Water Maintenance (Commercial)
A starting guide to water care for hotels, spas, gyms, wellness centres, and any venue where the ice bath is used by multiple people throughout the day.
Who is this guide for? This guide is for commercial operators with more than 5 users per day. This includes hotels, spas, gyms, wellness retreats, sports facilities, and any shared-use environment. If you have 5 or fewer plunges per day in a household setting, please refer to our residential water maintenance guide.
This is a starting point, not a rigid set of rules. Commercial environments vary enormously. The number of users, whether they shower beforehand, whether the lid is replaced between sessions, the ambient temperature, whether the bath is indoors or outdoors, and the time of year all affect how quickly the water quality changes. We have set out a thorough SOP below that will keep the water in excellent condition in any commercial setting. It may be more than your specific venue requires. Over time, as you learn how your environment and usage patterns affect the water, you can adapt the frequency of each task to suit your operation. If you are unsure about anything, contact our team.
How the Water Stays Clean
An overview of the built-in purification system. This runs automatically whenever the chiller is on. You do not need to do anything to make it work.
Every ice bath includes a 3-stage water purification system inside the chiller unit. When the chiller is running, water is continuously circulated from the bath through the chiller and back again. During that process, three things happen.
Stage 1. Filtration
Water passes through a stainless steel mesh filter inside the chiller. This catches physical debris like hair, dead skin cells, dust, and small particles before they can build up in the system.
Stage 2. UV-C Disinfection
After filtration, the water passes through a UV-C disinfection chamber. This is an ultraviolet light inside the chiller that destroys bacteria, viruses, and microorganisms as the water flows past it. It is completely chemical-free and works silently in the background. This is the same technology used in hospital water purification systems.
Stage 3. Continuous Circulation
The pump keeps water moving at all times, which prevents it from becoming stagnant. Still water breeds bacteria. Moving water stays cleaner for longer. This circulation also ensures the temperature is even throughout the bath.
In a commercial setting, this system handles a large volume of use. The ice bath is designed to support up to 75 users per day from both a temperature and filtration perspective. Each person raises the water temperature by approximately 0.1 to 0.4 degrees depending on factors like their skin temperature, the existing water temperature, and how long the lid is off between sessions. The chiller recovers between uses automatically.
Best Practices
Operational habits that make a significant difference to water quality in a high-traffic environment. These are not maintenance tasks. They are the daily standards your staff should follow.
Require guests to shower before use
This is the most impactful thing you can do for water quality. A 30-second rinse removes sweat, body oils, sunscreen, deodorant, and lotions, which are the primary cause of cloudy water and biofilm buildup. In a commercial setting with many users who may not all shower beforehand, the water degrades significantly faster.
We strongly recommend visible signage at the plunge area making this a requirement, not a suggestion. Providing a nearby shower or rinse station removes the barrier.
Replace the lid between sessions
Instruct staff to replace the thermal insulation lid whenever the bath is not in active use. This keeps debris out, holds the temperature, and reduces the workload on the chiller. In a busy environment where the lid is left off for extended periods, the water warms up more between sessions and is exposed to more airborne contaminants.
Hydrogen peroxide (optional)
For commercial use, we adding hydrogen peroxide each time you change the water provides an additional layer of water clarity and sanitation alongside the UV-C system. It is gentle on the skin, odourless, and breaks down naturally into water and oxygen. It only needs to be added once at the time of the water change, not daily.
Use food-grade hydrogen peroxide. The amount you add depends on the concentration of the product you have available. The target is approximately 50 to 100 parts per million (ppm) in the water. Here is a dosing guide based on a standard 350-litre ice bath (Barrel or Column). For the Cube (490 litres), increase quantities by approximately 40%.
| H2O2 Concentration | Amount per 350L Bath | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 3% (household / pharmacy) | 800ml | Widely available but weak. Requires a large volume. Not ideal for commercial use. |
| 12% (food-grade, diluted) | 200ml | A practical middle ground. Easier to handle than 35%. |
| 25% (food-grade) | 100ml | Our standard recommendation. Small amount, effective. |
| 35% (food-grade, concentrated) | 60ml | The most concentrated option. Very effective. Handle with care, wear gloves. |
We do not recommend chlorine or bromine. Concentrated amounts of chlorine over a long period of time will cause the fiberclass interior to go a yellow color.
They are harsh on the skin, produce a strong chemical odour, and are unnecessary given the UV-C system.
Regular Maintenance
The hands-on tasks your team will need to perform to keep the water in good condition. How often you do each task depends on your usage level. We have provided a recommended starting schedule below.
Filter Cleaning
The filter is a stainless steel mesh cylinder inside the chiller. It catches debris before it circulates through the system. In a commercial setting with many users, debris builds up faster and the filter needs cleaning more frequently.
How often.
| Daily Users | Filter Cleaning Frequency |
|---|---|
| 5 to 15 users per day | Every 3 days |
| 15 to 30 users per day | Every other day |
| 30+ users per day | Daily |
Step by step.
