How far should I go?

[dminer]

My heater is leaking due to age/rust and needs replacement but I'm not sure it's a good idea to replace it without addressing other potential problems with my system. I don't know if these things are issues so I'm hoping someone with experience can give me some advice. It's important to me to get my system running as efficiently/smoothly as possible and I don't mind putting in the DIY to get there.

As it stands now my plan is to:

1. Remove the shrubs
2. Excavate the pvc pipes back far enough to where there has been no shifting/twisting
3. Remove the heater and cap the pipes
4. Move the concrete slab back to the appropriate spot
5. Place the new heater
6. Saw couplings off and replace with new piping to the new heater, using the same length of old pipe (should I cut the pipe down instead?)
7. I'm going to hire an electrician to wire it up and make sure the subpanel has the proper service for the new unit.

Here are all the details I'm trying to weigh:

• I believe I have 100k now and the spa/pool can be slow to heat sometimes but I doubt my current unit is running near factory CoP. Not sure if I need more BTUs but I want to mitigate my power consumption as much as possible with something like a Heat Siphon Z575HP
• My filter housing is just as old (~15 years)...should I replace this at the same time?
• The concrete pad that the heater sits on appears to have been pushed up next to the house by overgrown shrubs and it only has 6" of clearance from the exterior wall of the house; I believe I'll need to move this away from the house so the heater has 2' (or 3'?) of room to operate properly.
• The pipes close to the overgrown shrubs are cocked at an angle; I'm concerned they're under stress that will lead to a leak eventually.
• The 2hp motor still has life in it but it's a little too powerful (creates back pressure with an extra intake via pool sweep line). Keep or replace?
• Are these shrubs worth saving or are these trunks going to lead to constant overgrowth
• The spa water level goes lower than it should; I want to install a backflow prevention valve while I'm installing the heater. Where is the best place inline to put this?

Am I missing anything in this plan? Should I change it in any way? Thanks!

 

[Bperry]

What’s the reason for just not replacing the heater and leaving everything else as-is? It is a tight spot back there and the slab could be larger to hold the whole heater, maybe just extend the slab a bit?

 

[HermanTX]

Remove the shrubs

Definitely like this idea. Shrubs too close to equipment makes it untidy and difficult to perform any maintenance.

Excavate the pvc pipes back far enough to where there has been no shifting/twisting

Appears only 2 pipes are "leaning". one is the blower which is probably an easy fix by digging down. The other is the connection to the heater, but it appears to be more of a plumbing design issue due to the lack of space.

aw couplings off and replace with new piping to the new heater, using the same length of old pipe (should I cut the pipe down instead?)

Not sure what you mean by "using the same length of old pipe". Use all new PVC piping and have plumber route it such that pipes are straight and not in any bind. Your new heater may have different placement of inlet & outlet connections

I'm going to hire an electrician to wire it up and make sure the subpanel has the proper service for the new unit.

Great. Ensure the bond wire is connected to the pump, lights, heater, etc. plus the standard electrical connections to the power box.

Not sure if I need more BTUs but I want to mitigate my power consumption as much as possible

Higher BTUs will heat the spa faster. Heat pumps are great for maintaining a temperature but can be costly to raise the pool water temperature. So you have to weigh what is more important. I assume natural gas is not an option.

My filter housing is just as old (~15 years)...should I replace this at the same time?

If you do not see any visible cracks n the housing and it is maintained via regular cleaning then it should continue to function fine. If you do change it - then select a large (greater than 200 sq. ft) cartridge filter

I believe I'll need to move this away from the house so the heater has 2' (or 3'?) of room to operate properly.

Refer to the specifications for whatever heater you install. Codes vary from state to state. Most require that a heater exhaust is no closer than 4ft to an open window or door. My NG heater is only 10 inches from my brick home so physical location next to your home is driven more by venting requirements near windows and doors that can be opened.

