Pool delayed by months; Need pool heat pump + gas heater recommendation please

[RubiconValley]

Hi, all, I have an approx 43K gallon lap pool (82 x 12 foot) in the works, but the build has been delayed since June of this year because the PB cannot get equipment from his supplier. Now, most of the equipment is in (we did pretty much Pentair for everything), except for the:

-Pentair Ultratemp 143K BTU High Performance Heat Pump
-Raypak 407K BTU digital natural gas heater
-Pentair IntellipH pH Controller with Acid Container

The suppler is now saying they *think* the heaters will come in late-November 2021, but this ETA has been extended multiple times already. The pool has gunite, but has been waiting on plaster + Aquabright (because they have to fill the pool once the Aquabright goes on). I am worried about the pool sitting empty for so long.

Does anyone have recommendations for an alternative heat pump and heater that will be less difficult to get ahold of than the above models, and are of similar quality (reliability is important)? Thanks so much in advance!

 

[ajw22]

There is no reason for heaters to delay the build of a pool. The pool can be completed and operational without heaters. The plumbing can be stubbed in a loop where the heaters will go and the PVC cut when you get the heaters.

Your builder has no imagination if he says you have to wait to get the heaters before he can complete your pool.

Look at Aquacal or Built Right Heat Pumps.

Pool Heat Pumps | AquaCal | Source Pumps

AquaCal products for your pool and spa, including heaters, water chillers, source heat pumps and commercial pool heaters.

www.aquacal.com

Built Right Pool Heaters – Locally Built and Serviced

builtrightpoolheaters.com

Look at who can service locally any Heat Pump you get.

 

[RubiconValley]

There is no reason for heaters to delay the build of a pool. The pool can be completed and operational without heaters. The plumbing can be stubbed in a loop where the heaters will go and the PVC cut when you get the heaters.

Your builder has no imagination if he says you have to wait to get the heaters before he can complete your pool.

Look at Aquacal or Built Right Heat Pumps.

Pool Heat Pumps | AquaCal | Source Pumps

AquaCal products for your pool and spa, including heaters, water chillers, source heat pumps and commercial pool heaters.

www.aquacal.com

Built Right Pool Heaters – Locally Built and Serviced

builtrightpoolheaters.com

Look at who can service locally any Heat Pump you get.

Thank you for the heat pump recs--looking at them now.

 

[wireform]

As AJ said it. He could finish the pool less the heater and hook it up when they arrive. He's using the heater as an excuse....

 

[RubiconValley]

Look at Aquacal or Built Right Heat Pumps.

Pool Heat Pumps | AquaCal | Source Pumps

AquaCal products for your pool and spa, including heaters, water chillers, source heat pumps and commercial pool heaters.

www.aquacal.com

Built Right Pool Heaters – Locally Built and Serviced

builtrightpoolheaters.com

Look at who can service locally any Heat Pump you get.

Thanks to your recommendation, I did some digging, spoke with AquaCal, and my PB picked up two units of the AquaCal Heatwave Superquiet SQ166R from the distributor today. No more reason to delay the pool. Thanks for helping me move fast!

 

[ps0303]

On a new build, I hope they build in a bypass for the heater so if they have to do any type of treatment to the water during the startup process they don't hurt the heat exchanger.

 

[ajw22]

Yup, you should have a heater bypass for each of your heaters....

Heater Bypass - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Homebrewale]

While I agree that the builder could install the heaters later, he probably doesn't want to incur more work with changing the configuration with the PVC plumbing. There can be significant differences in configuration between different manufacturers. Quite a bit of PVC needed changing when I switched from a Hayward to an Aqua Comfort heat pump.

 

[RubiconValley]

Yup, you should have a heater bypass for each of your heaters....

Heater Bypass - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Thank you! I called my PB and asked him if we had a heater bypass for each heater. We did not. He's putting them in now.