Need advice & guidance...

[spishex]

There's one other nice 3-way valve I've come across recently but I can't remember the manufacturer. Maybe I'll spot it today. In the rain.

Probably Praher. Nice valves.

http://www.prahervalves.com/pagespool/rotary_2%263.html

Stay dry!

I'm glad this thread got bumped! I finally came across some of those elusive "other" valves. Not Praher, though I do like Praher ball valves I don't think I've ever used a 3-way...

Anyway, at long last: Waterway TruSeal Valves

Another very smooth, sturdy valve.

 

[dzimmer]

I would recommend CPVC pipe connections at the heater. Regular SCH40 or 80 can melt. You can just buy a threaded nipple and cut it in half.

Hey Aquaman95...I ended up using PCV unions (slip on one side, threaded on the other) because, honestly, that was all I could find. The CPVC ones seemed to only go to 3/4 in. and I needed 1.5 in. I don't plan on the water getting above maybe 90~95 nor for very long. With PVC being rated to 120-degrees would it still be OK the way I've done it? Or, is there an issue because technically the threads are being used as a seal and (I would assume) the thermal expansion to be different between the copper in the heater piping and the PVC, thus causing a leak?

If I must use CPVC, do you know where I can get a CPVC version of this?:

 

[Aquaman95]

Give it a try and see what happens. CPVC unions like that will be very expensive and hard to find...that's why we normally just use nipples.

My concern isn't the water temp, but the temp of the metal at the header connection. If it's a non-metallic header then you should be fine. Run it for a while and check for leaks or deformation there.

If you have to go to CPVC try a local plumbing supply house rather than a Home Depot/Lowes type place.

Frankly you probably don't need unions there anyway. You usually want to use unions for something that will have to be removed and cleaned frequently like a salt cell, but for longer lasting equipment they're not worth the hassle unless you're in an area where you winterize and bring all equipment inside. When it comes time to replace that heater, chances are the unions won't line up with the next heater's header connection anyway and they just add an extra leak point in the system.

But, with all that said, nice plumbing job!

 

[Aquaman95]

Well...I got curious and pulled the installation instructions for your heater from the Raypak website. They DO recommend unions and don't specify CPVC for your electric heater like they do for gas. I also notice that yours has male threads on the header, which would make a nipple difficult to use without also using a union. I have no idea why they recommend this, but it appears that according to the Raypak you're 100% golden.

Sorry for the confusion; I'm used to the gas heaters that have ASME cast iron headers...the instructions are different for those. I have no idea why it's different, but it is.

 

[dzimmer]

Hey! Thanks for the quick response. I'll give it a shot and see what happens. I decided to use the unions to make the heater easier to replace or service. The original one was rusted out pretty bad but I think that was more from previous owner's neglect than anything else. Apparently there was a sprinkler head watering the pool plumbing as you can see by the brown staining on all the old PVC and the original heater casing was brown instead of green, just a pile of rust.

So, if I need to replace/repair it again down the line it will be easier. But then again if I do need to replace it again in the near future maybe it is time to find a different heater.

Thanks again for your comments...I really appreciate it.

Doug