This is the explanation I needed. Thank you so much. Just bought my penguin chiller and my pump, ozone, and venturi from you (oh and of course the plans). Very excited to set up my system, thank you!
Apologies if you've talked about this before but I'm curious what kind of temp control a stock tank cold plunge would have each day outside. How resistant to temperature changes is it once it's chilled down to sub 50°? Does building an insulated box around it make it big difference in temp resistance?
I’ve been running my in this configuration but I’m starting to lean towards having two lines. One for small pump and chiller and a separate for a pool filter. I was using the Intex pool filter prior to needing a chiller and I really liked it. The flow on it was way more than the pump on my chiller killing any chance at a thermal barrier. Not sure what the PSI is but probably too high for the chiller and it runs on a timer which wouldn’t really work with the chiller either. And the filter is way bigger so it would need replaced less often.
I just purchased the new ice barrel 300 and a Penguin 1/2 hp chiller. From what I can gather, the Penguin requires 1 inch tubing, whereas the ice barrel is fitted with a 3/4 inch inlet/outlet. What parts do I need to buy to make the conversion, and can I purchase them from your online store to support your channel?
Hey! I dont sell the PVC Fittings, but you'll want to get 1" male threaded fittings for the in/out on the chiller and then condense down to 3/4" from there. That's what I've done on my builds too and works great
Love the vid, going to be putting mine together with your plans next month. My question after watching this video is are you running the chiller and pump 24/7 and how often is the ozone system running as well. Thanks for the content !
What chiller brands can you overclock to get near 34F, like the active aqua? I bought your newest plans, hopefully will build in the fall when the garage cools a bit.
I think your logic here is spot on. As you said, pumps are bad at pulling but good at pushing, you don’t want anything before your pump. Plus, if you have a lid on the plunge then most debris in the tub will come from what’s on your feet when you get in. The majority of that large debris; grass, pine needles, dog hair, etc… are going to float. That’s why actual pools have skimmers, so realistically, that’s what you’d want but I thought through that and it would be wayyy overkill. I’m in the process on building mine now but I’d be shocked if the bulkhead stainer actually caught much. I bought a handheld fish tank net to quickly remove any large debris off the surface in lieu of a skimmer. Framing plans were fantastic, keep it up!
Following your guide andbuying the venturi and other parts from you I am still seeing small bubbles in the tank and in the actual filter. Is this an issue? Mainly curious if the punp was primed wrong, or I am letting air in somewhere possibly?
Too many factors at play to answer that. Starting temp, ambient temp, insulation, tank size, etc. My advice is to not judge a chiller by the time it takes to cool but if it can maintain the temp you want
When plumbing from the tank to an external pump, is the inlet or outlet higher on the tank? If that makes sense. Is the pump pushing water high or low.
Thoughts on two water filters? I ask because I have the ThePodCompany setup with the chiller and the water is leaving the pod entering the small pump into a built in filter which not that great then into the chiller and then into your water filter setup.
@@DIYColdPlunge I would keep the setup I have now. Output from cold plunge to pump/filter combo then onto chiller and then onto your filter setup and into the cold plunge. Thanks for taking the time to respond to me.
I have a Penguin Chiller/Pump Combo. The one thing I have noticed with this unit is that the internal pump doesn't have a high enough flow rate to pump water through the filter/venturi unit. In order to use the venturi, i had to add an additional pump and put the venturi directly in the line (all the water flows through the venturi). Would be interested to see you review that chiller unit and get your feedback. And hear any other ideas about how to overcome the short comings of the internal pump.
I wonder if they have changed up their components. I know they've taken the cold therapy chiller back to the drawing board a few times since its release. I'll see if I can get my hands on one.
Have you thought of adding a tub heater into the mix? Could use a simple controller like the inkbird it seems, maybe put it after the filter? I guess you would need a chiller bypass? Or just run it through the chiller while the chiller itself is not chilling. Interested in your thoughts!
oh I meant to be able to use it for hot soaking too (just like the plunge option), I was thinking of using this same essential design for a hot soaking tub that is chlorine free :) @@DIYColdPlunge
I noticed on the image of the plunge's configuration they've got what looks to be a heater. I live in an area where winters will freeze everything solid and I'm worried about damage and not having to smash through 3" of ice to get in. Have you worked with an inline heater before?
Hey, have you made a video on the different chillers? I haven't found it if you have. I'm leaning towards the 1/2 hp penguin but was wondering your thoughts.
I'm working on one that I'll post soon. Overall 1/4HP AA or EcoPlus are best bang for your buck, 1/2HP Penguin beats 1/2HP AA but both are good - whatever can get to you when you need it with backorders at this point.
I went with the 1/2 HP penguin. The wait time when I ordered said 3-6 weeks. It took 8 and their customer support would say “it should be shipped in the next couple days” and it wouldn’t be. Just be prepared for that. It is a great chiller though. We’ve had multiple 100°+ days in a row but my water has been a consistent 50°.
