amps at 115 VAC is 620 watts, and converting that to BTU/hr at 3.4 BTU/hr per watt, gives only 2100 BTU/hr, not 4000. Is this a 220V chiller, because then the values make sense. Thx
I live in Southern California. Looking at buying the VITAL Cold Plunge with the Pro Tub with the 1/3 motor...... Is this a strong enough to get the water down to the 3o's? I will have it outside under shade.
I have 1/2 hp aqua chiller, hydrofarm 1110. I kive in West Texas so its hot. However, my set up is partially shaded, but itvrarely gets to my "set" 39 degrees. Usually flucuates between 42 and 52 duting the day. So the chiller is constantly running. I clean my filter weekly. Im not sure what else I can do to reach my desired temp. Oh, i have the ice barrell 400. Thanks! Any suggestions?
I am using the Vevor 1/3 HP chiller with an Intex pump and an IcePod tub. The tub is not very insulated and it gets pretty hot here (up to 107 lately). I have it set to 40, but it rarely gets down to that. It was only getting down to 50 or so at night when the temp would go down, but once I wrapped the tubes in foam, it started getting down to anywhere from 43-46 by morning. I’ll be building a better setup soon, but this is doing the trick for now.
Hi David, I live in NOLA- La. Very hot, would you recommend the 1/2HP chiller or do you think the 1/4HP is adequate using and Ice barrel 300. I am starting a build on a budget but obviously want it to work properly at low 40's. Thanks in advance.
Ordered myself the ice barrel 300. I’m in upstate ny with 2-3 months of 80-90 degree weather. Would a 1/4 hp chiller be sufficient or should I go with the 1/2hp?
Okay this was v helpful for me to see we don’t need the 1hp. Seeking some clarity between 1/4th and 1/2hp now though. Set up will be ice barrel 300 in the garage, ambient temps of up to 120 in summer (Utah desert) otherwise manageable the other 3 seasons. Would 1/2 hp be the safer bet for those summers or will 1/4th cut it 🤔
Hey David,I really appreciate the information, it's given me the push to make my own DIY cold plunge. A few questions if you don't mind. I have a 275 gallon tank and I require a chiller that cools and heats also. I reside in Canada and the chiller will be outside, and most of the chillers you recommend cool only. Could you recommend a few chillers that would fit my requirements for a 275g tank?
Hey man. Love your videos. I’m planning to do a DIy cold plunge with the chiller, right now have a chest freezer. Question for you. Do you ever just leave the chiller running and filtering the water while you’re actually doing the ice bath? I feel like this would be a good thing because abuse it keeps the water moving which makes it’s colder while you’re in there. Just wondering if you’ve experimented with this.
Great video thanks for the info. I can’t get the Active aqua chiller here in Ireland so am looking for advise on what chiller I can buy? any suggestions would help, suppliers etc
Have an ice pod in my basement it's always 60 degrees down there can I get away with the 1/10 hp it's around 70 gallons. I'd like it to get to mid 40s water temp
120gal laydown style inflatable, semi insulated with a lid. Closed garage kept in Middle Tennessee. 1/4 or 1/2hp? I know the gallon rating on the 1/4 is under 100 but its not too far off. What say ya?
I've been doing some tests myself with the IB500 and 1/4 combo. Right now I have it down to about 3 1/2 hours of runtime overnight to keep the water where I need it. Last night I set up a camera to try and see how it performed but the glare blurred the view of the temperature. My theory is since the pipes and pump are exposed (plus my pipes are longer so I could better protect the chiller) that I'm losing temp once the chiller kicks off and the ambient heat is heating the water being pumped through the system causing the chiller to come on more often. Hoping to be able to see how long it's taking to get back to set point, and then adjust my timer to match that. I'll be insulating the pipes soon but trying to gather some baseline data first. I also have a concept for insulating the pump and filter, figure I can use some of the tubing and barb connectors to pipe in and out of a cooler, giving the pump and filter some protection from the heat. Though I think that might be overkill. Barring the cooler idea, my other thought is to somehow integrate an inkbird like setup where I can have it run at night and cut off once it hits target to save the most energy. Curious what Desert is going to do with Grizzly discontinuing those 400 model chests. Did you ever get to do your ice test with all the plunges?
