Need to run a fan when the heater is on

[oratzes]

Hi there,

I just recently had my pool remodeled. After some issues with the correct color, its all sorted out now.

The pool equipment is located in a little shed off them main back yard. It has a little roof on top of it and protects the equipment from rain and the outside. However the prior owners did not really think this through when they put the gas heater in there.

Within seconds the room is hot from the exhaust gases and most likely out right poisonous with hot CO and CO2.

So I had an exhaust fan installed and hooked up to AUX 7 of the Pentair Intellitouch controller. When turned on, it works great and keeps the shed cool and full of fresh air. I can control AUX 7 via the control panel and manually turn the fan on and off.

Here is the question:

How do I make that fan/aux7 come on then the heater is on, but only with the heater and not the pump or any other feature?

I have the Intellitouch PC interface and software but I cannot find a way to get this done. The pool equipment guy also did not know how to get this done and told me Pentair was not much help.

Hope somebody on the board might have an idea.

 

[jblizzle]

Automating the fan sounds like a bandaid to me, that could potentially be dangerous if it failed. Is it possible to correct the install such that the exhaust is vented outside like it should be?

Many heaters can be installed indoors with proper venting. I am just not sure if what you have can be modified to be safe.

 

[ps0303]

You need to vent the heaters exhaust to the outside properly with the correct vent material. An exhaust fan is not the correct and proper way to correct your problem. Using the vent to bring in fresh air for proper combustion is good though.

 

[BoDarville]

^^ What they said. Exhaust venting using the proper material is both the simplest and best solution to this problem.

 

[gtemkin]

I didn't see anything that mentioned the brand of the heater, but if you go to the manufacturer's website you can get a copy of the heater's owner/install manual. Most have great detailed descriptions of the requirements for exhaust venting and combustion air in-feed as well as minimum clearance from combustable surfaces. Like others have mentioned, your current install sounds extremely dangerous, even with the fan system you've installed.

 

[Pool Clown]

Ditto to everything above.
If you decide that you don't want to, or cannot vent at this time, there is something you need to know regarding the setup you have now. If the fan is drawing air out of your equipment "hut" (EH), and if this is the only "hole" in the wall of your EH, you are drawing not only the exhaust outside, but you are also expelling combustion air as well, creating a low pressure situation in the room. This will cause the heater to run in a "rich" fuel mix, creating more soot than usual. In the short term you probably will not notice much effect, but in the long term, it will soot up the heater and hopefully, the heater will quit working before you have an event (fire).

You really should vent it properly, including cutting holes in the EH walls for combustion, and makeup (if needed) air.