July 2023
Tap water is now over half a dollar. My wife and I took a break from distributing USA made swimming pool heaters and geothermal supplies when we picked up some food from the drive through at Burger King today for lunch. I am grateful that she is just as happy with a sit down expensive dinner or just some take out food that we can eat parked in the car in the shade at a local park. I asked for some water when I picked up my food as it is very hot today as anyone in the Northern Hemisphere is probably experiencing and we have been running a bit dehydrated. They said now it is .55 cents for tap water. Now I know they have a to pay for a plastic cup and straw, but in the interest of the happy customer experience that should be covered. We are paying more for everything on the menu this year and they could have added a couple of cents for that. We even used the app to order saving them the labor and the time of taking the order, collecting the payment and making change. Also we didn’t sit down in the store and cause a mess that they then would have to clean up. (I seem to knock over drinks and drop food lately) We didn’t even give them trash to dispose of. In my company we do everything possible not to nickel and dime our customers. I try to cover extra expenses if possible especially if it isn’t my clients fault. I even feel guilty sometimes when I suggest a winter cover for the heatpump or a chiller for aquaculture as I don’t like to pad the bill. I then did something that maybe someone with too much time on their hands might do. I drove across the street to a McDonald’s restaurant and got a large ice coffee and a large water for .99 cents plus tax. How could I resist. They have a closer business model to mine and seem to care. I don’t really know if they care but the person who took the money and the person who gave me my drinks were both smiling and seemed happy to see me, and I felt good when I drove out. If I feel good then I am better at my business and maybe that will rub off on my next interaction with someone. If your pool is too cold or too hot and you get a swimming pool heater or a geothermal heat pump from me this week then I promise I will cover all the drinking water you can drink and I will smile and will be happy that I have you as a new friend.
Be safe out there and have an amazing swimming summer.
Best,
Marcus
PS We recycled the cups and the vanilla ice coffee was really good. 🙂
PPS In the interest of insider trading and selfish self promotion I probably have McDonalds restaurant stock in an ETF in the retirement account. Come to think of it there is just as much chance I also have Burger King in there too. So ignore this paragraph.
PPPS Burger King just offered me a $5.00 credit today on my next mobile app order. That was kinda cool of them. Thanks BK. I wonder if I can use that to order 9 cups of water?
Winter and Christmas for my Northern hemisphere friends will be here soon, and it’s almost time to close down your pool to get it ready for the next season. My Southern pool buddies can ignore this in Florida, Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada, Georgia and  To ensure your swimming pool equipment remains in good shape, here are some important steps to take. Remove accessories like the skimmer baskets, cleaners, ladders, steps, etc., from the pool. Clean everything and store them for the winter. Clean the pool and adjust the chemicals. Start by draining the filter pump and pipes that might freeze and then make sure to remove any water from the heater that could freeze and damage the heat exchanger. A wet vacuum or leaf blower helps with that. Put as much equipment inside as you can. Don’t move heat pumps as they are designed to be outside all year if properly drained. Plug lines so they don’t fill with water. Putting some pool grade antifreeze in the lines and equipment is a good idea too. Put your winter chemicals in the pool. Some people depending on location drain some water from the pool until it is below the skimmer and use a winter cover on the pool too. That is for inground pools. There are a few extra steps for above ground pools with hoses. Read your manual or talk to your pool guy or gal to be safe on anything that I said as I am more if a heater / heatpump guy than a pool guy. 🙂 Watch some YouTube videos on pool closing for your area to get up to speed faster too. There are some great local pool techs out there that know what’s best for your climate. Use them if this seems like too much of a pain.
Taking these steps will help you avoid any costly repairs come springtime. Stay ahead of the game and get your pool ready for winter today! I have a lot of my customers waiting for the last minute to close the pool too because they have my cold weather heatpumps In Washington State and Long Island New York last year we had pools at 86 degrees F in late October. Nothing beats a ghoulish tropical swim at Halloween in a cold weather state. If you are really a hardcore swimmer. I have geothermal heat pumps to get you through a winter in a cold weather state. The easiest way to use geothermal on your pool is to have a well that will pump 15 gallons per minute for a 5 ton heat pump. If you can’t do that you can bury HDPE coils and pump antifreeze through the lines. There are lots of YouTube videos on how to lay pipe. For some brands of heat pumps for January deliveries I can have your warranty start next May so you won’t lose any time, will get this years price and can start swimming as soon as the weather gets nice again and you won’t have to stress about finding an electrician or have to wait for a delivery.