@@808kea808 You can hear when the unit starts cooling, sounds like one of those mini-fridges when it kicks on. The pump (which is separate) runs 24/7, so while the chiller isn't cooling (it has a 2 degree window) the pump pumping the water through all the piping is gaining heat. Still trying to get a clearer picture as my goal is to hit my set temp, and have the system shut down. Right now it looks like I might be able to drop down to 3 hours of running daily. We're just about to get into the really hot weather, so that should give me a lot of data to see how it's performing.
@@Juncti I have a home made cold plunge. With a 100 gallon stock tank and I used spray foam and some insulation boards for a cover. I use the eco lab 1.5 hp and a 1200gph pump. I keep mines at 45° with a 3°buffer before the chiller kicks on. It gets to temp then rises to 48 pretty fast but stays there for some time, it holds the temp for about 45 mins or so depending if it stays shut then it runs for 15-18 mins. And my lines are all insulated with pipe insulation. I was just curious as to if my cold plunge is on par with the 500 or 300. I live in Hawaii and I was curious if it would save me money in the long run if the 500 kept the temp all day while not being used. I keep mines in the sun.
@@808kea808 I'll come back and update as it gets hotter and once I insulate the pipes. It's already mid 90's here with feels like at 100. This is just the beginning. Only hotter from here
Definitely a 1/2. I had a 1/2 for over a year and then my brother tried the 1hp and it worked so much more efficiently so i upgraded my 400 to that. But the 1/2 is enough to get you cold
I've ended up with the 1.5hp ecoplus after quite the struggle. First had a penguin 3/4hp all in one unit, those are crap. Tried active aqua 1hp next, had issues there too. Seems they have issues with their 1hp models. The ecoplus has been great albeit overkill. I'm uninsulated for now but eventually I'll change that. I like having the extra juice still though, I might build a bigger tub one day and it is nice that it cools so fast.
@@urieran5757 yes. Please keep me updated just wanna see how long it holds temp once it reaches the set temperature. Wondering if the ice barrel insulation is as top notch as they make it seem online. You on Oahu ?
@@urieran5757 ok cool. Appreciate it. I did the diy 100gallom rubber maid tank. With spray foam and the cotton fiberglass insulation. As well as a foam board cover with the reflective mat on top. And insulated lines with minimal distance. It holds temp in 90° Waianae weather for like 45 mins to an hour before the chiller kicks back on. I was curious to see if the ice barrel is more efficient. Like how some people make it seem online, they fill with ice then it’s still cold cold the next day lol.
I have a small one person polar recover tub I keep it in the garage with a 1hp active aqua chiller. I live in Texas and I set the temperature to 39 and it fluctuates between 43-46 degrees. Not sure if I need shorter tubes or what but even with a 1HP I’m not getting down to 39.
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I just setup my ice barrel 300 with an active aqua 1/4 hp chiller and it runs pretty much all day to maintain water at 44. I’m in Utah, been consistently in the high 90s but have my tub outside in the shade(covered patio). I’m thinking the chiller is just too weak and possibly need to upgrade to a 1/2 or 1 hp model. Thoughts?
Just ordered the 1/4 one for my 300 ice barrel. Can’t wait to get it hooked up!! Thanks man, been waiting so long to purchase one
Let’s go!! Awesome!
Hi @davidmausJr
On Amazon these 1/4hp AA chillers advertise cooling down to 50 degrees. Didn't hear any mention of actual temperature settings in this video.
Are you able to get colder than 50 degrees with these AA chillers?
If so why do they advertise down to 50? How low does it allow you to set?
Do you keep the Active Aqua Chiller outside all day in all weather elements 24/7? And it is still working fine?
Do you perform any maintenance on the chiller besides filters?
Outside at all times. No issues at all
Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you.
Glad I could help!
FYI,
I live in St. George Utah, which is basically 60 miles as the crow flies from Vegas. This summer has ranged from 100 to 116° every day.
My tub is in a storage shed outside. I leave the door a jar 8 inches.
