Pool heating with storage works great!

[goosegunner]

Last year I heated my pool without storage because I had not completed the storage install.

This year the 1000 gallon tank is hooked up and it works much better. The huge buffer allows a steady heat into the pool compared to the 55 gallons using the boiler only. If the wood load burns down and boiler out-put decreases the main boiler pump turns off and the load pump heats the pool from the tank. Last year required much closer attention to the burn cycle.

I am getting a 45 degree delta-T off the exchanger.

Roughly 120,000 btus to raise my pool 1 degree= 25lbs of wood. I have plenty of wood.


gg

 

[infinitymike]

That great. I want to heat my pool eventually. I still have to rework my primary loop and get all that working first.
I was looking at the side arm exchanger made specifically for pools.

So how do you have plumbed? Do you have any pictures.

 

[goosegunner]

Here are a few pictures.

I have bypass valves for the exchanger.

The aquastat is wired to a Taco circulator Zone controller in my garage. I have a Primary/Secondary manifold in the garage. The Primary pump is wired to run on demand for any call for heat from the secondary loops.

The red valve that is near the bottom right of the sand filter also goes underground to some home made solar loops that I have.



gg

 

[goosegunner]

One aggravating thing about installs these days is that Manufacturers don't seem to take the time to make things plumb, level or consistant.

The heater ports on exchanger are not even close to being level with each other. It makes a straight plumbing job impossible off the exchanger.

I had the same problem with my Econoburn Boiler. The supply outlet on the top isn't even close to level with the boiler top....frustrating.


gg

 

[infinitymike]

Yeah that is frustrating, slam bam thank you ma'am get it out the door and on the showroom floor.

The bypass valves you are talking about, are they the ones I see or do you have bypass valves for the exchanger off the primary manifold?

Is it a primary manifold or a loop?

Trying to figure out the flow. Looks like the pump is pulling water from two locations. Why? Then filling the filter where it comes out and flows to the exchanger and then to the chlorinator and out to the pool.
Where does the pipe go right before the chlorinator? Never mind thats just a stand.
The pipe coming off the top of the filter and going under ground ... is that a backwash pipe? Because the valve is open.

Can I see a pic or two of the primary loop in the garage?
How do you have the storage plumbed?

Still learning, Sorry for all the questions

 

[woodsmaster]

Nice setup. I have a hot tub to hook up one of these days. Glad the storage is working out for you.

 

[goosegunner]

Yeah that is frustrating, slam bam thank you ma'am get it out the door and on the showroom floor.

The bypass valves you are talking about, are they the ones I see or do you have bypass valves for the exchanger off the primary manifold?

Is it a primary manifold or a loop?

Trying to figure out the flow. Looks like the pump is pulling water from two locations. Why? Then filling the filter where it comes out and flows to the exchanger and then to the chlorinator and out to the pool.
The pipe coming off the top of the filter and going under ground ... is that a backwash pipe? Because the valve is open.

Can I see a pic or two of the primary loop in the garage?
How do you have the storage plumbed?

Here are some pictures that should answer your questions about flow.

Both the Boiler and Pool water can be bypassed

The Manifold is in My garage about 45' from pool exchanger. In time I might replace the manifold with a 150-200 gallon hydraulic separator style buffer tank or stopped with valves.

My boiler and storage are 115' one way from the manifold in my pole building.

gg



.

 

[infinitymike]

Thanks for the clarity.
Very nicework.

Are those temp gauges or pressure or both?
The manifold flows counterclockwise?
The pex line on the top right is the supply from the storage?
The two pumps push hot water to the loads?

 

[goosegunner]

Thanks for the clarity.
Very nicework.

Are those temp gauges or pressure or both?
The manifold flows counterclockwise?
The pex line on the top right is the supply from the storage?
The two pumps push hot water to the loads?

Thanks

Both temp and pressure

Counterclockwise

Pex supply on top return on bottom

Loads are supply left, close T return RIght

gg

 

[infinitymike]

Hey I was right. I guess I getting it.

 

[mikefrommaine]

One aggravating thing about installs these days is that Manufacturers don't seem to take the time to make things plumb, level or consistant.

The heater ports on exchanger are not even close to being level with each other. It makes a straight plumbing job impossible off the exchanger.

I had the same problem with my Econoburn Boiler. The supply outlet on the top isn't even close to level with the boiler top....frustrating.


gg

I ran into the same problem with a modine heater for my garage. Supply and return were off 5 degrees relative to each other.
I was pleasantly surprised my biomass was plumb level and square out of the crate.


Nice install by the way.