The 2hp motor still has life in it but it's a little too powerful (creates back pressure with an extra intake via pool sweep line). Keep or replace?

You have a single speed pump. Upgrading to a variable speed will lower your energy consumption and also provide more flexibility to set your SWCG to generate chlorine.

The spa water level goes lower than it should; I want to install a backflow prevention valve while I'm installing the heater. Where is the best place inline to put this?

What is meant by this? Is this in Spa Mode. Are you refering to a check valve?

 

[ajw22]

Higher BTUs do NOT use more energy to get to the a temperature. With a higher BTU heater you use more power but get to the temperature quicker. The overall energy used is the same as a smaller heater taking longer. The only cost for the higher BTU heater is the higher purchase price.

 

[dminer]

What’s the reason for just not replacing the heater and leaving everything else as-is? It is a tight spot back there and the slab could be larger to hold the whole heater, maybe just extend the slab a bit?

My concerns were any possible damage to the pvc from those shrubs and any extra wear and tear or drop in efficiency from the new heater being too close to the wall. I wasn't how big an issue these things were. Sounds like removing the shrubs and pulling the slab away from the wall is a good idea; I'm not sure I want to deal with a slab that's any bigger/heavier than that one.

 

[dminer]

Definitely like this idea. Shrubs too close to equipment makes it untidy and difficult to perform any maintenance.


Appears only 2 pipes are "leaning". one is the blower which is probably an easy fix by digging down. The other is the connection to the heater, but it appears to be more of a plumbing design issue due to the lack of space.


Not sure what you mean by "using the same length of old pipe". Use all new PVC piping and have plumber route it such that pipes are straight and not in any bind. Your new heater may have different placement of inlet & outlet connections

Great. Ensure the bond wire is connected to the pump, lights, heater, etc. plus the standard electrical connections to the power box.


Higher BTUs will heat the spa faster. Heat pumps are great for maintaining a temperature but can be costly to raise the pool water temperature. So you have to weigh what is more important. I assume natural gas is not an option.


If you do not see any visible cracks n the housing and it is maintained via regular cleaning then it should continue to function fine. If you do change it - then select a large (greater than 200 sq. ft) cartridge filter


Refer to the specifications for whatever heater you install. Codes vary from state to state. Most require that a heater exhaust is no closer than 4ft to an open window or door. My NG heater is only 10 inches from my brick home so physical location next to your home is driven more by venting requirements near windows and doors that can be opened.


You have a single speed pump. Upgrading to a variable speed will lower your energy consumption and also provide more flexibility to set your SWCG to generate chlorine.


What is meant by this? Is this in Spa Mode. Are you refering to a check valve?

Thank you for addressing all of my questions! I wasn't sure which ones I should prioritize and your comments help a lot.

I'm going to remove the shrubs completely; the new heater connectors are vertical and my current one is horizontal so I'll excavate the pipes until I can see enough to draw up a plan.
I'm going to focus on the pipes and the heater/slab and leave the rest alone for now (the variable pump is next).
Those assumptions are right; natural gas is not an option and a "check valve" is what I was looking for. Good to know about the window/door code possibility too.

I was considering doing the plumbing myself; is that a bad idea?

 

[HermanTX]

I was considering doing the plumbing myself; is that a bad idea?

If you are handy and able to dry fit all the plumbing first, then ensure you glue each joint as you piece it together. Draw it out so you have a plan and purchase some extra fittings such as couplers and elbows in the event the physical fit does not work according to your plan. You can always return unused fittings. The heater should have unions that make it easier to fit those. Ensure you get the inlet and the outlet correctly. Are you able to do the electrical part as well?

Allocate a couple of hours so you are not rushed. You do not want to forget to glue one fitting. Take a sharpie and mark each joint you glue as a double check. On the unions, ensure the rubber seal is lubricated before assembling.

 

[ajw22]

I was considering doing the plumbing myself; is that a bad idea?

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