$120 Bonfire Pool Heater

My first attempt at building a cheap pool heater.
Check out my new and improved design here:
• Ultimate DIY Pool Heat...

[@andrewdutton3831]

This is a superbly done video! Really informative, and the editing, background music, explanation is all first rate. I’m looking to do something similar with a outdoor bathtub… Sort of a poor man’s Jacuzzi. I think this gives me all the information I need.

[@francescampbell4731]

I've been searching for ways to heat my pool using solar methods but I think your method by far outweighs them all! Thanks for sharing, will have to buy or build a fire pit since I tossed mine out the end of last summer, it was no longer safe to use.

[@standonze1316]

Very informative,thanks !

[@41levergun]

I did that with copper tubing worked great. Didn't hold up to chlorine very well. But turns a pool into a hot tube fast! I put the coils over the bonfire stainless steel fire ring for smoke free fire right next to pool

[@marciamariabressanelli7853]

Very good, we will try with our pool. Thanks

[@BunnyFooFooOG]

Holy cow Batman, this gives me an amazing idea for an outdoor tub... 🥰

[@johnl636]

Excellent video. Thank you.

[@milehigh3494]

Thanks for the info about to do this to mine cuz i have a big ass firepit about 5 feet away from my pool and we use it everyday in summer so makes sense to do this good job on the video

[@seanrafferty4783]

Cool video! Can you add a link for the coupling? Having trouble finding that size on line? Thanks

[@VincentVonDudler]

Would be awesome if there was a parts list in the description.

[@rayjay1901]

he shows everything, so why not make your own list?

[@VincentVonDudler]

@@rayjay1901 I know nothing about PVC pipe or the valves used. If a parts list were in the description I could go to Home Depot and know what to get.

[@Yoursoul101]

Smart idea!

[@mylesmacaulay]

Thanks for the video. Flow rate quickly at a low temperature vs slow at a high temperature shouldn't really change things. Energy is energy. 1 to 1. I think a lot of loss would be from the exit of your energy source fighting ambient along the line back to the pool. Keep that short! Thanks for sharing! Look forward to an update.

[@robertarmstrong3286]

Good job

[@fnub]

This was very helpful. But why the cold water return? Did I miss something?

[@bogdankovalov3018]

Hey nice Vid, wonder if thickness is matters ? i found 316L SS Tubing Coil - 1/2’’dia x .035wall x 100’ for like 50$ but its only, 0.35 wall thickness, 20 GA. they ranged temp up to 1500F. i wonder is that gonna be good enough ? thanks!

[@gamerdad9870]

thats awesome cool hot tub

[@danieljudson847]

Do you think adding a small 12v pump to the heating system would hest the pool/tub any quicker or would the flow be too fast to heat the water enough?

[@DrewFace507943]

How do you avoiding rust within the metal coil? It seems like it would rust away with in a couple years. Not only that as the metal corrode it would add possibly texit elements to the pool water.

[@ashow13]

It is stainless steel so it should be somewhat resistant to rust. I've only been using it for 2 years and so far no issues. Can't say how it will hold up long term.

[@lynnbrown1319]

Great idea. When you say 4 bonfires...How long are we talking in time?

[@ashow13]

Like 4 hours each. It raises the pool temp about 1 degree per hour. Will do more if you get a longer coil or have a smaller pool. I've since updated from 50ft. to a 100ft. long coil.

[@craigt8793]

Could a stainless steel hose work instead of a stainless steel coil?

[@perentee77]

I do the same with my spa except I use a solar pump.

[@danfrattinger1673]

Question for you, I am doing basically the same thing you did but I used copper instead of steel and I will be setting my copper coil in a fire pit. My question is this, will the tubing get so hot that it will melt or ruin your rubber tubing? Also, I ended up buying refrigeration copper coil by mistake, it just seems to be a little thinner than what I wanted but do you think it will be OK and withstand the heat? It is type L copper

[@ashow13]

Yes I believe copper will work just fine. I've seen people in other video use it. I just wouldn't recommend putting the coil in the fire unless water is running through it to absorb some of the heat.

[@jakecornett5083]

Ive seen other videos where people comment that chlorine pool water mixed with hot copper creates a toxicity in the pool and will quickly eat the copper. Is any of it true?

[@ebooklibrary27]

@@jakecornett5083 Hot copper pipes have chlorine running through them for years on end within your home, and we still use copper in the walls of homes... Copper will end up with pin sized holes in it over time if a lot of chlorine runs through it but that takes a long time and you'll notice because of the weird coloring that will form on it.

[@idog1911]

This product was very easy to set upCame with everything in descriptionShipped very quickly an all around perfect pool heater purchase A+++ definitely someone to buy from

[@bigjeep_littlejeep3777]

Wouldn’t the diverter be better on the hot side so you can control the temp?

