Looking for advice for heater

[Jtbeck419]

Hi all -

We bought a house with a ~25 yr old indoor vinyl pool. I’ve the last 3 years we’ve put in a new liner, new dehumidifier fan, pump, SWG, and various parts on the heater (Jandy LRZ).

I will detail the issues with the heater below in case someone has advice, but at this point I’m ready to replace the heater. Looking for recommendations….Pool is 12k gallons and it’s setup for gas but I’d consider electric also.

Here’s the story for the heater:
Everything was working well until I walked in the room and smelled a horrible smell and discovered the heater was extremely hot, water dripping from the heat exchanger, and partial flame rollout.

A section of insulation inside the combustion chamber had broken off and fallen directly over the burners.
At the advice of a HVAC tech I used high heat silicon to reattach the insulation and after letting it dry, I started the heater up and everything appeared to be fine. After running for an hour, the temp went up 2 degrees, but I notice it was leaking again and the heater itself is extremely hot to the touch.

 

[HermanTX]

It does appear it is time for a new heater - mainly from a safety standpoint.
A gas heater will heat quickly and be efficient even with cooler outside temperatures, whereas a heat pump will maintain a temperature but the lower the outside temperature the less efficient. It also depends how you wish to use your heater. Do you want to try to extend your swim months? Do you have a spa and want to heat it quickly, then a gas heater is better.

Do you have a cover such that you can cover at night to prevent heat loss?
Please read

Pool Heaters Explained

What good is clear water if the water temperature is to cold to enjoy it? We've answered some questions and provided simple tips to understand pool heaters.

www.troublefreepool.com