WaveHeater- anybody have this?

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it showed up today...a little bigger than I imagined from the YT vids. So, he recently made a change that the WaveHeater should go BEFORE the Sand Filter instead of After it.

Is there any real reason I can't just reorient my hoses to use opposite ports from A to B? I am currently using the Intex skimmer, so it won't change the actual inlet depth...thoughts?
 
Some math:
4000 gallon * 8.3 = 33200 pounds of water.
Takes 1BTU raise 1 pound of water by 1 degree F
So, you need 33200 BTUs to add 1 degree

Link claims 18770 BTU/hour .. so it will take 1.77 hours to add 1 degree (assuming good efficiency) ... Lets round that to 2 hours to add 1 degree for math's sake.

Running it for 2 hours to add 1 degree will use 5500watts*2 hours = 11kW-hr per degree increase. Average electrical cost is $0.12 / kW-hr (obviously this can vary greatly).
Cost to add 1 degree approx. $1.32 and it will take 2 hours.

Run it for a day and it will cost ~$16 and will add 12 degrees .... assuming no large losses.

- - - Updated - - -

BTW, putting it before the filter seems like a really bad idea.
 
thx, I know the math for heating: but inside my garage it already averages 72-74F in the summer, and 64-67F in the winter. I have found no other way to add heat so I can get year-round control.

I figure a couple times a week, I can pop it on for 6-8hours while at work, then have a 78-80F temp for some evening swims. I have been watching my evening-morning temps and I usually lose 1-2F at night.

The issue before/after the sand filter is that on the exit from the Sand Filter, "most" of them let a little sand out. This can potentially clog the flow switch and it will fail. Putting it before the sand filter means that sand will have exited, and settled on the pool bottom (if any) and prevent that. According the manuf.

I wish my arrangement let me use a Hayward, or anything else, but it does not. :(

The main question is if reversing "A" and "B" ports for flow direction will do something.
 
I have no idea what ports A and B are.

1. Your sand filter should not be letting sand through
2. If you put the heater before the filter, then leaves/debris can clog up the heater.
 
pump set up.jpg
I always understood that the "higher" port is for the pump flow out, and the "lower" port is for the strainer/skimmer in. What if I reverse the purpose of those two ports?

This pool is in my garage, so no leaves, only the occasional vacuum for settled remnants. I posed that question to the manufacturer and it just reduces the problem. Their claim is that it's a very small amount, but this is a preventative change in their directions.
 
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thanks. I have a small space between the side of my Pool and the garage wall, and the pump/Sand filter combo barely fits, then I have the watertight conduit coming to the WaveHeater on the pool inlet side. Now I find out I need it on the pool outlet side.

If I reverse hoses and twist the top of the sand filter, I might be able to save about 20' of hose in hooking up the WaveHeater. I just didn't want to create another new problem in the process without checking here.
 

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after an hour on the phone with the manufacturer (Dave, has been really great in helping me figure out my strange install situation!) going through wiring step by step, I had to reroute some hoses.

Particular issues with the unit:
1. 30amp GFCI breaker required at 220V
2. he sends you a little transformer (doorbell type I think) that gets wired in to make the Flow switch trigger the GFCI
3. Heater must go between Pump and Sand Filter, as his service calls over the years have led to finding a VERY small amount from the Sand filter contributes to some failures?
4. Heater has an air port/valve that has to be up and fairly level should any bubbles get trapped in the unit.


My garage set up makes it a bit strange, but I am expecting to be testing flow, GFCI trigger, and Heating power today and tomorrow to be sure it's all going to operate as it should and be safe like it should.


So if you have a cartridge filter: few issues. If you have a sand filter: you need this BETWEEN the pump outlet port and the Sand Filter inlet port.
 
got to juice it up last night. Passed all my GFI testing, flow action, etc.

8:10pm temp was 72.5F from my Bluetooth sensor at the opposite corner from my outlet
10:10pm temp was 73.9F same location

Given the decimal reading might still have a little error, and I purposely put the temp sensor in the corner opposite from the water outlet port, I didn't quite reach my target of 1F/Hr.

I will run more tests of longer durations to see when diminishing returns occur, and since my garage is fully insulated, there should be some heat gain back and forth in the airspace, and then heatsink shared with the water etc. Even in 90+ temps in Oregon, my garage is sitting about 75-77F.

More as I have more temp figures over the coming weeks. Otherwise - it's the only product I found that can work in my weird and difficult situation.

WaveHeater as a product, and the owner as support, has been GREAT though!
 
Dgephri said:
after an hour on the phone with the manufacturer (Dave, has been really great in helping me figure out my strange install situation!) going through wiring step by step, I had to reroute some hoses.

Particular issues with the unit:
1. 30amp GFCI breaker required at 220V
2. he sends you a little transformer (doorbell type I think) that gets wired in to make the Flow switch trigger the GFCI
3. Heater must go between Pump and Sand Filter, as his service calls over the years have led to finding a VERY small amount from the Sand filter contributes to some failures?
4. Heater has an air port/valve that has to be up and fairly level should any bubbles get trapped in the unit.


My garage set up makes it a bit strange, but I am expecting to be testing flow, GFCI trigger, and Heating power today and tomorrow to be sure it's all going to operate as it should and be safe like it should.


So if you have a cartridge filter: few issues. If you have a sand filter: you need this BETWEEN the pump outlet port and the Sand Filter inlet port.
Click to expand...
What do you mean by "trigger the GFCI"? A GFCI is a protection device that when activated disconnects all power on the load side.
 
If you are running the heater and the pump stops for ANY reason, the heater's flow switch is triggered, and my GFCI 30A 220V breaker trips to the middle position. The transformer gives the Flow switch a little help in ensuring the GFCI gets a differential to protect the Heater, the people, and the circuit?

Not an expert, but we tested it twice.
 
It's working quite well in my opinion:
1. check temp of Pool on my Bluetooth sensor
2. estimate how many hours I need the Heater to run
3. head to the garage, turn on pump, walk around to the panel and hit the breaker for the Heater.
4. set kitchen timer/phone timer to remind me of the duration
5. check the temp during the interim
6. swim

Logged more time in the pool this last month with Heater than most of the previous 1.5 years needing a wetsuit for cold temps.

I haven't had a full month to check my power bills but so far I've needed less than 12 hours per week, so it should be about $60 a month for the Heater increase.
 
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