Water around Raypak Heater

[TimothyS]

Hello all,

Recently moved into a new place with a spa/pool. The setup looks to be quite complex (to me) and I'm slowly trying to get my head and arms around all the pieces to ensure that I understand how everything should work and can try and stay on top of keeping it in good working order. Today, I went out looking to see how things worked when using the Screenlogic app to activate the heater. I switched over from the pool to the spa, which also activated the heater. I let this run for about 45 minutes and watched as the spa's temperature increased from 58f to 70f. Afterward, I switched off the spa setting and resumed the pool setting. I went back to the equipment and noticed that there was a damp ring on the concrete pad around the heater. I'm not certain where the water is coming from as of yet. However, is this normal or an issue that I need to have addressed?

For reference, the heater model is a Raypak 6450TI-E and it was installed in 2018 when the house/pool was built.

 

[JamesW]

C. Condensation Seems Excessive

Heat pump pool heaters can produce a large amount of condensation (water) during operation.

If you suspect that the unit is leaking:

• Shut the unit OFF and leave the filter pump running to see if the water stops dripping.

If the water stops dripping, the unit is not leaking.

NOTE: Use a pool chemistry test kit to confirm there is no chlorine in the water.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/AWSProd/sites/raypakcom/documents/6000.56.pdf

 

[JamesW]

Condensation will occur from the evaporator coil while the unit is running and drain at a steady rate, usually 3 to 5 gallons (11.4 to 18.9 liters) per hour, depending upon ambient air temperature and humidity.

The more humid the ambient conditions, the more condensation will be produced.

Keep the drain holes of the base of the unit clear of debris.

If the heat pump is installed indoors, means of condensate disposal must be provided.

https://www.jandy.com/-/media/zodiac/global/downloads/h/h0408600.pdf

During normal operation, the heat pump produces three to five gallons of condensate per hour.

If condensate drainage is above this range during operation or if water continues to drain from the base when the heat pump is not in operation for more than an hour, a leak in the internal plumbing may have occurred.

https://www.pentair.com/content/dam/extranet/nam/aquatics/north-america/residential-pool/owner's-manuals/ultratemp-heat-pump-installation-and-users-guide-en-fr-sp.pdf

 

[TimothyS]

Thank you for the information and reference links. The amount of water seems to be within the 3-5 gallons stated as normal and I’ve never noticed any water on the pad when the heater is off and the system is running. Additionally, it's warmed up today to the upper 80's. Given that, I’m inclined to think it’s likely the result of condensation but will be keeping an eye on it.

Great suggestion to test the water to see if there’s chlorine. I'll need to figure out where the condensation is collecting and draining from to collect a sample.

 

[JamesW]

You can also test other chemicals like CYA, calcium and TA because condensation won't have any chemicals.