Awesome video man! as an oilfield pump mechanic in west Texas I want to give you a couple tips to make your system better! Please move your water pump as close as you can to your filter coming straight out of the tank! That’s a centrifugal pump which means it doesn’t suck, it only boost water pressure. That loud noises you’re hearing from both pumps is cavitation, pumps will be silent if your pump is right after your filter. Also, all that excess suction line is unnecessary, cut the excess off and move your pump on to the ground level to it’s not trying to pull water up! Other than that your golden!
You ROCK! I've been wondering what a pump engineer/mechanic would say about this setup. I have a further question for you - that pump is rated for 5min use 10 minutes rest (or so). Do you know of a better pump solution that can work for hours and provide good psi? I just bought a continuous duty pump but its not a high out put pressure.
@@wesley4713 someone said they used the Camplux JK-4000. What pump did you end up going with? Another poster said that there was a little filter on the valve to the Camplux heater inlet that they removed and it worked better.
Hi, all you stock tank hot tubbers…help, PLEASE! I practically begged my hubby for a stock tank and all the stuff that it takes to make it into a hot tub. I told him it would be super Duper easy etc. we managed to save our money, use Amazon prime days and get all the materials that are suggested in this video we studied the video, watched it over and over again. BTW, good straightforward video. we finally put it all together. We got two full tanks of propane because we did read somewhere that sometimes they freeze up, turned it all on and after about an hour the hot water pump started surging, and then our camplux heater turned off. We unplugged it try it again the camplux heater turned on, but the pump still was surging and then the heater turned off. I change the filter on the pool. We checked the filter on the pump and that looks totally clear. We called the the number on the hot water pump manufacture and they said that it’s not intended to use for this and that it’s too small. We have an 8 foot stock tank and we followed the buying instructions from the video. I see through the comments that a lot of people are having this issue and they talk about the strainer which is a little confusing for me, but is anybody using a different hot water pump that is powerful enough, so it does not surge and turn off the heater? Does anyone else have any issues with their propane gas freezing from condensation? Please help… our 40th anniversary is coming up and it would be so wonderful and healing to get in this hot tub with our kids.
You can actually put pipe dope on the barb fittings for the hose connections. It makes your hose clamp tightening less demanding. Anytime I repair garden hoses with new end fittings, I use pipe dope, Hercules Real-Tuff. It can be used on plastic and be put in to service immediately.
It would heat up faster if the hot water return line was on the opposite side of the tank from the cold water line. That way it would draw the hot water across the tank rather than just heating one side of the tank first.
@@grinchyface that’s absolutely how physics work. If the cold water is drawn in from one side, physicals says it has to return to the pool from the other pipe.
@@ADIYHD this makes sense, wouldn’t it also be smarter to have the hot water come in the lower valve? Since heat rises, hot water will flow up and heat the pool faster?
This was an exact replacement for the old one that lasted about 10 years. ruclips.net/user/postUgkx7yWIKcrbA9KMHkGSfcgxW2lsjHT6B8Sh The top of my mitigation tube by my roofline was just a 90 elbow which allowed too much debris to fall down into the fan, eventually ruining it. Without this issue, I bet it would have kept running another 10 years. When I replaced this fan, I added an extra elbow joint so the top tube now it does a 180, which should solve that problem. The radon guys around here wanted to charge me a $300 diagnostic fee, then parts/labor (probably close to $600 total). I installed this all by myself in about an hour for the cost of the fan; it would probably be even easier/faster with two people. FYI the manufacturer's warranty greatly differs depending on whether you install it yourself (1 yr warranty) or have a licensed installer do it (10 yrs).
A few observations about our build. Firstly, we bought the 6’ oval tank 6’ x 2’ x 2’, 169 gallons. It’s perfect for two people. I accidentally bought the 2.11 gal/minute heater, but it works fine for the smaller tank. We alto ran a hose from the tank drain and put the same shutoff valve fitting on it so that it’s easy to drain the tank which we do after a few tubs. We were having declining performance and first thought was the collapsing hose that flattened and shut down flow when it got hot. We replaced all with braided and also brought the filter up near the pump so that it’s easy to get to. Still, we were having problems with ultra-low flow until finally in desperation we took the heater off the cart it’s connected to and actually removed the hose inlet fitting that came with the unit and discovered a tiny cup mesh filter that was totally clogged and once we removed that, all our problems were solved. We had tried so many things to diagnose the problem. So glad we discovered that little filter. If anyone makes this I’d recommend braided hose especially on the suction side of the pump and removing that filter.
@@fillups9 I'm not sure what you mean by the little blue nozzle. I'm talking about the water inlet for the heater. It had a little screen filter in it. It isn't needed (there's a much bigger filter) and it was terribly clogged, reducing performance.
Thank you so much for your easy and clear directions! I am super new to power tools and DIY home projects but your video and website gave me the confidence to take this on and build my own stock tank hot tub (6' x 2') a year ago and am still enjoying it often. I even upgraded it recently by surrounding it with 4" thick insulation and a beautiful wooden exterior and lid.
How much quicker does the tank warm up and how much longer does it stay warm with the insulation? Did you make a cover for the tub with wood around foam insulation to hold in the heat as you are still heating it and to keep animals/leaves/bugs out?
@@Rick_Sanchez_C137_ I live in central coastal CA and use the tub about twice a week. Over night the water temp only drops to about 90 but since I only use it 1-2 times a week, the temp usually drops to about 70 then and takes 30-40 min to heat up to 103 (my just right temp). So averaging 1 degree per minute. I think I have the smallest of the propane heaters though. Before the insulation it took about 90 minutes. I put 2" thick insulation underneath it and then did build a lid out of wood and just glued a 2" layer of insulation to that. For the sides I used two sheets of 1" thick insulation as it is much more bendable. I then surrounded the tub with wood planks standing on end like a fence so it looks nice. I hold the wood in place by wrapping two strips of metal strapping around (wine barrel style).
@@ashleychatman744 great to know about the insultation!! what material did you use? also would love to see any pics you have as an example. im on the central coast as well and am looking at doing the exact same size 6x2 :) any problems with rusting? i was considering using flex seal internally, and possibly doing salt water instead of chlorine
@@wildwithoutasaddle1393 dont think you should do salt water with a stock tank as it might ruin galvanization. Ive even heard flex seal MIGHT be problematic.
I was so sad that the season was over and the water was too cold to use. I was nervous to do this. But like with your other videos, it was easy and straightforward! I bought all of the parts you recommended, even went with the largest heater. It took me an afternoon to do everything! I even use a smart plug for both my filter and the heater pump and makes it easy to turn on and schedule through an app. I will say - it does go through propane pretty quickly! But works great! Went from 70f - 100f in a few hours.
Ok this is a nice tutorial. I followed it created this with a poly tank. I have a couple of suggestions and changes I made. First since mine is poly you need to drill your holes slow not fast. Start slow until the arbor penetrates the plastic. If you start fast the bit jumps and you risk damaging your pool by gouging out more plastic. Second, do not buy the black poly hoses. They expand like a balloon after the pump and I had mine leak while going into the heater. I bought premade washing machine hoses that are female on both ends. They work great. The incoming line is blue and the outgoing heated water line going into the pool is red. The incoming blue line I had to cut into two pieces to connect to the pump. I needed so more length so I bought another set of washing machine hoses and joined them with a brass coupler. I also placed everything in a wooden box that has wheels. The pool filter, pressure pump, propane gas cylinder are all inside the box. The camplux heater is mounted the heater on the outside of the box. It is totally portable so if we move the pool it can be moved as well easily and is protected from the weather. In the winter I can wheel everything into the garage to protect it. ruclips.net/video/bsg3ryX5W5M/видео.htmlsi=oJ8VybnNu7m9lgHe
I really appreciate your videos. They’re thorough and detailed enough to make me feel comfortable doing this, without any of the superfluous stuff so many maker videos have.
