Recent content by bjohannes

Happy to report that my AVIA NG heater was successfully installed last Friday. The install was a bit tricky given the location of the water inlet/outlet on the heater (they're closer to the ground than most units). They ended up moving my pump over a few inches to get the necessary clearance...

A basic shutoff valve: Ball Valves - INYOPools.com

Glad you found the leak! Spider gaskets are a huge pain, and mine never seems to seal perfectly (Hayward 48sqft DE filter). Recommend you put a ball valve on your waste line and leave it closed unless you're backwashing.

I struggle with this as well, and my pad sits about 6ft above the pool. When the pump is off, gravity wants to pull all of the water back down to pool level, and will succeed if there are any leaks whatsoever. Listen for suction noises when you turn the pump off.

The Raypak manual suggests using an external flow switch instead of the built-in pressure switch when the pool pad is elevated above pool level by 5ft or more (mine is probably around 6ft). Which flow switch should I be using for this? The manual specifies a minimum flow rate of 40GPM, but goes...

Going for the AVIA, thanks!

$4150 for the Avia $4500 for the Rheem P-M266 Installed, in Cdn $.

Rheem P-M266 is the unit he would source. His experience is that the natural draft design tends to last much longer (not as tough on the heat exchanger). Also mechanically simpler (less parts/sensors with no blower).

The time has come to replace my failing 250k BTU Hayward natural gas heater. I was originally set on getting the newly released Raypak Avia, but my pool guy is recommending a more traditional Rheem digital unit (P-M266) as it'll last longer. He also stated that his unit is the dealer model that...

Oh wow, did not realize. Does a bypass extend the life of the heat exchanger significantly?

Do all modern heaters automatically bypass the heat exchanger when the heater is not running?

My Hayward 250k BTU NG heater is nearly toast. The heat exchanger started leaking last year, and my epoxy putty patch fixes only seem to hold for a few months at a time. I'm eyeing the Rapyak Avia 264k BTU unit as a replacement. The "NiTek" (nickel-plated copper?) heat exchanger option is...

I've now been running on the same DE powder (9.5 of my blue scoops) for 4 weeks with no signs of backwashing needed yet. Running a higher FC (no lower than 4.5) made all the difference.