The Best Above Ground Pool Heater? Propane Tankless Water Heater setup

What is the best above ground pool heater? Not this one, but this is a loaded question as there are many ways to heat a pool and depending on where you live solar could be your best choice. But if you have too many cloudy or foggy days maybe a fuel-based solution works best. Add a need to be "off grid" and pool heater choices dwindle. Have plenty of electricity available? You have more options. This pool heater DIY project is a result of those questions and a few other personal choices I made. Here is where I am at so far. Our Intex above ground pool heater needed to be fueled by an energy source such as propane or natural gas. We live near the coast in California and have mild cool summers with lots of cloudy days. So a solar pool heater just won't work for us. We needed a tankless water heater with a pump.
UPDATE: It turned out well, but this set up is best for smaller pools. Don't waste your time and money on anything above 5,000 gallons capacity pools.
Link to Raypak above ground pool heater: amzn.to/419xmA8
The better choice!
Parts list:
18L / 4.8 GAL LPG Propane Tankless water heater: amzn.to/3zAzcLr
SEAFLO 33 Series water pump: amzn.to/3lWm26N
Timer: amzn.to/3CNsWls
On the "out" or hot side of the water heater I used white 1/2" inch PEX and 1/2" x 1/2" sharkbit fittings for PEX available at your local hardware stores.amzn.to/2XSa1Ye
#abovegroundpool
Colabs: [e-mail]
Check out our other channel: / greenhornbbqbeer

[@jasonfleege233]

Do you have a link to the Raypak heater? Thanks for the awesome vid!

[@3DaysAway]

Sure, its awesome! amzn.to/419xmA8

[@theTeslaFalcon]

We use that same propane water heater for our 3/2 house & another for our radiator heaters. We LOVE it.

[@marianl2944]

How much does the propane tank last for?

[@theTeslaFalcon]

@@marianl2944 20# BBQ tank lasts ~10 days depending on usage.

[@cleanjosephtv]

from a fellow diver to a fellow diver, hello! love your videos!

[@BrianPhillipsRC]

Nice system!

[@itsooofishall2819]

All I can say is freaking awesome!!! Thank you!

[@3DaysAway]

Your welcome

[@ericjovenitti6747]

Great job man this is cool

[@NoBSEateries]

Great review and information. We don’t have a pool but if we did we would love a heater! -S

[@3DaysAway]

Thank you

[@Uae_ksa_]

God bless you and your family , enjoy the swimming pool it’s the best part of activities

[@3DaysAway]

Thank you

[@Uae_ksa_]

@@3DaysAway 🌷

[@tlcl]

Thanks, Master, my pool is hot finally

[@3DaysAway]

Glad I could help!

[@Sniper.925]

Thank you, brother. I just put it together. Let's see how it works. Quick question, can I not put a timer and just let the pump run until the system comes back up for hot water?

[@santoscielostv]

I DO NOT HAVE OR OWN A POOL OR AN AVOBE GROUND POOL BUT YOUR VIDEOS ARE VERY INTERESTING I DO WANT TO PURCHASE AN AVOBE GROUND POOL BUT AM LOOKING AT THE FILTER INSTALS HEATING OT LOOKS REALLY COOL JUST I REALLY LIKE RESEACHING AND REVIEWING STUFF BEFORE I TAKE A PLUNGE. KEEP UP YOUR VIDEOS THANK YOU.

[@nikr9240]

WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING?

[@totalthreat9614]

SICK!!!!

[@epproject7105]

Do u have a link to the pump you are using to feed water into this unit?