I was going to make an in-ground tub. Make the floor/shell out of concrete and use your setup to heat it up. Thanks for putting this video together. Nice setup.
I would probably install the spigots 180° (directly opposite of each other) to maximize cross flow and help heat the entire pool. Thanks for the video!
Not a bad idea. I just didn't want to run a hose all the way to the other side. That said, the warm water stratifies quite a bit so I end up running the filter pump to mix the water.
@@stocktankpools4980 hey, I know you made these videos like three years ago but my husband and I finally got ours all together this past month and then we ran into some problems. I’ve read through all the comments and saw that other people had the same issue, but their issue wasn’t really covered in any replies, we are 63 and 67 years old and saved up to get this together and I really need some troubleshooting help. The hot water pump seems to make a pulsating noise after an hour or so or less and then the camplux heater turns off. We also do not have the orange, hot water pump covered from the weather. But I didn’t think that that would make any difference. We were thinking that that pump is not the right pump or strength to run the 10L camplux propane heater for an 8’ pool. We are not the most handy people in the world so some of the more complex workaround’s are hard for us to understand. I know the people were talking about this enabling some timer on the camplux propane heater, so maybe that is something we need to do which I don’t know how to do. We have invested some significant amount of money and time and our 40th anniversary is coming up and I’d love to be able to actually use this hot tub. Could you give me some update information if you have any .thank you.
I had the same issues with the pump. I do like the SeaFlow as well. my SeaFlow had the filter right on the side in-line. Have you had any issues with the gas? I found a 2 stage regulator worked best. But now I’m having issues with the flame going out after about 5 minutes. So I think it needs some sort of adjustment. Which I’m not sure what that is yet…
Have you had any problems with the water heater pump? How long have you run it at one time? Ours seems to struggle and get super hot after 15-20 mins. I’m wondering if there’s a better pump that’s meant to run longer.
This is why I’m thinking a firebox surrounded by copper coils and using an aquarium pump to push water through the coils faster…. (That and to keep fuel costs down as my property is WAY off grid and electricity comes from a gas generator whereas I have downed trees all over my property)….
Interesting. Do you think you should have have the inlet come from the bottom because heat rises? Also the service look off of the pump had a gravity restriction. That tube probably should be mounted. What about water freezing in the lines when the system is not in operation?
Hey! I just did this today with help from you video. I skipped the valve and siding parts just to see if I could recirculate with that pump efficiently. My water pressure in my area is pretty low (asked a few neighbors haha) and once I plugged this in? I could finally go MAX water flow and the heater was SO MUCH MORE EFFICIENT this way. I'm practicing my plumbing while I dig my in ground hot tub :3! Thanks for the inspiration and help! Its soooooooooooooooooooo NICE I cant understate that. AND QUIET!
Since there is already a pump system with filter, is there not a way to just pump out, through filter, to heater, back to pool thus requiring no extra hole drilling?
Not if you want to keep the warranty for the plastic intex filter. They replaced one for me for free bc I did everything right.. It's not made for that I've already burned one out not even doing the added distance and variations.
Great video! Any concerns on the chemicals in the water damaging the propane heater? I know that Rinnai strictly recommends against it for their propane heaters.
I think its safe to assume this is hard on the heater. Hard water is also hard on these and will impact heating output/efficiency over time. MFG recommends to increase water flow and decrease temp. Eg - its better for the heater if you don't max the heating output. So if you want to raise from 70degreese to 104 - setting the water output temp to 104 would give increased life span.
Any issues with low pressure from the outlet and the heater turning off after about an hour? I’m on my second heater and they both do it! What am I doing wrong?
You should have a shield between your building the heater it could burn or blacken the outside paneling. Also if you used shark-bite fittings your pump won't struggle so much. Plus the heat coming off the heater may make black return hose your using limp over by getting hot. Just my opinion.
Mal K I used some Teflon tape on a few of the fittings the first time around (before filming) and it didn’t really make a difference. The biggest thing is to make sure all the gaskets and O-rings are in place (they can fall out easily during installation) then you tighten the fittings with your rusty pliers :)
we did a wood fired cattle tank hot tub at a commune and put wood pallets on the bottom so you wouldn't burn your feet and we all sat on cement blocks ... super comfortable. and fun to feed the fire underneath to heat it up!!!
Those pumps get very hot with continuous use. Keep in mind they are designed for use in Boats and camper trailors. Install a 120mm computer cooling fan over the pump to keep it cool. A simple screw through the side of the fan surround will keep it in place. Wire it in parallel with the pump so it spins up when pump is on.
I was looking at this project and found this exact problem. The rating on that pump is 5 minutes of use 15 minutes of rest. Thats a fire hazard in the wrong spot at worst and a quickly broken pump at best.
Are you referring to the Sea-Flo pump? Do you have a different pump recommendation? My Camplux keeps shutting off after 20 minutes or so which makes me think that I’m not getting even flow of water which may be from the pump!!
@@fillups9 I used a chinese copy of an Obart fl40 pump purchased on ebayy. It is 12 volt 17 litres per minute. A 12 volt computer fan next to the pump keeps it cool under continuous use. All of these boilers have a 20 minute shut off timer. I used a 12 volt timer module and a small relay to reset the boiler every 15 minutes, thereby bypassing the 20 minute shut off timer.
@@AndrooH Too expensive. There are cheap chinese copies of the Obart FL40 pump. It delivers enough pressure and flow to operate these boilers. It is only 12 volt so it is also very safe to use. A simple computer fan keeps them cool.Do not, under any circumstances use a 210 or 240volt pump. It is very dangerous. If you get a pump malfunction . It could easily cause death. I once had a 240 volt garden pool pump malfunction and it electrocuted all my fish. These hot tubs have 12 volt circulation pumps as standard. The water heating elements are 240volt but they are sealed ceramic heaters.
I really liked how clear the explanation to do all of this was! Hoping you could help me with an issue: Whenever I plug in the SeaFlo pump, it seems to turn on and off - rather than the continuous flow. That makes my Camplux lack the pressure it needs to turn on.
We are having a similar issue. We bought everything from this video and followed the instructions, but have had non stop issues. We identified one issue with the heater that we were able to fix with camplux tech support. Now the pump seems to be malfunctioning; it just shuts off and gets super hot.
Actually yes on the SeaFlo pump, on the top part there is an Allen wrench screw that allows you to increase or decrease flow. Play with that! But I’ve also learned this method to warm up a pool sucks. Look into an attached furnace with copper.
Well, the claw tub went away and replaced with a 4 foot by 6 foot cedar tub that I constructed with seating for 3 to 4. I used your same materials except for the tankless system. I used a camplux natural gas system and plumbed it into our natural gas coming to the house. Just finished my first soak. Oh my gosh, it was great
I'd put the inlet closer to the bottom and the outlet closer to the middle. Since hot water is lighter than cold water it will heat up faster. The way you have it you are hearing warm water instead of cold so it's not as efficient. Other than that not bad. Maybe plumb in some jets.
i got the pump you have - it stops and stops when it gets hot and then starts back up. It also vibrates quite a bit. Does yours just do the same thing? I was thinking it may be better to go with a submersible pump. They’re also less noisy. What do you think?
Hi, Ryan. The pump you linked is no longer available. There are other options on amazon. What size should I be aiming for? 8 ft. stock pool. Thanks for your time! BTW Your videos are super helpful. Making me feel brave enough to do this on my own. Everyone thinks I'm nuts but I've got this!
Big 16l water heat option and youll be at 600 roughly. For everything except the metal hoses that are not listed. Im about to do this for a smaller hot tub.
