Cold Plunge Water Sanitation pt. 1 - Chemicals

This is the 3rd part of a series of three videos on keeping your water clean. The first video is an overview of the options. The second video covers pumps and filters. The third video covers sanitation and is divided into two parts: chemicals and technology.
This video (Part 1) on chemicals covers:
- chlorine
- H2O2
- Epsom salts
- essential oils
- a simple tip to prevent slimy walls and floor (algae buildup)
Be sure to watch Part 2 which will cover technology for sanitizing your water (ozone generators and Ultra Violet light - UV).
Join my free Facebook group where we discuss DIY topics related to making DIY and professionally built cold plunges:
/ chestfreezercoldplunge
You can learn more about my book, consulting services, and recommended products on my website:
www.ChestFreezerColdPlunge.com
Feeling overwhelmed by the DIY route, or just don't have the interest or time?
If you have $5,000 - $8,000 in your budget (or can afford monthly payments of around $200), consider buying a commercially made cold plunge with a warranty. I've been using one of these since May of 2021 and can vouch for the quality of the product and the people behind the company.
I am an affiliate and happy to answer any questions about it. Search my channel for a review.
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CODE: RICHTER
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[@ansiblejunky3866]

I have a inflatable cold plunge tub and was going to use chlorine tablets and a floating device, but I heard from someone that it puts too much chlorine into the water and its not good. What's your opinion or experience on that? Also, typically my tub is covered so not sure that would float while it's covered. Thanks for your help.

[@6048733993]

Hey great video! Do we need to shower after being in hydrogen peroxide water 100ppm?

[@JohnRichterAustin]

@6048733993 thanks! You only need to shower aftsrward if your skin is sensitive to h2o2.

[@briggsmakesmusic]

How often do you need to add new epsom salts and wouldn’t those get clogged up in the pump/filter?

[@songweaver6076]

they dissolve completely

[@alexm2833]

1 teaspoon of copper sulphate will cut the chlorine requirement by 10 fold. I use that in my pool now (1 tablespoon per 1000 gallons aprox) and its a godsend.

[@davemiller494]

John these videos are great. Buying the book now. Do you happen to know if using hydrogen peroxide would prohibit me from then watering my garden/ lawn with this water? I installed a female hose adapter into my drain plug and hate to waste water given I am on a well up here in Maine.

[@JohnRichterAustin]

H2O2 is fine to use in your garden or lawn. However, I don't recommend using the built-in drain. See this article: See this article for best practices for sealing the seams: chestfreezercoldplunge.com/sealing/ Thanks for buying my book!

[@KyleFulton-es5bb]

Thanks so so much. Really interesting and helpful

[@JohnRichterAustin]

You're welcome.

[@SarahCampanico]

Hello! Great video, Just to clarify, can I JUST use chlorine and not use an ozonator or UB Bulb? I have a chiller from Coldture that has a filter built in for reference. Thank you in advance for your insight!

[@JohnRichterAustin]

Yes, any single sanitation method will work. With chlorine most people go 1 to 4 months between water changes.

[@brandong8978]

will there be a follow up video explaining how to use 90% h2o2 for rocket fuel?

[@jonathansmith7713]

I'm not able to find the spreadsheet for hydrogen peroxide treatment. What do I need for a 100 gallons of water?

[@JohnRichterAustin]

You'll need to join my free FB group. It's in the files section. facebook.com/groups/chestfreezercoldplunge

[@Drewzaah]

How long should you change out your water using epsom salt?

[@JohnRichterAustin]

As needed. And as I mentioned in the video, I'm not a big fan of Epsom salts and very few people actually use them because of the amount required to kill microbes and the other issues involved. If you do use it for sanitation, you might get 30 -60 days (+/-) before your water needs to be changed if you keep on top of the filter changes.