[@linden5576]

You’ll get a whole lot more out of your pool. If you put two covers on it, put a big bubble solar cover on it and then put another cover over it not only does it keep the sun from depleting all your chlorine and all but it sure does keep in the heat. You can also get this huge bubble wrap product that you can wrap all the way around the outside of your pool to help maintain heat. I think 80 Pratt 5% of the heat rises. We had a dull boy, 18 round by 48, and by using the black irrigation hose, the more rigid stuff, we had these coils about six of these coil set up on our yard course you’d have to go out and flip them as a son you know towards the sun a little bit, but that took about five minutes. And my husband was able to get the temperature in the pool up to 92° when it was 78° outside! That was by having padding on the bottom of the steel frame pool padding on the inside before you put your liner in bubble wrap around the outside and two Bubble solar covers on top held the heat in and boy did it ever work! Now you can’t swim in it all year round, I do live in Michigan. But I sure wish I could find a system that I could heat all winter without running my rates through the roof.😂

[@cdrcluster9282]

That's exactly what I do! Double cover overnight and open outer cover on sunny days. Keeps it at 75f overnight even when outside temp 65F

[@3DaysAway]

Wow, all excellent 👌 ideas

[@cerebraloverload8043]

What fittings did you use to connect propane

[@gregweiss9641]

Hey, Todd. I have been watching you on BBQ channel. I have a loaded Wichita also. I just bought a above ground pool. New to pools

[@3DaysAway]

Hi Greg! Hey, now we use a Raypak, much much better!

[@patriciaburgess1397]

I have a stock tank pool 8ft, how do or what do I hook the wires on the seaflow too? I wanted to just recirculate the water in the pool but where will the power come from for the seaflow pump

[@3DaysAway]

@@patriciaburgess1397 Watch to the end, I show how I hooked up a timer.

[@ritajanebrown7215]

Great info. For us, hooking to gas, would be a nightmare and too much $. Going propane would be my preference. Thanks. I like the eBay deal you got.

[@rhdtv2002]

Gas is cheaper and better. Propane can get expensive

[@ieatbatteries9998]

Natural gas is about 3 times cheaper then propane.

[@Scarlettbankergirl]

But if you don't have gas already then you have to get gas installed. I live in a rental and I am not paying to get gas installed just for my pool.

[@rickastley3009]

What adapters did you use to connect the propane gas line?

[@armandob5227]

It seems really cool to put it all together, i have some grandkids that are wild on the pool and they splash everywhere. If the heater gets wet will it be ok.

[@3DaysAway]

Since its battery operated I would imagine some minor splashing wouldn't hurt. But I don't recommend this type of heater anymore. I now have a Raypak natural gas heater.

[@JoeIsOut2lunch]

I keep looking for someone running this with a Y from the pool pump. I run my solar like that and it works well, I was thinking of applying that to one of these heaters but it’s bit of red flag that no one else is doing it.

[@paulsommer8233]

Hi. How did you do the swim step? Where can I get something similar? And let us know how you made out with the gas version. ...Thanks.

[@3DaysAway]

My wife, Sassy, purchased on Amazon

[@JAME_GUMB]

Great build.. I personally think a solar heater is much more cost effective during the summer months..

[@3DaysAway]

Free is definately better

[@kaiballington55]

We ended up selling ours because it made no difference.

[@NicholasLaDieu]

it'll be simpler to just put a submersible pump on the end of the cold water intake.. but still this is pretty cool

[@3DaysAway]

True

[@brenson77]

👍👍

[@reggieoverton121]

I’m trying to build a deck like what you have. Do you mind sharing some pics and videos with me? Also is the deck hanging over the pool rail? What type of ladder is that?

[@3DaysAway]

I can add some pictures and videos sometime sure. My wife got that swim step on Amazon

[@reggieoverton121]

@@3DaysAway thanks. I built a deck thanks.

[@orlandoscott9137]

How do I get in contact with you. I would love to talk to you about something I've built

[@harleyupton4221]

What series is the Sea Flow pump? There is a couple to choose from Amazon

[@3DaysAway]

We use a Raypak now

[@Ricks2Cents]

Looks Legit!!! How Long have you had it Running? What State Do you Live in?