Great video. Good, clear audio and video. Lots of details. Well done, sir. Currently looking for a heater and pump combination for my new inflatable hot tub. Camplux and SeaFlo.👍 Thanks.
subscribed and gave a thumbs up. If you want a nice edge on your pool use a pool noodle sliced down one side. I use them on my loft bed for head protection because my desk is underneath my loft. I've also used them for roll bar covers on a jeep.
Any issues with the pump? It is rated for a 5 minute on, 10 minute off duty cycle. So running it for an hour or three to heat a stock tank pool may kill it prematurely?
I'm getting the supplies right now to do this project and saw this same problem. This is a fire hazard unless you follow those directions ^. I found a continuous duty pump to try. I wonder if anyone else has found a better solution for the pump. High pressure and continuous duty seems to be very difficult to find. The one I got isn't high pressure but, the heater i got only needs a min of 5psi. Efficient operation requires closer to 60 psi - If I understood the poorly Chinese to English translation properly. lol.
@@wesley4713 I just installed the same Camplux heater and bought their pump as well. JK-4000. It works great..quiet and shuts off as soon as you shut off the switch at the shower head. It has a 90 minute on 20 minute off duty cycle if I recall. 45 psi, 3.3 gpm. Lots of pressure for showers, even at the low flow setting on the heater.
Hi, following your video I have just finished my install with a 8 diameter stock pool, the Camplux 16 L and the seaflo pump here in LA. Run a test to see how many times a 5 gallon propane tank could heat the tank and for me it was good for one time heating for 2:30 hours. It was cozy and warm but not hot.The second time I used the rest of the propane tank it wasn’t enough, it heat for 1:30 minutes and then I ran out of propane.
Thinking about doing this but connected to a whole house NG water heater to fill it, and a wood fired coil heater to maintain heat while using it. I’m on well water, so draining/ refilling is not an issue.
Hello. Will the heater automatically turn off if the recirculating water going back to the heater is 100 degrees or more? Thanks for such an informative video!
This is great. We just purchased a plastic 8' x 2' from Hastings and will be converting it, hopefully soon. Quick question, has anyone DIY'd a cover, like ones that fit over hot tubs. Want to keep kids and dog out of it when we're not around...Safety first!!!!
What do you do to prevent the lines/filter/pump from freezing in the winter time? Did you put unions on everything and take pump and filter inside when not in use? Tank is obviously fine.
I have the exact setup. Have you had issues with the heater getting rained on? Everything that I've read says they aren't rated for any rain because of the electronics/batteries.
This is an outdoor-rated heater so the electronics must be sealed pretty well. It survived a direct hit by the Nashville tornado (150 mph rain) so it seems well-built.
Hi I’ve connected everything per the video and it all works thank you so much. One issue I am having is when I leave the stock tank for a few minutes and then come back it seems the heater even with a full tank of gas and the pump still ruining clicks off and is only pumping non heated water through What gives?? Thank you!
FYI I have a similar style gas boiler it is a different make and without a exhaust flue the flame will fail due to a sensor in the exhaust outlet....this might be why at half a tank the flame reduces as you say the pressure drops which might be why the boiler will not to heat properly it can't get rid of the burnt gasses fast enough without the flue ....it should be able to turn right down to keep warm....hope helps and fixes the problem...also I'm sure you have seen home made wood heaters for the pool which you could plumb into the pool filter to also maintain temp after heater has done its work......good luck, I'm doing something similar myself so watching others all info helps...love the remote idea..nice video.... also FYI the second type of pump you have is a diaphragm pump which is why its quieter than the other one which from the sound is a gear or impeller style..... if you attach the new pump to solid piece of wood and then to your shed it will reduce the sound greatly too.
NIGHTLAMP12345678 I appreciate the comment because it turned me onto diaphragm pumps. His Seaflo is a 3-chamber 33 series. I saw they make up to a 5 chamber series with their 4-chamber model including a variable flow rate option. Supposedly the more diaphragm chambers the quieter the operation, assuming proper mounting.
nice video, especially the way you organize things to make things all look very clean. Remote control idea for the pump is also excellent. Now, I am going to build one!
Thanks so much for the information. I especially like the link where you connect to Amazon for the parts. I am using this to turn an old claw tub into my one-person outside soaking tub. I have all the parts; so now its just putting it together. I do have one question though. Was that another filter that I saw attached to your tub? If so, what is that for and would I need it for a one-person operation like the one I just described. Thanks again
I installed base on your great instructions. The heater i have has a shut off valve and shuts off after 15 min, do you know a way to by pass or a heater that does not have a shut off valve. min.
Great question! I really thought a lot about that, but in the end the biggest problem is the reduced pipe size of the heater will strain the filter pump and potentially cause it to fail. The filter pump has 1.5" diameter hoses and the heater has 1/2" diameter fittings (that equates to a huge difference in flow area). The filter pump is also designed to be a "low pressure" pump, meaning it would have trouble pushing the water through the bends and kinks of the heat exchanger.
It will heat it up for as long as the propane will last! I once left it running too long and it was 110F! The tank is uninsulated so it will lose heat fairly quickly (which is why I reccomend a bubble cover). I've mostly used the heater to warm the tank up to pool temps (80-85F).
@@stocktankpools4980 Sorry if I missed this earlier but how long to get the temp to 85 degrees in a 8' stock tank? I'm debating on grabbing the 5L Heater as it's available now and I don't need hot tub temps. I'm thinking maybe I don't need the 10L Camplux, but perhaps I'm wrong.
When drilling a hole through metal and attaching any fitting using a rubber grommet(seal) it is beat to file down any sharp edges left from drilling. Naturally occurring expansion and contraction of the metals will, over time, wear to the point the seal needs to be replaced. Simply adding silicone may help short term but ultimately, filing each side of the hole smooth is all that is needed.
So what is gonna keep the water left in the heater and the pump from freezing and busting pipes in the winter when you are not running it? I would say where I live at in the Midwest in the winter and you are not running the pump and heater at least every 4-6 hours. The access water in the heater, the circulating pump and the connection hoses will freeze and ruin all that equipment very quickly. Maybe if you left the circulation pump run all the time like in a real hot tub it might not freeze
Hi, I enjoy watching your videos on stock tank pools! Recently, I bought a 150 gallon stock tank. What size Intex pool filter and Camplux hot water heater do you recommend? Thanks.
Wait it only heats up to 35 c ? I was planning on using this set up for my blow up hot tub essentially trying to find the correct tankless heater for best results hence watching you video. I was sold on camp flux till I seen that . Do you have an update ?
Starting this install now- would you still recommend the black tubing? Did it hold up okay in the winter? Or if given a do over would you recommend a different tubing for the connections? Thanks so much!
If possible, find some braided reinforced tubing. The black tubing isn’t reinforced so bulged and split after about 6 months due to the high pressure. That said, it’s pretty cheap and easy to replace
Also the black tubing in the video is not heat grade; while the tubing he linked is. I bought the black tubing he pictured and glad my neighbor said something.
I have a question about the propane tank. I bought all of the suggested items in the video. I assembled all perfectly thanks to the detailed instructions. Hooked it up to a propane tank (same type I use for my gas grill), and the water only got to 74 degrees after 4 hours and I believe because I ran out of propane. It was a full tank when I began. Any idea of how many tanks of propane it should take to heat an 8 foot stock tank? Any suggestions or feedback would be much appreciated.
After about of year since just doing this, is there anything you'd have done differently? Any strategy as to were you place your inlet and outlet for the heater in relation to the inlet and outlet for your Intex filtration system. Do you ever run both to push more water around the pool, or will the hot water damage your Intex pump? Lastly, did you consider just using adapters to be able to use the existing inlet and outlet.
@@SFXD24 the pool filter doesn’t - but I was thinking I could add an additional pump after filter. I found another comment from a pump mechanic here who stated that would be a better design for how this video outlines it.
