Circulation Heaters

• Automatic baptismal pool circulation heaters
• Manual Baptistry Circulation Heaters
• Portable Baptistery Water Heaters
• See our Water Heating Chart to help pick the right heater for your baptistry pool

• How to pick the right heater for your baptistry. Determine your baptistry gallon capacity: Measure the main tank without steps and use this formula (LxWxHx7.5=gallons) i.e. 5ft x 4ft x 3ft x7.5=450 gallons THEN add 75 gallons for each set of steps (this is a typical estimate). Example is 450 gallons i n the main tank +75 gallons for a single entry =525 gallons total. How quickly do you need to heat the water? Most churches fill the baptistry on Friday and then turn the heater on when they leave Friday afternoon so the water is ready Sunday morning.
• Use our Water Heating Chart to determine the amount of time it will take to heat your water by 30 degrees. Note this may not be enough to warm the water. You will need to check the temperature of the water out of the faucet. if faucet temp is 50 degrees and you want 90 degrees then you need to raise the water temp 40 degrees. Armed with this knowledge, you can decide if you need a 5.5kw or 11kw heater. We also have 1.5 kw and 3kw heaters but the vast majority of churches get a 5.5kw or an 11kw heater. The 11kw heater has twice the heating power of the 5.5kw heater but does require a larger breaker than the 5.5kw in most instances. Check your electrical service. Most 5.5kw heaters require 240v service. Somce can run on 208 or 230 or even 110, just remember that you get reduced heating capacity with 208 or 230 and significantly reduced capacity (about 75% less) when running on 120v and some heaters and pumps will not work on the lower voltages and require 240v. Timer or No Timer? If you are leaving water in the pool continuously, but only heating on Sunday then you probably want a heater with a timer so you can set it to turn on every weekend. Additionally, make sure the pump can be programmed to cycle on and off without the heater so the water can be turned over to help keep it fresh. If you need water continuously heated (Church of Christ, Christian Church, etc.) then you may not need a timer and can just work with the thermostat function to cycle the heater on/off.

Baptistry circulation heaters should be used with all walk in baptistries wherever possible in order to obtain the fastest and most efficient heating. Available in 5.5kw, 6kw and 11.5 kw heating capacities. Larger baptistries over 800+ gallons will benefit from the use of a 11.5kw unit while smaller baptistries can be efficiently heated with the 6kw unit. We would not recommend the 1.5kw unit except for portable and other, smaller baptistries.

See our Water Heating Chart to help pick the right heater for your baptistry pool

If you are in need of a replacement heater or pump, we sell them individually below, but for new installations or if you are replacing and older unit, we recommend that you purchase a complete package which includes the heater, pump and pump kit(fittings).

ALL BAPTISTRY HEATERS MUST BE PLUGGED OR WIRED INTO A GFCI PROTECTED OUTLET OR CIRCUIT- Our EQUAS models come with GFI protection built in.

When Installing baptistry heaters, do not install electrical components underneath plumbing joints. In case of a leak, you do not want water dripping into the electronics.

Baptistry Circulation Heater Questions and Answers 

Q. Can the pump be used separately to fill up a baptistery and then turn heater on.

You generally would not want to use the pump to fill the baptistry. The heater and pump should be on a separate loop from the fill and drain lines. The best way to fill a baptistry is like a bathtub with a simple handle and tub spout or wall port. You can also use an auto-fill device to fill the baptistry.. The auto-fill is an electrically operated solenoid valve which attaches to your existing water supply line.Some auto-fills are integrated into the control panel for the heater, but they are actually not part of the heating process and the pump is not used by the auto-fill.
 
