Northern State Question

[Jeff Boyd]

Put in a small heated above ground pool for my autistic adult son this summer. He (and we) have enjoyed it far more than we expected and spend at least an hour a day in the pool.

In order to keep going in the winter I was thinking about putting a Fitimax 7 by 7 by 54" therapy pool in a shed that is right next to the pool. I recognize the moisture issues and am going to deal with them but I have a question about heating the pool. If I had my choice we would use the natural gas heater that is used to heat the outdoor pool, run a pipe indoor where it connects to a small filter which then connects to the pool.

I would hire someone to run the piping but have not talked to anyone yet. Does it sound feasible to anyone to use the Hayward gas heater in the winter in the fashion I am talking about? I do not want to bring the gas heater inside as I know that raises lots of issues and I'd sure prefer to not use an electric heater as I think I'm pushing it in terms of amperage.

Thanks,

Jeff

[danthespaman316]

Hayward makes a great heater, but I'd contact customer service before I used it all winter. If you do get the go ahead, have your plumber put in a couple of T's with slice or ball valves at the intake and outflow so you can easily switch the heater from one pool to the other. It's much easier to cut off one set of valves and open up the other than it is to remove and connect plumbing every 6 months.  

However, considering the size and location, I'd suggest using a 110V spa pack (similar to https://www.spaguts.com/SpaGuts-VS-CS-SpaPacks.aspx ) with a 1 HP (Max) pump and an in line cartridge filter. You'll probably have to provide the GFCI plug and cord. Fumes can build up quickly in small enclosed spaces so I'd also suggest an ozone unit to help with chem maintenance. The entire setup will only require 15-20 amps so a dedicated wall outlet should be all you need. And if you're not running the above ground unit at the same time, you should have a line to spare.  

If your son has noise sensitivities, keep in mind that the pump running inside a shed won't be the quietest thing in the world. You may want to place it inside a closet-like enclosure in the shed and use foam insulation boards to deaden the sound. These things are made to be inside of spa cabinets so they generally require minimal air flow. 30-50 cubic feet should do you for size.

Good luck to you guys and let us know what you figure out.