Does your camplux over heat and shut down after working perfectly for weeks ? I have to adjust the water and gas output to get to 146 degrees Less water thru Less gas use Or the unit will shut down Last week it was going to town at 151 degrees
The two fittings that come with the heater where you screw on the barb fittings are the wrong h thread. Those barb fittings are course hose thread and the water heaters are water fitting tapered thread.
@@goldenbanjo197 can you tell me what you used? I’m having the same issue and I know nothing about plumbing. Super disappointed wife over here...please send help.
@@robertcarnoske8831 haha I know how it is with the wife. I took the barbed hose fitting into Home Depot and matched them up. You need a 3/4” pipe thread on the unit not hose bib thread is the problem. I wish I could tell you exactly which part it is. You can show it to a plumber or someone that works at a plumbing store for help too.
@@robertcarnoske8831 I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll try to make a video on my you tube showing this issue and what to get to fix it. Then I will post a link in this thread for you. I hope that will help you.
Great video! Excited to get my own 6x2 stock tank pool/hot tub up and running! i was wondering if you might know how much electricity the pool filter and the hot tub pump draw? Or how often you should keep them running? Thanks for the great content here and on your site!!
Propane usage? Would you recommend this over a electrical-powered heating solution for a permanently installed stock tank/hot-tub? Trying to decide whether to use propane or electricity to heat my permanently installed 10' stock tank pool, and if going propane seems logical I should choose the Complex 16L unit (The biggest one), but I'd really hate to be swapping propane tanks constantly or too periodically, making electric seem much more appealing long term..
Thanks for the detailed tutorial. I have two questions. 1. They sea flow pump will start “hiccuping” after a while and can’t figure out what the issue is or how to fix it. It’s connected exactly as instructed. 2. Should I run my other intex pump while running the heating pump and system? Thank you!
I'm having the same issue. I'm on my 3rd pump. The valve ended up melting on my last one. And the new one was working fine then out of no where, it has an issue recirculating. Advice?
Probably should go with a larger pump, as it seems you are using this to get to 100+ on the temp side. This is more for extending your spring and falls. So it shouldn't run longer than 15-30 minutes without a cool down or you'll burn it out. A water transfer pump is used for longer durations.
I see your propane tank, how long were you able to run the heat for that 30 lb tank? Or how long does that size tank last if you run it for the weekend? Good video, my wife and I are thinking about doing this project!
Good question (sorry for the delay)! For how how often we use it, I typically go through 1-2 20lb tanks per month. That's heating it up 10-20 degrees maybe 4-5 times? I started using the eco setting a lot more too, it seems to help!
@@stocktankpools4980 Wow. For the amount you'll spend on propane and electricity.. plus the cost of all the parts it took to build this.. why not just purchase an inflatable hot tub? I've had my intex for quite some time.. and I barely notice an increase in electricity. And it only costs me about $10 per month to maintain it with chemicals.
looks great. only question i have that i can't find an answer too. i do know it depends on how cold the water is to start. how many tanks of propane are used to heat up the pool ? i see that it takes a couple hours. but not the amount of propane. thanks.
I have a 10’ tank and it takes one 20lb propane tank to heat the water about 40 degrees. But beware, the propane tank will get really cold and icy on the outside as you use it (normal chemical process, nothing to do with the weather) so it will get less efficient as it runs out of propane. Solved by putting the propane tank into a tub of water so the outside can’t freeze.
not alot of cold weather here in florida so, thats not what i need this for. i need it for medical use. plus the kids would have fun of course. my question to you is, how many times can you use it before you have to switch out the gas tank.
Great question! It really depends on how much you're heating it (and the outside temperature). Here in Tennessee I use the heater 3-4 times per month in the spring to heat it from ~60F - 80F and I've been getting about one tank per month.
I've been wondering about this myself. My thoughts are to add an additional pump after the filter with a splitter. The heater will only use a fraction of the GPM so you cannot pipe it directly. This way the water going to the heater is filtered too. I would not use that seaflow pump as its not rated for continuous use.
I am currently preparing to add a stock tank pool into our backyard. Your set up looks like an excellent example to use as a model. Having said that, what size tank is this in your video?
Awesome video man! as an oilfield pump mechanic in west Texas I want to give you a couple tips to make your system better! Please move your water pump as close as you can to your filter coming straight out of the tank! That’s a centrifugal pump which means it doesn’t suck, it only boost water pressure. That loud noises you’re hearing from both pumps is cavitation, pumps will be silent if your pump is right after your filter. Also, all that excess suction line is unnecessary, cut the excess off and move your pump on to the ground level to it’s not trying to pull water up! Other than that your golden!
I appreciate detailed pointers like this from a pro. thanks for sharing.
You ROCK! I've been wondering what a pump engineer/mechanic would say about this setup. I have a further question for you - that pump is rated for 5min use 10 minutes rest (or so). Do you know of a better pump solution that can work for hours and provide good psi? I just bought a continuous duty pump but its not a high out put pressure.
@@wesley4713 someone said they used the Camplux JK-4000. What pump did you end up going with? Another poster said that there was a little filter on the valve to the Camplux heater inlet that they removed and it worked better.
Can you help me and my set up!? What are your thoughts on the Camplux JK-4000?
Thanks for pointing out the improvements I can also do when I m ready to install.
Hi, all you stock tank hot tubbers…help, PLEASE!
I practically begged my hubby for a stock tank and all the stuff that it takes to make it into a hot tub. I told him it would be super Duper easy etc. we managed to save our money, use Amazon prime days and get all the materials that are suggested in this video we studied the video, watched it over and over again. BTW, good straightforward video. we finally put it all together. We got two full tanks of propane because we did read somewhere that sometimes they freeze up, turned it all on and after about an hour the hot water pump started surging, and then our camplux heater turned off. We unplugged it try it again the camplux heater turned on, but the pump still was surging and then the heater turned off. I change the filter on the pool. We checked the filter on the pump and that looks totally clear. We called the the number on the hot water pump manufacture and they said that it’s not intended to use for this and that it’s too small. We have an 8 foot stock tank and we followed the buying instructions from the video. I see through the comments that a lot of people are having this issue and they talk about the strainer which is a little confusing for me, but is anybody using a different hot water pump that is powerful enough, so it does not surge and turn off the heater? Does anyone else have any issues with their propane gas freezing from condensation? Please help… our 40th anniversary is coming up and it would be so wonderful and healing to get in this hot tub with our kids.
You can actually put pipe dope on the barb fittings for the hose connections. It makes your hose clamp tightening less demanding. Anytime I repair garden hoses with new end fittings, I use pipe dope, Hercules Real-Tuff. It can be used on plastic and be put in to service immediately.
Thanks Ryan- your directions are organized , thorough, concise. The great camera work allows us to see exactly what you’re doing.
It would heat up faster if the hot water return line was on the opposite side of the tank from the cold water line. That way it would draw the hot water across the tank rather than just heating one side of the tank first.
That's not how physics works.
@@grinchyface thats exactly how heat transfer works. hes right , youre wrong. nanana boo boo, i poop on u.
Darn I wish I would of seen this idea before drilling the holes. Thanks for the help
@@grinchyface that’s absolutely how physics work. If the cold water is drawn in from one side, physicals says it has to return to the pool from the other pipe.
@@ADIYHD this makes sense, wouldn’t it also be smarter to have the hot water come in the lower valve? Since heat rises, hot water will flow up and heat the pool faster?