I have a half horse chiller and I keep it at 35°.
My chiller has no issues keeping it at that temperature.
the instructions on the chiller say, do not operate over 104°. I follow those directions and turn my chiller off at 1 PM and I turn it on at 11 PM.
I have 150 gallon Rubbermaid cattle tank. I insulated the outside, the bottom, and have an insulated lid on it. The R-factor on my tub is probably R16 plus. I used 2”foam panels and glued the panels and filled in the spaces with spray foam insulation.
During the hottest time of the year while I have the chiller off, the water temperature raises 4-6°.
At night when I turn the chiller back on, a few hours later the water is back to 35°.
I was not sure whether a quarter or 3rd hp chiller would be enough in my desert environment. That is why I got a half horse and it certainly is more than I need with my insulated tank. If I did not have an insulated tank, my guesstimation would be it would be using the full half horse capabilities to keep it cool.
My guess is 1/3 hp would handle the weather probably just as well as the half, especially if I let it run 18 to 20 hours a day with my insulated tub.
I hope that helps anyone looking for some information to gauge their needs. My chiller sits inside the storage unit (this is a Home Depot insulated standard garden shed, and it has no cooling or air conditioning in it.)
my chiller is out of the sun in the shade but certainly the shed gets well over 120°.
Hope that helps.
I have watched many videos from the host of this channel and he certainly is well educated on all of these topics and he gives great information and advice for my experience.
I like building things and like the more inexpensive approach, but if I did not build my tank his insulated box with a lid would be my number one preference.
I am 6 foot seven 270 pounds and the 150 gallon cattle tank is perfect for me. The insulated box that the host is demonstrating would be a little cramped for a guy, my sizebut I would certainly recommend his box because I think it is an outstanding product.
Great info! Thanks for the input 🫶🏽
I have a small one person polar recover tub I keep it in the garage with a 1hp active aqua chiller. I live in Texas and I set the temperature to 39 and it fluctuates between 43-46 degrees. Not sure if I need shorter tubes or what but even with a 1HP I’m not getting down to 39.
Is your plunge insulated?
So I’ve recently bought a nuvio recovery chiller set. I set it up in the garage and keep in mind I live in Houston Texas so it is hot. The chiller is 1/3 hp. I don’t really know the specs but I assume they’re similar to the 1/4. It does not for the life of me go below 55 degrees. Now I’m using the standard insulation cylinder pod the comes with it and I’ve recently discovered that their pumps are poor quality that only pump 200 GPH. So I’ve ordered an active aqua 400GPH and hose insulation hoping it will help. The pump comes in this Friday. Is there anything else that I can do to help this problem?! I love your videos bro, ur truely helping this community out. Just looking for some help, I want the the water down to atleast 48 degrees during the summer.
Hi, thanks for actually talking about BTU's. But I'm puzzled with your numbers. For the 1/2hp, it has 4000 BTU/hr and 5.4 amps. But, 5.4 amps at 115 VAC is 620 watts, and converting that to BTU/hr at 3.4 BTU/hr per watt, gives only 2100 BTU/hr, not 4000. Is this a 220V chiller, because then the values make sense. Thx
I live in Southern California. Looking at buying the VITAL Cold Plunge with the Pro Tub with the 1/3 motor...... Is this a strong enough to get the water down to the 3o's? I will have it outside under shade.
I have 1/2 hp aqua chiller, hydrofarm 1110. I kive in West Texas so its hot. However, my set up is partially shaded, but itvrarely gets to my "set" 39 degrees. Usually flucuates between 42 and 52 duting the day. So the chiller is constantly running. I clean my filter weekly. Im not sure what else I can do to reach my desired temp. Oh, i have the ice barrell 400. Thanks! Any suggestions?
I am using the Vevor 1/3 HP chiller with an Intex pump and an IcePod tub. The tub is not very insulated and it gets pretty hot here (up to 107 lately). I have it set to 40, but it rarely gets down to that. It was only getting down to 50 or so at night when the temp would go down, but once I wrapped the tubes in foam, it started getting down to anywhere from 43-46 by morning. I’ll be building a better setup soon, but this is doing the trick for now.
