pool heater

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M

mnvanci

0
Jul 23, 2008
19
Hi,
I am considering buying a pool heater for my pool. My pool is 15 by 30 inground and about 14,000 gal. I live in Buffalo NY and have a short swimming season. I looked into solar heaters but my roof space is about 15 by 18 feet where I could put the panels and I am not sure how to install them. A pool company quoted me at about $2,000.00 for a gas heater installed with gas line installed. Any suggestions on type of heater - gas or solar? If so what kind. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Mark
 
Thats not a bad price with the gas line installed included.
Depends on what you want. Considered a heat pump? Gas heats the water faster, but the cost of the gas is considerably higher than running a heat pump.
If you want to keep the pool up at 85+ in May and September, then gas might be what you want.

I can tell you that my heat pump adds about $40 a month to my electric bill. Being in massachusetts, i ran it in may, june, and now even july since the weather has been crappy. It runs sereral hours a day to maintain 80 degrees when the temp outside is in the low to mid 60's. Really, gas or heat pump depends what you want out of a heater. Fast heat up, and a warmer temp (mid to high 80's) you might like gas better. I do know that if you let the temp drop during the week to say 70, and then heat it up to 85 on the weekend, you will use a lot of gas.

I'm not sure solar is practicle, espcially in the northeast. But that's just my opinion.
 
We got a Heat Siphon this spring and are LOVING IT!!! We have a very large pool, so it took a while to get up to temp, but now that it is warmer it is hardly running. It kicks on whenever both the pump is running AND the pool temp has dropped 1.5 degrees. As they say "we set it and forget it!" We are very good about keeping the solar cover on when we're not using the pool, especially since we are having quite a cool summer (highs only about 80 and much cooler at night). The kids are swimming much more and longer, and even the moms are getting in with me! I've been keeping track and I estimate that we've swam about 12-14 days so far that otherwise would have been too chilly to enjoy.

We did need to have a licensed electrician move a 50 amp power line that we had to an unwanted spa over to where the pool equipment is located, which cost around $500. It would probably be more if you don't already have that electrical power outside. You need to figure that into the cost of purchase. I did a lot of research and while the initial purchase cost of a heat pump is much higher, over the long run the cost to run it makes up for it.

Another factor to consider.... friends of mine who have a gas heater are reluctant to turn it on because it cost so much each time they heat up the pool. What I like is that the slow heating time for the heat pump means that you just leave it at the decided-upon temp (my husband calls ours "bath water" but that's what I like!!!) and keep it there. The pool is always warm for that quick after dinner dunk. No thinking, "oh, it'll be $50 of propane/gas to heat it up, so I just won't swim." Here in PA we only have a three month (now extended to 5 with the heat pump season) so I want people to SWIM, SWIM , SWIM! That's what's it's all about!

good luck, I'd love to hear what you decide!
Maria
 
I live in Illinois, and have a gas heater. I installed about 80' of plastic gas line, and about 30 feet of black iron, plus electric. The heater I got off of Ebay for about $500, like 1/2 what retail is, delivered. It does what I want it to, heats the water, if you leave your solar cover on it seems to retain it over night better too.
 
Live in the Saint Louis area, and also use gas. If you opt for gas I'd recommend using 100% plastic (actually PE, or polyethylene) pipe. Significantly more expensive than black iron or galvanized, but very strong and absolutely will not corrode. Also fairly flexible, which makes for a less labor intensive install. The mechanical unions (you'll need 2, one from the meter to the PE pipe, and the other form the PE pipe to the heater) alone cost ~$250/apiece, so $2000 installed seems like a great price to me - confirm he's quoting PE pipe.
 
We live in FAR nw Minnesota, referred to as the "nation's icebox" by the rest of the Country. Solar heats our 15000+ gallon pool pretty darn well most of the summer months even this year. Solar keeps our pool up around 78-80 when the outside temp is anywhere from 63 degrees up if the sun is shining. That is IF the solar blanket is used at all times we are not swimming. If we hit 75 degrees, then the temps get up to 85 and over in the pool easily. Uncovered pools are a huge source of heat loss.


For the May and September months, I would opt for gas to boost up to the comfy 85 we like. Those cool nights are hard to keep up with.
 
jkusmier said:
Live in the Saint Louis area, and also use gas. If you opt for gas I'd recommend using 100% plastic (actually PE, or polyethylene) pipe. Significantly more expensive than black iron or galvanized, but very strong and absolutely will not corrode. Also fairly flexible, which makes for a less labor intensive install. The mechanical unions (you'll need 2, one from the meter to the PE pipe, and the other form the PE pipe to the heater) alone cost ~$250/apiece, so $2000 installed seems like a great price to me - confirm he's quoting PE pipe.
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I got my male adapters for roughly $35 each. 1". I got it from Munch's Supply in town here. Go directly to a plumbing/heating supply and buy everything. The yellow plastic gas line should be available there too.
 
That's a good price, but I'm guessing you and I bought different mechanical couplings. Ours are made by Perfection Corporation - I just checked their website but couldn't locate the connectors we purchased. They're each about 3' long, w/ a radius 90 turn to the pipe fitting. I remember we also spent about $65 for a repair coupling when a stray shovel dinged the gas line. Anyway, these were pretty pricey couplings - and we got the best contractor prices available, through a family friend who operates one one of the larger plumbing and electrical contractors in our area. But I see we're in agreement about PE pipe - once it's in the ground you can pretty much forget about it. Used in commercial, municipal and industrial settings for that very reason.
 

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I have a hayward gas heater and it is wonderful. I set the temp and forget it, and it heats my water rather quickly (2 degrees per hour). When I used the heater in April, i kept the automatic pool cover closed to retain the heat when I wasn't swimming. Of course, now that its much hotter, I haven't had to use the heater at all. If you go with gas, I would check into different models and compare the energy efficiencies of each and go with the most efficient one out there. The unit puts off a lot of heat and can take off your skin if you touch it. I went for safety and all my pool equipment, including the heater, is enclosed by a five foot tall vinyl fence. Each section of the fence can be lifted and removed if any of the equipment needs maintenace.
 
Brad S said:
Nobody is thinking of DYI'ing the gas lines are they?
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How do you think the "pros" do it? They do it themselves. I did plumbing for 14 years, if you are not sure of your skillz then pressure test before making it live. Not exactly rocket science. Setting a manhole 37 feet deep in running sand is a bit harder, or fixing a watermain break when it is 45 below zero with water spraying all over you all day. I have also used the plastic gas line extensively to replace air lines in railyards, only we welded fittings on it.
 
I guess if you're a licensed gas fitter and can do it under permit and have it inspected, it would be ok. I'm talking about man-off -the -street DYI'ing a gas line sends up red flags. I wouldnt want to be there neighbor. As you probably know, gas is something that should be left to a professional. It has a tendency to explode.
 
In the right circumstances... I saw a lady tapping into a plastic gas main for a residential connection in a new subdivision smoking a cigarette. I have ripped out more gas mains and services than I can count (because they were not located) and stuck a probe through 2 high pressure mains. The gas screams out of the pipes, they make a big deal out of it, but explosions, never. Although a leak in a basement, with pilot lights involved, once you reach that perfect mixture or O2 and Gas, you are right, boom.
 
Like i said, if you know what your doing. But, the average DYI'er has no business messing with gas line. Call a gas fitter.

BTW, up here in new england, at least 4-5 houses blow up every year due to ruptured mains, digging, etc. Not much gas up here anyway. kinda new in the last 25 years. Still mostly oil. I've seen oil fired pool heaters believe it or not.
 
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