New to the pool heater realm.. any advice?

[summertimesadness]

Started up the pool heater for the first time yesterday.

I am running a Raypak 206A natural gas.

As you shouldn't run it when the pool pump is off, what is your procedure? Start in the morning? Or just a couple hours before hand?

 

[Jimrahbe]

S,

I have no heater so can't answer your question, but I would think it would take a long time to heat up a 30K pool with a 200 BTU heater.

What is your current water temp and what temp are you shooting for?

Let's see what some of our members with heaters have to say...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[ajw22]

Your 400K BTU heater will heat your 30K pool maybe 1/2 degree/hour or less. So depending on the the starting temperature of the pool and where you want to get the water temperature to it may take many hours of the heater running.

I assume you have no automation.

How is your pump controlled? A timer?

Your heater should be connected to the same timer and power as your pump so it goes on and off at the same times. Although the timer should turn off the pump 20 minutes before the pump to allow for the heater to cool down.

Timers - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[1poolman1]

Started up the pool heater for the first time yesterday.

I am running a Raypak 206A natural gas.

As you shouldn't run it when the pool pump is off, what is your procedure? Start in the morning? Or just a couple hours before hand?

You have about 250K pounds of water in your pool It will take 250k btu to heat that 1 degree. Your heater will put about 160-170K btu in the water each hour, giving you about a .6 degree temperature rise each hour under ideal conditions. Want to raise it 4 degrees, it will take 1,000,000 btu and take your heater about 6 hours of continuous running to do so. If you live in a windy area, the wind will slow that down considerably.

Its not you shouldn't run it with the pump off, you can't. Don't try, you won't like the results.

 

[summertimesadness]

Thanks guys.

Minor correction, its the 399, 000 BTU version.

Pool heaters aren't salt water specific, correct?

 

[summertimesadness]

Your 200K BTU heater will heat your 30K pool maybe 1/2 degree/hour or less. So depending on the the starting temperature of the pool and where you want to get the water temperature to it may take many hours of the heater running.

I assume you have no automation.

How is your pump controlled? A timer?

Your heater should be connected to the same timer and power as your pump so it goes on and off at the same times. Although the timer should turn off the pump 20 minutes before the pump to allow for the heater to cool down.

Timers - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Timer, yea. Not sure it's connected to the heater however.

 

[ajw22]

Thanks guys.

Minor correction, its the 399, 000 BTU version.

Does not matter.

Pool heaters aren't salt water specific, correct?

Not really. There are models where the heat excahnger is supposed to me more corrosion resistant then the standard copper heat exchanger.

 

[summertimesadness]

Does not matter.


Not really. There are models where the heat excahnger is supposed to me more corrosion resistant then the standard copper heat exchanger.

Only reason I mentioned it were people commenting on the heat up time based on the BTUs.

 

[ajw22]

Only reason I mentioned it were people commenting on the heat up time based on the BTUs.

1/399,999 of a BTU makes no difference in your heating time.

 

[summertimesadness]

1/399,999 of a BTU makes no difference in your heating time.

200k vs 400k doesn't make much if a difference?

 

[ajw22]

Minor correction, its the 399, 000 BTU version.

200k vs 400k doesn't make much if a difference?

Which is it?

 

[summertimesadness]

Which is it?

You stated Originally its the 200K BTU heater.

I just corrected it as I misspoke on the model type and it's the 400k version. (399,000)

 

[ajw22]

You stated Originally its the 200K BTU heater.

I just corrected it as I misspoke on the model type and it's the 400k version. (399,000)

Ok, you never referenced back or quoted my typo for me to correct it. It is fixed now.

 

[summertimesadness]

Ok, you never referenced back or quoted my typo for me to correct it. It is fixed now.

Sorry, using the phone on this website is a bit wonky.

 

[1poolman1]

You stated Originally its the 200K BTU heater.

I just corrected it as I misspoke on the model type and it's the 400k version. (399,000)

Twice the heat, half the time to the same temp. There are no "saltwater" heaters.

 

[1poolman1]

Timer, yea. Not sure it's connected to the heater however.

Start the pump, start the heater, turn pump off at timer. Did heater power down (no lights/display)? If so it is powered by the timer. It will stop heating when pump stops running, regardless.

 

[summertimesadness]

You have about 250K pounds of water in your pool It will take 250k btu to heat that 1 degree. Your heater will put about 160-170K btu in the water each hour, giving you about a .6 degree temperature rise each hour under ideal conditions. Want to raise it 4 degrees, it will take 1,000,000 btu and take your heater about 6 hours of continuous running to do so. If you live in a windy area, the wind will slow that down considerably.

Its not you shouldn't run it with the pump off, you can't. Don't try, you won't like the results.

Start the pump, start the heater, turn pump off at timer. Did heater power down (no lights/display)? If so it is powered by the timer. It will stop heating when pump stops running, regardless.

I will try, thanks.