Gas pool heaters are essentially equivalent in power generation capacity to gas driven backup generators one might buy.

Build a model with electric output connecting back into the house, so that you can run it as a generator when the need occurs.
-- theircompetitor, Mar 31 2004

natural gas backup generators http://www.norwall.com/specials.htm
[theircompetitor, Oct 04 2004]

You're proposing to run a natural gas/LP gas/gasoline (pick one) power generator to power your home (selling the excess power back to the power company, I suppose) and using the waste heat to warm a swimming pool? Hmmmm....

From the title "Electric Pool" I thought someone or something was going to be electrocuted. Darn the luck.
-- RooneDitoff, Mar 31 2004


No, that's not what he's proposing.
-- yabba do yabba dabba, Mar 31 2004


Sorry for not understanding the pool heater as part time generator idea. I'm not familiar with gas pool heaters since I live in a warmer climate and have no pool. The folks near me who do have pools heat them on a part-time basis with a nuclear fusion reaction from a distance of approximately 93 million miles. It's free, but not 100% reliable--less effective on cloudy days when you may need it more.
-- RooneDitoff, Mar 31 2004


I'm in [Roone]'s boat in that I don't understand what a gas pool heater has to do with power generation. Does your pool heater generate electricity? If so, why?

<side note> Actually, it may be possible to reverse an electric pool heater and generate some electricity if it uses a refrigeration cycle and your pool is significantly warmer than the surroundings.</side note>
-- Worldgineer, Mar 31 2004


The pool heater doesn't generate power. It is, however, attached to the gas line and burns gas, so if one could *make* it generate power, one would have one box with two functions for the price of a single installation. (That's how I read the idea, anyway.)

Should catch on with Californians. (Hot tubs and frequent power outages, e.g. last summer.)
-- jutta, Mar 31 2004


Sorry for the somewhat laconic description, but jutta is exactly right.

I will find and post links for current single function devices.

This summer after blackout in NYC, as powered backup generators were selling out like hotcakes from Home Depot and Lowes, because you don't need to get/store gasoline for them.

But many pool owners already have gas pool heaters that are roughly similar in size and gas consumption possibilities.

So if you're marketing one of these things to a pool buyer -- and it's not cheap, just running the gas line will cost me several thousands -- this kind of function would be a great value add.
-- theircompetitor, Mar 31 2004


I think the name isn't helping. Threw me way off. Took me four reads of jutta's paragraph to finally get it. Then I finally realized it's not a billiard table that you plug in.
-- waugsqueke, Mar 31 2004



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