Heaters

[wildkatz]

New pool owner here and we are thinking about getting a heater. There are so many brands its all so confusing. What brand does everyone like? We're thinking about propane, 226,000 btu.

 

[snazzy]

Not really an answer to your question but....I have a gas heater and love it - really extends the pool season (and natural gas here is cheap so heating the pool is a reasonable thing to do year round for us). The only advice I'd have is to make sure that you plumb it so that you can bypass the heater in the summer when it isn't in use. There is no point in all the water to go through the copper coils all summer long - causes lots of problems with staining, etc.

 

[Gary R]

Ditto on the bypass. Most of what I have read here on the forum indicates the RayPak heaters are highly rated. We have a 266,000 BTU model and it does extend the season at least a month on each end depending on weather. For warranty purposes we had to have a licensed installer do the work. It was about $2,150 for the install. Additionally, we had about 45' gas line installed for $550 by a licensed plumber. We don't heat the pool above 84 degrees and usage costs have averaged about $100 a month in the months we use the heater. We only heat when are going to use the pool so we have to plan ahead. A solar cover is a must for retaining heat when the pool isn't being used.

Regards,

Gary R.

 

[zimm]

I'm amazed how quick my pool fluctuates in temp. It was 81 degrees, and after a 3 days of cloudy 85 day/70 night temps, the water is 77! If I plan to swim, I'll kick on the heater that morning and it'll get it up in the low 80's after a few hours.

I'm also amazed at how much heat is lost through the top of the heater (it's atmospheric). I see the heat shimmer blasting out of my equipment area. If I got a new one, I'd get a high efficiency model that doesn't loose so much heat. Something like a Jandy LXi, although I have no experience with them.