[@3DaysAway]

We now use a Raypak in Ca

[@donniebrookins6215]

I have a 22’ above ground Intek. We upgraded to a skimmer style with a sand filter and used pvc instead of hoses. Looking for a good heater system so we can use pool year round since we’re central Florida

[@3DaysAway]

We upgraded to a Raypak

[@jskalka2]

Northwestern Indiana here was thinking about doing this set up don’t have the funds for a gas heater until next year the pool and install wiped me out 😅but deff going to need some heat how many tanks do you use for your pool how long does it take to heat up

[@3DaysAway]

We no longer use this method. We traded up to a Raypak natural gas unit.

[@cornerstonewebsites]

I'm about at wits end trying this out. I have a 160,000 BTU Rinnae that I got as a scratch/dent on eBay. 7.5 gpm. I have 50psi running to the heater, but only get about 2 gallons/minute max out of the heater. I've tried multiple things: using different pumps, checking for mineral deposits, etc., but no dice. I thought maybe it was airlocked, but am really confused as to what may be preventing the water flow. I am using 3/4" inch lines to/from. Any help is appreciated!

[@chrisjacobus4528]

Try using spa flex line and get rid hard angles in your return plumbing

[@3DaysAway]

Did you ever get it fixed? We upgraded to a Raypak BTW...

[@PaulaOakman]

I'm following closely! I have a 14ft 38inch pool and I'll be doing a similar set up. Have you monitored your water temp? A video with the air temp, water temp, and how long did it take to get it as warm as you liked? How much propane are you using? How many hrs of heating will a 20lb tank provide? I'm in MS and our temps are low 80s in the day, 60-70s at night, so I'm wondering if a smaller unit would work for us and possibly use less propane or if lower flow rate will mean I'm using the same amount of gas and it just taking longer to heat. I'd love a follow up video! You rock!! Also, can you link the unit you bought?

[@3DaysAway]

Thanks for the questions and following us Pauline. Here is a update that I think you deserve: I switched the heater to a natural gas model that from the outside looks identical to the propane one. Using a BBQ natural gas hook up line from my gas meter to the heater provides limitless fuel. And its cheaper! It puts out about 131 deg F water temp at a flow rate of approximately 3-4 GPM. Yesterday we had a 75 degree sunny day here in Oxnard CA and I turned the heater on around 10 am. The pool temp was already around 71 degrees. But by 8pm the pool temp was about 79 degrees although the air temp was now 60 or 59 degrees. I think that if you turn it on early enough in the day by the evening you can see about 1 degree and hour increase over ambient temps by the evening. This was my observations only and when I have time I can do a more scientific experiment like you have asked for. Cheers! Todd and Sassy

[@patricksquires6348]

Bbq grill Propane tank has max 400,000 btu. Your 2700 gallon pool requires 2700 btu to be lifted one degree. The btu of heater determines how long to heat pool and the propane tank determines how much heating you can do. Size of heater in btu and you need lots of flow to get to rating on most heaters so don’t cheap on pump - the more flow the more efficient your heater and propane usage which is way cheaper than electric to run pump so use a solid pump to drive the water through.

[@petershi9495]

@@3DaysAway Excellent video. How much was it to extend your gas line? And did you have to get a different water heater after switching to natural gas?

[@3DaysAway]

@@patricksquires6348 we now have a Raypak above ground pool heater, works great

[@patricksquires6348]

@@3DaysAway Thanks for the reply and info and original video. Did the nat gas heater die?

[@epproject7105]

I bought the exact same heater. But for some reason, the heater will run nice, but after about 5 min it shuts off and won't reignite. It will only start up again if I unplug the intake hose, and drain water from heater. Did you have this prob? Any ideas why I might be?

[@3DaysAway]

I"ve heard of this issue but did not experience it. We ended up gong with an actual Raypak above ground pool heater, works best.

[@troyking6052]

What propane hose connection did you use, thanks

[@3DaysAway]

Raypak

[@dm260]

I've got the same outdoor water heater but it only lasted a year. I can hear the igniter ticking but it won't light. I think it may be the gas solenoid is stuck and won't open anymore. Any ideas on this?