This was an exact replacement for the old one that lasted about 10 years. ruclips.net/user/postUgkx7yWIKcrbA9KMHkGSfcgxW2lsjHT6B8Sh The top of my mitigation tube by my roofline was just a 90 elbow which allowed too much debris to fall down into the fan, eventually ruining it. Without this issue, I bet it would have kept running another 10 years. When I replaced this fan, I added an extra elbow joint so the top tube now it does a 180, which should solve that problem. The radon guys around here wanted to charge me a $300 diagnostic fee, then parts/labor (probably close to $600 total). I installed this all by myself in about an hour for the cost of the fan; it would probably be even easier/faster with two people. FYI the manufacturer's warranty greatly differs depending on whether you install it yourself (1 yr warranty) or have a licensed installer do it (10 yrs).
A few observations about our build. Firstly, we bought the 6’ oval tank 6’ x 2’ x 2’, 169 gallons. It’s perfect for two people. I accidentally bought the 2.11 gal/minute heater, but it works fine for the smaller tank. We alto ran a hose from the tank drain and put the same shutoff valve fitting on it so that it’s easy to drain the tank which we do after a few tubs. We were having declining performance and first thought was the collapsing hose that flattened and shut down flow when it got hot. We replaced all with braided and also brought the filter up near the pump so that it’s easy to get to. Still, we were having problems with ultra-low flow until finally in desperation we took the heater off the cart it’s connected to and actually removed the hose inlet fitting that came with the unit and discovered a tiny cup mesh filter that was totally clogged and once we removed that, all our problems were solved. We had tried so many things to diagnose the problem. So glad we discovered that little filter. If anyone makes this I’d recommend braided hose especially on the suction side of the pump and removing that filter.
Jami- do you mean the little blue nozzle?
@@fillups9 I'm not sure what you mean by the little blue nozzle. I'm talking about the water inlet for the heater. It had a little screen filter in it. It isn't needed (there's a much bigger filter) and it was terribly clogged, reducing performance.
This fixed my problem!!!
Thank you so much for your easy and clear directions! I am super new to power tools and DIY home projects but your video and website gave me the confidence to take this on and build my own stock tank hot tub (6' x 2') a year ago and am still enjoying it often. I even upgraded it recently by surrounding it with 4" thick insulation and a beautiful wooden exterior and lid.
How much quicker does the tank warm up and how much longer does it stay warm with the insulation?
Did you make a cover for the tub with wood around foam insulation to hold in the heat as you are still heating it and to keep animals/leaves/bugs out?
@@Rick_Sanchez_C137_ I live in central coastal CA and use the tub about twice a week. Over night the water temp only drops to about 90 but since I only use it 1-2 times a week, the temp usually drops to about 70 then and takes 30-40 min to heat up to 103 (my just right temp). So averaging 1 degree per minute. I think I have the smallest of the propane heaters though. Before the insulation it took about 90 minutes. I put 2" thick insulation underneath it and then did build a lid out of wood and just glued a 2" layer of insulation to that. For the sides I used two sheets of 1" thick insulation as it is much more bendable. I then surrounded the tub with wood planks standing on end like a fence so it looks nice. I hold the wood in place by wrapping two strips of metal strapping around (wine barrel style).
@@ashleychatman744 great to know about the insultation!! what material did you use? also would love to see any pics you have as an example. im on the central coast as well and am looking at doing the exact same size 6x2 :) any problems with rusting? i was considering using flex seal internally, and possibly doing salt water instead of chlorine
@@wildwithoutasaddle1393 dont think you should do salt water with a stock tank as it might ruin galvanization. Ive even heard flex seal MIGHT be problematic.
Which bendable insulation did you use? It’s waterproof?
I was so sad that the season was over and the water was too cold to use. I was nervous to do this. But like with your other videos, it was easy and straightforward! I bought all of the parts you recommended, even went with the largest heater. It took me an afternoon to do everything! I even use a smart plug for both my filter and the heater pump and makes it easy to turn on and schedule through an app. I will say - it does go through propane pretty quickly! But works great! Went from 70f - 100f in a few hours.
How quickly does it go through propane tanks?
Ok this is a nice tutorial. I followed it created this with a poly tank. I have a couple of suggestions and changes I made. First since mine is poly you need to drill your holes slow not fast. Start slow until the arbor penetrates the plastic. If you start fast the bit jumps and you risk damaging your pool by gouging out more plastic. Second, do not buy the black poly hoses. They expand like a balloon after the pump and I had mine leak while going into the heater. I bought premade washing machine hoses that are female on both ends. They work great. The incoming line is blue and the outgoing heated water line going into the pool is red. The incoming blue line I had to cut into two pieces to connect to the pump. I needed so more length so I bought another set of washing machine hoses and joined them with a brass coupler. I also placed everything in a wooden box that has wheels. The pool filter, pressure pump, propane gas cylinder are all inside the box. The camplux heater is mounted the heater on the outside of the box. It is totally portable so if we move the pool it can be moved as well easily and is protected from the weather. In the winter I can wheel everything into the garage to protect it.
ruclips.net/video/bsg3ryX5W5M/видео.htmlsi=oJ8VybnNu7m9lgHe
I really appreciate your videos. They’re thorough and detailed enough to make me feel comfortable doing this, without any of the superfluous stuff so many maker videos have.
I was going to make an in-ground tub. Make the floor/shell out of concrete and use your setup to heat it up. Thanks for putting this video together. Nice setup.
I would probably install the spigots 180° (directly opposite of each other) to maximize cross flow and help heat the entire pool. Thanks for the video!
Not a bad idea. I just didn't want to run a hose all the way to the other side. That said, the warm water stratifies quite a bit so I end up running the filter pump to mix the water.
@@stocktankpools4980 hey, I know you made these videos like three years ago but my husband and I finally got ours all together this past month and then we ran into some problems. I’ve read through all the comments and saw that other people had the same issue, but their issue wasn’t really covered in any replies, we are 63 and 67 years old and saved up to get this together and I really need some troubleshooting help. The hot water pump seems to make a pulsating noise after an hour or so or less and then the camplux heater turns off. We also do not have the orange, hot water pump covered from the weather. But I didn’t think that that would make any difference. We were thinking that that pump is not the right pump or strength to run the 10L camplux propane heater for an 8’ pool. We are not the most handy people in the world so some of the more complex workaround’s are hard for us to understand. I know the people were talking about this enabling some timer on the camplux propane heater, so maybe that is something we need to do which I don’t know how to do. We have invested some significant amount of money and time and our 40th anniversary is coming up and I’d love to be able to actually use this hot tub. Could you give me some update information if you have any .thank you.
Disable the timer
Looks good! Also anyone planning to do this, remember ideally you want to mount the pump under the waterline.
Doesn't matter if you use a diaphragm pump. It is self priming.
How many hours of operating time do you get while running this full bore out of 1 20lb propane tank?
I had the same issues with the pump. I do like the SeaFlow as well. my SeaFlow had the filter right on the side in-line. Have you had any issues with the gas? I found a 2 stage regulator worked best. But now I’m having issues with the flame going out after about 5 minutes. So I think it needs some sort of adjustment. Which I’m not sure what that is yet…
Have you had any problems with the water heater pump? How long have you run it at one time? Ours seems to struggle and get super hot after 15-20 mins. I’m wondering if there’s a better pump that’s meant to run longer.
did you find a better pump? this is my only concern with this set up.
I'm having the same issue.
This is why I’m thinking a firebox surrounded by copper coils and using an aquarium pump to push water through the coils faster…. (That and to keep fuel costs down as my property is WAY off grid and electricity comes from a gas generator whereas I have downed trees all over my property)….
A Camplux JK-4000 pump has a 90 minute on and 20 minute off duty cycle. Very happy with mine paired with this heater.
Interesting. Do you think you should have have the inlet come from the bottom because heat rises? Also the service look off of the pump had a gravity restriction. That tube probably should be mounted. What about water freezing in the lines when the system is not in operation?
