I finally have all the parts I need to hook up my heat exchanger for my hot tub. This weekend I buried the insulated PEX and now I need to figure out the best way to install the heat exchanger. I bought an 80,000BTU SS heat heat exchanger with 3/4" and 1 1/2" outlets. The hot tub is only about 600 gallons so this should easily heat it, even with my boiler temps at the usual 145 degrees.
I was originally going to install the heat exchanger in parallel with the existing plumbing but I'm worried that going from 2" to 1 1/2" will restrict the flow too much. This seemed like it would be easier at first, but I'm leaning against this idea now.
My second idea is to install two new jets with a small taco circulating pump and aquastat. This way the heat exchanger plumbing would be completely separate from the existing plumbing and controls. I'm sure that a small taco 007 would use much less electricity to circulate than the low setting on the big pump.
Either way I'm going to have the boiler lines constantly circulating hot water to prevent any possibility of freeze up.
Has anyone else done this and what did you do?
![Best way to hook up hot tub heat exchanger Best way to hook up hot tub heat exchanger](/talk/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Ffairbanksgas.com%2F1903186376388080_4.jpg&hash=5c313f3afad61bc4c5e278acf078a43a)
I was originally going to install the heat exchanger in parallel with the existing plumbing but I'm worried that going from 2" to 1 1/2" will restrict the flow too much. This seemed like it would be easier at first, but I'm leaning against this idea now.
My second idea is to install two new jets with a small taco circulating pump and aquastat. This way the heat exchanger plumbing would be completely separate from the existing plumbing and controls. I'm sure that a small taco 007 would use much less electricity to circulate than the low setting on the big pump.
Either way I'm going to have the boiler lines constantly circulating hot water to prevent any possibility of freeze up.
Has anyone else done this and what did you do?