The buzzwords these days are all about saving costs and being ‘green’ or energy efficient. And with heaters, it’s a no brainer. The older model heaters of seven to 10 years ago might have started out being about 78 percent efficient. But over time, those same heaters are probably now only about 60 percent efficient — as heat exchanger tubes fill with build up and even the burners get clogged. However, today’s heaters start off up to 96 percent efficient and are built to last longer with components that resist corrosion. Upgrading a heater is the perfect way to quickly reduce aquatics facility operating costs.
Why New Heaters Make Sense
The job of a heat exchanger is to capture heat from burning gas and transfer it to the pool’s water — the more efficiently, the better. But, the combination of pool water chemistry and heating pool water is very tough on exchangers, leading to corrosion and failure. Today’s heaters are built to last and to save power. A direct-fire heat exchanger constructed from pure titanium provides a long life, even under extreme conditions. Some new 400,000 BTU heaters on the market have a 96 percent thermal efficiency rating and are built with ASME certified construction, providing ultra-quiet operation and are easy to install both indoors and out. These heaters provide fast heat-up times and easy category IV venting and air intake using PVC pipe up to 300 feet. Plus, these heaters offer an 180 degree rotating control panel for left or right plumbing connection.
The Scoop on New High Efficiency Swimming Pool Heaters
Today’s swimming pool heaters start off being 85 to 95 percent efficient. This means if you have a heater that is rated 85 percent efficient with a 400,000 BTU input, what comes out of the heater or actual heating capability is 85 percent of the total BTU – so in this case, it would be 340,000 BTU’s that come out of the heater. However, most heaters start losing efficiency over time just from basic operation. Decreased efficiency in pool heaters comes primarily as a result of build up on exchanger tubes, reduced water flow and condensation. Getting a new, 96 percent efficient unit will immediately provide cost saving to aquatic facilities.
Reasons to Upgrade Pool Heaters
- Efficient. New heater use less energy and immediately lowers bills.
- Smaller. Newer heaters are smaller/take up less space.
- Lower Emissions. New heaters have lower emissions today than years ago, for better air quality and better for the environment.
- Easier. Newer heaters are easier to maintain – plug and play.
- Better warranty. New heaters come with up to a full three-year warranty.
Don’t wait another season: get a high-efficiency heater and start saving power and operating costs.
By Mike Fowler. He is the commercial marketing and sales manager for Pentair Commercial Aquatics in Sanford, North Carolina. He has been with Pentair since 1992, starting his career in the technical services department at Purex Pool Products. Fowler has held many managerial roles within the company, including marketing, account management and products. He can be reached via email at mike.fowler@pentair.com.
