Super stoked! Just ordered 240,000 BTU cupro-nickel raypak heater. Ordered from pool store so I paid a little bit more than online but having a 1 year warranty is worth it. Pics coming soon.
Just ordered Raypak heater
- Thread starter Chuppa3
- Start date
Just an update. Pool store was getting heater in on Friday and to get it quicker I said I would pick it up. Also, after reading some posts on TFP about needing to possibly change to a bigger gas meter I asked the pool guys advice. "In my 30 years I have never heard of such a thing."
Fast forward to today. I called a licensed plumber in the area with gas certification and I asked him about the meter issue some people have that I read on TFP, that the pool store said I shouldn't bother with, he told me to look on my meter and it will say available BTU (maybe it wasn't BTU) but whatever the equivalent to how much it can handle. My meter was 250k. My furnace is 140k, dryer 40k, and hot water tank 40k so with a 240k heater coming in glad I called. The gas company is coming out in a week or so to upgrade my meter. So, for the record, if anyone is keeping score at home, it's 0 pool store vs. 3,875,272 TFP.
Also, I measured about 100 ft of line I need from meter. Ugh, I think the average is $20-$30 per ft. Hope I get a good deal. Plumber said he would use PE and bury it 24" deep. He only uses black iron inside. Just read other threads about people questioning this so I thought I would post my findings to help others.
Fast forward to today. I called a licensed plumber in the area with gas certification and I asked him about the meter issue some people have that I read on TFP, that the pool store said I shouldn't bother with, he told me to look on my meter and it will say available BTU (maybe it wasn't BTU) but whatever the equivalent to how much it can handle. My meter was 250k. My furnace is 140k, dryer 40k, and hot water tank 40k so with a 240k heater coming in glad I called. The gas company is coming out in a week or so to upgrade my meter. So, for the record, if anyone is keeping score at home, it's 0 pool store vs. 3,875,272 TFP.
Also, I measured about 100 ft of line I need from meter. Ugh, I think the average is $20-$30 per ft. Hope I get a good deal. Plumber said he would use PE and bury it 24" deep. He only uses black iron inside. Just read other threads about people questioning this so I thought I would post my findings to help others.
Surprised the gas company didn't tell you in advance about needing a larger meter. Most service trucks (Nat gas or LP) have a laminated index card in the driver door pocket that shows valve and btu conversion charts to ensure correct installations.
Sorry for the probably confusing long post but they did. I just had to call them and tell them I got a heater.
No surprise on the pool store issue. They are there to sell products and many don't care or know gas requirements for heaters.
Pool heater came into today. It's a monster and you can't lay it down. I chose to pick it up so I will have to get a van or truck later today. I should have assumed you couldn't lay it down but pool store failed to tell me before.
Rented a trencher and dug the gas line. Getting installed today. 
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Trench was about 100ft that you can see in pics then about another 20ft to hook around outside fence to meter then about another 60ft to run under the deck to where pool equipment is. Running PE 24" underground then bringing up with a riser (God are these expensive) under the deck and using black iron under the deck. Came to about $800 with all materials to run in total about 175 ft.
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Trench was about 100ft that you can see in pics then about another 20ft to hook around outside fence to meter then about another 60ft to run under the deck to where pool equipment is. Running PE 24" underground then bringing up with a riser (God are these expensive) under the deck and using black iron under the deck. Came to about $800 with all materials to run in total about 175 ft.
Heater is installed and wow is it awesome. Heats my pool about 1-2 degrees every 30 minutes. Now my gas bill... Tbd.
I just finished installing an old comfortzone heater that a friend of mine wasn't using, he's not sure if he will fill in his pool or put a liner in it. 250K, we pulled 100' of 1/2" id copper, I sized it large enough so that if this heater didn't work I could still upsize, at 100' I am good to about 460K. The old millivolt heaters are super simple, little cleaning up and it fired right up, not as efficient as a new one but raised it a couple degrees in just over an hour. Can't beat free, hopefully it lasts a couple years and now I have the plumbing and gas for a new one ready to go.