PS BTW that is a Raypak / Ruud /Rheem gas heater courtesy of Raypak. That is one of my favorite brands of gas heaters if you absolutely can’t use a heat pump.
Congratulations on getting this far in your pool heating equipment search. I am sure you thought about a gas heater. Some people go in the heat pump direction because they don’t have natural gas at the house and others because they don’t want a 500-gallon propane looking bomb in their backyard. All of them are bad reasons to get a pool heat pump. The best reason is that a heat pump is the best choice because of how efficiently they heat the pool, how their titanium heat exchangers are superior to most gas heaters, and usually how the warranty is much longer. There are other ways to heat a pool like with wood, oil or electric element. For most people, they are not practical or sustainable ways of heating. An electric element can cost 6 or more times what a heat pump costs to run, and oil heater is expensive and everyone I have ever worked on smelled bad and also gave a cloud of fumes in your tropical swimming pool paradise. Wood heaters are cool but most people don’t want the work of filling it every couple of hours every day. A pool heater is supposed to give you fun leisure time and not make you chop wood to go for a swim. Don’t get me too wrong. I sell lots of gas heaters. Ski resorts in New Hampshire, indoor pools in hotels in Minnesota, impatient people who want their spa hot in 15 minutes and don’t care how much it costs.
The most important things to look for in a pool heat pump are:
1: Reliability
2: USA made
3: Warranty
4: efficiency
5: Size (capacity)
6: Price
7: Availability
8: Manufacturer that only makes heat pumps and not floating toys or pool furniture.
Most of those facts are researchable. Some are not. That is where I hope that you ask my opinion. I have seen it all. I can tell you what to say when your California pool guy says they don’t work here when the Canadian pool heater manufacturers have Canada covered pretty well with heat pumps. I have seen people doing their research and just coming up with the most Btu’s for the cheapest price. Then they call me and ask what can I do on a price for this amazing machine. I see that they are ignoring whether the heat pump is made in China or if there is no or just a short warranty where they live. Don’t get a Canadian swimming pool heat pump if you live in Florida an hour away from a good heat pump factory.
Don’t get a huge heat pump if you have a tiny pool. Don’t get a metal heat pump if you live on the ocean or have a dog that mistakes it for a fire hydrant. Don’t get a digital heat pump if you hate digital. Don’t get a heat pump from a factory that doesn’t want to speak to you if you call them. Do ask me who is doing everything right and I will help out.
Please call text or write to us. We want to make your swimming pool heat pump experience the best possible.
Summer is on the way. Where I live the daily temperature averages get warmer starting January 12th.
Be safe out there.
Best,
Marcus Cell 360 348 7574
I want you to have the best swimming pool heat pump with the longest warranty, the highest efficiency, made in the USA, with the least chance of needing service. I feel like this year pool owners are consulting Voltar to pick a heater or chiller. How do I know this? The hint I have is that they are calling me after they buy for help with an issue with the machine. I have seen and probably serviced every swimming pool heat pump and most gas heaters that were made in the USA since the early 1980s. People ask me if they should buy a metal cabinet heat pump and they live on the beach. I say that it isn’t a good idea and they go someplace else and buy one. I say that my customer should only buy a USA made heat pump with engineers in the country and service contractors ready to help and then they buy a Chinese heat pump for $200.00 less and have to call China if something goes bad. I was given a Chinese heat pump for free after a trade show to test on my pool from %#@& so I know what it is like to e-mail and call China when it is dead on arrival than watch the Chinese rep disappear when it isn’t a simple fix. I tell a customer to buy a big heat pump and then they order a 50,000 Btu heat pump from e-bay for their 25,000-gallon pool and then bad mouths heat pumps instead of the bad research. If you are going to live in your home for more than a year then please get a reliable, heat pump that is made in the USA with high efficiency for a low power bill, doesn’t shut off at 55F when you need heat the most, has a long warranty, big enough for your pool with a titanium heat exchanger that is quiet, covered with a polymer cabinet and stainless steel fittings so it doesn’t look like a sunken ship salvage after a few years. I had a customer spend $100.00 more for a Canadian heat pump with a factory 2000 miles from them when a great manufacturer was one hour from their home with factory service guys patrolling their neighborhood like police officers in a crime zone. (It also had a 5-year labor warranty.) That is an amazingly long time for labor in your backyard. Now everyone is asking me to buy the Hayward Heatpro HP2104T with 140,000 Btu’s. I have sold lots of them with no issues. Maybe I have sold more than most pool guys. Also, some of my favorite people are Hayward engineers and customer service guys that I have known for more than 20 years. (You know who you are) The problem is the warranty isn’t very long is most states. It might be good for some people and for others they can do better. I want you to do better. Since you should not buy a heat pump more than once or twice in your life, you need to get it right the first time.  Pool heat pump buying is not just about buying the biggest Btu unit. There are lots of variables to consider. Just ask me and I will tell you the pros and cons of most of the brands as I have seen and service most of them. Some USA manufacturers are buying Chinese heat pumps and then just putting their label on it and selling like their own. Some are putting the heat pump together in the USA and using foreign and Chinese parts. The warm tropical water in your pool should be a fun thing and not a burden if it fails. Let me know what kind of project you have going on and I will pick a model that checks all the boxes so that you get the best possible heat pump and have the longest swimming season.
