I got this chiller to go with my Cold Pod, cold plunge. I live in south FL so it is hot here year round, but its exceptionally hot right now. My Cold Pod is the large version, so its 116 gallons. It comes with some light insulation, and that keeps it from sweating, but doesn't really insulate it against heat gain. I wrapped my plunge in 4 layers of foil backed soft foam insulation. It really helps maintain water temps. Then I added this 1/4 hp chiller. I have reached temps as low as 47, and can fairly easily maintain 51 to 54 degrees. If you want to consistently keep below 50, you'll need the 1/3 hp, and if you want to get to 39.3, you'll need the big boy 1.5 hp chiller. The bigger the chiller the more energy you'll use. If you live in a cooler climate, this 1/4 hp chiller may work perfectly for you. I think Ill reach mid 40's temps with in for 9 months out of the year. But for the 3 hottest months, it wont get there. I am finding great benefits from the mid to low 50's temp plunges, as I am sleeping so great at night. I always fell asleep well, but now that I'm plunging, I sleep soundly for at least 7 hours. I used to struggle to sleep for 5 or 6 hours. This will make a huge difference in my quality of life, over time.
I like this chiller and I will continue to use it. If a larger chiller becomes available in inventory, I may opt to go up in size. I think most people in most situations would find a 1/2 hp chiller to be just about perfect, for insulated tubs, in nearly any climate.
This Chiller does come with a submersible pump, but its under powered for cold plunge purposes. Plus I don't prefer to plunge with a pump in the tub with me, and I don't prefer to have tubing hanging over the tub wall. I bought a Danner 950 gph pump. 950 to 1300 gph is just about perfect for a plunge from 80 to 120 gallons.
My perfect chiller would have filtration, and ozone built in, and it would have full wifi control, it would also be 1/2 hp, and it would be in an exterior grade cabinet. Currently those cost about 5 times the cost of one of these. So I have connected this to a wifi smart plug, and that gives me the power to run a schedule. You can shut this unit off and on, and it will save its last temp setting, so a smart plug is a great option. It just wont give you temp visibility or control, remotely.
If you're thinking about a cold plunge, Vevor makes great chillers. They ship fast, and they offer good customer service. Vevor means value!
Tom H 
