OWB for Swimming Pool Heater

[HardyOWB]

Is anyone currently using their OWB to heat their pool?

Please share pics and descriptions of your set ups.

Looking for some ideas. Thanks

 

[Steve2910]

A family that my kids ride the bus w/ has one of those set-ups, so I know it can work. If I knew the people better, (picked up one of my kids from a birthday party there a few years ago--- that's the only time I spoke to them or saw the thing) I'd call them for details or get you in touch w/ them directly. Sorry I can't be more help. Good luck.

 

[HardyOWB]

We just put the pool in and this is my current set up.

I am going to use a secondary pump on my Hardy OWB to circulate hot water through a 30 plate heat exchanger. The plate heat exchanger has 3/4" fittings. My current plan is to fill the pool by sending the water from the water main (we are on county water, not well water) through the hose out to the plate heat exchanger, and then into the pool.

Once the pool is filled I plan to add a pump to circulate water from the pool through the heat exchanger and then return to pool.

Just interested in what people think or how you guys are doing this as there are several different ways I could do this.

Also concerned about the life of the plate heat exchanger running chlorinated water through it.

 

[goosegunner]

I have used two different boilers, a Taylor 450 OWB and now a Econoburn 200.

Many things to tell you and too much to type it all. If you pm me I would be happy to talk to you.

It takes a lot of btus to heat a pool. I have a 15,000 gallon in ground and it takes roughly 120,000 btus to go up 1 degree.

I would;

Fill the pool and let the sun help you
Set up the heat exchanger with bypass (you can not run your pool through 3/4" pipe)
I have a stainless shell and tube exchanger, keep your chlorine below 3 and your ph 7.5 and it will help the exchanger. The bypass will let you isolate when you shock.

Gg

 

[David Wayne]

I dont have a OWB so I built an inexpensive no frills solar heater. Just a wood box
3'x 6'x6" painted flat black inside with a pexiglass top. Tee into the filter return & runs through 100' black rubber hose in the box. At noon on a sunny 80 degree day at 2 gal. a minute the rise is 3 degrees. And its free to operate since the filter is running anyway. Just have to close the valve at night or it will cool the water.

 

[D&B Mack]

We were just discussing this at my father's house over the holiday. But the only thing we came up with, as an issue, is the fact that no one (in our discussion group) burns when their pool is open. So then, is it worth it just to heat the pool? My father has an electric heat pump on his pool now and it operates pretty inexpensively. Just curious on other's thoughts.

 

[goosegunner]

I dont have a OWB so I built an inexpensive no frills solar heater. Just a wood box
3'x 6'x6" painted flat black inside with a pexiglass top. Tee into the filter return & runs through 100' black rubber hose in the box. At noon on a sunny 80 degree day at 2 gal. a minute the rise is 3 degrees. And its free to operate since the filter is running anyway. Just have to close the valve at night or it will cool the water.

I have a similar set up but I have 5 400' runs of 1/2" black poly pipe.

The Boiler heat is used after cool weather chills the pool down or before parties to bring up the pool to a comfortable temp.

gg

 

[goosegunner]

We were just discussing this at my father's house over the holiday. But the only thing we came up with, as an issue, is the fact that no one (in our discussion group) burns when their pool is open. So then, is it worth it just to heat the pool? My father has an electric heat pump on his pool now and it operates pretty inexpensively. Just curious on other's thoughts.

When I get my storage tank hooked up I will hopefully be using it for DHW also. One full fire box with my econoburn will bring up my pool about 4 degrees. I think it is 6 cubic feet. Much smaller than OWB's firebox but more efficent and smoke free. You have to look for the heat waves from the stack to know that it is running.

The electric heat pump requires no babysitting. If he is happy with the cost to operate he is set. I priced those but they cost about half of what my econoburn costs so I thought I would use the boiler.

gg

 

[mdotis]

My Neighbor uses an old satellite dish

He had one of the big satellite dishes and painted it black ran as much black plastic pipe around and around it then he turns on the pump and it heats the pool. Seems to work for him not sure how much heat he is getting but the price sure was right.

 

[RacerX]

We just put the pool in and this is my current set up.

I am going to use a secondary pump on my Hardy OWB to circulate hot water through a 30 plate heat exchanger. The plate heat exchanger has 3/4" fittings. My current plan is to fill the pool by sending the water from the water main (we are on county water, not well water) through the hose out to the plate heat exchanger, and then into the pool.

Once the pool is filled I plan to add a pump to circulate water from the pool through the heat exchanger and then return to pool.

Just interested in what people think or how you guys are doing this as there are several different ways I could do this.

Also concerned about the life of the plate heat exchanger running chlorinated water through it.

If you add a pump to circulate the water make sure that the pump is GFCI protected, has an insulated equipment grounding conductor and is connected to the pool's equipotential bonding grid with a #8 solid copper conductor. When in doubt consult with a licensed electrician. Improperly wired pool equipment can be deadly.

 

[HardyOWB]

I should have elaborated more in the beggining. I plan to use this set up only when I fill the pool and when I open it in the spring.

Just to get the water from 40 up to 80 degrees. From their I will use the pools pump propane heater. I dont want to feed the dragon all summer long.

 

[blackdogon57]

Don't see why you would add a second pump. You can use your existing pool pump to divert water through your plate exchanger and back to
your return lines. Use ball valves to control flow. There are times when you don't want pool water to circulate through the h/x. ( when adding
chemicals or cleaning pool). Make sure you buy a h/x that is designed to withstand pool water.

 

[dms]

The "in thing to do" around here is run your water through black pipe that is on your roof or around railing\fence. A few hot sunny days and the pools is like bath water.

 

[goosegunner]

If you add a pump to circulate the water make sure that the pump is GFCI protected, has an insulated equipment grounding conductor and is connected to the pool's equipotential bonding grid with a #8 solid copper conductor. When in doubt consult with a licensed electrician. Improperly wired pool equipment can be deadly.

Are you talking about grounding the boiler pump to the pool equip or the additional pump that is pumping pool water?

gg

 

[dahmower]

If you have a hardy burner just use the copper tubing inside the unit .
I installed a t in the pool.pump reduced 1 side to 3/4 ran it thru the copper coil and dumped that back into pool and (BAM) you got a hot pool

 

[goosegunner]

If you have a hardy burner just use the copper tubing inside the unit .
I installed a t in the pool.pump reduced 1 side to 3/4 ran it thru the copper coil and dumped that back into pool and (BAM) you got a hot pool

Have you had any issues with copper in your pool water?


gg

 

[dahmower]

I heated the pool for 4 summers that way and.I never had any issues with it
Only problem was sometimes the kids complained about the water being too hot!!

 

[RacerX]

Are you talking about grounding the boiler pump to the pool equip or the additional pump that is pumping pool water?

gg

I was speaking of any pump that will circulate the pool water itself. I'm not sure if the NEC even addresses it but I'm thinking that the OWB should be connected to the pool's equipotential bonding grid as well.

 

[TMFARM 2009]

can't tell ya about owb's, but my uncle has a solar heater works great...
yesterday he was working on the pool filters etc. left the pipes open had the pump shut down (so he thought), he left it over night that way. he gets up this morning and finds the pool completely drained...lol he for got he had a timer on the pump....
i know this doesn't help ya but i found it funny...:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange: now he has to have twelve loads of water hauled in to refill it at a cost of almost a $1000.00....