The Department of Energy says about gas heaters that: “Depending on your climate and pool use, they may not be the most energy-efficient option when compared to heat pump and solar pool heaters.” Gas pool heaters have been around longer than heat pumps. They are an older technology. Swimming pool heat pumps have been available for about 40 years now. The DOE says about pool heat pumps: “Heat pump pool heaters cost more than gas pool heaters, (to purchase) but they typically have much lower annual operating costs because of their higher efficiencies. With proper maintenance, heat pump pool heaters typically last longer than gas pool heaters. Therefore, you’ll save more money in the long run.” Many old school pool contractors only have experience with gas pool heaters and are not up to speed with the newer heat pumps that run at colder outside air temperatures than older ones. Pool guys are also not licensed to repair swimming pool heat pumps. That is a job for Air Conditioning & heating companies as they are really just big air conditioners. I have many stories of pool owners coming directly to me for advice when they couldn’t get their pool guy to help them choose a heat pump. Then when they have done their own homework and have had it installed for a year or two their pool guy comes around to the heat pump way of thinking. I fault many of the manufacturers for not having more educational events at wholesale distribution businesses to bring useful information to contractors so that they can recommend the most efficient equipment to their customers. I was hired to do just that many years ago in hotel conference rooms. I remember large turnouts of trade people and lots of interest but the manufacturer killed it due to budget concerns and I have not seen other manufacturers step up much since. I love pool guys and most of my friends got their start cleaning pools as teenagers. But they really are in an impossible situation to be expected to keep up on all the new technology while working 6 or 7 days a week in the season. I always welcome phone calls or texts from people in the pool industry if they need advice or help with pool heating equipment. I want them, and my customers to have the most efficient equipment with the lowest heating and maintenance costs so that they keep their pools at a swimmable temperature with pool heat pumps for as long as possible to keep fit and have great family memories from the back yard pool. Gas heaters have their place in the world. If you need one I will send you one in a heartbeat. For most people, it doesn’t make sense. Especially for all you hotel, motel, campground, and theme park people out there that could take the $50,000 a year in savings from using pool heat pumps to give your guests a better swimming experience with more lifeguards and free poolside drinks with all the money you will save.
We are here for you and want to see you swimming in tropical water.
