Heater bypass and check valve - Needed?

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panic_button

panic_button

Bronze Supporter
Jun 23, 2019
354
Emerald Coast Florida
Pool Size
21000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I want to see the consensus on what is recommended on a heat pump heater install. PB states there is no need for plumbing in a bypass and check valve for the heat pump. When I asked about maintenance, he stated you just turn off the pump. What I've read it looks like it's a 50/50 split on if it is needed or recommended or not.

Everyone's thoughts?

Thanks-
 
PB

I don't have a heater, but if I did it would have a by-pass.. Simply so that I could take it out of the system, when not in use 95% of the time. Anything after the pump increase the back pressure and the more you have, the faster you will need to run your pump. It will also be nice to have if you ever have a heater issue later in life and want to remove the heater for maintenance.

If you have a SWCG, you do not need a check valve between the SWCG and the heater.. Were you talking about a different check valve???

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Last edited:
I installed a check valve between the heater and my SWCG because I thought I read where it was recommended. I also installed a bypass system for the heater; it used to be plumbed without a bypass and the flow is MUCH better for general filtering/circulation when it is bypassed.

Some of the newer RayPak higher-efficiency heaters have an internal bypass as a factory option, presumably to eliminate the flow reduction through the manifold.
 
If your heater springs a leak you will need to shutdown your pump and water circulation until it is repaired if you don’t have a bypass.

If you get low acidic pH, either accidentally or on purpose, you will have no way of protecting the heater from damage if you don’t have a bypass.

Pool Builders are short sighted and often don’t own pools and have practical ownership experience.

Insist on the bypass.
 
You only need a check valve between the heater and a Tab feeder.. This is because when you turn off the pump there are still tablets in the feeder and the very acidic water can then flow backwards into the heater. You do not have this problem with a SWCG, because there is nothing there to flow backwards...

Jim R.
 
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