What are the code/requirements for installing spa heater?

[cflannagan]

What are the building/installing codes for a spa heater for a residential home?

Factors that I think will impact the answer:
- Pinellas county, Florida
- in relative to propane pipe coming out of ground (connected to a propane tank), how close or far must the spa heater be?
- in relative to side of the house (just a masonry surface), how close or far must the spa heater be?
- in relative to a window, how close or far must the spa heater be?
- It is this product: http://www.amazon.com/Hayward-H250FDP-U ... tu+propane

I honestly am not happy with the layout of the PVC pipings, and the fact that unlike the rest of the pool equipment (pump, filter, etc) sitting on a white cemented area, the spa heater is just there sitting on our pavers *outside* this cemented area. The whole setup looks ridiculous - our equipment sitting on pavers, as well as white cemented area. So our pool equipment are sitting on two different "surfaces".

The contractor explained to us where the heater was going to be before he connected it together. I was at work on phone with wife and I asked her to question the placement, but wife said heater is quite bigger than the last one we have, and when she questioned the placement, the contractor keep saying "it's code". So we can't really argue with that.

I'm willing to admit he's right and he has to follow code, but i want to make sure it's actually code that he has to follow, and not placing it there just because it's easier for him, instead of having to re-do the entire PVC piping system. The thing that puzzles me is that our previous heater (which came with our house when we bought it) was much closer to the wall and the inspector who looked thru our house before we bought it never brought up the fact that the heater might not be up to code (too close to wall).

Does anyone know what the codes are?

 

[gtemkin]

Re: What are the code/requirements for installing spa heater

Most of the equipment manufacturers do a pretty good job of stating the basic dimensional and connection requirements in their installation manual. The link to the manual you need is:

http://www.hayward-pool.com/pdf/manuals/UniversalH-seriesLowNOx-HxxxFDService&Installation.pdf

Of course they can't cover every code modification made by every municipality, but I'm guessing that 90% of the local requirements are as stated in this manual.

Gregg

 

[cflannagan]

Re: What are the code/requirements for installing spa heater

Looked through the manual, doesn't seem to say anything about clearance from the side of the house. I should take a photo when there is sunlight and add it to this thread and see what you guys think.

 

[Nova13]

Re: What are the code/requirements for installing spa heater

I see them about 12" from the sides of homes

 

[Bama Rambler]

Re: What are the code/requirements for installing spa heater

If you go to the Hayward site and download the Service/Installation Manual (not the owners manual) as gtemkin said, it lists the clearances around the unit for all sides. Look on page 12.

 

[cflannagan]

Re: What are the code/requirements for installing spa heater

Thanks! I was looking under the wrong section "CONFORMANCE WITH CODES" - and tried looking elsewhere - not sure how I overlooked that clearances chart, but it helps.

I'd have to double check on my measurements (I took several last night, and tried to draw it out on graph paper - it's the 'engineer' in me) but I believe with a bit of rearranging (chiefly, turning the filter counter-clockwise 90 degrees so that the in-and-out pipes take up lesser space, and moving the pump about 12 inches away to empty space, and our pump needs to be replaced anyway, it's dying, so might as well relocate the new one), and re-doing the pipes again, I can make it work with all those clearances met, as well as good amount of room for "pipe elbows" and routings.

Not a hour or two's worth of work for sure if we want it to be rearranged in this manner, but I don't think we can be comfortable with the heater just sitting out there on the pavers outside the general white cement slabs that rest of our equipment sits on.

Two things to do: find whether there are additional local codes we have to consider, and getting the work done for rearranging/reconfiguring of the pool equipment.