Hi David, I live in NOLA- La. Very hot, would you recommend the 1/2HP chiller or do you think the 1/4HP is adequate using and Ice barrel 300. I am starting a build on a budget but obviously want it to work properly at low 40's. Thanks in advance.
Do you have any tips (or future videos) on how to clean / maintain the active aqua chiller?
Ordered myself the ice barrel 300. I’m in upstate ny with 2-3 months of 80-90 degree weather. Would a 1/4 hp chiller be sufficient or should I go with the 1/2hp?
I’d say both would work but if you’re hesitant go with the 1/2
Okay this was v helpful for me to see we don’t need the 1hp.
Seeking some clarity between 1/4th and 1/2hp now though.
Set up will be ice barrel 300 in the garage, ambient temps of up to 120 in summer (Utah desert) otherwise manageable the other 3 seasons.
Would 1/2 hp be the safer bet for those summers or will 1/4th cut it 🤔
I think both will work but the 1/2 would work better.
Hey David,I really appreciate the information, it's given me the push to make my own DIY cold plunge. A few questions if you don't mind. I have a 275 gallon tank and I require a chiller that cools and heats also. I reside in Canada and the chiller will be outside, and most of the chillers you recommend cool only. Could you recommend a few chillers that would fit my requirements for a 275g tank?
Correction a 250g tank
So how about if your cold plunge unit (Ice pod is what I was given) is inside? Would a 1/3HP be enough to keep it cold say below 40?
I’ve got a 1/3 hp chiller for an ice barrel 400. It definitely runs a lot especially now that it’s getting hotter out. Waving a hand from Atlanta 🤙🏼
Will it hold 39° for you ?
looking to get the plunge air . curious to hear a comparison on longevity between active aqua and plunge chillers
I love both
Hey man. Love your videos. I’m planning to do a DIy cold plunge with the chiller, right now have a chest freezer.
Question for you. Do you ever just leave the chiller running and filtering the water while you’re actually doing the ice bath? I feel like this would be a good thing because abuse it keeps the water moving which makes it’s colder while you’re in there. Just wondering if you’ve experimented with this.
A lot of people advise against since you increase risk of getting electrocuted.
Great video thanks for the info. I can’t get the Active aqua chiller here in Ireland so am looking for advise on what chiller I can buy? any suggestions would help, suppliers etc
Not that I know of personally but there has to be options there similar to the AA
There is but they all come from china. And as you recommend I’m trying to stay away from the all in ones.
Have an ice pod in my basement it's always 60 degrees down there can I get away with the 1/10 hp it's around 70 gallons. I'd like it to get to mid 40s water temp
From your experience, how long would it take a 1Hp chiller to cool a 150gal Rubbermaid tub down 15 degrees F?
120gal laydown style inflatable, semi insulated with a lid. Closed garage kept in Middle Tennessee. 1/4 or 1/2hp? I know the gallon rating on the 1/4 is under 100 but its not too far off. What say ya?
I've been doing some tests myself with the IB500 and 1/4 combo. Right now I have it down to about 3 1/2 hours of runtime overnight to keep the water where I need it. Last night I set up a camera to try and see how it performed but the glare blurred the view of the temperature. My theory is since the pipes and pump are exposed (plus my pipes are longer so I could better protect the chiller) that I'm losing temp once the chiller kicks off and the ambient heat is heating the water being pumped through the system causing the chiller to come on more often.
Hoping to be able to see how long it's taking to get back to set point, and then adjust my timer to match that. I'll be insulating the pipes soon but trying to gather some baseline data first. I also have a concept for insulating the pump and filter, figure I can use some of the tubing and barb connectors to pipe in and out of a cooler, giving the pump and filter some protection from the heat. Though I think that might be overkill.
Barring the cooler idea, my other thought is to somehow integrate an inkbird like setup where I can have it run at night and cut off once it hits target to save the most energy.
Curious what Desert is going to do with Grizzly discontinuing those 400 model chests. Did you ever get to do your ice test with all the plunges?
