Pool Heater Recommendations

[swamprat69]

Delayed ignition was not an uncommon occurance in natural draft heaters, especially when they are not cleaned and serviced on a regular basis. We all know that everyone gets their heaters cleaned and serviced on a regular basis (LOL). The manufacturers were exempted from liability by stating in their manuals that the heaters needed to be serviced annually by a qualified technician.

 

[swamprat69]

It isn't the lack of an inducer motor that causes the problem, but the lack of regular maintenance.

 

[JamesW]

So with the thicker cupronickel heat exchanger... does it take longer to heat the water? (Less efficient?)

Cupronickel is about 2% less efficient.

So, slightly slower and costs more to operate due to lost heat.

I am thinking of going larger for the benefit of faster heating...then thought -- Could the hotter water damage my plumbing? Am I being paranoid, or should the plumbing used for my 250BTU be fine if I step up to a 300 or 350 BTU?

The minimum flow rate is 10 gpm per 100,000btu/hr.

The temperature rise from inlet to outlet should never exceed 16.8 degrees Fahrenheit.

The smallest heater usually requires at least 25 gpm. A 400,000 btu/hr heater requires a minimum of 40 gpm.

So, the water exiting the heater should not be hotter for a bigger heater due to the higher required flow rate.

You might have to run the pump at a slightly higher speed, but that's the main difference.

 

[joboo7777]

Delayed ignition was not an uncommon occurance in natural draft heaters, especially when they are not cleaned and serviced on a regular basis. We all know that everyone gets their heaters cleaned and serviced on a regular basis (LOL). The manufacturers were exempted from liability by stating in their manuals that the heaters needed to be serviced annually by a qualified technician.

So what you’re saying is either Hayward is looking out for the safety of their customers by adding an extra layer of protection , or their liable clause was challenged in court in the form of a lawsuit and they lost. I’m going to go with the latter.

 

[swamprat69]

What I am saying is that "delayed ignition' is an inherently known problem with natural draft furnaces/heaters that aren't serviced/maintained on a regular basis. I am not picking any specific brand over another based on natural draft vs assisted draft. I haven't done the math regarding the difference in cost to run due to the difference in efficiencies vs the extra cost in assisted draft of having to replace the blower motor over its average lifespan. As to safety it is the same as the product warning on plastic bags that says to "keep away from children and do not put over your head" to avert product liability or more laughable product warning that I have seen on Chinese childrens clothes that says "remove child before washing".

 

[ScubaDoo]

Hey guys, HVAC friend finally recieved his Heater order... He has two earmarked for me, more of less the same.

The Raypak 266 but he has electronic and millivolt versions.
I have power out there to run either, currently my setup is millivolt but... Any experiences to share? Do the electronic models have more parts (digital control board being one) that can fail and get costly down the road?

 

[borjis]

Get electronic, not millilvolt...older tech.

 

[1poolman1]

While the induced draft heaters are more efficient in most cases, two things are important. One, even if installed in a shed a draft hood and vent must be installed to get combustion gasses out of the shed and enough ventilation has to be available for combustion air (see the instructions). Two, induced-draft heaters, in one way or the other, have metered air and gas in order to lower nitrous oxide emissions (Lo-NoX heaters). With the advent of low-profile heaters, this is especially necessary as the short distance between the flame and the heat exchanger does not allow for complete combustion of the gasses the way a taller heater does. The metering is required, partially because the amount of emissions can vary depending also upon the altitude of the installation. At least that is what a RayPak engineer explained to me many years ago.