Heating entire pool for 1st time

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travelfeedsthesoul

travelfeedsthesoul

Gold Supporter
Jan 21, 2021
240
Sugar Land, TX
Pool Size
17500
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
Hello all,

We're in the Houston area and with the weather warming up slightly, I'd like to test out my pool heater to ensure it works before my PB warranty expires in August. We've heated the spa but it usually only requires 45 mins max to heat it from like 55 degrees to 100. I'd like some advice on how to go about heating the entire pool.

1) Any specific steps I need to follow to heat the entire pool. I'm trying to get the temp to 88-90 degrees. Any lower feels too cold for us with the evening air temps getting down to 60s.

2) Do I need to adjust my pump schedule to run for 24 hours so the pool keeps heating?

3) Currently, pool temp is 60 degrees and air is 75, assume I'm okay with heating the pool. I heard somewhere that at low water temps, a pool should not be heated as the heater will be damaged. Is this true? I'm just curious about this for future winters so would like to get more advice on when not to heat a pool.

Thanks!
 
Unless you plan to suck up the cost of heating so you can swim a bit, could you not just try to heat it up a little and record the temperature rate of rise per hour. That would give you an idea of it working properly and to your satisfaction.
 
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travelfeedsthesoul said:
Hello all,

We're in the Houston area and with the weather warming up slightly, I'd like to test out my pool heater to ensure it works before my PB warranty expires in August. We've heated the spa but it usually only requires 45 mins max to heat it from like 55 degrees to 100. I'd like some advice on how to go about heating the entire pool.

1) Any specific steps I need to follow to heat the entire pool. I'm trying to get the temp to 88-90 degrees. Any lower feels too cold for us with the evening air temps getting down to 60s.

2) Do I need to adjust my pump schedule to run for 24 hours so the pool keeps heating?

3) Currently, pool temp is 60 degrees and air is 75, assume I'm okay with heating the pool. I heard somewhere that at low water temps, a pool should not be heated as the heater will be damaged. Is this true? I'm just curious about this for future winters so would like to get more advice on when not to heat a pool.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Our pool is a *little* smaller than yours but I have heated it in the "off season" often. Yes, it's pretty expense to do so right now (currently rates are about $8 a dekatherm and that translates to about $3.20 and hour or $80 a day) but in my opinion is worth the enjoyment (cheaper than a decent dinner for two).

I have warmed it from as low as 35 degrees up to about 100 degrees. That last heating I did was from 45 to 90 (ambient temps were mid 30s) and it took about 20 hours. There are a lot of variables, but generally speaking, our pool warms at 2 to 3.5 degrees per hour. And yes, the heater will run continuously. I have run it as long as 36 +/- hours with no issues.

There are some other threads out there that speak to this, but as long as you heat it to above 65, then that should avoid any issues with heater damage. HOWEVER, follow any guidance in the heater warranty as sometimes there are temperature conditions that will VOID the warranty.
 
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I usually lower my pump rpm to about 1500 and let it heat overnight so it’s ready the next day. I don’t heat the pool very often since it’s expensive and takes forever. But it’s fun now and then.
 
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#3 Yes, a pool heater can be damaged if the water and air temps are too low. Most heater manuals will specific a minimum air temp. The reasoning is that the low air temp (and a cold heat exchanger) can cause combustion gas products (flue gas) to condense into a liquid. The liquid is mainly water vapor but because combustion can be incomplete, NOx and SOx compounds can form and they can created very acidic condensates. Nitric acid bearing condensates can have pH values down in the 2 range. Acidic condensates will corrode any metal they form on and your heat exchanger makes for a great surface on which to condense vapors into liquids. Also, incomplete or cold combustion can lead to soot formation which will clog up a heat exchanger.

Follow the instructions in your heater manual for proper operating temps.
 
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I plan on heating it just this once to ensure the heater operates for longer than when heating the spa. In the future, maybe will heat the pool here and there a few times in winter months.

I guess to heat the pool, I'd have to update my pump schedule to keep the pump on while I heat the pool, assuming it takes longer than my normal daily pump cycle. Is this right?
 

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We heated up our pool a couple weekends ago, going from 49 deg to 84 deg. I started the heater at 5 PM and the pool was at temp by the time I got up the following morning at 9 AM. We have a small pool though so it didn't take that long.

travelfeedsthesoul said:
1) Any specific steps I need to follow to heat the entire pool. I'm trying to get the temp to 88-90 degrees. Any lower feels too cold for us with the evening air temps getting down to 60s.
Click to expand...
No specific steps other than turning on your pump, setting the heat mode for the pool, and setting your target temperature.

travelfeedsthesoul said:
2) Do I need to adjust my pump schedule to run for 24 hours so the pool keeps heating?
Click to expand...
Yes, the pump will have to run for the heater to do its thang.

travelfeedsthesoul said:
3) Currently, pool temp is 60 degrees and air is 75, assume I'm okay with heating the pool. I heard somewhere that at low water temps, a pool should not be heated as the heater will be damaged. Is this true? I'm just curious about this for future winters so would like to get more advice on when not to heat a pool.
Click to expand...
Those temps should be fine. I think it is when the water and air temp are really cold is when you may run into issues with extended use.
 
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Do you have automation? My AQUALINK will not allow the heater to run without the pump running. It also has a cool down phase where the pump will continue to run even after the heater turns off.
 
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PoolGate said:
Do you have automation? My AQUALINK will not allow the heater to run without the pump running. It also has a cool down phase where the pump will continue to run even after the heater turns off.
Click to expand...
Yes mine is setup like yours. That's why I think I'd have to ensure I update the pump to run for longer than my typical schedule allows if I wanted to heat the entire pool. Otherwise I'm not sure what damage might be done to the heater if the pump turns off per the schedule (7pm) and the heater is still on.
 
travelfeedsthesoul said:
Yes mine is setup like yours. That's why I think I'd have to ensure I update the pump to run for longer than my typical schedule allows if I wanted to heat the entire pool. Otherwise I'm not sure what damage might be done to the heater if the pump turns off per the schedule (7pm) and the heater is still on.
Click to expand...

Aqualink will not turn off the pump if the heater is on. The schedule does not matter.
 
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@travelfeedsthesoul, @PoolGate

You guys are confusing the heck out of me. One of y'all needs to take a new avatar pic. Like a different light color or something. I'm sitting here scrolling through reading, not really paying attention to the names, just seeing the pic out of my peripheral thinking "why does he keep responding to himself?" :scratch: Then I actually read the names! :ROFLMAO:

--Jeff
 
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