I really like your channel man! very easy to watch, informative, detail oriented, and great production. thanks from stafford ct!
So you didn’t mention how to avoid the pump and lines from freezing? Thoughts
Water should be pretty warm if using the heater often. If real concern use insulating the hoses or pipes, yeah you could use cpvc.
Outstanding I followed along and am a successful stick tank hot tub owner now
Hey! I just did this today with help from you video. I skipped the valve and siding parts just to see if I could recirculate with that pump efficiently. My water pressure in my area is pretty low (asked a few neighbors haha) and once I plugged this in? I could finally go MAX water flow and the heater was SO MUCH MORE EFFICIENT this way. I'm practicing my plumbing while I dig my in ground hot tub :3! Thanks for the inspiration and help! Its soooooooooooooooooooo NICE I cant understate that. AND QUIET!
Since the water is being recirculated from the tank, the house water pressure doesn't matter.
Great video ! My wife ordered all the parts today. Can’t wait to use this on a cooler evening!
How much did it cost?
Is it safe to leave the water heater out year round? Will rain damage it?
Since there is already a pump system with filter, is there not a way to just pump out, through filter, to heater, back to pool thus requiring no extra hole drilling?
Came here to ask this question
Not if you want to keep the warranty for the plastic intex filter. They replaced one for me for free bc I did everything right.. It's not made for that I've already burned one out not even doing the added distance and variations.
Plus in the summer time you won't use the heater unit.
Nice video. Why not directly via the filterpump that is already installed on the bath?
Hi why didn't you buy the Camplux pump?
Great video! Any concerns on the chemicals in the water damaging the propane heater? I know that Rinnai strictly recommends against it for their propane heaters.
Not sure... Mostly chlorine which most municipalities run through your water anyway.
I think its safe to assume this is hard on the heater. Hard water is also hard on these and will impact heating output/efficiency over time. MFG recommends to increase water flow and decrease temp. Eg - its better for the heater if you don't max the heating output. So if you want to raise from 70degreese to 104 - setting the water output temp to 104 would give increased life span.
Can confirm: chlorine corrodes copper. After a little over a year of use, my Camplux heater failed with multiple leaks from internal corrosion.
Any issues with low pressure from the outlet and the heater turning off after about an hour? I’m on my second heater and they both do it! What am I doing wrong?
Same problem here :(
Did anyone else notice that kink in the looped hose of the pump (top right)? That should be cut and connect it in an "S" shape it into the pump.
You should have a shield between your building the heater it could burn or blacken the outside paneling. Also if you used shark-bite fittings your pump won't struggle so much. Plus the heat coming off the heater may make black return hose your using limp over by getting hot. Just my opinion.
Could you maybe use a little plumbers tape on the fittings? Just as a back up measure?
Mal K I used some Teflon tape on a few of the fittings the first time around (before filming) and it didn’t really make a difference. The biggest thing is to make sure all the gaskets and O-rings are in place (they can fall out easily during installation) then you tighten the fittings with your rusty pliers :)
Awesome video! Can you offer tips and or video for using electric instead? Which model to get etc. Thank you!!!!
how hot could you make the water with that heater?
we did a wood fired cattle tank hot tub at a commune and put wood pallets on the bottom so you wouldn't burn your feet and we all sat on cement blocks ... super comfortable. and fun to feed the fire underneath to heat it up!!!
Sweet set up! I've been trying to come up with a similar set up and stumbled across your video and glad I did keep up the good content!
Kountry Rhodes thank you, glad to help!
Those pumps get very hot with continuous use. Keep in mind they are designed for use in Boats and camper trailors.
Install a 120mm computer cooling fan over the pump to keep it cool. A simple screw through the side of the fan surround will keep it in place. Wire it in parallel with the pump so it spins up when pump is on.
I was looking at this project and found this exact problem. The rating on that pump is 5 minutes of use 15 minutes of rest. Thats a fire hazard in the wrong spot at worst and a quickly broken pump at best.
Are you referring to the Sea-Flo pump? Do you have a different pump recommendation? My Camplux keeps shutting off after 20 minutes or so which makes me think that I’m not getting even flow of water which may be from the pump!!
@@wesley4713 Installing a computer cooling fan next to the pump keeps it cool.
@@fillups9 I used a chinese copy of an Obart fl40 pump purchased on ebayy. It is 12 volt 17 litres per minute. A 12 volt computer fan next to the pump keeps it cool under continuous use.
All of these boilers have a 20 minute shut off timer. I used a 12 volt timer module and a small relay to reset the boiler every 15 minutes, thereby bypassing the 20 minute shut off timer.
@@AndrooH Too expensive. There are cheap chinese copies of the Obart FL40 pump. It delivers enough pressure and flow to operate these boilers. It is only 12 volt so it is also very safe to use. A simple computer fan keeps them cool.Do not, under any circumstances use a 210 or 240volt pump. It is very dangerous. If you get a pump malfunction . It could easily cause death. I once had a 240 volt garden pool pump malfunction and it electrocuted all my fish. These hot tubs have 12 volt circulation pumps as standard. The water heating elements are 240volt but they are sealed ceramic heaters.
I really liked how clear the explanation to do all of this was! Hoping you could help me with an issue:
Whenever I plug in the SeaFlo pump, it seems to turn on and off - rather than the continuous flow. That makes my Camplux lack the pressure it needs to turn on.
We are having a similar issue. We bought everything from this video and followed the instructions, but have had non stop issues. We identified one issue with the heater that we were able to fix with camplux tech support. Now the pump seems to be malfunctioning; it just shuts off and gets super hot.
Did you figure anything out
Actually yes on the SeaFlo pump, on the top part there is an Allen wrench screw that allows you to increase or decrease flow. Play with that! But I’ve also learned this method to warm up a pool sucks. Look into an attached furnace with copper.
@@DanielRamirez-ml6fs why does it suck?
@@SFXD24 inefficient
Well, the claw tub went away and replaced with a 4 foot by 6 foot cedar tub that I constructed with seating for 3 to 4. I used your same materials except for the tankless system. I used a camplux natural gas system and plumbed it into our natural gas coming to the house. Just finished my first soak. Oh my gosh, it was great
This is so helpful! If you want to use this as a pool heater would you do the same thing but not leave it on as long?
I'd put the inlet closer to the bottom and the outlet closer to the middle. Since hot water is lighter than cold water it will heat up faster. The way you have it you are hearing warm water instead of cold so it's not as efficient. Other than that not bad. Maybe plumb in some jets.
I have that same Camplux water heater that I use for an outdoor shower. I have a stock tank and will be using it as a hot tub!
i got the pump you have - it stops and stops when it gets hot and then starts back up. It also vibrates quite a bit. Does yours just do the same thing? I was thinking it may be better to go with a submersible pump. They’re also less noisy. What do you think?
Great idea thanks for sharing I just got my intex hot tub I can't wait to use it have a beautiful day God bless you always
Hi, Ryan. The pump you linked is no longer available. There are other options on amazon. What size should I be aiming for? 8 ft. stock pool. Thanks for your time! BTW Your videos are super helpful. Making me feel brave enough to do this on my own. Everyone thinks I'm nuts but I've got this!
what was the cost of all the parts and the total cost?
Big 16l water heat option and youll be at 600 roughly. For everything except the metal hoses that are not listed. Im about to do this for a smaller hot tub.
The smaller heaters are 160ish compared to 300 for the 16l heater. Also instead of the 99 dollar pump, you can get one for 35
Also the male and female adapters are not listed either
Thanks for video it help a lot I made my own hot tub
This is a great, simple and well presented video! Total inspiration!!!!
Glad you liked it! Thank you!
How long does the propane tank last? Are you thinking about adding jets?
How many times can you heat the tub up with a standard propane tank on average in winter and in summer?