[@gustavothibau]

Hello there again John And again thank for all the amazing support for the community and ultimately myself eheheh Please advise if Hydrogen Peroxide (non food grade) is ok I live in Bahrain and just can’t find food grade peroxide anywhere, neither it can be imported. Not sure if would affect the aluminum walls of my deep freezer or the filter pumps. Thank you 🙏

[@JohnRichterAustin]

You're welcome. Lab-grade or technical-grade H2O2 should be OK.

[@gustavothibau]

@@JohnRichterAustin I have read that it may contain stabilizers which may not be desirable Any thoughts on that, from a skin or health impact ? 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@JohnRichterAustin]

@gustavothibau technical grade ... sorry I should have said laboratory/pharmaceutical grade, which cannot contain anything except pure H2O2.

[@TheDixieFlatline]

for those of us not on facebook is there anywhere else to access the spreadsheet?

[@JohnRichterAustin]

If you are willing to send a donation to my PayPal account, I'll email the spreadsheet to you. Go to my website (the link is in the video description) and fill out the contact form.

[@honeybadgermuff]

Hi John what is the liner you are using? Thanks

[@JohnRichterAustin]

I'm using a custom liner that I designed back in 2018. They are available on my website: ChestFreezerColdPlunge.com/custom-liners

[@brendanpenn187]

What material do you use as the layer between the chest freezer and the water?

[@JohnRichterAustin]

This article compares the best practice liner options and why a liner is inportant: chestfreezercoldplunge.com/4-liners/ Be sure to also read the linked article about sealing the seams.

[@Yova91]

If i were to change my water once a month would i need to add any chemicals or ozone?

[@JohnRichterAustin]

It depends on your preferences for hygiene, tolerance for filth, and risk tolerance. Some people report their water getting dirtier cloudy within a few days when no sanitation is used. Others say they keep the same water for several months before changing it.

[@devonwelton9460]

What is the name of your group on Facebook ? Would love to follow

[@JohnRichterAustin]

The link to my free FB group is in the video subscription.:) facebook.com/groups/chestfreezercoldplunge/?ref=share_group_link

[@helawn]

Should i use food grade h2o2?

[@JohnRichterAustin]

Food grade is best practice but not necessary. You can use the 3% variety found at your local stores - you'll just need 12x the amount. I have a spreadsheet calculator in my group that shows you exactly how much to use of any concentration. You can join the free group here: facebook.com/groups/chestfreezercoldplunge/

[@jorgenavarrete3912]

thanks!!!

[@JohnRichterAustin]

You're welcome!

[@lucasesquerra6125]

Thanks for helpful video. Does using Chlorine affect the pond shield at all?

[@JohnRichterAustin]

Pond Shield is 100% compatible with all of the sanitation methods I recommend, including chlorine.

[@lucasesquerra6125]

@@JohnRichterAustin Thanks for your response and time John

[@JohnRichterAustin]

@@lucasesquerra6125 - You're welcome!

[@rockymountainrancher]

What is the name of the Facebook group ?

[@JohnRichterAustin]

It's "DIY Chest Freezer & Chiller Cold Plunges." The link is in the video description, but here it is again for reference: facebook.com/groups/chestfreezercoldplunge

[@rockymountainrancher]

@@JohnRichterAustin got it thank you!

[@JohnRichterAustin]

@@rockymountainrancher You're welcome!

[@ryanwhite17]

Can’t the UV lights break down the plastic if you use a cooler?

[@JohnRichterAustin]

As mentioned in the video, most UV lights are not suitable for water sanitation. The UV lights that are suitable are typically enclosed. Further, the recommended liners for chest freezer builds are UV resistant. See this post for more info about liners: chestfreezercoldplunge.com/4-liners/

[@mikesavoie3142]

Hi John, how can I find your Facebook page?

[@JohnRichterAustin]

The link to join is in the video description. :) facebook.com/groups/chestfreezercoldplunge/?ref=share

[@jasonb2910]

What kind of white liner are you using?

