Pool Heater Durability
by Dean Hunt
Thanks for the question Dean The hot tub heater we have at the YMCA is a Hayward and they stand up for years. We had to replace the cast iron header due to age and the salt system wore a hole through it, but this was after about 10 years. It depends on what the question means by "acidic". If it's 7.0, then there shouldn't be a problem. You can always add a little sodium bicarb or another kind of pH increaser to bring it up to 7.6 - 7.8ppm. If the acid level is constantly at 6.0ppm or under, you may have an issue down the road no matter what kind of heater you get. In my opinion the best quality heaters are either Pentair or Hayward heaters. You might want to contact them directly and see what they say. It's probably a matter of corrosion. If you allow the water to stay at a very acidic level it may void any warranties they put on the heater. If you have well water you'll want to test it for heavy metals such as copper and iron. Use a metal reducer or chelator. A chelator attaches to a metal ion like copper or iron and wraps around it. Also test it for calcium hardness. That will clog up a heater very quickly. If you find it difficult to keep the pH level up you can look into a water delivery service and use your water to top the pool off when needed. Hope this helps and good luck Robert |