You can see our various circulation heaters here https://www.churchproducts.com/baptistry-circulation-heaters.html
 

Q. We plan on leaving water in our double entry baptistry all the time. What size heater should we get?

We would generally recommend this one https://www.churchproducts.com/Equas_Baptistry_heater_AS-5X.htm or the fully-auto version here https://www.churchproducts.com/eqas-baptistery-heater-55kw-h-5.html
 
The fully auto version has an auto-drain and auto-fill so you do not need a separate manual drain or overflow as they are included. The 5.5kw size is sufficient since you will be leaving water in the baptistry all the time...The church can set the timer to come on when needed so you don't have to worry about the time it takes to heat, as much as you would without a timer. The timer can be used to cycle the water to help keep it from getting get "stale" and also to turn the heater on so the water will be ready to use Sunday morning.
 
For denominations that are required to have the water ready to go 24/7, such as Christian Church or Church of Christ, then the timer is good as you can set it to cycle the water regularly and the thermostat will keep the water at a constant temperature. You may also want to consider the 11kw version, as it heats up faster than the 5.5kw and will give them a little more flexibility if they do not want to keep the water heated all the time.

Q. Our church baptistry heater is not working, what do we do?

If your heater is a ChurchRite or HydroQuip 6000 series, here are the suggested troubleshooting steps:

TROUBLESHOOTING a ChurchRite Baptistry Heater

Equipment system will not operate:

1. Make sure the Power Air Switch is turned “ON”
2. Check if the Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter breaker is tripped. If tripped, attempt to reset the GCFI. If the GFCI trips repeatedly, contact a service technician to correct the problem.
3. Check the main circuit breaker panel. If the circuit breaker has tripped reset the breaker. If the circuit breaker trips repeatedly, contact a service technician to correct the problem.
4. For cord connected units check the receptacle.
5. Make sure the high-limit has not tripped. Push to reset.

Pump will run but there is no water flow:

1. Make sure system is installed below water level.
2. Make sure all valves are in the open position.
3. Make sure that the filter is clean.
4. Check the suction fittings to make sure that they are not clogged with debris.
5. Check the water level and make sure it is above the heater return and at the proper level for operation.
6. Check the pump for trapped air. With the pump off, loosen the outlet union and allow all air to escape. Re-tighten union, apply power to system and when there is water flowing to the return fitting the system should be heating if required. You may need to use a sponge to collect the water from this operation.

Pump runs and there is water flow but no heat:

1. Turn the thermostat to a higher temperature setting. Do not expect to feel hot water coming from the jets.
2. Check to see if the high limit switch reset button, located on the front of the control box, has popped outward. If so, reset by pressing inward.
3. Check to make sure that all the valves are open and that there is full flow. Limited water flow may not activate the pressure switch to allow the heater to come on.
4. Pressure switch may not be activated. Please refer to heater pressure adjustments for proper operation.
5. Heater ON light lit, but no heat. Contact your local technician for service.
6. Insufficient back pressure: Close return valve partially to increase pressure and allow heater to operate.

The water will not maintain the proper temperature:

1. A thermal cover may be required to maintain the water temperature.
2. Turn the thermostat to a higher setting.

Too much water flow / noisy pump:
1. Close discharge valve partially to reduce water flow.
3. Close discharge valve partially to reduce pump noise.

TROUBLESHOOTING a Little Giant Cannister Style Baptistry Circulation Heater 

Also applies to ChurchRite and most other cannister style church baptistry heaters

• Verify the panel breaker is not tripped (usually a good idea to flip it over and back as sometimes they can be tripped but not appear so)
• Verify the GFCI is reset (either at the outlet, box or panel)

 

• Is the light on the control box on?
  • If not, turn the dial to highest setting..10 and see if it comes on. If the light does not come on, the next step is to call an electrician and have them check if the unit is receiving power. If it is receiving power, but the light is not on, then you probably have a control box issue. 
  • If the light is on and the pump is circulating water but the water is not warm, your element is probably burnt up or if it is old, covered in mineral deposits.
  • SOLUTION to either problem above: You can either replace the whole heater assembly or if your cannister is is in good shape, you can buy a new element which includes the control box.

 

• If the light is on, is your pump running? (can you hear it?)
  • If your pump is not making any sound (they operate quietly so if the church is not quiet, it may be hard to hear the pump) or otherwise operating, have an electrician determine if it is getting power.

