just bought a used heater...should I be concerned ?

[sweetwillie]

I have a pool just installed last year. I toyed with the idea of a heater but the cost was a bit too much with the pool and deck and decided to wait until this year.

I have a friend who built a house 7 years ago including an inground pool. He bought a heater ( at his wifes request) and installed it. He had it plumbed for the water lines but never attached the gas and therefore never even fired it up or turned it on.

Its a Hayward H300, 300,000 btu natural gas. I paid him 250.00 for it. I believe I got a great deal.

Got it home opened it up and cleaned it up (full of wasps nests ). Hopin to hook ot up this weekend.

Is there anything I should worry about buying a heater that has just sat there for 7 years ?

 

[JasonLion]

Welcome to TFP!

If the heater was never hooked up to water then it should be fine. But if it had water running thought it there is no way of determining how much of it's lifetime got used up due to poor water conditions.

 

[Lershac]

I got the same kind of deal on mine, and my blower died in a week of use. Luckily I found a used blower on eBay for $100 and it's been fine since I replaced that!

 

[flyweed]

if the thing was never used and never hooked up..you got a heck of a deal. For $250 for that size heater, even if you do need a part or two, you've saved a ton of money, and should have a great heater.

 

[LisaM]

Even if you needed to replace the heat exchanger in it you still got a heck of a deal for that size heater!! Since it was never hooked up to water though you should be in good shape unless somethings have gone bad from just sitting. good for you! I love deals like that!

 

[sweetwillie]

Getting ready to hook it up this weekend. Took the top off to clean it up a bit and it appears that he didnt have any water running through it . The heat exchanger looks in great shape. We will see and I will keep everyone up to date. One question is should I run a bypass line ? Some have told me not needed, others suggest yes. Curious what others have done.

 

[LisaM]

Well Ill tell you when I needed to replace my heat exchanger and had to wait a week for the part to come in I wished I had a bypass line so I didnt have to replumb the heater out then plumb it back in once fixed... I guess its not necessary but a nice to have if you need it.

Other time I would like to have one... When I am shocking the pool and KNOW my PH and Chlorine are out of whack. would love to keep that from running through the heater. I have plans to put a bypass in this fall. I was going to do it when I was replumbing to get it running but I was in such a hurry to get it done and get the pool going as I was staring down a 90 degree day!!! Gotta have priorities when you live in Cleveland... they dont happen often!

 

[JasonLion]

A bypass is certainly not needed. Some people like them because they improve the system efficiency a little bit when you know you won't be using the heater. But they also add complexity and more things to break.

 

[ps0303]

A bypass is good if you are going to run a stain treatment or acid wash, usually on an in-ground pool. Then you wouldn't want that running thru the heater. If you should decide to add it, don't use those cheap blue or red handled ball valves. Spend a little extra and get the Jandy never lube valves or similar. I say this because if you get those ball valves and don't turn them every so often, they will get frozen in place and then the day you need to use it, you won't be able to turn the darn thing or the stupid handle breaks off. So spend a few extra bucks on good valves. I can't tell you how many times I have run into these cheap ball valves that I have had to cut out and replace because of them being stuck or the handles broken off.

 

[LisaM]

I have those cheap red ones on my plumbing now and HATE them! I have been replacing them one by one as they fail so I know what you mean. Good advice!