Portable Pool Heater??

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mkgrady

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Massachusetts
I have a customer that has a storable pool. He wants to heat the water enough to take the chill off. He has purchased an 11KW heater for it. Hayward Model # CSPAX11. That seems like a lot of heat for just raising the small pool temp up a few degrees but that is not my question. I'm not finding any requirements in the code for a pool heater except the disconnect for it would need to be 6' from the pool. This heater is not portable equipment so it is going to have to be hardwired. It looks like he plans to just leave it sitting on the ground with the water filter hoses running in one side and out the other. It all seems like a bad idea.

Let's say he can permanently mount this fixed equipment heater in a way that I can hardwire it. And let's say he has the heater, wiring, disconnect six feet from the pool. Is there any reason this set up would violate the code? I see a typical lug on the outside of the case for connection the solid #8 bond wire but there is no equapotential bond because it is a storable pool. This all just seems wrong.
 
retirede said:
Why would a heater be any more wrong than the filter pump?
Click to expand...

I think the filter pump is part of a packaged system. Maybe even double insulated? The cord for the pump is long (I assume so it can be run to an outlet without using an extension cord) and just plugs into a receptacle. The end of the cord has a gfi built in. I’m guessing these things make a portable pool safe without the need for an equapotential grid around the pool.

Maybe I’m wrong but this heater setup seems too home made to be code compliant. Without the bond grid I won’t have anything to connect the heater case ground lug to.
 
The bottom line is if you don't feel comfortable with it then don't do it. These units will require gfci...680.32
 
mkgrady said:
I think the filter pump is part of a packaged system. Maybe even double insulated? The cord for the pump is long (I assume so it can be run to an outlet without using an extension cord) and just plugs into a receptacle. The end of the cord has a gfi built in. I’m guessing these things make a portable pool safe without the need for an equapotential grid around the pool.

Maybe I’m wrong but this heater setup seems too home made to be code compliant. Without the bond grid I won’t have anything to connect the heater case ground lug to.
Click to expand...

well, it seems the pump is a UL listed cord connected device.
the heater isn't. it's also 240 volts, and really is an aboveground
spa heater, designed to be bonded, etc.

we are gonna sit this on the ground, and hook it up to a 220 circuit?
nope. not this kid. every portable spa i've seen had the heater bonded
with a #6. the usual drill.
 
Fulthrotl said:
well, it seems the pump is a UL listed cord connected device.
the heater isn't. it's also 240 volts, and really is an aboveground
spa heater, designed to be bonded, etc.

we are gonna sit this on the ground, and hook it up to a 220 circuit?
nope. not this kid. every portable spa i've seen had the heater bonded
with a #6. the usual drill.
Click to expand...

Thanks for replies. I convinced the customer not to use the heater
 
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