 

• If you can hear your pump and the heater light is on, put your hand over the water outlet in the baptistry and verify you can feel a flow of water (it will not be strong)
  • Does the water feel warm? If so, give it time, it can take 12hours or longer to heat a really a large baptistry.
  • If the water is no warmer than the tap temperature, you may need to replace the element.

CUSTOMER: We ordered a baptistry water heater ..and just had it installed .  We have used it 3 times and have yet to have it heat our pool.  A licensed electrician and licensed plumber installed the pump. They both claim to have it working correctly but we have not had a heated pool yet.  Please advise us on what our next course of action should be.

TECH: Is the pump working and circulating water? Is the light on the heater on or off?

CUSTOMER:   the light is on at the thermostat.


TECH: The thermostat light is on the heater so the heater appears to be okay. Is your pump making noise or otherwise indicating that it is operating? Or is it dead?

CUSTOMER: We did not feel the water circulating. 

TECH: It sounds like the pump might not be operating. Verify that the pump has power to it.

• -Is the pump on a wall switch or panel breaker that might have been turned off accidentally?
• -Is the pump on a GFCI breaker? If so, you might reset the breaker as they can sometimes trip without appearing to have tripped.
• -if you have someone that is knowledgeable about electrical wiring, you can ask them to check the pump with a tester to verify it is receiving power.
• If the pump is receiving power and still not operating, then we can explore further with the pump manufacturer.
• If the pump is not receiving power, then the issue is with your wiring or electrical connections.

Little Giant Baptistry Heater Noise
Q. Our baptistry heater is making noise, what should we do?

A. Heaters don't usually make any noise so most likely it is the pump casuing the issue.

Here are a couple of thoughts: (To be completed only by a licensed electrician or knowledgable equivalent)

Did the church run the pump dry? If they ran it without water in the pool it could have caused damage.

If the pump sits unused for a couple of months, the impeller can stick.

If trash was sucked into the pump it could be stuck in the impeller and causing the noise.

Turn off electricity to the pump.

Drain the baptistry below the pump level.

Remove the pump from the top cover (4 bolts) …top cover has the plumbing inlet and outlet

Visibly inspect impeller for trash or debris.

See if the impeller will spin using finger or pencil (may have to use a pencil or similar to try and break loose if impeller is stuck)

Once impeller is freed, reattach pump to top cover.

Fill baptistry with water to just above the inlet (make sure inlet is completely covered with water) and turn power back on.

Start pump and run for about 10 seconds.  If still making noise, let us know.


Q. Can we run our baptistry pump 24 hours a day?
You can run it all the time but it is not necessary or advised. We would suggest putting the pump  on a timer (assuming it does not have a built in timer) so it comes on 2 or 3 x /day for an hour or so per time. This should be enough to turn the water over and keep it from stagnating. This extends the life of the pump and reduces electric consumption. You will still want to consider sanitization of the water.




What about running a tankless water heater to fill our baptistry?
Have you had anyone use a tankless heater unit to help fill and reduce how cold the water is?

We do not recommend using a tankless heater for a baptistry.. with a tankless heater, once the water is in the pool, it starts cooling down and you need to use it within 30 minutes or so. You cannot circulate the water back thru the tankless heater to keep it warm so unless you are using the pool immediately, you will still need either an immersion heater or circulation heater to maintain a good temperature..



How do we plumb our baptistry with a filter or UV sanitizer?


You will have 3 “circuits” that you are creating.

#1 Circuit is the fill loop which is simply the supply line going to the auto fill valve. The valve and its fitting can be located in a variety of spots at the installers discretion. Consider that if it is high up on the wall you will hear the water hitting the pool (which can be annoying or can serve as an indicator that the water is running). Be mindful of potential splash issues.

