Hayward H400FDN Universal H-Series 400,000 BTU Pool and Spa Heater, Natural Gas, Low Nox

DELIVERY: The folks who delivered it called a day ahead and confirmed the schedule. I asked them to give me a call 30 minutes prior so I didn't have to leave work too early and they said no problem. I received a robocall saying they would be there in a hour. They ended up being there in 30 minutes after all so I almost missed them. The deliveryman took it around to the back of the house and placed it right beside the pad where it would be installed which was much appreciated. It was well packed on a pallet and after the screws attaching it to the pallet were removed, it came off without much effort. I was worried it would be too heavy for just 1 person, but it was able to be 'walked' off the pallet into position.INSTALL: The house we bought last summer used to have a pool heater, but apparently it broke and the previous owner decided to eliminate it instead of replace it. So my install required cutting off the PVC pipes that were installed to reroute the water without the pool heater and run them into the heater and then run the gas line from the existing stub around to the other side of the heater and then run the electric. I have very little experience dealing with PVC. So I researched and talked to the guy at the local plumbing store and finally felt confident. It wasn't tough at all. Just make sure the cuts are square and smooth, then I used a cleaner, a primer and the cement to assemble to pipes. PVC connections are a little forgiving since they are chemically welded. Don't forget to install the threaded rings on the pipes before you glue them to the supplied heater manifold or you will do what I did and have to cut the PVC, install the threaded rings and then use a connector to seal it all back up. It ended up not being as pretty of a job as I would like, but it worked. I have ZERO experience with gas line installs, but this one was very straight forward. I just ran the 3/4" line from the stub and routed it to the gas connector on the heater. I used flexline to go from the end of the black pipe to the connector on the heater. Then I turned on the gas, checked for leaks and deemed it good to go. The electrical ran from an existing junction box through plastic conduit to the connectors on the heater. Once everything was hooked up, it fired up and operated perfectly.PERFORMANCE: Upon initial use, it did give off a smell as others have said. Each subsequent use the smell diminishes. I attribute it to a coating on the heat exchanger vice simple packing oil. Packing oil would have burned off quickly. It's not obnoxious and will probably be gone very soon. It raises my 17,000 gallon pool 3 degrees per hour just as advertised. This is my second pool with a heater. The other was a Jandy Lite 2. The controls are similar, but the Hayward controls are simpler and work well. It does take longer for the Hayward to light off, but it really doesn't make a difference. The Hayward is more compact and would be my choice between the two. The heater will not run unless it detects a minimum volume flow. I have a 2 speed pump and the heater will not operate if the pump is set on its low speed. Sometimes it will continue to operate of the pump switches from high to low though, so it's probably right on the edge. The minimum flow volume required by the heater is adjustable and I may be able to adjust it such that it will run if the pump is on low. I will follow up after I try that.SUMMARY: Straightforward install, compact design, performs as advertised. It has been installed for a little over a month and I'm very happy with the purchase.

Okay. So I purchased this 11 years ago so I believe I’m qualified to give a sound review. The heater still works fine and is a workhorse. The only reservation is that the control panel is subject to not operating when it rains. The rain seeps somehow into the control panel. I say this for one important reason. If it has rained heavily and you see a “CE” control error message, be patient and wait a few hours or a day to see if it has dried and operating. This will save you a lot of money and heartache calling technicians for unnecessary repairs. Like I said, it’s been working for 11 years with only this hang up.

I purchased and installed my heater in April 2017 in accordance with the installation instructions, including verifying both water flow and gas pressures. The heater failure light illuminated after 10 months of intermittent use. I determined the problem to be a blown thermocouple on the exhaust gas circuitry which is among a series of safety switches, all of which must be closed to enable the start sequence. Failure of this exhaust gas component, according to the Hayward manual, requires that the heat exchanger be replaced. Upon this discovery, I called Hayward to discuss a warranty replacement. I can honestly state that in my 69 years, I have never spoken to a more arrogant and interruptive representative of any company. Immediately. I was told the heat exchanger did not have to be replaced and that there was no warranty on an owner installed heater, regardless of defect! I was told that the failure was caused by the fact I had installed the heater gas supply incorrectly (notwithstanding that I hold patents on Industrial devices which employ far more complex circuitry and gas pressure regulation than the cheaply built Hayward HDF 400,000 BTU Pool Heater!) Realizing that any further discussion with Hayward was completely useless, I replaced the thermocouple with a unit of similar limits which I purchased from a local HVAC supply house, cleaned the heat exchanger, verified the incoming and manifold gas pressures and returned the heater to service.The heater failed again this past weekend for the same reason. I am now researching other heater manufactures and will report my selection when determined. I am actually looking forward to throwing the Hayward into the dump if for no other reason than the terrible and disrespectful treatment I received from Hayward during my call for assistance.I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT THAT NO ONE PURCHASE A HAYWARD POOL HEATER UNLESS YOU WISH TO REPLACE IT EACH SPRING AND DO NOT WANT A WARRANTY!