Gas Heater Recommendation

I live in Southeast Michigan and have a 15' x 30' oval above ground that is in the shade about 75% of the time. I have tried solar the last two years and it was worthless. This year I am going to get a gas heater. The guy that owns the local pool store recommended a Raypak Versa 130 (130,000 BTU) and says it should be more than enough. But at 82% efficiency, that's only barely 100,000 BTU's. I have done a few different calculations based on both surface area and gallons and this 'seems' to be big enough, but not sure. Don't want to get it and wish I went bigger.

Even with solar, last year the highest temp I could get all season was about 72 and I use a solar cover at night. I would like to maintain around the 80 degree mark at least.

Would I be happier with something closer to 200,000 BTU's? Wouldn't a lower BTU heater actually cost more in gas because it would have to run more frequently to maintain the temperature?

Thanks!
Kevin

Why not go with a heatpump instead? A heatpump generally has the lowest operating costs after solar. As for 100,000BTU/Hr I would think that enough if you use the solar cover. I have an 85,000 BTU/HR heatpump on my 20 x 40inground pool and that is more than enough to get the pool as hot as I want. Well I have never gone over 88 degrees, but I am sure it would go higher if I wanted :)

An above ground pool should require LESS heat input as the walls are in contact with summer air as opposed to an inground that is in contact with the cool ground.

I'm amazed you had such poor results from solar. I'm inclined to think you had it set up wrong, or it was too small for the pool, or you had insufficient sunlight.

Even in limited conditions you should get far better results. My folks had an 18x33 AG in their backyard in upstate NY. I put in a 4x20 and a 4x10 panel and they only got 6 hours of direct sun a day on either the panels or the pool. But the solar cover wasn't just on at night--it was on whenever the pool wasn't being used. We got a 6 degree increase in water temp and maintained it all summer.

I pushed the water through as fast as the system could stand--it's all about heat transfer, not temp.

I'm intrigued about the idea of a heat pump. Can we learn more?

I installed a Laars LX gas model about 6 years ago, which rotted from within 4 years. I'm now shopping for a new one, but there isn't really a reliable source of reviews these days (that I can find)

I have a 20x40 inground with about 33,000 gallons. The dead unit was a 400,000btu rating, and although it was great in the beginning, I certainly am not willing to invest in another Laars unless they have dramatically improved their internal materials.

I've got the exact same size pool in Northern NJ and have an 85,000 BTU/Hr heat pump. I have had it for 10 years with no problems. A heatpump won't give you the fast initial heatup that you can get with a gas heater of much higher output, but once you have it to temp it will keep it there for a much lower cost. Make sure to use a solar cover no matter what heater you use. A pool with a solar cover on when not being used will cost 1/5th the amount to heat over a season versus one without a cover.

How noisy is a heatpump? I live in the city (Seattle), and I have all my equipment (including a rusting Laars gas heater) in a pool hut. They say the heat pump should be in the open air. But I worry that it will be noisy for the neighbors. Opinions?

They are not any more noisy than an air conditioner. However, the AquaCal Superquiet heat pump is as, or quieter than your circulation pump. Really.

If you get one with a scroll compressor it is not that noisy - but it really should be out in the open as it needs air circulation.

Cleancloths,

Where should I look online for a heatpump like yours? The choices are bewildering. I'm glad to hear that the 85k btu works our same size pool.

I got a long message from the owner of poolheatpumps.com or some such, and he raised a point that concerns me. He said many of the Aquacal pumps on Ebay are actually recalls.

I'm trying to keep my cost under $3000.