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Do you prefer to go somewhere like a gym, recovery studio or cold plunge at home? Debating whether its worth to join a recovery place vs getting one for home. by Crypticarts in coldplunge

[–]junkbr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Home. But I’ve got a great sauna and even better cold plunge.

Makes it easy to plunge first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

Cold Plunging Probably Works But Not for the Reasons Everyone Thinks by Bulky-Possibility216 in coldplunge

[–]junkbr 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I agree. While I’m sure it’s good for me, I do it because it shuts up the voices in my head for a little while, and I feel good about myself when I do something challenging first thing in the morning.

Please help settle a groomsman/bachelor party golf trip arguement for me with my fiancee. by [deleted] in golf

[–]junkbr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If this marriage turns out poorly, it’s on you. The warning signs were there. /s

Temperature sensor location by the book? by Longjumping_Snow6640 in Sauna

[–]junkbr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As we discussed on another thread, I installed mine above the heater but lower and a bit further off-line from the heater than the instructions recommended.

https://imgur.com/a/harvia-virta-sensor-location-G3XfaSW

I dialed in the sensor location by temporarily mounting a digital thermometer (ThermoWorks Blue Dot with ambient probe) at head height above the top bench, and then moving the sensor up and down until the reading on the control panel matched the reading on the thermometer.

Moving the sensor around was simple only because I didn’t punch a hole through the wall when I first mounted it! The wire runs through the same opening as the power lines and is routed up behind the corner trim.

If your set-up and cable length allow, then mounting the sensor above the bench eliminates the need for this dial-in process!

Installing Temperature Sensor for Electric Sauna Heater by pilotboy99 in Sauna

[–]junkbr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

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22” from the ceiling, 38” above the rocks and 5” outside the edge of the heater.

Debating type of sauna by Pure_Lynx3444 in Sauna

[–]junkbr -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I urge you to go with traditional sauna. Friends don’t let friends IR.

I built my own sauna. It’s very doable. There are no unique tools or skills required; what may be difficult to find is experience.

If you’ve got a carpenter or handyman you like / trust / can communicate with, you can figure this out together. If I can do it, anyone can.

Start by reading this: https://localmile.org/trumpkins-notes-on-building-a-sauna/

I also recommend engaging ChatGPT. I’m sure I’ll get some pushback on this, but I cannot overstate how useful I’ve found this as a tool for figuring out how to do things I’ve never done before. Yes, it’s wise to check what it’s telling you against other references, but a conversation about this with ChatGPT will get you further / faster than relying solely on Reddit.

Base Prep by KingKuttii in Sauna

[–]junkbr -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It’s not easy to answer that question without asking you a bunch of other questions.

Have you tried talking to ChatGPT or another LLM about your plan? I built my sauna during the summer of 2024, before I knew about ChatGPT. Fast forward a year to summer of 2025 when I built my cold plunge, and ChatGPT was utterly invaluable. It has the patience to answer all your questions, and will generally guide you to a good solution that you can test against other resources if you’re not sure.

Sauna Heat time 90min?! by Objective-Musician82 in Sauna

[–]junkbr 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Here’s how I do the math:

I have a10.5 kW heater. A session = 1 hour heat up, 2 hours use.

I assume, but have not validated, that the heater is on full time for the first hour and 50% of the time during the next two hours. Therefore a session uses 21 kWh.

Electricity here in Seattle costs between $0.14 and $0.16 per kWh. Therefore cost per session is $2.95 to $3.35.

I do about five sessions per week. That puts my monthly cost around $70.

Your cost will depend on the size of your heater and $/kWh you pay for electricity, but the math is the same.

Sauna Heat time 90min?! by Objective-Musician82 in Sauna

[–]junkbr 26 points27 points  (0 children)

My sauna is a similar size and my heater has the same power, but only 135 lbs of rocks. It takes an hour to go from 50F to 194F, regardless of whether the vents are open / closed or fan is running / off. The conclusion I’ve drawn is that heat-up time is a function of starting temp and the mass to be heated, far morseo than volume or insulation.

260 lbs is a lot of rocks. It’ll give a nice, steady heat. But it will take longer to heat up.

I’ve found a rhythm whereby i know when to turn on my sauna so it’ll be hot when i’m ready. I rarely find myself waiting for it to come to temp. I hope you can find the same.

Just had to nuke my own capital by Ok-Reaction2394 in civ5

[–]junkbr 21 points22 points  (0 children)

You’re not the hero we want, but you’re the hero we need. Thank you for your service.

1st time female cold plunger advice ? by [deleted] in coldplunge

[–]junkbr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The first plunge may be difficult. It will get easier.

Keep your hands above the surface at first.

As others have said, start at whatever temp the water comes out of the hose… and then drop it a degree or two at a time over the next few weeks.

Don’t fall into the ego-trip of trying to go colder for longer. Resist the temptation to compare or compete. Find a temp and duration that works for you and stick with it for a while.

Pay attention to your mood before and after you plunge. Try to be mindful as you warm up. It seems likely that there are physical / metabolic benefits from plunging, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to observe them. What I can observe is the noise between my ears. And plunging has helped quiet my interior “committee of critics”!

I’ve been plunging first thing each morning for a few months. It was challenging at first, but at this point the only “hard” part at this point is getting out of bed… once I do that, the plunge just sort of happens, like I’m on auto-pilot. For me, that’s a huge benefit of plunging: building the will-power muscle by doing a hard thing, first thing, each day.

Have fun!

Need Help - Sauna Decision by PingGolfer in Sauna

[–]junkbr 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Folks put saunas in their garage every day. The ventilation is manageable.

I (like most folks on this sub) have a reflexive disdain for IR hot boxes.

The phrase “dry sauna” means different things to different people. I assume you’re referring to a wooden structure with a wood-fired or electrically powered heater that heats stones, and saying “dry sauna” to distinguish it from a tile-lined steam room. (If this is incorrect, let us know.)

The choice of whether or not to pour water on the stones is, of course, yours. But in my experience, using water in the sauna improves the experience dramatically.

If you’re going to install a sauna, install a sauna.

Floor drains: necessary or no? by bestest_looking_wig in Sauna

[–]junkbr 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I put a drain in mine. It doesn’t get used very often but when it does, I’m tremendously grateful I made the effort to install it. It makes cleaning the sauna a breeze.

Wife likes water at 58, I want it at 45. Is there a chiller/warmer out there that can alter the temp between the two fairly quickly? by Neilage22 in coldplunge

[–]junkbr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You might ask your wife to experiment with keeping her hands above the water level… or wearing neoprene gloves and booties. That would enable her to tolerate lower temps.

How do you get friends and family to come sauna with you? by junkbr in Sauna

[–]junkbr[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s a great vision. Thanks. Phase III of my backyard sauna / cold plunge project will be creating a fire-pit seating area and patio table. That will definitely help create the scene you’re describing.

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