#2 is the Heater, filter, sanitizer loop. This consists of the suction (inlets) lines and return line and fittings. The UV should be placed on the return line in the circulation loop,  after the filter and before the heater. (water direction is pool to filter then UV then heater then back in to pool) Note that the filter is not a supply line filter but is to be used to filter the water in the suction/heat loop. Some people recommend placing it before the heater to filter out debris before it hits the heater and pump while others recommend to place the filter AFTER the heater so you avoid the risk of the filter slowing the flow of water through the heater and leading to premature heating element failure.

a booster pump is not included or needed for a baptistry installation, as this is a very low flow application, not like a swimming pool.

The heater and filter/uv components should be installed between the lower and upper water lines (floor and top of water level)

#3 is the drain circuit. The drain is typically located in one of the corners or in a specific location if indicated by the baptistry mfg.

QUESTION
We leave water in our baptistry all the time. Is there a way to have only the pump come on so as to circulate the water without heating it?

Answer
The AS-5 with 7-Day timer will allow you to operate the system each day in 2 hour segments.
The timed operation can be changed each day to run at different parts of the day.
Unfortunately the heater will come on each time the pump comes on unless the temperature is turned down.
Possibly setting the temperature to ambient (ie 70 degrees) will allow you to filter daily and not worry about the heater, turning it up to temperature prior to using it.
The other option is to get the Little Giant circulation heater. You can run the 120v pump from a 240v leg of the heater and put the heater on a dog ear timer. The heater and pump will come on for however long you set each day.
If you do not want the heater to be on the timer and thus turn on during the week, than I would recommend getting a 2^nd pump and putting it on a timer to operate independent of the heating loop.
You do not want the pump to be on a timer and the heater not to be, because you could have a situation where the timer turns the pump off while the heater is still running and would overheat and be damaged.





Looking to replace an older Weideman Baptistry Heater? Wiedeman closed years ago and many of their baptistry heaters are now being replaced.

When replacing a Weideman baptistry heater, In general you want to get the same wattage heater as what you are replacing. You also want to make sure the new unit will fit in the same physical space as the old Wiedeman Heater. Pay attention to the inlet and outlet locations and make sure the new heater lines up somewhat in the same locations or in a location where you can make up the differences with your fittings or extra PVC.


Q. My church currently has a 6kw little giant baptistry heater and pump.  We are looking to replace and saw on your website options for auto water control LG-5000.  It says to add a heater only and I do not see that option.  What would be the part number that goes with it.  Need to know if any special holes would need to be drilled into a 900 gallon baptistry we purchased from you 20 years ago.  Also looking for a way to have a thermostat on the wall as the current unit is a crawl space.  Just need to know what options are available with part numbers.

A. Here is the 6kw heater
https://www.churchproducts.com/6-kw-circulation-heater-only-6-hhl.html

You will need to add a small hole for the water level sensor and also for the water level control but if it is fiberglass this should not be very difficult.

You cannot do a remote thermostat with this unit.

If you need a remote controller then we suggest this unit
https://www.churchproducts.com/Baptistery_Circulation_Heater_BES6000_Circulation_Heaters.html

As long as the pump is located above the floor and below the upper water level it will work. If this is below the baptistry, this unit will not work.



MODEL BES 6000 (ASB-6000-T or NT)
Troubleshooting the Pressure Switch.
Under “normal” operation, when you turn the system on, the “first” contactor should activate if and only if the High Limit and Pressure switch are “satisfied”.
 Have the technician, if able, to…. check for voltage in the right places.
 
If there is power in, but not out, that only tells us that it is not closing.
It may Need adjustment or need “proper” back pressure to give it a chance to close.
If that’s covered (has proper pressure), than yes, we could say bad PS.

• Is power in and out of the pressure switch? If so you would NOT need to turn the pressure switch adjustment screw clockwise
• If power in but not out the pressure switch needs“proper” back pressure to give it a chance to close, try adjusting the switch according to the instruction manual

We have an inlet and outlet size of 1inch, will that size work with this unit? (ASB-6000 series)
The MFG  highly recommends to change the wall fitting holes to the correct dimensions of 1.5" as you could experience issues with the pressure switch in the heating tube.