1. Switch off or unplug the chiller.
2. Disconnect the hoses at the ice bath first. This prevents water from flowing out while the filter housing is open.
3. Open the rear access panel of the chiller to reach the particle filter housing.
4. Use the black particle filter key to unscrew and remove the filter cap.
5. Pull out the particle filter.
6. Rinse the filter under running water and brush off any debris from the mesh surface.
7. Check the rubber O-ring on the filter cap. Make sure it is clean, not twisted, and properly seated.
8. Place the filter back into the housing. Hand-tighten the cap, then give a final quarter turn.
9. Tighten with the filter wrench until fully sealed.
10. Reconnect the hoses at the ice bath.
11. Press the blue/red button on top of the particle filter until water overflows. This removes trapped air.
12. Turn the chiller back on and verify water is circulating properly.
Your ice bath comes with 4 reusable stainless steel mesh filters. Each lasts approximately 3 to 6 months depending on usage volume. For venues cleaning the filter daily, the reusable mesh design saves significant cost over time compared to disposable cartridges. Paper cartridge alternatives are also available. Contact the team for details.
Visit icebaths.com/resources for step-by-step videos of this process.
Water Change
Changing the water means draining the bath completely, wiping the interior, and refilling with fresh water. In commercial settings this needs to happen more frequently than residential use because more people are introducing contaminants to the water each day.
How often.
| Daily Users | Water Change Frequency |
|---|---|
| 5 to 10 users per day | Every 2 weeks |
| 10 to 30 users per day | Weekly |
| 30+ users per day | Weekly or more frequently as needed |
Timing water changes with the end of the day. We recommend scheduling water changes at the end of the last shift or after the final session of the day. Drain and wipe the bath at close, refill with fresh water, add your hydrogen peroxide, reconnect and turn the chiller on. The system will run overnight and the water will be clean, treated, and at target temperature by the time you open the next morning. This avoids any downtime during operating hours.
Step by step.
1. Switch off or unplug the chiller.
2. Disconnect the hoses from the chiller.
3. Press the hose connector and let the water drain out through the drainage outlet.
4. Wipe the inside of the bath with a soft cloth. Avoid rough materials or abrasive cleaning products.
5. Refill the bath with fresh water. Leave approximately 15cm of space from the rim.
6. Add hydrogen peroxide at the dosage appropriate to your concentration (see the dosing table above).
7. Reconnect the hoses to the chiller.
8. Press the blue/red button on top of the particle filter until water overflows to remove trapped air.
9. Turn the chiller back on and verify water is circulating properly.
10. Allow approximately 5 hours for the water to reach your target temperature with the lid on.
Visit icebaths.com/resources for step-by-step videos of this process.
System Flush
A system flush cleans the inside of the pipes and chiller internals. Over time, a thin layer of residue can build up inside the plumbing that connects the bath to the chiller. A flush clears this out. For commercial use, this should be done every 6 months.
How often. Every 6 months for commercial use.
What you will need. Pipe cleaning solution (contact the team for the correct product). Approximately 500ml per flush.
Step by step.
1. Switch off or unplug the chiller.
2. Disconnect the hoses from the chiller.
3. Drain approximately half of the water from the bath.
4. Pour approximately 500ml of pipe cleaning solution into the ice bath.
5. Reconnect the hoses.
6. Press the blue/red button on top of the particle filter until water overflows to remove air.
7. Turn the chiller back on. The pump will circulate the cleaning solution through the entire system.
8. Leave the system running for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Do not turn off the chiller during this process.
9. After the flush is complete, switch off the chiller.
10. Disconnect the hoses and drain all the water completely.
11. Refill with fresh water and perform a standard water change (see above), including adding hydrogen peroxide.
Visit icebaths.com/resources for step-by-step videos of this process.
Commercial Water Care Schedule
A summary of all water-related maintenance. Adjust frequencies based on your actual usage and environment over time.
| Task | 5 to 15 Users/Day | 15 to 30 Users/Day | 30+ Users/Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shower before use (guest policy) | Every session | Every session | Every session |
| Replace lid between sessions | Every session | Every session | Every session |
| Clean the filter | Every 3 days | Every other day | Daily |
| Change the water + add H2O2 | Every 2 weeks | Weekly | Weekly or as needed |
| System flush | Every 6 months | Every 6 months | Every 6 months |
Building your own SOP. This schedule is a starting point. After a few weeks of operation, you will develop a feel for how your specific environment and guest behaviour affect the water. Some venues find they can extend the interval between water changes. Others with heavy use and guests who do not always shower beforehand may need to change more frequently. Track what works for your setting and build your own internal SOP over time. We are always available to help you refine it.
Need Help?
Our team provides dedicated support for commercial operators. If you need help building an SOP for your venue, have questions about dosing, or want to discuss a maintenance plan, get in touch.
WhatsApp wa.me/6287774080206
Email hello@icebaths.com
Commercial response time is 24 hours.