[@3DaysAway]

Not sure, did you get it working 🤔?

[@dm260]

@@3DaysAway Yes. I took off the gas solenoid and pulled off the little spring end because it wasn't opening and closing anymore. I now have a different regulator hose with a built-in turn valve that does the job of a gas solenoid. I bought it at Lowe's.

[@arsenaultfamilylightshow6733]

how many btu's was it most likely too small for that size pool also heat it with a solar cover on will work better.

[@3DaysAway]

Not sure how many BTU it was. I disliked the solar cover because I have a walk-in swim step and the skimmer gets in the way. Since this is southern California, I keep it open and ready rear round.

[@Diego-vw7kn]

How many degrees did it changed at nighttime after waiting?

[@3DaysAway]

As long as the ambient temp does not fall below what the water temp is already at, I saw about 5 degrees total. We moved on to a Raypak above ground pool heater

[@gregandersen6087]

trying to find the pump with filter. name and model number? thanks!

[@3DaysAway]

In Description

[@mikethompson7436]

How long did a propane tank last before u needed a exchange

[@3DaysAway]

Two days, maybe 8 hours total.

[@DubJ3112000]

I have almost the exact same pump and setup but my pump motor gets SUPER HOT. Does yours get hot like that?

[@3DaysAway]

It did. I have since ditched that setup for a Raypak unit.

[@DubJ3112000]

Do you mind elaborating on that? I would love to hear what works better.

[@Someone-to1sb]

Why did you not connect it into the regular pool plumbing?

[@3DaysAway]

It was more of an experiment I didn't want to make permanent.

[@talentseekrs]

How does that work in bad weather? Do you have to cover it?

[@3DaysAway]

I keep it uncovered and "open" year round.

[@philmac19]

Does the heater have to be above the pool water level? I kinda wanted to hide it. Thank you

[@3DaysAway]

It helps with the static head so you may see better water flow . We ditched this and ended up with a Raypak above ground heater

[@robertpdxusa]

Would anyone know (more less) how much time and gas does it take to warm up the water from 70F to around 80F? (some 5C increase). Thanks! I see many heaters working overnight for the next day, that’s long… Say, if I had 3 ~ 4 hours. (from 6:00 am to 9:00 am) to warm it up for the day, would this set up work? BTW, we only have room for the smallest 10 ft. Intex pool. Thanks a lot for any suggestions!

[@3DaysAway]

No longer use this, Raypak for the win!

[@guysk8r1717]

I had issues with chemicals in the pool clogging the water heater flow, eventually clogging up

[@3DaysAway]

I only use chlorine so far no issues.

[@tonysmith54321]

there is a little bit of wire gauze in the water inlet . that collects fluff and stuff.. probably that.

[@ramilazar9171]

Is there a Raypack heater that works on propane?

[@3DaysAway]

I believe you can call them about possible solutions

[@marianl2944]

Hi. How long did a propane tank last you?

[@3DaysAway]

One day. I now have a Raypak NG heater

[@aaronpolakiewicz1582]

​@@3DaysAway how expensive is it to run using ng?

[@Sniper.925]

What if I do it without the timer and just simply Stand By and every 20 minutes shut the pump off.

[@3DaysAway]

We now use a Raypak

[@maureenblute2555]

My son has an 18' summer wVes

[@rhdtv2002]

My heater just kept shutting off..it wasn't a flow issue but it seems like the water heater has a cutoff - I think it was faulty

[@kaotix147]

this is happening to me. Were you able to solve this problem?

[@usermiamiusa]

this water heaters stop after 20 minutes continuous use, you must put a timer that run for example 19 minutes and then stop for 2 seconds

[@wilzworld6]

Watch the part when he talks about putting the timer on the pump to reset the heater....