[@JohnRichterAustin]

That is a custom pvc liner that I designed in 2018 after several liner fails. They have evolved since then, and I offer them on my website: chestfreezercoldplunge.com/product/custom-liner/

[@lagzalot]

I can't find the datasheet you are talking about in your facebookpage

[@JohnRichterAustin]

It is in the files section

[@jonathansmith7713]

If I use Epsom salt for sanitation will the marineland filter filter all of that salt out, thereby making the water not sanitized and possibly plugging up the filter?

[@JohnRichterAustin]

No. However, there are issues with Epsom salts, which I mentioned in the video. There are also issues with the MarineLand. Check out these two posts: ChestFreezerColdPlunge.com/MarineLand chestfreezercoldplunge.com/product/diy-pump-and-filter/

[@jonathansmith7713]

What do you know about Haven made instant ion copper/silver products for the water?

[@JohnRichterAustin]

@@jonathansmith7713 I looked into ion copper/silver but didn't buy any products because of the expense. If you want to give it a go, I'd love to hear how it works for you 1, 6, and 12 months in.

[@timorhychibi895]

Hello there thank you for doing what you do John. In theory could I use a 10% epsom salt solution in conjunction with hydrogen peroxide to sanitize the water? Would there be any reaction between the two compounds? My stock tank will have aprx 450 liters of water in it. I would really like to stay away from chlorine. Thank you.

[@JohnRichterAustin]

Mixing Epsom salt and hydrogen peroxide is generally safe for specific purposes, but caution is needed. The combination can produce oxygen and heat, leading to pressure building up in a closed chest freezer. There really is no reason to use both. Because Epsom salt has more downsides, I recommend H2O2. I have a spreadsheet showing how much H2O2 to use in the files section of my website. if you want to avoid chemicals altogether, or keep your water clean without having to take the time to add chemicals, ozone is an excellent choice. I recommend the JED 303, which I've been using since 2019. I am an authorized reseller and you can find more information on my website here: chestfreezercoldplunge.com/product/jed303/

[@timorhychibi895]

Thank you John, I would like to use ozone , only issue is I live in a cold winter climate, Edmonton Alberta and my plunge is a stock tank on my patio and I seen that the JED303 says to use above 4 degrees Celsius and our outdoor temperatures are consistently below that from around now till may. I do like the idea of perixide , my only issue is knowing how often to use it as I don’t know of any simple test that exists to test ppm levels like they have for chlorine.x thank you.

[@JohnRichterAustin]

@@timorhychibi895 Got it. Join my free FB group and check out the files section. There is a spreadsheet that calculates how much H2O2 to use. You can buy test strips here (Amazon affiliate link which may or may not work in Canada, but will give you an idea of what to look for): amzn.to/3xEWBvW

[@timorhychibi895]

Awesome thank you, I’ll try and create a Facebook page so I can take a look, off hand do you know what the target ppm of h2o2 is required to sanitize cold plunge water? My stock tank will hold aprx 400 liters Thank you John.

[@JohnRichterAustin]

@timorhychibi895 You're welcome. Watch the video again! The ppm levels are mentioned in there. :)

[@lennylink8772]

Can you use Epsom salt with the filter?

[@JohnRichterAustin]

Yes, but there are a number of potential problems with Epsom salts.

[@kyledewaal9332]

@@JohnRichterAustinwhat are the problems? I more so wanted to use epsom salt for the health benefits vs as a cleaning mechanism

[@JohnRichterAustin]

@kyledewaal9332 rust, corrosion, the amount needed to kill microbes, and the fact the cold water closes your pores and there is zero evidence (or likelihood) of any benefits with Epsom salts in cold water. If you want benefits from Epsom salts, use them in your warm or hot bath when your skin pores are open.

[@nathanbruneau1822]

I just have a 7 cu ft freezer. With like 20-25 gallons water. What is the shock amount and maintainance? Ordered 12% 2H20 and test strips

[@JohnRichterAustin]

Join my free FB group (link is in the video description) and in my website. Goto the files section and download the H2O2 calculator.