Active Aqua Water Chiller with Power Boost, 1/4 HP

Yes! The Active Aqua 1/4 HP is one of the most widely used chillers in the DIY cold plunge community, valued for its reliability and simple digital controls. It has been a staple of stock tank and DIY tub builds for years, long before purpose-built cold plunge chillers existed. Plunge Crafters is an authorized Active Aqua dealer, so every unit ships new with the full manufacturer warranty.

The digital set point adjusts from 39°F to 90°F, so you can dial in anything from deep cold therapy at 39°F to a milder recovery temperature. Once your water reaches the set point, the chiller cycles on and off automatically to hold it within a couple of degrees. Keep in mind your tub size, insulation, ambient temp and humidity have a big impact on how cold you can get and how fast it gets there. An uninsulated tub in temps greater than 90°F will struggle more than an insulated tub.

It is rated for tubs from 40 to 92 gallons. Running a larger tub in the 90 to 172 gallon range? The Active Aqua 1/2 HP would be a better match.

No. This model is approved for indoor or outdoor covered and out of the elements use only, which makes it ideal for garage, basement, indoor gym or covered patio cold plunge setups. If your plunge lives outside, choose an outdoor rated chiller instead: the Active Aqua 1/3 HP All in One has a rainproof housing and a GFCI protected power cord and is built for the elements. Shop all cold plunge chillers.

No. This chiller requires an external water pump rated between 396 and 950 GPH, sold separately. We recommend the Danner 950, which is sized correctly for this chiller and built for continuous duty.

Boost runs the chiller at maximum output to accelerate cooling, and it has two modes. Press Boost once for a 2-hour accelerated cycle, useful right after you fill the tub or do a water change. Press it twice for continuous 24/7 maximum chilling, which runs until you switch it off. Once your water is at temperature, you can leave the chiller in normal mode and it cycles automatically to hold the set point.

Not on its own. The chiller does not include built-in filtration. For clean, clear water between changes, add a cold plunge water filter and ozone sanitation to your cold plunge plumbing. Browse our water filtration and sanitation collection for options that fit standard 3/4" DIY plumbing.

The Active Aqua 1/4 HP ice bath chiller runs on a standard 120V household power with a regular 3-prong plug, drawing 460W and 4.7 amps during operation. No dedicated circuit is required for most home setups. As with any equipment used near water, plug into a GFCI protected outlet, and use a properly rated outlet rather than an undersized extension cord.

The chiller ships with 1/2" and 3/4" barbed fittings with sealing gaskets, plus gear style hose clamps. That means it connects directly to the 3/4" plumbing used in most DIY cold plunge builds, including our DIY Cold Plunge Quick Connect Kit for stock tanks.

Install it upright on a stable, level surface with at least 12 inches of clearance on all sides, including the back and top, so it can pull in air and dissipate heat. Keep it out of direct sunlight and away from high humidity and high heat sources. Never cover the unit or run it on its side. If it does get tipped, stand it upright and wait 20 minutes before powering it on to let the refrigerant settle.

Yes. The Active Aqua has a memory backup feature, so after an unexpected power loss it returns to your previous temperature setting automatically instead of resetting to the default.

Yes. Plunge Crafters partners with Truemed to make cold plunge purchases eligible for HSA and FSA funds. This allows you to pay with pre-tax dollars, which effectively reduces your out-of-pocket cost by 20 to 35% depending on your tax bracket. To use your HSA or FSA card, select the Truemed payment option at checkout. You will complete a short eligibility process through Truemed and then apply your HSA or FSA funds directly to your order. If you have questions about eligibility, visit our HSA/FSA program page for full details.