 

[goosegunner]

Thanks for the comments

gg

 

[heaterman]

Looks nice Goose. What size pool are you heating and what size exchanger did you use? Does the EB keep up when you're heating the pool or does the bypass pump kick on?

 

[goosegunner]

Looks nice Goose. What size pool are you heating and what size exchanger did you use? Does the EB keep up when you're heating the pool or does the bypass pump kick on?

I am heating a 16 X 32 inground 15,500 gallons. I have a 360,000 btu exchanger. I am getting a 45-50 degree delta T. Not sure what my Boiler line gpm is. but I am getting a little over 1 degree per hour. Actually overshot the temp the other day took the pool from 82 to 90 in about 5 hours. It was sunny though so that helps.

The 200 will keep up once hot. If I don't pay attention to the wood load it will cool near the end of burn. That is the beauty of the storage now. The boiler circ shuts down and the tank takes over.

gg

 

[heaterman]

I looked at your setup for the pool piping and just chuckled a bit........about a sale I lost.

I was working with a customer on a system for heating his house and pool but he went with what the CB guy was telling him. From what I understand, he was pricing a 2400 with no storage and the killer to me was that they spec'd and installed a flat plate type exchanger for the pool rather than a regular pool heater. (supposedly factory advice) I don't understand how they think the head pressure on the pool side pump will not be off the chart. Those things are made to move lot's of water and trying to ram 30gpm+ through a 50 plate 6" x 12" HX is going to get him nothing but problems with the pool side of the system.

But hey...what do I know. I just do this for a living, the CB salesman is smart enough to sell boilers after his regular job is done for the day......

 

[goosegunner]

I looked at your setup for the pool piping and just chuckled a bit........about a sale I lost.

I was working with a customer on a system for heating his house and pool but he went with what the CB guy was telling him. From what I understand, he was pricing a 2400 with no storage and the killer to me was that they spec'd and installed a flat plate type exchanger for the pool rather than a regular pool heater. (supposedly factory advice) I don't understand how they think the head pressure on the pool side pump will not be off the chart. Those things are made to move lot's of water and trying to ram 30gpm+ through a 50 plate 6" x 12" HX is going to get him nothing but problems with the pool side of the system.

But hey...what do I know. I just do this for a living, the CB salesman is smart enough to sell boilers after his regular job is done for the day......

I can see where that would be a problem. I can run all of my pool water through the exchanger with no problems. Being oversized it has 2" pool ports and I have 1-1/2" pool plumbing.

Heaterman, at least you can take pride in setting people up the right way. Many of us here also appreciate your knowledge and your willingness to share it with us.

gg

 

[flyingcow]

Thanks for the post gg. I've been debating on heating my pool with the boiler. But i got a a tarm thats a little over 100,000btu's, and my inground is 30,000 gals. Been heating it with a propane 250,000btu unit. That'll push 2 degrees an hour, suns out even more. But we don't use 100 gals a yr of propane, don't need to heat it often.

Liked your set up, good looking job. It's hard to get a good layout when plumbing up a pool. weather just got good enough to start using pool.

 

[goosegunner]

Thanks for the post gg. I've been debating on heating my pool with the boiler. But i got a a tarm thats a little over 100,000btu's, and my inground is 30,000 gals. Been heating it with a propane 250,000btu unit. That'll push 2 degrees an hour, suns out even more. But we don't use 100 gals a yr of propane, don't need to heat it often.

Liked your set up, good looking job. It's hard to get a good layout when plumbing up a pool. weather just got good enough to start using pool.

What is the weather there?

Its been warm here on and off in Wisconsin. I only heat after the cold spells or before parties!

gg

 

[flyingcow]

Same with us on when we heat. Hasn't really been above 65 very often in the last week. Just rolling into the upper 70's this week. Plus we been really busy, takes a few days to get our pool opened up and sparkling. Dug the solar cover out and it's falling apart. Should have new one in a few days. Just one of those yrs.

as of right now, I am sticking with propane for heat. Like i said we might use 100 gals a season. Need to get serious about building solar collectors. Built a redneck quickie a few yrs ago. surprised how much it helped.

 

[goosegunner]

I also have homemade solar. When I put in the pool I added a return just for solar. I ran a 2" poly pipe underground to the edge of my yard. I have a manifold with 2400' of 1/2" poly pipe, 6 400' runs. It comes back to the pool underground via a 1-1/2" poly pipe and dumps back in through dedicated solar return.

I open a valve water naturally heads to solar and returns. It works well because it doesn't have to overcome pressure of pool return to get back in pool.

gg