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As part of the survey about which is the best pool heater I also asked each company to specify how long they feel a new pool heater should last for, and how long a new heater will run before needing a repair of some kind. I also asked each company to specify what causes heater failures, as well as what can pool owners do to prevent early failure. This really is the golden insight from this survey. The reality is, as we learned with the results of the survey, that deciding which heater is the best is purely subjective to the experience of the person you are asking. This results in a fairly even split between all brands as to which ones were the most popular. While this does not do much to help pool owners select the best heater, it did help to identify the key issues that experienced heater installers want pool owners to be aware of.
a. Water Chemistry
When asked what will cause a pool heater to fail early almost every company cited poor water chemistry as being one of, if not the biggest concern. Letting the chlorine get too high, or allowing the pH to be too high or too low will cause problems in the long term. The combination of low pH along with high chlorine is specifically one of the very worst situations for heaters and even a single episode like this can cause long term damage to the heater internals.
b. Zoned Heater Bypass
There are times that your pool water is not balanced well enough to safely be circulating in your heater. If you have a zoned bypass installed in your plumbing system then this will allow you to divert water past the heater. By having the ability to take your heater offline with the twist of a few valve handles this can go a long way to protecting your heater from occasional adverse water chemistry conditions.
c. Rodent Damage
Damage to your heater from mice or rats is a serious concern according to industry experts. This problem can be vastly reduced by taking a few preventative steps such as spraying the wires inside the heater with WD40 which many technicians agree rodents do not like. Closing up any access to the inside of the heater with steel wool is a good idea, as it closing up the air intake for the winter. Most importantly however you need to make sure that you turn off the power to the heater completely as opposed to simply turning the heater off. If the heater circuit remains energized then this will create heat inside the machine which will draw in rodents. By turning off the breaker that supplies the heater you can avoid this problem.
d. Winterizing
If you don't properly winterize your heater then you can expect to have problems. All water must be drained and blown from the heater as any standing water will potentially freeze and damage the heater. Removing pressure switches and allowing them to drain is very important also as pressure switches break easily and are unreasonably expensive to replace. Even if freezing is not a concern where you live you would still want to evacuate all of the water from the heater if it will be not in use for an extended period of time. You should not fully tarp or wrap your pool heater as this will trap moisture inside the heater and promote corrosion. You want to, at most, cover the top of the heater such as with a piece of wood, but be sure that your heater has the ability to breathe to prevent damage. For more information you can read this article on pool heater winterizing.
e. Calibrating Flow Rates
Heaters have an optimal flow rate at which they should operate. The further from this value that you deviate, the greater the efficiency loss of the heater. If you are concerned with efficiency and want to choose an energy efficient pool heater, then you need to realize that this means more than simply selecting the right model off the shelf. A pool system should have a flow meter installed to monitor the flow rates of the system. Through zone valves, or a variable speed pump, you can (and should) calibrate your system to the ideal flow rate that your heater needs. There is no point in shopping for an energy efficient pool heater and not calibrating the system flow since you will never realize the full potential of your purchase.
a. Water Chemistry
When asked what will cause a pool heater to fail early almost every company cited poor water chemistry as being one of, if not the biggest concern. Letting the chlorine get too high, or allowing the pH to be too high or too low will cause problems in the long term. The combination of low pH along with high chlorine is specifically one of the very worst situations for heaters and even a single episode like this can cause long term damage to the heater internals.
b. Zoned Heater Bypass
There are times that your pool water is not balanced well enough to safely be circulating in your heater. If you have a zoned bypass installed in your plumbing system then this will allow you to divert water past the heater. By having the ability to take your heater offline with the twist of a few valve handles this can go a long way to protecting your heater from occasional adverse water chemistry conditions.
c. Rodent Damage
Damage to your heater from mice or rats is a serious concern according to industry experts. This problem can be vastly reduced by taking a few preventative steps such as spraying the wires inside the heater with WD40 which many technicians agree rodents do not like. Closing up any access to the inside of the heater with steel wool is a good idea, as it closing up the air intake for the winter. Most importantly however you need to make sure that you turn off the power to the heater completely as opposed to simply turning the heater off. If the heater circuit remains energized then this will create heat inside the machine which will draw in rodents. By turning off the breaker that supplies the heater you can avoid this problem.
d. Winterizing
If you don't properly winterize your heater then you can expect to have problems. All water must be drained and blown from the heater as any standing water will potentially freeze and damage the heater. Removing pressure switches and allowing them to drain is very important also as pressure switches break easily and are unreasonably expensive to replace. Even if freezing is not a concern where you live you would still want to evacuate all of the water from the heater if it will be not in use for an extended period of time. You should not fully tarp or wrap your pool heater as this will trap moisture inside the heater and promote corrosion. You want to, at most, cover the top of the heater such as with a piece of wood, but be sure that your heater has the ability to breathe to prevent damage. For more information you can read this article on pool heater winterizing.
e. Calibrating Flow Rates
Heaters have an optimal flow rate at which they should operate. The further from this value that you deviate, the greater the efficiency loss of the heater. If you are concerned with efficiency and want to choose an energy efficient pool heater, then you need to realize that this means more than simply selecting the right model off the shelf. A pool system should have a flow meter installed to monitor the flow rates of the system. Through zone valves, or a variable speed pump, you can (and should) calibrate your system to the ideal flow rate that your heater needs. There is no point in shopping for an energy efficient pool heater and not calibrating the system flow since you will never realize the full potential of your purchase.