[@mikesanders902]

Did Pool chemicals mess up the heater over time.?

[@3DaysAway]

Not at all. But I only used it 5 times and we upgraded to a Raypak

[@tonyrollin402]

Did you get the temperature up to 80 degrees ?

[@3DaysAway]

... yes, once I bought a Raypak

[@adamlenartz7222]

Do you have a link to buy?

[@3DaysAway]

In Description

[@armandmorales7813]

Where can I find this heater ?

[@3DaysAway]

EBay

[@TimothyKammrad]

modified mine, only safety that is left is the no water flow, that cuts of the propane flow. , I get 157F and I can get the pool to 115F

[@3DaysAway]

Awesome

[@greginfla7211]

What was the final temperature?

[@3DaysAway]

Not very hot. I don't use this anymore. Raypak is more superior in all ways.

[@marcogomez851]

How long does it take to get a good water temperature

[@3DaysAway]

Too long, I now use a Raypak

[@spyderyates4587]

Why not just put it in line with the sand filter and water return line?

[@3DaysAway]

We finally did, and used a Raypak natural gas line

[@MrMrSlick]

@@3DaysAway hi, do you have any images of how it looks with the inline sand filter feeds?

[@3DaysAway]

@@MrMrSlick kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXqah4egns5-qc0

[@estelleharrington3866]

More important is how long does the propane last.

[@3DaysAway]

I ended up having about 2 days of moderate use. But later ditched the whole system in favor for a Raypac system

[@aaronpolakiewicz1582]

​@3DaysAway what does raypac run on propane or gas?

[@wilzworld6]

How many gallons is your pool? Thanks

[@3DaysAway]

About 8k I think

[@ericloar305]

Heater is now 270.00 as of March 18 2022.

[@3DaysAway]

Ouch!

[@Sniper.925]

Can you run this for 24 hours? It's a dangerous.

[@3DaysAway]

Nope

[@jerrygriffin7629]

That propane tank will be empty in about five hours , not twenty four

[@3DaysAway]

Yes it was!

[@Ricks2Cents]

Dam that will get Expensive Quick!!!

[@MrShon-40]

I never heard any6about the degree change?????

[@3DaysAway]

I run a Raypak now

[@AggyThomas]

Might get about 5-7 degrees out if all this work at the most.

[@3DaysAway]

We now have a Raypak gas heater

[@RecoveringProceedsInvesting]

I have that same pump, does it overheat?

[@3DaysAway]

It got hot but kept going

[@RecoveringProceedsInvesting]

Thanks, I'm using a camp plus natural gas heater for 5000 gallons. The digital timer does not work on my system. The pool is 50 feet from the heater, so there is not enough pressure to restart. I run it for an hour & give it 30 to rest at 130 degrees. It's a 1.5 degrees increase. I'm in the Pacific NW so it'S COLD here most of the year. Working great so far. thanks for the video.

[@3DaysAway]

@@RecoveringProceedsInvesting we use a Raypak now, much more heat

[@RecoveringProceedsInvesting]

That is the way to go.

[@SamA-xu9gy]

How many hours can this gas water heater work continuously per day?

[@3DaysAway]

Not very long, maybe 4 or 5 hours.

[@murphyking79]

I have the same setup, propane is too much work

[@edwardperez9447]

How long does propane last and how fast does pool warm up

[@3DaysAway]

True

[@StarkVandalez]

i had one of those.. it sucked. could barely even get 1 degree of heat in a pool.

[@estelleharrington3866]

Sounds expensive to run.

[@3DaysAway]

It was, now I run a Raypak but its about the same $$

[@thomasburckhard2981]

why not let the pump run after the 20 min run time on heater? not being critical just ignorant

[@3DaysAway]

Its just how I wired it up.

[@HellcatM6]

Wow I dont see any code violations or serious risks to human safety. Keep spreadin' the jack of all trades (master of none) knowledge. (sarcasm)

[@3DaysAway]

Thanks