Could you run your test again and get a better view of the temp ? Or do you have a general idea as in it comes on every hour?
@@808kea808 You can hear when the unit starts cooling, sounds like one of those mini-fridges when it kicks on. The pump (which is separate) runs 24/7, so while the chiller isn't cooling (it has a 2 degree window) the pump pumping the water through all the piping is gaining heat.
Still trying to get a clearer picture as my goal is to hit my set temp, and have the system shut down. Right now it looks like I might be able to drop down to 3 hours of running daily.
We're just about to get into the really hot weather, so that should give me a lot of data to see how it's performing.
@@Juncti I have a home made cold plunge. With a 100 gallon stock tank and I used spray foam and some insulation boards for a cover. I use the eco lab 1.5 hp and a 1200gph pump. I keep mines at 45° with a 3°buffer before the chiller kicks on.
It gets to temp then rises to 48 pretty fast but stays there for some time, it holds the temp for about 45 mins or so depending if it stays shut then it runs for 15-18 mins. And my lines are all insulated with pipe insulation.
I was just curious as to if my cold plunge is on par with the 500 or 300. I live in Hawaii and I was curious if it would save me money in the long run if the 500 kept the temp all day while not being used. I keep mines in the sun.
@@808kea808 I'll come back and update as it gets hotter and once I insulate the pipes. It's already mid 90's here with feels like at 100. This is just the beginning. Only hotter from here
@@Juncti where you located ?
Can you share how cold these chillers get down to?
Yes please. Looking for this info. Amazing listing says 50 degrees. That can't be right.
Great overall summary. Thanks for your help.
What temperature does the active aqua get down to ?😊
Same question. 1/4HP Ice barrel 500. Plan to use umbrella over it.
Did you move to right on the water? What is something like that now cost wise. That's my dream...❤
If you have a ice barrel 400 in shade in south, would the 1/4 or 1/2 be best
Mine is in my garage in west Texas. Still hot as balls in there and I use a 1/2 and it works great. It only runs for 4 hours a day too
Definitely a 1/2. I had a 1/2 for over a year and then my brother tried the 1hp and it worked so much more efficiently so i upgraded my 400 to that. But the 1/2 is enough to get you cold
I've ended up with the 1.5hp ecoplus after quite the struggle. First had a penguin 3/4hp all in one unit, those are crap. Tried active aqua 1hp next, had issues there too. Seems they have issues with their 1hp models. The ecoplus has been great albeit overkill.
I'm uninsulated for now but eventually I'll change that. I like having the extra juice still though, I might build a bigger tub one day and it is nice that it cools so fast.
have you ever used a vevor chiller
I am using one currently with IB500. 1/3hp. Sits at 45 degrees.
Great review much appreciated! Just bought an ice barrel 300, good to know that 1/4 HP will work for it save me some $
Not if it’s gonna be running constantly to get it to temp
@@808kea808 I'm in Hawaii (rainy side) ordered the IB 300 and waiting to connect it to the 1/4 hp .. I'll see how hard it will work to cool it soon.
@@urieran5757 yes. Please keep me updated just wanna see how long it holds temp once it reaches the set temperature. Wondering if the ice barrel insulation is as top notch as they make it seem online. You on Oahu ?
@@808kea808 I'm on the big island , I can update you in few weeks when I set it up.
@@urieran5757 ok cool. Appreciate it. I did the diy 100gallom rubber maid tank. With spray foam and the cotton fiberglass insulation. As well as a foam board cover with the reflective mat on top. And insulated lines with minimal distance. It holds temp in 90° Waianae weather for like 45 mins to an hour before the chiller kicks back on.
I was curious to see if the ice barrel is more efficient. Like how some people make it seem online, they fill with ice then it’s still cold cold the next day lol.
Thanks bro
Also has anyone used it in Colorado where we get snow and rain? How about Florida does it get rained on is ok?
I have a small one person polar recover tub I keep it in the garage with a 1hp active aqua chiller. I live in Texas and I set the temperature to 39 and it fluctuates between 43-46 degrees. Not sure if I need shorter tubes or what but even with a 1HP I’m not getting down to 39.