How to Heat a Pool With a Heat Exchanger

Heating your swimming pool extends its usability by weeks or even months, depending on where you live. Unfortunately, you cannot heat your swimming pool simply by running the pool water through your household water heating system. The chemicals that make the pool water safe to swim in would rapidly eat away at the pipes and machinery of your boiler. This is what heat exchangers were made for. A heat exchanger is a device that heats oil, water or antifreeze in its own boiler and runs it through a metal device that brings the pool water near the hot liquid but does not mix them. The hot liquid inside the device heats the pool water, which is then returned to the pool.

Level
Adjustable wrench

Instructions

- 1
  Drain all water remaining inside the heat exchanger before installation. If you are installing a new unit, then you can skip this step.
- 2
  Check the level of the location you plan to seat the heat exchanger. If it is not level, then find a different location. Clean the area of all dirt and debris.
- 3
  Check the heat exchanger for any visible signs of damage, especially if you are installing a used unit. If you find signs of damage, do not use it.
- 4
  Flush all your pipes out with clean running water. This removes sand, dirt and other debris that could damage the heat exchanger.
- 5
  Place the heat exchanger upstream of any chemical-dosing equipment. The pipes running from the equipment that delivers chlorine and other chemicals should not run into the heat exchanger. The chemicals will damage it. The heat exchanger should also be located downstream of any filtration equipment. The intake valve of the heat exchanger must come from the filtration equipment. This keeps the exchanger free from damaging foreign objects and dirt.
- 6
  Shut off the drainage valves on the heat exchanger. Otherwise your pool water will simply run out of the unit instead of returning to the pool.
- 7
  Attach the intake and outlet pipes to the intake and outlet nozzles in accordance with the instructions of the unit's manufacturer.
- 8
  Bolt your heat exchanger to its mounting surface, if it is a model made to be bolted in place. Some models are not made this way.

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