Pool heater and home warranty replacement problem

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Raypak does NOT have a blower motor so that means no noise.

I work on more 2-3 year old Pentair products than almost anything. Next is the Hayward. The Max E Therm fiberglass enclosure equals no more advantage over any other exterior enclosure. I do find both of the Pentair products a big pain in the butt to work on. I will only sell one of these if the space/foot print requires it.

I see the least repairs on the Raypak units.

No blower motor on Raypak.

Get what you can out of the warranty company. Don't let them cheat you.
 
I have a low-nox Raypak RP2100 heater. I guess it's required in California. It's about 8yrs old. It does have a blower and you can hear it at night when sitting in the spa but it's not so loud it's annoying. During the day you can't really hear it at all. It worked great up till about a year ago. The lcd display started to fade out probably due to the sun hitting it and then it starting giving a low pressure warning and shutting down. Now it won't start up at all and I have to replace the display just to find out what kind of error i'm getting. It does suck up the gas but i only use it for heating the spa when needed, otherwise i'm pretty satisfied with it. I can't even imagine trying to heat the pool with it with the price of natural gas here in so. cal. I'm installing a solar system this year to help with that.

skeeter
 
OK, one other question. I am not sure if my gas line can support a 400 - as I mentioned, I currently have a 325k btu heater. I will check the diameter of my gas line tonight. But, the meter is at the street and the heater is all the way at the other end of my property, so it is a fairly long run. That, and I have a line T'd off for a bbq. What do I need to check to see if my pre-existing gas line can support a 400k btu, or if I would be safer sticking with a 300k?

Thanks!
 
Just get the total run from the meter and the pipe size and there are tools online that can estimate what BTU can be supported.

Although in my experience at this house, the pipe will support WAY more than the calculators say ... whole house is fed with a long 3/4" pipe that should theoretically be way undersized, yet everything keeps working.
 
Thanks, Jason. I will check it out tonight. Everything is buried, though. Should I assume that it is a straight run from the meter to the heater, or would it most likely be split off from the line in the house? This is all new for me, so I really appreciate the help!
 
You may or may not need a regulator at the heater but if you have a 325K now, the 400K isn't that much more. Your best bet is get your gas company involved and get the correct answer.
 

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A hundred feet of 1" according to tables online should only be used for about 200k BTU.

Thus, talk to the gas company.

Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short ;)
 
The following is assuming that you are on natural gas and not propane...
Propane is a different animal entirely, and 1" will be fine.

If your gas line is undersized for the appliance, the appliance will probably still function. The problem is that the fuel mix will be wrong and you can develop a sooting condition. This takes months if not years before it reviles itself, often by then there is damage, or a considerable repair cost (cleaning). Have things checked out before you commit to a certain size. Paying a plumber to come out may provide the best impartial advice. Having the gas company come out, while typically is free, are looking for ways to sell you more gas (makes sense) and would err on the side of bigger when you may not need it.

IMO 1" is too small even for a 325 at that run, but you should verify that the 1" is the lateral run, and not just the riser.
 
Yeah, after I started talking about 1" pipe, I went out for a double check. There is a reducer at the ground, but the lateral run actually appears to be a 2" line. The riser is 1". I assume this changes things a bit?
 
Hey Jason,

That is 2" OD. So, given that, even with a minimum run of 102 feet and with a couple feet of 1" riser with a split to a BBQ, should I still be OK going with a 400k BTU heater?

Thank you!!!
 
OK, so this all raised another question. I had a survey done at my house and the company said a 250k BTU heater would be plenty. I am leaning towards a 300K instead. Any pros or cons going up a step? I guess the real question is, given that there wouldn't be a HUGE difference in time to heat the pool, would I ultimately save more on the less BTUs but longer time, or shorter time but more BTUs?

I know several people said go 400K, but I think that would certainly be overkill, and in keeping cost in mind, I would rather have a little more to throw at install by going with one of the 2 smaller heaters.

Also, is there any risk of the heated water out of the return becoming too hot with a larger heater?

Lastly, It appears I have a 2" OD line coming to the area, then a 2 foot 1.5" OD riser. They were saying I need to upgrade the riser to at least 1.5" OD...is that right?

Thank you!!
 
The cost to heat the water is generally the same regardless of the size ... just the time changes. I think the larger ones may save a little bit of gas.

Your last question does not make sense as it says they recommend the same thing you have.
 

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