I was on a call earlier this week with someone looking to build a new recovery room, and they asked a common question: "Can we expand the system when we decide we want to?"
The short answer is no, not for the chiller and filtration system.
The capacity of a chiller is binary; it's built to handle a specific maximum heat load.
A filtration system is much the same.
You can't simply add more capacity to them later.
However, you can expand the number of ice baths you run, as long as you factor that growth in from the very start.
This is all part of the planning process.
When we quote an install, we always take the facility's growth plans into account.
If you plan to expand in the next 6 to 12 months, even beyond that, we will size the initial chiller and filtration system to handle that future capacity.
Example: You want to start with 3 x 2 person pods to begin with, but in 12 months time you want to add 3 more as the demand and revenue is there.
The chiller is sized primarily for heat load; the number of people getting in and out, with water volume being a secondary factor.
The filtration system is also built for the volume of swimmers, not just the volume of water.
The reason for this, most recovery centres have more people going through their ice baths in a day than a public pool would. They need to make sure the water is always clean and safe.
So, if you're looking at building a recovery facility and you think you'll be expanding, make sure the core system you install on day one is built for where you'll be on day 365.
Planning for it now saves you from having to replace your entire system later.
If you're planning a new facility and want to discuss your growth strategy, hit reply.
We can help you map it out.