Do I Need A Bypass For My Pool Heater?

From www.swimmingpoo... - Learn what a plumbing bypass is and why it is a good idea to have one installed for your swimming pool heater. You can shut off the bypass to your heater when doing something like shocking your swimming pool water so the high concentrations of harsh chemicals are not running through your heater unnecessarily. Avoiding this can increase the life of your natural gas or propane pool heater.

[@papacongas]

Thank you Steve. Just had a Natural Gas pool heater install with the bypass valve installed. That was very helpful info. Thanks again....

[@anthonymcinnis6588]

Thanks for everything Steve. I have relied on you soooo much while building my own swimming pool and now it has turned out perfect. And yes, I will be bypassing my heater. 😊

[@brentwareing4162]

I have a bypass on my 2017 Raypak millivolt 266k BTU heater and the water goes through the heater when it’s on,best thing I ever bought.

[@mortalstorm]

Thanks for the video. From your website you stated..."I endorse the three in-and-out valves to make a three zone bypass for pool heaters. I do not like the potential for water to push back through the outlet side of the heater from a single diverter bypass closed on the heater side". My problem with a three zone system is the fear that I may forget to open the heater valves prior to closing the main valve and creating excessive pressure at the filter and possibly damaging equipment. Do you think a single diverter system with a check valve installed at the heater discharge would work? Thanks again for all the content you provide.

[@shannon1872]

sorry if I missed it in the video..but should we install a bypass valve at both the inlet and outlet of the heater? Or would you just put a bypass at the inlet and a check valve at the outlet of the heater? Or just good ham and have a bypass valve at inlet and shut off and check at outlet of heater? Pool heater is my next project now that the pool is built so trying to save myself a few headaches lol. Thanks Steve!!!

[@johnwalker6121]

Seems like you could cause more damage by forgetting to turn off the heater when in bypass, assume the heater will shutdown and require a reset if a installed pressure relief valve is trigger. Installing a bypass without pressure relief valve creates an outdoor pressure cooker. Even if the heater shuts down on high temperature cannot be good for the heat exchanger.

[@bmacdonald5137]

Very useful! Thanks! Also, would it not be beneficial to be able to shut off the water flow to the heater in the event that your heater needs repairs (in my case, I need to replace the High Limit switches)?

[@Herofmine]

Also bypassing is great for winter

[@ginomassiello4329]

Your the best Steve

[@dennisskinner2339]

Steve, could you please show how you would plumb a heater bypass? Thank you, I plan on replacing my broken heater which does not have a bypass.

[@Swimmingpoolsteve]

Here is an article that includes diagrams of external bypass configurations for pool heaters: www.swimmingpoolsteve.com/pages/heater-bypass.html

[@mggp23]

@@Swimmingpoolsteve would love to have a list of parts that I need to buy as a novice above ground pool user who wants to hook up an electric heater pump. The 3 way diverter might set up easier but . . . seems like the novice would do better using 3 ball valves for less user error.

[@bpe592009]

I do then ask the time I can take a pic later.

[@glenngulia5409]

Pictures are good.

[@cryptounchained7444]

I keep reading that it's great to bypass a heater for super shocking a pool or if PH is extremely out of whack, I've even read that I should use the bypass if I'm going to be on vacation and won't be heating the water or stalking the PH. My question is, will it be even worse if I leave the water stagnated in the heater while I'm on vacation? If I have perfect PH/Chlorine when I put the heater on bypass do I need to worry that the PH could somehow fall to harmful levels if it's not run for a month? TL:DR How long is it ok to have a heater bypassed before it's worse than if it wasn't bypassed?

[@Swimmingpoolsteve]

It is a concern for sure. I also have the same concerns that youhave addressed and usually the answer is short periods of time offline are okay but longer planned down time you should open and drain the heater. Sounds like a lot but i could do mine in 60 seconds or so and then you can not have to worry about bad water sitting in the heater. For me the biggest benefit is superchloinating which is a regular planned maintenance that you should be doing so a manual bypass will help with this and it is far better to have stagnant water for a day or two as opposed to super chlorinated water in the heater. I guess a bypass is the lesser of two evils.

[@MarcM143]

How about when you turn the heater bypass on basically trapping water inside the heater. Will that water get rancid and grow stuff if left in heater for months at a time?

[@Swimmingpoolsteve]

Oh absolutely, yes. You would perhaps allow for 24 hours so you can superchlorinate the water without exposing the heater, but longer than this and the water in the heater would need to be drained or it would do just as you say.

[@MarcM143]

@@Swimmingpoolsteve Ah ok. Thanks! On another note, can an 11kw electric heater be used in a 750 gallon Shotcrete spa and get to temp in reasonable amount of time? It will be on automation, and there is limited space at the pool equipment being the pool is a seperate body of water and has its own 140k btu heat pump.

[@CatCityDesign]

Is the "Bypass Cartridge" on a Hayward H-Series pool heater (for example) the same thing as a heater bypass like you're talking about?

[@Swimmingpoolsteve]

An internal heater bypass is something designed to avoid sending too much flow through the heater. The type of bypass I am talking about is manually controlled by the pool operator. So you could for example bypass the heater prior to adding a big dose of chlorine to the pool. A bypass like I mean it could just be imagines as a series of valves you turn.

[@estalippard]

About how much does a bypass cost?

[@bpe592009]

70 for the vavle and 20 for the pvc parts I build pools. And I like the option because for spas copper does degrade from I think 70 gallons per minute going through it I think

[@ramrmude4173]

Hi Steve, we have a heater pool bypass already installed but i'm unsure how to operate it without damaging the system, can you guide and i'm happy to send a pic if I have your email address,Thanks Indee