Troubleshooting the Auto Drain with a HydroQuip auto drain System
1-unplug the drain from the Interface Module (silver box with lights)
2-press drain button on remote panel until light comes on... leave light on and proceed to 3
3-plug drain back in to module (with light staying on) and check to see if drain operating. If it is then run a few test cycles on the buttons to verify proper operation of drain and fill. I f not working then go to 4
4-If drain not operating then toggle the drain (With light on from 2) and see if it activates. If it does start to activate, then you should be good…run a few test cycles to verify both drain and fill


Hydro Quip Systems
* the water level light should be ON if the tank is full and system is operating.
*On the other hand, the system shouldn’t be operating if the system doesn’t get a “full signal” (based on the interface lights)
*The light bulb could be the reason for not lighting up, but the rest operates fine and we are back to troubleshoot “No heat”.
*The interface will not affect the heater operation; only whether the system starts or not; if the pump activates, the interface is fine as far as “system activation control”.

We don't use our baptistry very often, maybe once a year. Is there any maintenance we should be doing on the heater?
When they don’t get used, the rubber seals and impeller inside the pump can dry out. That said, you should probably check it every 3-4 months ideally or at least every 6 months. Fill the tub with water to cover the inplet and outlet holes by a few inches. Turn the pump on and let it run for a few minutes. This action will help keep the seals from drying out as quickly as they otherwise might and will also help to keep the motor from freezing up from non-use.

Heater Light is Blinking on and Off or Contacts are Chattering
When I tuned on the system yesterday, everything started fine & sounded normal. I left for the evening & came in this am to a cold tub. I turned off the system at the on off switch and when I turned it back on the heater is clicking sporadically and the heater light is flashing with every click. Where should I go from here? 
This is called "chattering" and the contacts on the heater are cycling open/closed repeatedly. The usual cause of chattering is the pressure swtich in the heater (for heaters with a pressure switch such as ChurchRite, BES, HQ and ASB  series heaters). You can try adjusting the pressure switch per the manual or you can try adjusting the valves on the system. If the valves on supply side are closed any then try opening those up  (slightly close the valves on the return side to build pressure).
-Fully open the SUPPLY side valve
 -SLIGHTLY close the return side valve a little and see if that stops the chattering light. You can keep closing it but I would not go more than maybe half way…don’t close the valve all the way.






Installation of BES/HQ Series Circulation Heaters

1. The "through tank" fittings have a silicone rubber type sealing washer on them. I don't need additional sealant correct?

Technically no, gasket goes on the inside of the wall(we would only recommend some type of silicone sealant on the outside for extra protection).

2. The black plastic "BASE" is not made for the pump/motor that I received. The mounding holes do not line up. Should I modify this BASE and use this one?

The screws for the pump are self-tapping so you can modify as needed if not lining up with holes on base.



Additional Steps-Troubleshooting a Canister or Little Giant Style Baptistry Heater

If the pump is coming on FIRST… and you have water circulation established (you can see/feel the water circulating..not just hear the pump running as it can sometimes be blocked)…then the heater is turned on 2ND and it trips the  GFCI breaker after 30 seconds I would suspect a couple of things.
Yes it could be something with the heater, but these are pretty simple devices and not prone to blowing the breaker unless something else is going on typically.
If it takes 30 seconds to blow then I doubt it is a ground fault and sounds more like a current overload.
I would have the electrician open the thermostat box and visually inspect the wiring to make sure nothing is burnt or loose and that the wires are hooked up correctly. I have never seen one that wasn’t wired properly, but in this day and age I supposed anything is possible.
Also verify voltage and amps at the heater. Make sure there is not a drop in voltage and it should be pulling around 25 amps on the heater and under 1 amp on the pump. (If the reset button is not working then you may not be able to test amps)

He can disconnect the element itself and run an ohm test on the element and it should be around 12-14 I believe.
If all that is good with the heater then Double check the following:

-Make sure the outlet is not mis-wired
-correct size and type wiring to outlet
-no other loads on the breaker
-breaker is fully seated in panel
-breaker is not defective- this does happen occasionally