Unconventional heater?

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WaterTherapy said:
pH = 7.0

use test strips

?CYA level, it's not on the strips

talked to a pool contractor who said he's too far away but suggested a heat pump with a back up gas fired...then he just rambled off topic. I had a lot of trouble understanding him. I couldn't understand if he was talking about heating the air or the water with the heat pump. It just made me more confused. Eventually he suggested a titanium heat exchanger for a gas pool heater...off to more googling

Thanks for the comments
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7.0 is acidic and pretty low pH. That's right there where metal will gradually corrode over the long term. Why wouldn't you maintain it at 7.5 or 7.6 which is closer to "nominal" pH for a pool?

EDIT: Here's what Hayward says isn't covered by their warranty:

"Leakage caused substantially or contributed to by corrosive pool water in an acid condition (pH below 7.2)"
 
Get a real test kit as mentioned earlier. Those strips are not as accurate as a test kit.

Ph @ 7.0 isn't good. A PH below 7 is acidic. You're at a danger zone and you've probably dipped below it from time to time and you didn't know it. At this level it will destroy a heat exchanger over time. You need to raise it to a level of 7.4-7.6 and maintain it there.

They do not make titanium heat exchangers in gas pool heaters. They have cupronickle but even that will get destroyed over time with bad PH, it will take longer than regular copper.
 
In an earlier post he said it takes 1 3" biscuit so i assume hes using triclor pucks which if hes dropping in the skimmer basket the acidicness of the water going to the heater will cause premature failure of components. Post #8
 
FamilyGuy said:
In an earlier post he said it takes 1 3" biscuit so i assume hes using triclor pucks which if hes dropping in the skimmer basket the acidicness of the water going to the heater will cause premature failure of components. Post #8
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Yep, this is a classic case of poor water balance destroying equipment. Unless the poster makes some changes, the next pool heater will go the same way as the last ones, regardless of the brand he chooses. Hope he joins us here, reads Pool School several times and purchases one of the recommended test kits (and throws away those gawd awful test strips). This type of damage is completely preventable.
 
jblizzle said:
With no CYA in the water, the chlorine is much more harsh and could be causing problems.

You really should invest in one of the recommended test kits and stop trusting test strips.
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I've read elsewhere that there is no need for CYA in pools that are indoors since there is no UV light hitting the water

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FamilyGuy said:
In an earlier post he said it takes 1 3" biscuit so i assume hes using triclor pucks which if hes dropping in the skimmer basket the acidicness of the water going to the heater will cause premature failure of components. Post #8
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No, not in the skimmer, in a separate plastic container that drifts around the pool until the biscuit dissolves and then it floats to the surface

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ps0303 said:
Get a real test kit as mentioned earlier. Those strips are not as accurate as a test kit.

Ph @ 7.0 isn't good. A PH below 7 is acidic. You're at a danger zone and you've probably dipped below it from time to time and you didn't know it. At this level it will destroy a heat exchanger over time. You need to raise it to a level of 7.4-7.6 and maintain it there.

They do not make titanium heat exchangers in gas pool heaters. They have cupronickle but even that will get destroyed over time with bad PH, it will take longer than regular copper.
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http://www.poolheatpumps.com/titanium-heat-exchanger.htm

http://www.poolsupplyunlimited.com/...3312/86454p1?gclid=CPnJnvKAyL8CFUFrfgodtk4AXA

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gtemkin said:
Yep, this is a classic case of poor water balance destroying equipment. Unless the poster makes some changes, the next pool heater will go the same way as the last ones, regardless of the brand he chooses. Hope he joins us here, reads Pool School several times and purchases one of the recommended test kits (and throws away those gawd awful test strips). This type of damage is completely preventable.
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That may be, but I was doing what the Hayward people told me on the phone, there were supposedly some, "changes made to their recommendations." I never did receive anything in writing about it now that I think of it...may have been a disgruntled employee or someone helping along their planned obsolescence
 
The CYA does 2 things:
1. Protects the FC from the sun's UV (not important for indoor pools)
2. Buffers the chlorine so it is not as harsh (important for ALL pools)

We recommend 20-30ppm of CYA for indoor pools for the above reason. If you choose to read elsewhere and follow their advice, so be it ;)

There are 1000s of members here with heaters that do not have the problems that you are describing, so clearly something is different about your chemistry.
 
I can't answer you on the reason why gas heaters don't use titanium.

As for the Lochinvar, I have never used them personally but I have a friend in the business that has and he has said they are a pain in the rear. He's never had a good experience with them at all. If you want something with longer than a one year warranty you can go with a Pentair brand. They have a two year warranty. Now if you were to have a American Express card, I believe that purchases made with it extends the manufacturers warranty by one year. I have had numerous customers use their AmEx card solely for that reason.
 

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They are just an overly complicated piece of equipment for what it's designed to do. When they break, they aren't cheap. Get a Raypak/Rheem.

BTW, have you resolved your water chemistry issues yet?
 
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