Isolation tank – What’s the Best Water Heating? – Inline or direct bath heating?
There are 2 systems of heating used in float industry to heat the water: in-line heating and direct bath heating. Inline water heating heats the water as it is pumped through a water heater which sits somewhere in the pipework between the isolation tank’s water inlet and outlet points. Direct bath heating heats the water through the base of the isolation tank.
We think that direct bath heating is the much better system, but some manufacturers have been unable to find a reliable heating system and so have opted for in-line heating.
Advantages and disadvantages of isolation tank inline heating.
Advantages
1) If there is a problem with the heating system it can be accessed easily for servicing.
Disadvantages
1) During a float the client’s metabolism slows and the water naturally cools a little. Some clients will feel cold towards the end of their float. Regular clients often do 2 hour floats (we have even have groups doing night floats in our centre). Even with the best insulation over 2 hours the water cools more and most clients will feel this unless the water is a lot warmer to start with, which is contrary to R.E.S.T principles.
2) During the night the pump and heater would need to run every few hours to keep up the heat. If the system isn’t run at night then time is lost in the morning re-heating the water to the right temperature, or else the staff have to come in early. As a generalization a typical body of float water will heat 1 degree per hour, per 1 kilowatt heater (a 4 kilowatt heater will heat 4 degrees in 1 hour).
Note – There is no electricity saving with this isolation tank heating system, as whether you keep up the heat, or reheat the water, the amount of power you use is directly related to heat loss from the water and this can only be affected by float room insulation and site room temperature (and the use of a good pool cover)
Direct bath water heating
Advantages
1) A much more constant water temperature which is known to give the best and deepest floatation experience.
Disadvantages
1) Can be harder to service.
2) EMF if it is not shielded.
The Unique Ocean Float Rooms water heating system
The heating system we use
1) It is a custom-made system designed and built for Ocean Float Rooms isolation tanks. It is super reliable and is designed to outlive the Float Room. We are so confident of its reliability that it is actually integrated into the bath floor itself, rather than being under the isolation tank bath as is common.
2) It covers the entire bottom of the bath so it is very low watts per square inch.
3) It is made of foil, not wire so there are no hot spots (and no moving parts – the whole thing is a solid structure). This means you can’t feel it, or hear it, and the heater itself doesn’t get hot: it is always below 40 degrees even at the hottest heater point. It is one of the reasons we are so confident about its longevity.
4) Above the heater is an earth screen that covers the whole heater. This means there is no EMF and this has been confirmed by independent tests in France.
5) The heater is service free and requires zero maintenance, will save on heating costs and energy.
6) Clients can do 2 and 3 hour or overnight floats and not get cold.
