In Sanur the right number is often 12 degrees, not 5

Seven degrees changes the entire bill of materials

Almost every city page on this site sizes a tub held at 5 degrees. In Sanur that is frequently the wrong target. For a bather over sixty, or anyone starting out, 12 degrees is a far more sensible entry point — and that is where the arithmetic shifts. A closed 400-litre tub held at 12 degrees in Sanur absorbs 418 watts rather than 516, and the capacity rule drops a whole step, from 2 HP to 1 HP.

The consequences cascade, and with three sizes in the line they cascade in whole steps. A 1 HP unit is Rp 48 million against Rp 62 million for the 2 HP a 5-degree target needs — Rp 14 million saved. It draws 950 watts instead of 1,850, so the 2,200 VA supply common in Sanur houses stops being marginal and becomes comfortable. And the bill is Rp 170,000 a month rather than Rp 214,000. The catch is honest and worth stating twice: if you later decide you want 5 degrees, a 1 HP chiller will not get you there and the whole unit has to be replaced, not upgraded. This is a survey-stage decision, not an afterthought, and worth testing on the chiller calculator before you make it.

Getting in and out is the part people actually ask about

The most common brief in Sanur concerns entry rather than temperature. Our standard here: steps of 20 centimetres rather than the usual 30, 316 stainless handrails on both sides bolted to the body rather than staked into the ground, a textured floor so it is not slippery wet, and an internal bench at 40 centimetres so a bather sits with water at chest height without crouching.

• Rim at 55-60 centimetres above finished floor rather than 75 — easy to step over and comfortable to sit on before getting in.
• Three steps, each 28 centimetres deep, wide enough for a whole foot.
• Controls and thermometer at chest height, not down by the floor.
• A lid that slides with one hand instead of lifting with two.
• A grab rail on the dry side too, for the moment after getting out, which is when people are least steady.

We give no medical advice and promise no benefit. Many clients here use the tub after a morning walk or alongside physiotherapy, and some arrive on their physiotherapist's suggestion. If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure or you are on medication, ask a doctor before you ask a workshop. For clinics that need records, we fit logging controls so an overnight temperature graph can be printed — see ice bath accessories.

Three metres above sea level, and what that means for sunken tubs

The water table under Sindhu and Semawang is high, which matters if you want the tub sunken. A recess dug in October may sit in groundwater in February, and a shell that floats a few millimetres will crack at the pipe penetrations. Where clients want a flush rim we build a low plinth and step the deck up to meet it instead of digging — same look, no hydrostatic argument. A concrete cold plunge is only sensible here with a proper tanked pit, which we will price honestly or talk you out of.

Long stays, empty months, and who holds the key

Sanur is full of houses occupied for four to eight months a year. A tub left running for an empty three months costs about Rp 640,000 in electricity and stays clean; a tub switched off and left full grows an algal film in a fortnight. Our advice is the third option: drain it, leave the lid on, and refill on arrival — a 6.5-hour pull-down at 12 degrees means the tub is ready the evening you land. If you would rather it ran, the first year of maintenance includes two visits and a monthly contract afterwards covers the rest.

Questions from Sanur