Should I get Jandy JXi heater WITH or WITHOUT Versaflo bypass?

[dcpickle]

Hi, I'm a soon-to-be pool owner. Installer plans to install a Jandy JXi 400N without Versaflo bypass. He doesn't know anything about it, and doesn't see any reason to incur the extra cost. He says the cost difference is about $600. Supply house says they don't sell very many with the bypass. I've been researching and I think I may still want it. What do you think? Has anyone tested what the difference in flowrate is achieved when the bypass is active vs inactive? It seems to me that's where the energy savings can come from, i.e. set the VS pump to pump a certain speed to achieve desired pool turnover with bypass active (i.e. bypassed) rather than with all flow going thru heater. If you assume the heater-active time is minimal, then you will still get the pool turnover you want, at a lower RPM than you'd use if it was never bypassed. Lower RPM then means less KWH.

Is my thinking correct? Does anyone have any actual flowrate numbers? I don't know how to use PSI differences, since I plan to set the pump speed using flowrate.

Regardless, do you think the versaflo is worth it?

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

You may want the Versaflo but not for turnover reasons.

There is no science behind the pool water needing any number of "turnovers" and 100% water turnover is not achievable.

Trying to achieve a turnover goal gets pool owners to focus on the wrong metrics when selecting a pump and then running the pump faster then necessary if it is a variable speed pump (VS). You need to run your pump for a reason, and we are saying that "turnovers" are not a reason by itself.

Turnover of Pool Water - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[ajw22]

5 year warranty is the major benefit of getting the Versaflo.

Pros
-it extends warranty to 5 years instead of 1
-no additional programming needed, when there is a cfh the bypass closes.
Cons
-they have a piston that open and closes the bypass that seem to break often.

Did I waste money on a Jandy VersaFlo?

Hi all, I have a JXI400 natural gas heater which I installed a VersaFlo on. Currently with all flow going to the heater, it requires the pump to operate at 2700 RPM or the low flow warning will appear. Not sure if that's a little high? I know all pool configurations are different though. The...

www.troublefreepool.com

Jandy Pro XI heater. Does anyone have the versaflo bypass?

Our new pool has a Jandy xi heater and I was just reading I can add an automatic bypass to it so the water doesn't cycle through the heater. Does anyone have any experience with this. I've found it online for $165. Is it worth it? The literature says an increase of flow and an energy savings...

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Heater Bypass vs Versaflo for Jandy JXi 400

Is there any concern going with a heater bypass (Jandy Diverter, Check Valve, Actuator) vs the Versaflo system? I've read a few conflicting threads and was hoping to consolidate the answer into this thread for future readers. Heater Bypass - Further Reading here. From the following thread, it...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[dcpickle]

Welcome to TFP.

You may want the Versaflo but not for turnover reasons.

There is no science behind the pool water needing any number of "turnovers" and 100% water turnover is not achievable.

Trying to achieve a turnover goal gets pool owners to focus on the wrong metrics when selecting a pump and then running the pump faster then necessary if it is a variable speed pump (VS). You need to run your pump for a reason, and we are saying that "turnovers" are not a reason by itself.

Turnover of Pool Water - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Thanks, that's eye-opening and makes sense... The pump is not there just to perform 'turnovers' is it? I guess there are other things to focus on, instead.

 

[PoolGate]

I did lose a heater core on this heater but I think I would still have been out of warranty even with the versa flow. It doesn't do much for a properly balanced pool. Follow tfp methods and you should be fine.

I do have one I got on eBay for like $150 that I haven't installed yet and probably won't.

 

[1poolman1]

Thanks, that's eye-opening and makes sense... The pump is not there just to perform 'turnovers' is it? I guess there are other things to focus on, instead.

Typical "Jandy-speak" on that 5-year heat exchanger warranty. I can guarantee that if you never run water through your heater the exchanger will last a lifetime. Don't take proper care of your water chemistry and they won't cover the warranty, regardless of the Versa-Flow or not. Chemical damage is very easy to both see and claim. Six-hundred dollars seems a lot to pay for a warranty that might not be covered.
From section 5.6 of the manual:
The JXi heater is manufactured with materials that are not compatible with high concentrations of ozone, chlorine, bromine, or other sanitizing chemicals. Heater damage caused by improper water chemistry or plumbing configurations are not covered by the Zodiac Pool Systems LLC warranty.