So we did this set up last year and purchased off your shopping list. The pump keeps over heating any suggestions??
Great video. Good, clear audio and video. Lots of details. Well done, sir.
Currently looking for a heater and pump combination for my new inflatable hot tub. Camplux and SeaFlo.👍
Thanks.
subscribed and gave a thumbs up. If you want a nice edge on your pool use a pool noodle sliced down one side. I use them on my loft bed for head protection because my desk is underneath my loft. I've also used them for roll bar covers on a jeep.
Any issues with the pump? It is rated for a 5 minute on, 10 minute off duty cycle. So running it for an hour or three to heat a stock tank pool may kill it prematurely?
I'm getting the supplies right now to do this project and saw this same problem. This is a fire hazard unless you follow those directions ^. I found a continuous duty pump to try. I wonder if anyone else has found a better solution for the pump. High pressure and continuous duty seems to be very difficult to find. The one I got isn't high pressure but, the heater i got only needs a min of 5psi. Efficient operation requires closer to 60 psi - If I understood the poorly Chinese to English translation properly. lol.
@@wesley4713 how did that work? If it went well, can you send me the name of the pump? I’m having the same issue
@@wesley4713 I just installed the same Camplux heater and bought their pump as well. JK-4000. It works great..quiet and shuts off as soon as you shut off the switch at the shower head. It has a 90 minute on 20 minute off duty cycle if I recall. 45 psi, 3.3 gpm. Lots of pressure for showers, even at the low flow setting on the heater.
Hi, following your video I have just finished my install with a 8 diameter stock pool, the Camplux 16 L and the seaflo pump here in LA. Run a test to see how many times a 5 gallon propane tank could heat the tank and for me it was good for one time heating for 2:30 hours. It was cozy and warm but not hot.The second time I used the rest of the propane tank it wasn’t enough, it heat for 1:30 minutes and then I ran out of propane.
😬 that gets a little pricy
Need to insulate the tub. and put a temp controler on it.. Mainting heat is better than heating up every time.
Thinking about doing this but connected to a whole house NG water heater to fill it, and a wood fired coil heater to maintain heat while using it. I’m on well water, so draining/ refilling is not an issue.
Hello. Will the heater automatically turn off if the recirculating water going back to the heater is 100 degrees or more? Thanks for such an informative video!
Thanks for the info. Will it keep good and hot in the winter. Thanks again
Thanks. My husband is insisting we do not have the correct Cflow pump.
This is great. We just purchased a plastic 8' x 2' from Hastings and will be converting it, hopefully soon. Quick question, has anyone DIY'd a cover, like ones that fit over hot tubs. Want to keep kids and dog out of it when we're not around...Safety first!!!!
We just set our 8x2 plastic stock tank this weekend. Was going to start looking into the hot tub process. Have you made any customizations yet?
ruclips.net/video/2IovvlWFlBc/видео.html
Question, do you keep your pump going during the times the temp goes below freezing and keep the propane off, to avoid freezing lines.
What do you do to prevent the lines/filter/pump from freezing in the winter time? Did you put unions on everything and take pump and filter inside when not in use? Tank is obviously fine.
I have the same question
I've been wondering the same thing.
Id either put a cattle water tank warmer or put a thermostatic controller to turn on when the water temperature goes below 40 and bring it up to 50.
I'd either drain the pool and line or just the lines. Those cut-offs are nice for that.
I have the exact setup. Have you had issues with the heater getting rained on? Everything that I've read says they aren't rated for any rain because of the electronics/batteries.
This is an outdoor-rated heater so the electronics must be sealed pretty well. It survived a direct hit by the Nashville tornado (150 mph rain) so it seems well-built.
Hi I’ve connected everything per the video and it all works thank you so much.
One issue I am having is when I leave the stock tank for a few minutes and then come back it seems the heater even with a full tank of gas and the pump still ruining clicks off and is only pumping non heated water through
What gives??
Thank you!
FYI I have a similar style gas boiler it is a different make and without a exhaust flue the flame will fail due to a sensor in the exhaust outlet....this might be why at half a tank the flame reduces as you say the pressure drops which might be why the boiler will not to heat properly it can't get rid of the burnt gasses fast enough without the flue ....it should be able to turn right down to keep warm....hope helps and fixes the problem...also I'm sure you have seen home made wood heaters for the pool which you could plumb into the pool filter to also maintain temp after heater has done its work......good luck, I'm doing something similar myself so watching others all info helps...love the remote idea..nice video.... also FYI the second type of pump you have is a diaphragm pump which is why its quieter than the other one which from the sound is a gear or impeller style..... if you attach the new pump to solid piece of wood and then to your shed it will reduce the sound greatly too.
NIGHTLAMP12345678 I appreciate the comment because it turned me onto diaphragm pumps. His Seaflo is a 3-chamber 33 series. I saw they make up to a 5 chamber series with their 4-chamber model including a variable flow rate option. Supposedly the more diaphragm chambers the quieter the operation, assuming proper mounting.
I think those hose clamps have hex bolts as well, much easier than a flat head screwdriver.
nice video, especially the way you organize things to make things all look very clean. Remote control idea for the pump is also excellent. Now, I am going to build one!
Thanks so much for the information. I especially like the link where you connect to Amazon for the parts. I am using this to turn an old claw tub into my one-person outside soaking tub. I have all the parts; so now its just putting it together. I do have one question though. Was that another filter that I saw attached to your tub? If so, what is that for and would I need it for a one-person operation like the one I just described. Thanks again
I was curious what area you are in and how do you keep ice from forming on top or if that's even a problem.
Hello, do these gas boilers have some kind of 20min timer? Or do they run as long as you turn them off?
I’ve followed the video and installed the heater but even on the full setting I go through 3 tanks of gas before it gets to 85°. Starting at 65°-67°
Thank you! Just what I wanted to do with all the detail.
I installed base on your great instructions. The heater i have has a shut off valve and shuts off after 15 min, do you know a way to by pass or a heater that does not have a shut off valve. min.
Can those heaters be left outside in the weather?
The heater info says to bring inside if temps get closed to freezing.
Have you ever tried using your intex water pump to push the water into and through the propane water heater?
Great question! I really thought a lot about that, but in the end the biggest problem is the reduced pipe size of the heater will strain the filter pump and potentially cause it to fail. The filter pump has 1.5" diameter hoses and the heater has 1/2" diameter fittings (that equates to a huge difference in flow area). The filter pump is also designed to be a "low pressure" pump, meaning it would have trouble pushing the water through the bends and kinks of the heat exchanger.
Couple questions.... how hot will this propane heater get the pool? As hot as a normal jacuzzi?
And how long will it keep the water hot?
It will heat it up for as long as the propane will last! I once left it running too long and it was 110F! The tank is uninsulated so it will lose heat fairly quickly (which is why I reccomend a bubble cover). I've mostly used the heater to warm the tank up to pool temps (80-85F).
@@stocktankpools4980 Sorry if I missed this earlier but how long to get the temp to 85 degrees in a 8' stock tank? I'm debating on grabbing the 5L Heater as it's available now and I don't need hot tub temps. I'm thinking maybe I don't need the 10L Camplux, but perhaps I'm wrong.
When drilling a hole through metal and attaching any fitting using a rubber grommet(seal) it is beat to file down any sharp edges left from drilling. Naturally occurring expansion and contraction of the metals will, over time, wear to the point the seal needs to be replaced. Simply adding silicone may help short term but ultimately, filing each side of the hole smooth is all that is needed.
Hi! What do you use to file metal with?
@@kaylacampbell6028 A file.
We've. been thinking of making ours a hot tub as well so thank you for this! Very helpful!
