Replace pool heater
 

Has anyone replaced their pool heater heat pump recently? Did you buy it on line or locally? If so, are you happy with it? What brand?

I have the plumber that installed the current heater, so would think that it would be just remove and replace. The heater is 7 years old and I think that is about the normal life of a heater, so am thinking it would e best to just replace it than trying to repair. The digital temp readout, etc, it not

Thanks for any suggestions anyone might have.

I replaced our pool heater up north last year. Fairly simple to swap out since I bought the same brand as the previous one. It was gas, so not apples to apples I guess, but maybe even easier. Bought it online, just shopped around for the best price.

Thanks. I am replacing the old one with the same brand, so it should be no problem. I like to buy from T&D but online pricing is very good, so will have to see. Thanks again!

I have a new pool that has a Hayward HP21404T 144K BTU heater. While it works great, I did some research, and I would definitely look at the AquaCal line of heaters. The SQ225 is 10db quieter than either the Hayward, Pentair, or Jandy, and it efficiency is quite a bit higher (6.5) when compared to Hayward (6.0), Pentair (5.8), or Janday (5.8).

So, for about the same price you get a heat pump that is both quieter AND cheaper to run. Just my 2 cents.

Thanks. I will look them all up. I need at least 80,000 BTU , but read that going bigger will heat faster. Late this afternoon, I checked the pool heat pump and think it may last a little longer, but want to be ready to buy when needed. Thanks again.

Whatever you do, why not wait until around October. We are getting into the season where a heater is not needed until late fall. Replacing the heater now will result in your heater sitting idle for several months, while the warranty clock on the new heater will be ticking.

I used Spa Kingdom. A service guy David handled it. He was quick and polite. Will use them again

I would buy the biggest heat pump you can get. My pool is only 7K gallons, but I have a 144K btu heat pump. It heats the pool up in the morning this time of year to 88 in about 1-2 hours max, then doesn't run the rest of the day. During the colder months, it's able to keep up with no issues.

A bigger heater only costs a few hundred more, and because it runs less, will last longer. Larger heat pumps tend to have higher COP (efficiency rating), so also cost less to run. Also, if you are using a variable speed pump, you only need to run the pump at 75%-80% during heating, then can drop down to 35%-40% the rest of the day. Running a VSP pump at 40% vs 100% saves over 80% in electricity costs.

I manage a number of properties and I have 11 Pool Homes on my Rental Service of which many I have sold to the Owners as their Realtor. A number of them have needed to put in Heaters and I send them to Sparkling Waters for the Installation and then to Service the Pool weekly afterwards. Contact them and tell them Mike from the Home Watch sent you, they will take good care of you.

Gulfstream heat pumps, made in Tampa area, fantastic warranty! Drop shipped in your drive.

pool heater
 

4 years ago had Sparkling Waters Pool & Spa Services install a Hayward heat pump for my pool. Did great job and friendly service.

We just purchased a new one from Pinch A Penny in Leesburg for $5000. Very pleased.

First I have heard of a VSP, but it makes sense. Will look into it. Again thanks to all for all the information. Save me a lot of time reading things I don’t understand.

I believe that TOTV is the best place for any and all recommendations.

Thanks again!

QUOTE=lrvalley;1732589]I would buy the biggest heat pump you can get. My pool is only 7K gallons, but I have a 144K btu heat pump. It heats the pool up in the morning this time of year to 88 in about 1-2 hours max, then doesn't run the rest of the day. During the colder months, it's able to keep up with no issues.

A bigger heater only costs a few hundred more, and because it runs less, will last longer. Larger heat pumps tend to have higher COP (efficiency rating), so also cost less to run. Also, if you are using a variable speed pump, you only need to run the pump at 75%-80% during heating, then can drop down to 35%-40% the rest of the day. Running a VSP pump at 40% vs 100% saves over 80% in electricity costs.[/QUOTE]

Yes, we replaced ours a few months ago. Orca pools is our pool service. They did a great job.

Older pools came with single speed pumps and two speed pumps. The single speed pumps run at 100% all the time. They use a ton of electricity and are noisy the entire time they run.

Two speed pumps have a high speed and low speed. High speed is typically used during priming and when a heater is running. Both gas and electric heaters require a minimum flow rate to kick on and heat - usually around 75%-85% of your pumps full speed. A two speed pump can only run at 100% and whatever it was designed to run at for low speed.

When running a VSP (Variable Speed Pump - most new pools should have one) the electricity savings if used properly can be tremendous - easily paying for the increased cost of the pump in a short time. Below is a chart showing the pricing if a 1.65hp VSP were run for 24x7 for a month using current SECO rates:

RPM % Watts Hours Daily Watts Monthly Kw $$/Kw $$/Month
600 17% 22 24 528 15,840 15.8 $0.12 $1.90
800 23% 41 24 984 29,520 29.5 $0.12 $3.54
1200 35% 112 24 2,688 80,640 80.6 $0.12 $9.68
1400 41% 168 24 4,032 120,960 121.0 $0.12 $14.52
1800 52% 332 24 7,968 239,040 239.0 $0.12 $28.68
2000 58% 445 24 10,680 320,400 320.4 $0.12 $38.45
2200 64% 585 24 14,040 421,200 421.2 $0.12 $50.54
2600 75% 959 24 23,016 690,480 690.5 $0.12 $82.86
2800 81% 1,197 24 28,728 861,840 861.8 $0.12 $103.42
3200 93% 1,800 24 43,200 1,296,000 1,296.0 $0.12 $155.52
3400 99% 2,214 24 53,136 1,594,080 1,594.1 $0.12 $191.29
3450 100% 2,315 24 55,560 1,666,800 1,666.8 $0.12 $200.02

As you can see, even running the pump at 80% save 50% in costs. Running the pump at 40% saves 93% in costs.

My pool is fully automated, so it always runs at 40% unless the heater is needed. Without the heater, my pool costs less than $20/month to run. With the heater, it is typically $30-$40/month to run as the only time I'm drawing a lot of electricity is when the pool is actually running.

Another advantage is that I can keep the pump running 24x7 for very little cost, my salt cell keeps the chlorine levels in the pool very steady - no ups and downs from only running 8-10 hours a day. This results in a far clearer pool and considerably less in chemical costs.

Hope this helps! If you're looking to learn more check out TroubleFreePool online - the site has a ton of great pool info!