Ok, coming to get the advice of wonderful people at TFP!
A little background, we completely redid our pool 4 years ago, build thread here.
This year, I decided maybe we should get a new heater, the old one that was here is still hooked up, but doesn't work. One of the people who looked at it a while ago said it was severly undersized for the pool (200,000 btu for a 30,000 gallon pool). The gas line is there (with a shutoff valve), so I figured I could save some money and hook it up myself - I had read some forums where people said it was a manageable DIY project. So I ordered a 400,000 btu Hayward H400FDN ($2,000 online, no returns).
The gas line that runs to the heater is sticking out of the ground by the gas meter. I had a plumber come out today and the line is 3/8" so he is thinking the original heater was hooked up to a propane tank sitting next to the gas meter. Our house is low pressure nat gas, so the manual states it would need a 1.5" gas line. Estimate from the plumber is that would be about $5,000 to run 130 feet. And I would have to dig the trench. So that heater just got real expensive. I previously talked to a Hayward service person in the area before and he said it would be $900 to hookup the heater (obviously not including any of the gas line install).
I'm in Cincinnati, OH - we get a lot of sun and use a solar cover, so we debated if we even needed a heater. The plan was to use the heater to extend the pool season on weekends in spring and fall, so it wouldn't be used most of the season.
I found that Hayward has a nat gas to propane conversion kit ($282).
Would propane be a logical way to use this heater?
If yes, would a 250g tank work? Thinking we'd just put it over next to the heater.
Thanks to everyone for any input they can offer on the situation!
Scott
A little background, we completely redid our pool 4 years ago, build thread here.
This year, I decided maybe we should get a new heater, the old one that was here is still hooked up, but doesn't work. One of the people who looked at it a while ago said it was severly undersized for the pool (200,000 btu for a 30,000 gallon pool). The gas line is there (with a shutoff valve), so I figured I could save some money and hook it up myself - I had read some forums where people said it was a manageable DIY project. So I ordered a 400,000 btu Hayward H400FDN ($2,000 online, no returns).
The gas line that runs to the heater is sticking out of the ground by the gas meter. I had a plumber come out today and the line is 3/8" so he is thinking the original heater was hooked up to a propane tank sitting next to the gas meter. Our house is low pressure nat gas, so the manual states it would need a 1.5" gas line. Estimate from the plumber is that would be about $5,000 to run 130 feet. And I would have to dig the trench. So that heater just got real expensive. I previously talked to a Hayward service person in the area before and he said it would be $900 to hookup the heater (obviously not including any of the gas line install).
I'm in Cincinnati, OH - we get a lot of sun and use a solar cover, so we debated if we even needed a heater. The plan was to use the heater to extend the pool season on weekends in spring and fall, so it wouldn't be used most of the season.
I found that Hayward has a nat gas to propane conversion kit ($282).
Would propane be a logical way to use this heater?
If yes, would a 250g tank work? Thinking we'd just put it over next to the heater.
Thanks to everyone for any input they can offer on the situation!
Scott
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