So what is gonna keep the water left in the heater and the pump from freezing and busting pipes in the winter when you are not running it? I would say where I live at in the Midwest in the winter and you are not running the pump and heater at least every 4-6 hours. The access water in the heater, the circulating pump and the connection hoses will freeze and ruin all that equipment very quickly. Maybe if you left the circulation pump run all the time like in a real hot tub it might not freeze
Hi, I enjoy watching your videos on stock tank pools! Recently, I bought a 150 gallon stock tank. What size Intex pool filter and Camplux hot water heater do you recommend? Thanks.
Wait it only heats up to 35 c ? I was planning on using this set up for my blow up hot tub essentially trying to find the correct tankless heater for best results hence watching you video. I was sold on camp flux till I seen that . Do you have an update ?
Starting this install now- would you still recommend the black tubing? Did it hold up okay in the winter? Or if given a do over would you recommend a different tubing for the connections? Thanks so much!
If possible, find some braided reinforced tubing. The black tubing isn’t reinforced so bulged and split after about 6 months due to the high pressure. That said, it’s pretty cheap and easy to replace
@@stocktankpools4980 thank you so much! Will do!
Also the black tubing in the video is not heat grade; while the tubing he linked is. I bought the black tubing he pictured and glad my neighbor said something.
I have a question about the propane tank. I bought all of the suggested items in the video. I assembled all perfectly thanks to the detailed instructions. Hooked it up to a propane tank (same type I use for my gas grill), and the water only got to 74 degrees after 4 hours and I believe because I ran out of propane. It was a full tank when I began. Any idea of how many tanks of propane it should take to heat an 8 foot stock tank? Any suggestions or feedback would be much appreciated.
Maybe the knob on the propane tank was opened too far?
After about of year since just doing this, is there anything you'd have done differently? Any strategy as to were you place your inlet and outlet for the heater in relation to the inlet and outlet for your Intex filtration system. Do you ever run both to push more water around the pool, or will the hot water damage your Intex pump? Lastly, did you consider just using adapters to be able to use the existing inlet and outlet.
Could you have connected the heater to the filter pump intake instead of buying a separate pump for the heater?
nope, Filter pump doesnt have the required PSI for the heater, also you wont have a choice of not heating while filtering
@@SFXD24 What about running a splitter after the water filter and adding in a pressure boosting pump / continuous pump to the heater?
@@wesley4713 it won't have enough PSI to run to the heater
@@SFXD24 the pool filter doesn’t - but I was thinking I could add an additional pump after filter. I found another comment from a pump mechanic here who stated that would be a better design for how this video outlines it.
@@wesley4713 just have a separate pump. Don't hook together
Love this setup, just have 1 question, anyway to get jets in the tube, to get that jacuzzi effect?
Does your camplux over heat and shut down after working perfectly for weeks ?
I have to adjust the water and gas output to get to 146 degrees
Less water thru
Less gas use
Or the unit will shut down
Last week it was going to town at 151 degrees
It's states 125 deg in the book or it will shut off
Question: Wouldn't it be better to have the hot water to enter at the bottom of the tank and take the cold water from the top?
The two fittings that come with the heater where you screw on the barb fittings are the wrong h thread. Those barb fittings are course hose thread and the water heaters are water fitting tapered thread.
I'm having the same issue.
@@chelseysecula920 yeah I had to go to Home Depot and search the plumbing fittings to make it work. It will just leak if you use what they send you.
@@goldenbanjo197 can you tell me what you used? I’m having the same issue and I know nothing about plumbing. Super disappointed wife over here...please send help.
@@robertcarnoske8831 haha I know how it is with the wife. I took the barbed hose fitting into Home Depot and matched them up. You need a 3/4” pipe thread on the unit not hose bib thread is the problem. I wish I could tell you exactly which part it is. You can show it to a plumber or someone that works at a plumbing store for help too.
@@robertcarnoske8831 I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll try to make a video on my you tube showing this issue and what to get to fix it. Then I will post a link in this thread for you. I hope that will help you.
Wouldn't a black plastic tank be better for connections and the chemicals you will need to add to keep the water clear?
The steel galvanized tank has worked well for me so far. I avoid excess chemicals (nothing beyond chlorinating tabs, especially no shock).
How would you insulate the stock tank so the metal walls aren't aggressively dumping heat?
Great video! Excited to get my own 6x2 stock tank pool/hot tub up and running! i was wondering if you might know how much electricity the pool filter and the hot tub pump draw? Or how often you should keep them running? Thanks for the great content here and on your site!!
Propane usage? Would you recommend this over a electrical-powered heating solution for a permanently installed stock tank/hot-tub? Trying to decide whether to use propane or electricity to heat my permanently installed 10' stock tank pool, and if going propane seems logical I should choose the Complex 16L unit (The biggest one), but I'd really hate to be swapping propane tanks constantly or too periodically, making electric seem much more appealing long term..
What did you end up doing?
Thanks for the detailed tutorial. I have two questions. 1. They sea flow pump will start “hiccuping” after a while and can’t figure out what the issue is or how to fix it. It’s connected exactly as instructed. 2. Should I run my other intex pump while running the heating pump and system?
Thank you!
I'm having the same issue. I'm on my 3rd pump. The valve ended up melting on my last one. And the new one was working fine then out of no where, it has an issue recirculating. Advice?
Probably should go with a larger pump, as it seems you are using this to get to 100+ on the temp side. This is more for extending your spring and falls. So it shouldn't run longer than 15-30 minutes without a cool down or you'll burn it out. A water transfer pump is used for longer durations.
I see your propane tank, how long were you able to run the heat for that 30 lb tank? Or how long does that size tank last if you run it for the weekend? Good video, my wife and I are thinking about doing this project!
Good question (sorry for the delay)! For how how often we use it, I typically go through 1-2 20lb tanks per month. That's heating it up 10-20 degrees maybe 4-5 times? I started using the eco setting a lot more too, it seems to help!
@@stocktankpools4980 thanks for the reply.
@@stocktankpools4980 Wow. For the amount you'll spend on propane and electricity.. plus the cost of all the parts it took to build this.. why not just purchase an inflatable hot tub? I've had my intex for quite some time.. and I barely notice an increase in electricity. And it only costs me about $10 per month to maintain it with chemicals.
I just look a few reviews about inflatable hot tub were failing after 1-year running "/ ...
@@randomstuffwithjoe inflatables do not heat well in cold places. You could get an inflatable and supplement the heating with the propane setup.
looks great. only question i have that i can't find an answer too. i do know it depends on how cold the water is to start. how many tanks of propane are used to heat up the pool ? i see that it takes a couple hours. but not the amount of propane. thanks.
I have a 10’ tank and it takes one 20lb propane tank to heat the water about 40 degrees. But beware, the propane tank will get really cold and icy on the outside as you use it (normal chemical process, nothing to do with the weather) so it will get less efficient as it runs out of propane. Solved by putting the propane tank into a tub of water so the outside can’t freeze.
not alot of cold weather here in florida so, thats not what i need this for. i need it for medical use. plus the kids would have fun of course. my question to you is, how many times can you use it before you have to switch out the gas tank.
Great question! It really depends on how much you're heating it (and the outside temperature). Here in Tennessee I use the heater 3-4 times per month in the spring to heat it from ~60F - 80F and I've been getting about one tank per month.
Couldn’t you just use your return from the pool filter to pool line to do something similar by branching it off through the heater?
I've been wondering about this myself. My thoughts are to add an additional pump after the filter with a splitter. The heater will only use a fraction of the GPM so you cannot pipe it directly. This way the water going to the heater is filtered too. I would not use that seaflow pump as its not rated for continuous use.
I am currently preparing to add a stock tank pool into our backyard. Your set up looks like an excellent example to use as a model. Having said that, what size tank is this in your video?
That pump only supplies a 3.3 GPM and if you get the larger propane heater it can do 4.2 GPM.