Ice bath with chiller: a buying guide for home

The three types compared

Behind the words ice bath tub sit three very different setups. The simplest is an insulated tub that you fill with water and ice. The second is a tub connected by hoses to a separate chiller. The third is an ice bath with the chiller, pump and filter built in.

How the chiller works

A chiller works like a fridge: a compressor draws heat out of the water through a coolant, and a pump runs the water through the chiller and filter back into the tub. Compressor power is usually given in HP. Once the water reaches the target temperature, the chiller switches off, and it starts again when the water warms up.

The Helsi™ Ice Plunge has a 1.5 HP compressor with R290 coolant. The water circulates at 1.5 m³/h, the temperature is adjustable from 0 to 42 °C, and at low settings the plunge makes its own ice.

An ice bath on the balcony: weight decides

Water weighs about 1 kg per litre. Even a 300-litre tub puts around 300 kg on the floor when filled, plus the tub, the technology and the person sitting in it.

In Germany, balconies are usually designed under the Eurocode (DIN EN 1991-1-1) for an imposed load of 4 kN/m², roughly 400 kg per square metre spread evenly. A tub concentrates its weight on a small area.

The Helsi™ Ice Plunge weighs 765 kg filled on a footprint of 199.5 × 75 cm, about 1.5 m². That is just over 500 kg per square metre. It only belongs on a balcony with a structural engineer’s sign-off. A patio, garden, garage or basement with a load-bearing floor suits it well.

Water

1 kg per litre

Rule of thumb for any tub

Helsi™ empty

210 kg

Helsi™ filled

765 kg

On about 1.5 m² of floor

Whether a balcony can take the load depends on how it was built and its condition. Only a structural engineer can judge that; if you rent, also ask your landlord or building management.

In the garden, on the patio or in the basement

Outdoors, the tub needs level, solid ground such as a concrete slab or paving, an outdoor socket with a residual current device, and somewhere to drain the water. Shade and a lid keep the water cold for longer.

The Helsi™ Ice Plunge is rated IPX5, and an insulated lid and a weatherproof cover are included. Straps that hold the lid in wind are available as an accessory. It is delivered on a pallet of 215 × 87 × 120 cm and 280 kg: check beforehand that paths, gates and doors are wide enough.

In a basement or garage, what counts is a load-bearing floor, some space from the wall for air around the chiller, and a floor drain or a hose route outside.

What does the electricity cost?

Running cost is power times running time times your electricity price. The chiller does not run all the time, only when the water is warmer than the setting. How many hours that is per day depends on the outdoor temperature, the target temperature, sun and the lid.

The Helsi™ Ice Plunge is rated at 1,400 W. One hour at full load uses 1.4 kWh, which at €0.35 per kWh is about €0.49.

Power

1,400 W

Helsi™ Ice Plunge

1 hour at full load

1.4 kWh

About €0.49 at €0.35 per kWh

Noise

Below 70 dB

• Keep the lid on: it keeps heat and dirt out and the chiller running less.
• Shade, not sun: direct sun warms the water and the tub.
• No colder than you need: every degree lower keeps the chiller running longer.

Water care: keeping the water clean

Without a filter and disinfection, the water in a tub has to be changed often. With a chiller, filter and disinfection it stays usable for much longer, as long as you shower first and close the lid after every session.

The Helsi™ Ice Plunge keeps the water clean in three stages: an ozone generator, a 20-micron particle filter and UV disinfection. Rinse the filter weekly and replace it every 1–3 months, and the UV bulb about every 12 months. Both are available as spare parts.

Checklist before you buy

• Space: how much room do you have, and can the delivery get there?
• Load: can the floor carry the filled weight?
• Power: is there a suitable socket with a residual current device nearby?
• Water: how will you fill the tub, and where will you drain it?
• Depth: can you sit and go under up to your shoulders? The Helsi™ Ice Plunge is 85 cm deep inside.
• Temperature: does the chiller hold the temperature you want, in summer too?
• Care: are filters and spare parts available from the maker?
• Noise: will the chiller bother you or your neighbours?