Best,
Marcus Miller
I have been thinking about writing something about the Bahamas for a couple of weeks. First I want to say that I and my family are sending positive thoughts to the people who have been affected by the storm in the Bahamas and the Carolinas too here in the USA. Most of what I know about the Bahamas is concerning my customers and friends swimming pool heaters; although I spent some time in Nassau. Over the last 20 years, we have shipped 100’s of swimming pool heat pumps to the Bahamas. Some to famous entertainers. In Florida, the local codes say that you have to strap the heat pumps to the cement slab in case of hurricanes. We always support that you install your equipment to satisfy the rules where you live. There is always a reason. Strapping the heat pump is also good to keep the heat pump from moving in case something bumps into it and it moves and then cracks the PVC pipes causing a pool water leak. I have seen that backfire though if a customer has a lawn service with fast-moving tractors that hit a strapped heat pump and it doesn’t move but the impact then punctures the coil and you lose all your freon and probably the whole heat pump. Maybe if you have that sort of lawn service you can put a barrier to protect the swimming pool heat pump and your home air-conditioner? I also have thought that if you are strapping your heat pump down to stop it from flying away, then Volkswagen Beetles would also be flying and you would have much more to worry about than your pool heater disappearing. I went to Homestead Florida after Hurricane Andrew to do animal rescue work and saw cars that had flown in the wind. I remember also that all the homes were green. It seems that the vegetation hitting the concrete block houses exploded on contact and the chlorophyll in the leaves stained everything green that it touched. It was a bizarre sight that I hope not to experience again. I have lots of pool buddies in the Florida Keys that have gone through hurricanes. I have photos of pool heaters that were 1/2 underwater that still ran after the skys cleared. I would suggest to everyone anywhere near an ocean to wash the salt off their outside mechanical equipment regularly. Turn the power off first though and if you have any doubts what can get wet please ask your mechanical, HVAC or swimming pool contractor. When I lived a mile from the beach I would spray the outside coil of my home heat pump with a garden hose every month to try to prevent the coil from rotting. That can prolong a heat pumps life from 5 years to 15 years or more in very corrosive salt air or pollution type of environments. Most of my pool heat pumps are plastic with stainless steel fittings and the freon coils have been coated to protect from salt, but it still can’t hurt. Every storm that puts people in harm’s way reminds me of how fragile and tenuous life is and how selling pool heaters is not that important in the bigger scheme of things.
Be safe out there. Be nice to each other. The most important thing is you and your families safety. We are rooting for you.
Cheers,
Marcus
Now before you, CSI sleuths get on my case about the scull on the Rheem heat pump, Please keep in mind that I am pretty sure it is Neanderthal and it originated not from Europe or Asia with a land bridge from Russia but from a store called Party City around Halloween time back in 2014. The scull has a double meaning here. I want to sell heat pumps for a long time and make a profit and not become an angry skeleton and I want you to use a professional to install your gas heater. Gas goes boom if not controlled. I remember a buddy who had trouble with his pilot light on his gas pool heater back in the last century. The access panel blew off when the heater finally lite and knocked him on his butt. That was the easiest heat pump sale that I ever had. I lost a sale 2 weeks ago on a gas pool heater to the “Internet”. After I would have charged local tax I was going to make $9.57 on a $2,000.00 heater. I can’t do customer service for the next 20 years for that profit. Then the same guy called me yesterday with no shame for customer service anyway when he got a fault code. Maybe I can do that business model after all? I love the Internet. I tried to buy locally a sleep aide today and the drug store didn’t stock what the TV ad said they did. Went to Amazon and bought it with next day delivery. Some big pool heat pump manufacturers don’t want you to buy their swimming pool heat pumps on the web. They are fighting the future and trying to make believe it is 1995 again. They want you to buy from a local guy who only knows one or two brands; no selection is not in your best interest. I know all the brands. Can you trust my picks? Am I totally impartial and won’t steer you to what makes me the most money? Well, keep one thing in mind. I take it personally when there is a service problem. So you at least know I will recommend something reliable in my own self-interest and I like my reputation. 20 years on the web. Buy locally unless it is me of course. Be safe out there enjoy your swimming pool for as much of the year as possible. If I can help you do that then I have succeeded.
Best
Marcus Cell 360 348 7574
Hey all you Northern hemisphere people. Late spring is here, and it is time to think about swimming even though this morning I woke up to temperatures in the high 40’s F or below 10C for all you European and South American peeps. Even my Florida, Texas and Arizona friends are still using their heat pumps for their Spas, cold plunge pools or if their pools are in the shade or windy locations. Many people forget that most of the South and Southwest needs heaters and even chillers some parts of the year. Many pool owners need a pool heat pump to keep the water comfortable for almost the whole year. Some use it for exercise or rehabilitation. The temperature in spas needs to be 98 to 104 degrees to be useful. A pool heat pump is a reliable and efficient way to heat it. Don’t panic all my metric and Celsius buddies. That is 104 degrees Fahrenheit. We don’t boil our swimmers in the USA. The planting zone for Northwest Florida is about the same as Seattle. I planted a palm tree last year at my house to make it seem more tropical in the Northwest and it lived through this brutal winter and snowy spring winter. Some swimming pool heat pumps with the defrosting feature will keep heating down to the high 30’s F. outside air temp. That is good for my Aquaculture friends too who need their fish comfortable to grow big and strong. Open your pools early this year. Relax at sunset by your warm pool sipping your favorite drink with your best friend. I want to help you turn all of your Arctic backyards tropical.Â
 We ship regularly to your area and are experts with your climate conditions.
