What is the best chest freezer for a cold plunge?
When purchasing a chest freezer to reconvert it into a cold plunge the main variables for you to choose the right chest freezer are:
- The dimension
- Wether or not the interior is made of “embossed” aluminum or painted steel, the latter being superior.
1) Chest freezer size chart:
A comment on each of the sizes:
Box 8 (8.8 cu.ft.) Aluminum interior: Brands vary. Go with whichever is available which may be, Chef Master, Avanti, Premium levella or Fridgidaire
Box 10 (10 cu.ft.) Aluminum interior: Brands do vary as well. The most common are Premium levella and Avanti
Box 12 (12 cu.ft.) Aluminum interior: The most common is Premium levella
Box 14 (14.7 cu.ft.) white painted steel interior: The best brand is Fridgidaire
Box 19 (19.7cu.ft.) white painted steel interior: The best brand is Fridigidaire
Box 24 (24 cu.ft.) white painted steel interior: the best brand is Fridgidaire
2) Aluminum vs White painted steel chest freezers:
Painted interiors are Fridgidaire 14.7cu.ft., 19 cu.ft. and 24 cu.ft. All other brands or sizes will very likely be embossed aluminum (perhaps whirlpool has some painted interior but I’m not familiar with those).
Where to purchase a chest freezer for a cold plunge?
Got to www.brandsmart.com and you can order it online and they will deliver it to you. I would recommend calling before purchasing as their inventory management is not the best.
Should white interior chest freezers be coat it?
The short answer is yes. Otherwise, after 6 months to 1 year it will start developing a funny metallic smell which likely means your water is getting slightly polluted.
What happens if you don’t coat the interior of a chest freezer?
If the interior is painted, it will very slowly corrode. After 1 year the water will start to get smelly (like rust smell) and even though the interior may still look white it is likely corroding from the inside because the smell is noticeable. If the interior is made of bare aluminum, and you don’t coat it, it will corrode and likely start leaking water within the first year of use.
The interior of a white chest freezer is not plastic!
There is a common misconception that people have when it comes to the material of the white lined interior chest freezers. That material is actually steel, you can test it by either getting a magnet or sanding it and exposing the metal. While the metal is treated, it is still not treated enough to handle water in the long term.
What is the best filtration system to use on your chest freezer cold plunge?
The MarineLand 97 gallon aquarium filter filter has generated fame in the community. However, with a filter like this you should be expecting to change the water pretty frequently specially if you have a larger sized chest freezer (14.7 cu.ft or more). Additionally, filter cartridges are not standard, have manufacturing problems and supply chain issues. The most advanced filtration system is as follows:
The filter above uses an American-made water pump (Danner) with a pre-filter designed to trap hairs and other larger debris and uses a standard pleaded filter of 20 micron. With a filter like that and an ozone generator you should not have to change the water for months. Click here if you would like to purchase this filtration system. More on filtration here.
If you would like to purchase chest freezer accessories or a done for you chest freezer cold plunge visit: www.boxplunge.com