cupro-nickel gas heater for SWG pool?

[jv92red]

Hi all - been lurking/reading for a while but now I need to finally post since I have had some IGP quotes starting to come in and want to clarify a heater question. Question is if I'm chlorinating the pool via SWG, will a cupro-nickel gas heater be recommended or if the water is kept balanced properly will the effect of salt be the same on a copper exchanger compared to the cupro-nickel exchanger? I tried searching this but only one thread came up where the topic went towards efficiency which doesn't answer my question. Also, it's not that any builder has recommended it - it's just that should I be asking for this specified in the quotes or not?

Pool will have a spa as well so am looking at a 400KBTU unit.

(Also, I'm in SoCal so I believe I'm already required to get the low NOx version).

 

[ps0303]

If you keep the chemicals balanced properly you do not need to buy Cupro-Nickel. Even if you did buy it and didn't keep the chemicals balanced properly it would only be a matter of time before the heat exchanger deteriorates. It would just take a little longer on it vs regular copper.

I would be more concerned about calcium build up with a swg.

 

[Killer95Stang]

My pool was just finished a week ago. During the quoting process, I had the same questions that you did about the salt water and the heat exchanger. Knowing what I know about the corrosiveness of salt, I opted to get the Nickel version of our heater. In our case, we chose the Pentair Mastertemp 400k HD (HD is for the Nickel Exchanger). If that gets me an extra 5 years out of the heater, then it will been worth the extra cost. For us, the PB threw in the upgrade at no charge, but doing my own searching it seems like the difference is $300-$400.

 

[mas985]

I have a cupro-nickel heat exchanger in my heater (with SWG). Which heater are you looking at that has a copper heat exchanger? I didn't think they were that common anymore.

 

[jv92red]

I have a cupro-nickel heat exchanger in my heater (with SWG). Which heater are you looking at that has a copper heat exchanger? I didn't think they were that common anymore.

Not sure about which (brand?)at this point? Bids I've recevied thus far from different builders have been: Jandy, Pentair and Raypak, they only specified "400k BTU heater" so just trying to learn about the options available and if it should be considered.

 

[ps0303]

Go for the Raypak. Salt water is not that corrosive. The level of salt in a pool is not that much. Also consider this, when your salt cell goes bad, probably in 3-4 years, you are looking at around $300-$400 to replace the cell. Not to mention the periodic cleaning of the cell with muriatic acid. So is it really worth it to go the salt route.

 

[jblizzle]

If the pool is balanced, the cell will likely never require cleaning. And if there is ever desire to go on vacation and not have to worry about having someone add chlorine to your pool, then the SWG is certainly worth the convenience. This along with not carrying endless bottles of bleach makes them worth it to me.

Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short

 

[JasonLion]

Copper is fine at SWG salt levels, but has problems at ocean water salt levels. Copper-nickel is good at all salt levels. Both kinds have problems with low PH.

For maximum safety you want titanium, which has become fairly common in heat pumps but is quite rare in gas heaters.