Sincerely,
Marcus Miller, President
Green Planet Supply
1 888 205 7766 National Office
360 348 7574 Cell
marc@heatpumpheroes.com
www.heatpumpsuppliers.com
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www.heatpumpsuppliers.com
“Mine is installed and working, I called Marcus a couple times on Saturday, All I can say is he is awesome, and very patient. I did end up calling a local contractor to hook up the desuperheater pump, and the drain valve. the furnace is cranking out the heat.
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-miller-6920b268/
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View Marcus Miller’s profile on LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional community. Marcus has 1 job listed on their profile. See the complete profile on LinkedIn and discover Marcus …
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The highest compliment that we can receive is the referral of your friends, family and business associates
I have a swimming pool heat pump at my home that was left over from a successful run test 10 plus years ago. It probably has the old freon 22 that was discontinued in 2010. I like to watch heat pumps working in the field for a few years before I distribute them if at all possible. (Not always possible, but I try) I had a few on a live webcam for 3 years where you could drop in 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in all weather conditions to see how they were performing. Many gas heater manufacturers used the videos as training tools. I might do that again. The problem is that my above ground pool collapsed last year, and then my neighbor and pool buddy who got my free heat pumps moved away with one of my test pools. My beautiful wife and the CEO of Green Plant Supply suggested last week with a hint of menace in her voice that I get that old test heat pump running and heating a pool before her Fourth of July holiday party. So, trying to be a good husband, I rented an above ground pool from a junk removal company to use until I could build a proper swimming pool for her. We would have a mini theme park in the backyard. Needless to say, I am writing these posts from the doghouse. I am really happy that I put in Wifi for Mr. Snuggles-Worth the elderly Dachshund. I might have to take her to a hotel or motel so she can swim. Have a safe holiday. We are here for you. Marcus Miller  Maybe I can also use it for aquaculture, hydroponics or aquaponics?
Marcus Miller, President
Green Planet Supply
1 888 205 7766 National Office
360 348 7574 Cell
marc@heatpumpheroes.com
www.heatpumpsuppliers.com
|
www.heatpumpsuppliers.com
“Mine is installed and working, I called Marcus a couple times on Saturday, All I can say is he is awesome, and very patient. I did end up calling a local contractor to hook up the desuperheater pump, and the drain valve. the furnace is cranking out the heat.
|
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-miller-6920b268/
|
www.linkedin.com
View Marcus Miller’s profile on LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional community. Marcus has 1 job listed on their profile. See the complete profile on LinkedIn and discover Marcus …
|
The highest compliment that we can receive is the referral of your friends, family and business associates
Heat pumps are my life; especially for swimming pools and aquaculture / hydroponics applications. Since I missed hockey-sign ups, I have not been getting my usual exercise. I have not been feeling the healthiest and was looking for some good clean swimming fun with my family. I was eagerly anticipating a work-out swim in a heated indoor hotel pool to make my heart beat a bit. I am not saying that I stay at the best hotels regularly, but this one was pretty nice and I had expectations of warm water. I stuck my toe in the water and shivered. I was going to skip the swim as I am stressed and not the best traveler, and I don’t want to get sick. My daughter was there and wanted to swim too, so she cold shamed me into getting in the water with her. I did a 1/2 hour of laps and felt better. I want to reach out to all my hospitality industry bu and campground buddies to keep your pool warmer. 82 F is where I am happy. Many people like at least 86 F. I also jumped into the cool spa that I know wasn’t anywhere near 104F or 40C. Brrr. If gas / electric heating is too much for your bottom line, don’t drop the temp. Please look into saving $1000’s a year with my pool heatpumps. You can tell what book I am reading this week by the title of this post. That is my freezing truck in a hail storm in the photo.
