This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey installs a device that will heat a pool with the heat produced by an air conditioner. (See below for a shopping list, tools, and steps.)
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Shopping List for Heating a Swimming Pool with an Air Conditioner:
Heat exchanger []
PVC pipe, unions, and assorted fittings []
PVC primer [] and cement [], for gluing together plastic pipe and fittings
T-fitting [] with adapter [] and sensor well [], used to regulate water temperature
Tools List for Heating a Swimming Pool with an Air Conditioner:
PVC saw [], used to cut plastic pipe
Pliers [], for tightening threaded connections
Steps for Heating a Swimming Pool with an Air Conditioner
1. Turn off the power to the pool filter.
2. Use a PVC saw to cut out a section of plastic pipe leading from the pool filter.
3. Thread an adapter into a T-fitting, then insert a sensor well into the adapter.
4. Cut and dry-assemble the PVC pipe and fittings to connect the pool filter to the heat exchanger, and from the heat exchanger to the water pipe leading back to the pool.
5. Once you’re satisfied with the fit of all the parts, glue the pipe and fittings together with PVC primer and cement.
6. Connect the pipe ends to the heat exchanger using threaded unions, not PVC cement.
7. Hire a licensed refrigeration technician to connect the air-conditioner refrigerant lines to the refrigerant lines on the heat exchanger.
8. Once the lines are connected and pressure-tested, the refrigerant lines must be recharged.
9. Hire a licensed electrician to install the master controller to the exterior wall of the house. The controller acts as an interface between the pool pump, heat exchanger, and air conditioner.
10. Turn the power back on.
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Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.
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How to Heat a Swimming Pool with an Air Conditioner | Ask This Old House
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