Wood Fired Pool Heater system

This is an American made wood fired pool heater that can produce ~85K to 120K BTUs of heat depending on how big and hot the fire is. I purchased this system to heat my 25K gallon in-ground pool in the northern Seattle area.
WHO:
I bought it from Warm Water Solutions inc. based in Las Vegas NV. Jason Shiffrar is the proprietor and does most of the work himself, so this is truly a locally hand made unit by a master welder, not one of the cheaper mass produced drum versions that you see out there (read the reviews and you'll understand). For this WWS unit, I was incredibly impressed with the quality of the steel, the welding and the finished product. He delivered on everything he promised, provided detailed instructions for install, bypass piping, even touch up paint and extra fire bricks. Post purchase support has been great as well, he has been available to answer all of my questions.
DO YOUR RESEARCH:
Everyone has different needs so really weigh what's important to you. This is not a turn key solution, but its for someone who doesn't mind a little extra work (wood chopping and feeding the fire) and doesn't want to pay for the extra utility costs. It's also good for off the grid locations where gas is not available, but there is electricity. Electricity is required because the pump needs to run when the fire is on. The conventional heating solutions for pools in the north are Gas and Electric heat exchangers. Solar is more for the warmer regions.
For the gas systems, you'll pay a few thousand for the heater and then you'll need a separate gas line and meter. With that comes a gas line and meter maintenance fee, plus the gas usage, which can be upwards of $200 a month in my area. The electric heat exchangers are just as expensive, they don't have the additional gas line charge, but you will pay through the nose on electricity when the temperatures drop. The colder it is, the more electricity the condenser uses.
NSTALL:
You will need to plumb this in and need a certain degree of DIY chops to do it... if that is you, then its just a matter of tracking the return pipes out of the filter and completing the circuit through the heater. Not terribly hard, but the pipe fitting took me a couple of days and some sloppy PVC glue messes. No worries if that isn't you, I'm sure there's a pool pro nearby.
I'm truly happy with the value in this purchase, it was perfect for my needs. If you are weighing your options, I sure hope this was helpful.

[@genegia415]

I too bought this exact model, I'm in Northern NJ. I usually open my pool and of April to get the chemicals and everything proper... then I'll fire this up and have my pool at 85* before Memorial day weekend!!

[@JesseKlaus]

I'm in NC and looking at options. I have a 16x32 above ground. Wood sounds nice but how often do you have to feed it?

[@CraftyClusterfarg]

Damn! That’s nice. Far better and more efficient than the one I made. Good work.

[@timtamgar4844]

I recommend fortifying heat containment by surrounding the burner with some form of insulation to maximize heat received from internal pipes. This could also reduce the amounts of fuel(wood) needed to drive the system? Great video, thanks for sharing 😊

[@henrymetcalf4361]

Im gonna build an indoor pool and want to do the same i hope it will work better indoors

[@GreatBigBoat]

In Northern Ontario pool heaters (motors) need to be in continues operation. They are not just something you fire up and expect to enjoy a few hours later. The heat loss from overnight temp drops as well evaporation needs to be overcome. Add the fact that most pools and piping are not insulated. In the off season I burn about one face cord per week maintaining 84 to 88 deg Fahrenheit. That is a real nice looking stove but it has a couple of draw backs. You should have a separate pump supplying the heater. It is going to be running all the time, including over-night. If your pool pump fails you will damage your heater( you can't just turn the wood fire off it needs to be continuously cooled). It is more economical to run your main pump for filtering and cleaning only. I see that your stove direct-fires the copper heating surfaces. Not very easy to get in there and clean out the mess on the heating surfaces every year. Soot makes a pretty good insulator...lol. Also flame impinging on the copper is not good.

[@matthewd6933]

These are made with stainless heaters. Even if water flow stops a few is not going to damage stainless pipes lol….its a wood fire, not an actelyne torch.

[@MyTing775]

Hi. How big is your pool and whats flow rate per hour of stove ? Thanks

[@Plzreplyhello]

Bad ass expensive heater though

[@yaadman4003]

How do you regulate the heat. If it’s too hot

[@tonyrollin402]

Where did you order that from

[@zoeconner11]

Any update?

[@derrickford1101]

Where did you buy it?

[@heatherjolly8389]

costs 4-8 grand but will last ya forever!

[@gobirds2528]

You still liking this heater? I’m in northeast pa and thinking about getting one.

[@davidgilbert4355]

Yes I am, it is truly a high quality heat exchanger. I think the one thing that caught me off guard was how much wood I needed. The thing works beautifully, but it is not fast. When I use the heater, the temp goes up between 7-10 degrees, but this takes all day if not the day before. That can use a chunk of wood each time, so you need to stock up or have a wood source readily available for this solution. As for heat retention, I have a solar blanket cover that I put on at night and that really helps reduce heat loss and water evaporation at night, without it you are starting from scratch the next day.

[@user-ju3ns2cz1u]

How much wood would you say you use in a week? Trying to swim laps all year long. it gets down to the mid 40s most the winter where I’m at I’m a little south of you.

[@johnvanderhoof3670]

My guess is that you will only swim for a few weeks longer than you did. The water will cool too quickly. The walls of your pool along with the top would have to be insulated for it to be effective. But nice try 👍