Can my heater exhaust melt my plumbing?

[DouglasBubbletrousers]

This is what our pool equipment plumbing looks like. The heater has presumably run for many seasons without issue (we're new owners), but my concern is the heater exhaust.

It's perhaps hard to see from the photo, but the line into the heater runs almost directly over the heater's exhaust, with about a 12" clearance. When I fired up the heater, the exhaust is pretty hot and condensation forms on the bottom of the pipe.

My question is, would there be enough heat from the exhaust to cause damage to the PVC pipe above? Could it weaken/melt it, or am I overthinking it?

 

[ajw22]

Heat will soften PVC pipe. Straight PVC is shaped and bent by heating it. So your concerns have some validity.

Someone was not thinking much when the heater was installed.

The line from the filter to the heater inlet could have gone down at the filter and run along the ground to the heater.

The heater could have been rotated 180 degrees to put the exhaust on the right side of the pad. Except I am not sure what those pipes are coming out of the house that may prevent the heater exhaust being near them.

And I see a flexible Fernco coupling on the heater output going into the ground. That will eventually become a problem.

 

[SDor]

While theoretically it could cause a problem, in reality it hasn't. As you say, it has run this way for many years. I think the relatively small, dispersed heat from the heater exhaust will not overcome the cold water running through the pipes (water carries much more heat than air). The condensation comes from the h2o in the exhaust gas (same reason your home's heater probably has a drain) and is an indication that the pipe is relatively cool.

I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Noreaster]

Although i don't see it as ideal - the PVC likely wont melt because the heater should not turn on if there is no flow, and the flow of water through it will keep it from softening / melting.

The heater could have been rotated 180 degrees to put the exhaust on the right side of the pad. Except I am not sure what those pipes are coming out of the house that may prevent the heater exhaust being near them.

Looks like Its exhaust and fresh air intake for a furnace/boiler. There is code regaurding distances from other intakes and exhaust - i don't know it enought cite it though.

 

[Noreaster]

While theoretically it could cause a problem, in reality it hasn't. As you say, it has run this way for many years. I think the relatively small, dispersed heat from the heater exhaust will not overcome the cold water running through the pipes (water carries much more heat than air). The condensation comes from the h2o in the exhaust gas (same reason your home's heater probably has a drain) and is an indication that the pipe is relatively cool.

I wouldn't worry about it.

What he said.

 

[ajw22]

the PVC likely wont melt because the heater should not turn on if there is no flow, and the flow of water through it will keep it from softening / melting.

Heaters have a pressure switch, not a flow switch, and they may retain enough pressure when the pump is off to turn the heater on. We have seen this happen.

So while it is a low probability risk I would spend less then $50 in PVC materials and move that pipe to run at ground level.