[@michalchamila1317]

What is the thickness of the stainless steel pipe wall?

[@jaredbrown9152]

What was your reasoning for using stainless over copper? Longevity? Durability?

[@ashow13]

No reason other than it was easy to source online at the time. Copper will work just as well.

[@michaelau1378]

@@ashow13 copper has a much higher thermal conductivity

[@thelazycat_]

Copper and chlorine isn't a good idea. Stainless steel 316 is resistant to corrosion

[@mikefitzpatrick4919]

how well does the diverter work vs a y configuration?

[@ashow13]

You could use a T or a Y shaped diverter. The Y shaped one would probably have less pressure drop, but I like if it flows slower because it will cook longer. If it flows too fast it doesn't absorb enough heat.

[@dennismatic5816]

@@ashow13 I might go with continuous flow at T 90 and then use valve to regulate pressure to coil

[@ap9012]

what did you mean when said from 63 to 80 in "4 bonfires". is that 4 hours or 4 days of firing?

[@ashow13]

4 separate bonfires on 4 separate days (roughly 17 hours total). The pool heats up about 1 degree per hour with the setup in this video. Smaller pools will heat faster. I've since upgraded my setup.

[@jeffb7255]

So give us a video on upgraded specs and performance please. Thanks

[@rupe53]

Certainly cheap and easy to build but requires a lot of manual babysitting to operate... and there are no safety devices in case the power goes out (pump failure) or a hose breaks.

[@retparatrooper]

Cool

[@schylerj8584]

How do you stop the flow of water going through your heating system the way you put your valve in ?

[@ashow13]

You would need an additional ball valve on the other end on the Tee just before the garden hose fitting to block flow from going through the coil. The ball valve in this configuration is only used to block water from leaking out of the pool while everything is being setup. I was just trying to throw something quick and cheap together last summer. This spring I spent $250 on a new setup including an all new diverter to limit pressure drop and have more flow control. I also bought a 100ft. long 3/4in. diameter coil instead of a 50ft. long 1/2in. in order to heat my pool faster. I've only tested out the new setup once so far this year and was able to heat it almost 2X faster. 2 or 3 cold nights seems to ruin all the progress that the heater makes so it is best to have an all day long bonfire the day before you want to swim and you could raise the temperature by about 15-20 degrees depending on the size of the pool.

[@richherbert7791]

@@ashow13 Just curious where you found the 3/4" coil. I didn't find that size on the nybrewsupply site. BTW, great video! I'm looking forward to trying this out and reducing the gas bill on the pool heater!

[@ashow13]

@@richherbert7791 I could only find 3/4" in copper at a reasonable price. Try home depot or lowes.

[@DigzGuy]

@@ashow13 did you so follow up video explaining this?

[@ruthromer777]

Can you use a copper coil or does it have to be a stainless steel?

[@patriotjedimaster1450]

Chlorine corrodes copper. Look it up. If you want to run pool water through metal, go with stainless steel.

[@ebooklibrary27]

@@patriotjedimaster1450 just connect a chlorine filter to the pump and you definitely can and should use copper. Stainless steel heating properties don't compare to copper

[@alldreams13]

If you’re only hearing during fire why wouldn’t you divert all the water through coil by fire?

[@jakartalee7701]

Hi I was just wondering why you wouldn't divert 100 percent of the water thought the bonfire?

[@ashow13]

Forcing all of the flow from a 1-1/2" pool hose down to a 5/8" garden hose puts strain on the pump. Plus, the water would flow too fast through the coil and not absorb enough heat to be effective.

[@OntheFarmAus]

why do you need two returns to the pool, 1 cold and 1 hot, can you just do 1 hot?

[@ashow13]

Trying to push all the water from a 1-1/2" hose through a 5/8" garden hose would create a lot of pressure which isn't good for the pool pump. Having the additional return line relieves that pressure. Also, if the flow were moving at too fast a rate it wouldn't have adequate time to absorb heat from the fire unless you had a longer coil. Something you could also do is if you are filling your pool you could just run the hose right into the heater and fill the pool with hot water.

[@griffin8062]

@Smokey Bear You probably could.

[@kenstorie5000]

So your saying copper would eventually leak

[@ohno-drivingfailsroadrage1089]

I think I am the KZbin channel with the most interesting videos! 😊

[@macbutty1]

Just buy a lpg tankless boiler

[@schylerj8584]

Just so know you listed a male garden hose adapter and you actually need a female

[@ashow13]

My garden hose has 1 male and 1 female end. At 3:55 I list the male fitting for the diverter which the female end of my hose threads onto. At 6:01 I list the female swivel fitting that the male end of my garden hose threads into.

[@joejefferson]

copper-chloride kills...

[@ddpp3492]

This is the least efficient heat exchanger ever.

[@dannycarter3647]

What's a better diy alternative?