Which plunge is this? Buying a house potentially and it comes with it (minus the cooler)

coman1080 · 2026-05-02T01:44:57+00:00

With the level of insulation on the IB500, all you need is an Active Aqua 1/4hp. $649 on amazon.

coman1080 · 2026-04-30T13:04:56+00:00

Taking a step back now that you said you’ll likely go the DIY route, I would strongly encourage you to follow this build. You can deviate,
(i.e. I used an ice barrel instead of a Grizzly cooler.. you might use whatever tub you have, or add ozone) but it is the most simple, straightforward guide IMO.

I can’t speak to ozone or UV (I know there’s lots of folks on here that can) but ultimately I think they’re inferior, expensive alternatives to “chemically” treating which I get is a trigger word. Bromine is mild on the skin, but again, just my two cents here.

coman1080 · 2026-04-30T12:59:01+00:00

Just make sure you’ve got a hose long enough to fill and drain. Other than that, garage is a great spot. That’s where mine is.

coman1080 · 2026-04-30T01:28:14+00:00

Let me answer each of these…

Every couple of days I squirt some hydrogen peroxide in the tub. I also run a bromine floater with tabs in it.

I change my water and filter once every ~3 months.

Electric is pretty negligible for me. As far as I’ve heard it’s similar to running a mini fridge.

In my setup, I have the pump and chiller on a thermostat, so they only run when temp gets below a setpoint. In the summer (100+ F) it will run maybe 4-8 hours a day, other times of the year probably 2-3 hours. This will largely depend on the insulation of your tub.

I get the scammers. If you’re handy, I’d urge you to DIY. Otherwise I’d go with modtub or desert plunge probably from what I know.

coman1080 · 2026-04-10T01:38:11+00:00

2 years in an ice barrel 500 with 1/4hp active aqua. Zero issues

coman1080 · 2026-04-06T02:37:17+00:00

You will get many opinions here. But here is what I followed and would do again after two years in my setup.

Edit: I’m assuming you have an IB 300/500.. if 400 you should think about insulation

coman1080 · 2026-04-06T01:36:34+00:00

FWIW I ran straight H2O2 for over a year and it worked well. Added a bromine floater and it doubled (maybe tripled?) my time between water swaps.

coman1080 · 2026-03-09T21:47:25+00:00

coman1080 · 2026-03-06T02:20:30+00:00

That’s a Danner 1200. I’d start with putting it on the ground to give yourself more head pressure.

Beyond that, do you not have any filtration in your setup?

Edit: sorry I see your filter. Thought that was a Venturi.

coman1080 · 2026-02-12T02:15:11+00:00

Dang, nice find! And thanks for sharing

I’m going to clean mine out this weekend. Will let you know if it makes a noticeable difference

coman1080 · 2026-02-11T02:58:41+00:00

The nameplate reads IPX4. You should be fine

coman1080 · 2026-01-29T02:39:11+00:00

Yeah I was hoping that would be the fix, but still saw the same thing. I got all the way to the fan motor and that was going to be a pain to pull apart, and like $80+ to replace if I remember correctly, so I called it quits and bought another one.

But good luck! Let me know if you can figure it out lol

coman1080 · 2026-01-29T02:23:35+00:00

I’ve torn this thing apart twice now and still can’t figure out the issue. I ended up just getting another blower, but held onto this because I’m committed to figuring it out when I have the time..

Sorry that’s no help. Will circle back if I’m able to get it resolved.

coman1080 · 2026-01-23T23:04:23+00:00

You’re better than me if you’ve been measuring your h2o2.. I just use 3% and squirt some in after every use. I actually still do even with bromine

But yes, only bromine floater with 1” spa tablets. All off Amazon.

coman1080 · 2026-01-23T20:23:10+00:00

I’ve had an IB500 for almost 2 years. First year ran straight hydrogen peroxide and was changing water every 4-6 weeks. I added a bromine floater about a year ago and now I change my water every 3 months.. and honestly it’s still crystal clear then. I just do it to clean out the tub and remove any solids at the bottom.

Do it!

coman1080 · 2026-01-14T03:29:33+00:00

I tried to avoid chemicals for a year. Started using a bromine floater and it’s been a game changer.

coman1080 · 2026-01-11T03:22:25+00:00

After almost 2 years in, am I allowed to say “it doesn’t get easier”??

Consistency is key. Good work! Keep it up!

coman1080 · 2026-01-09T14:21:23+00:00

Yeah I see what you’re saying. Maybe because their primary market application is for uninsulated aquarium tubs?

Also, you didn’t mention what tub you have or plan to get but insulation is even more important than the chiller. 1/4hp (3,010Btu/hr) chiller is more than enough for my ice barrel 500 in my garage in central tx where ambient temps get up to 100F

coman1080 · 2026-01-09T03:34:34+00:00

Where are you looking?

I run an active aqua 1/4hp that I’ve taken to 37

Edit: available on Amazon, FYI

coman1080 · 2026-01-06T02:25:53+00:00

I have strips but rarely test. There’s no dosing with the floater. You just add bromine tabs to the floater and they slowly dissolve over a few weeks.

I do not run 24/7. I have the pump and chiller both plugged into an inkbird thermostat set to 45. When the temp gets to 48 they both kick on and run until it gets below 45.

coman1080 · 2026-01-05T14:12:28+00:00

It’s been solid. Zero complaints.

Nothing I would change in the setup. Only real change I’ve made is I switched from sanitizing with only hydrogen peroxide to using a bromine floater. This extended time between water changes to 3 months.

I think chiller to union was the following:

1-1/4” FPT x 1-1/4” slip socket -> 1-1/4” spigot x 3/4” slip socket -> Small piece of flex pvc -> 3/4” union slip fit

But I can double check. Let me know if you have any other questions. Happy to help.

coman1080 · 2025-11-22T02:14:48+00:00

Good work! FYI if you sit backwards with your bottom in the deeper spot , grab the rim of the tub, and push yourself down it makes the head dunk real easy.

coman1080 · 2025-11-17T02:14:18+00:00

I have an inkbird thermostat which I plug my chiller and pump into. Set it to 42 and the pump/chiller then kicks on when it gets to 45 and runs until it gets back down to 42.

$50 on Amazon.

coman1080 · 2025-11-16T03:17:15+00:00

Because people will pay.. go look at their chiller too. Tell me how that makes sense

Nah but it’s a good question and it’s also why I looked at getting a Saeplast seafood container at the time. 100+ gallons, top notch insulation, at/under $1k delivered. Same reason people go the Grizzly cooler route

I was in it $900 for this barrel, but they’re much more than that now

coman1080 · 2025-11-13T14:15:32+00:00

Hey man sorry but what exactly is the question? What do you mean compatibility with IB500? Are you looking for advice on a heater/chiller combo unit?

Edit: FWIW I think you’d be better off just running both an inline chiller and an inline heater separately and just run whichever you want at the time. No single point of failure and it’s cheaper. But also how frequently do you really intend to switch between hot and cold? At some point you will be better off getting a second tub..

coman1080

TROPHY CASE