Discussing the Avia HD With Nitek Pool Heater and Crosswind V Heat Pump with Raypak

Raypak has tremendous market penetration with today's pool owners and for good reason. The launch of their award-winning Avia HD with Nitek pool heater, and Crosswind V heat pump continues to make big waves in the industry. We wanted to learn more about what has made these two product such a standout with consumers and pool professionals alike, so we spoke to Brad Duncan, National Pool Products Trainer for Raypak.

Learn more about these two products in: Choosing The Right Pool Heater

Read more in Pool Magazine: Raypak Avia HD with Nitek: A Heavy-Duty Solution for Today’s Pool Professionals

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Transcript

[00:00:00.460] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Thanks for joining us on another episode of Pool magazine podcast. As always, I'm your host, Joe Trustee, Editor of Pool magazine. Today, I'm chatting with Brad Duncan, National Pool Products Trainer for Raypak. It's a pleasure to have you with us today on the show, Brad.

[00:00:13.260] - Brad Duncan - Raypak

Thanks, Joe. It's good to be here. Always happy to talk to you, folks.

[00:00:17.170] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Well, Raypak is a brand with tremendous market penetration with its line of residential pool and spa heaters. I think one of the best products that hit the market in the past decade would have to be the Avia line, and In particular, we're eager to talk with you about the Avia HD with Nitek.

[00:00:36.220] - Brad Duncan - Raypak

Great. Happy to talk about that. You're correct about that. It's a tremendous product and we're pretty proud of it.

[00:00:42.510] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Well, what are some of the key features of the Avia HD with Nitek? How is this product a major step up in terms of performance and functionality in comparison to the Avia?

[00:00:53.000] - Brad Duncan - Raypak

Well, I should point out from the start that in terms of functionality, that remains the same. The standard Avia and the Avia HD with Nitekh. The heater control, scheduling, integrated WiFi, the Protec Shield, installation, versatility, serviceability, things like that, the efficiency is the same. And this is where it gets interesting because the HD, of course, a heavy duty product. So the closest thing you might compare that to would be a Cupro nickel type heat exchanger. With Cupro nickel, copper is the standard that we use in the industry because copper is a great conductor of heat. It absorbs heat well or releases heat well, but it's a little soft for the type of water that we're typically dealing with in a swimming pool. To make it a little more durable, the industry uses something called Cupro nickel. This is simply a copper that's had nickel added to it at the smelting level, and it does make it harder. It makes it more resistant to the types of harsh conditions we can expect from a swimming pool. The minor little problem that we don't talk about very much is the fact that you lose some efficiency. When we make that metal harder, we make it slightly less efficient.

[00:02:12.270] - Brad Duncan - Raypak

The fact that our heavy duty Nitek product actually retains the same efficiency as copper is a pretty big thing. So the efficiency is the same between the two. This is the first time If anyone in the industry has tried anything like this. It really helps with longevity, the strength of the product. What we've done here is rather than take that nickel and add it to the copper, we've simply coded the whole thing with nickel. We have nickel, the hardest part on the surface is where it's needed the most, right on the surface there. What we found was that this increased erosion resistance by 300% over and 200% over Cupro nickel. In the process, we found out that, Hey, guess what? It's 50% likely to scale up because it's smoother. The scale doesn't have anything for it to stick to. We think these are all some pretty remarkable features that we've come up with and puts us, I think, a little bit ahead of the industry in terms of a heavy-duty product for a heat exchanger.

[00:03:26.940] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Yeah, it certainly is a differentiator in the The Pepsi taste test challenge there. I think so. But Raypak was very forward-thinking in the design of the Avia. I was hoping that you could talk to us about some of the elements that you guys felt were critical to bring to this new model.

[00:03:44.870] - Brad Duncan - Raypak

Well, when we started down this road to come up with a new heater, we used what we call VOC. We went to the customers, to voice of customer, to find out what it is the customers wanted out of a heater. As long as you're going to build a brand new product from scratch, you might as well get some input on that. And we did that. And initially, we were looking to make it smaller than our previous model, which is the Raypak Digital. We were looking to get maybe a little more efficiency out of that. But when you start asking people, Well, hey, what do you want in a swimming pool heater? You might get some far-reaching responses there. Things like, we want it to be fully diagnosing or self-repairing or something like that. Now, those attributes remain on the horizon. But at the same time, we came up with some things or were given some things to consider that were maybe not so unreasonable, things like WiFi control without on-site automation. So built-in WiFi, we were able to do that. Well, they wanted it smaller and more efficient than the previous model. Yeah, we were able to do that as well.

[00:04:50.660] - Brad Duncan - Raypak

We were also able to use a straight tube heat exchanger, which we feel like decreases the chances of heat exchanger tube degradation. And We came up with the Protec Shield, which is a device that comes standard on this heater that mitigates the effects of damage to metallic surfaces due to ionic migration or what the industry is typically referred to as electrolysis, although that is somewhat inaccurate.

[00:05:17.900] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

How does the Avia HD with Nitek make it easier for pool owners to control and manage their heater?

[00:05:24.440] - Brad Duncan - Raypak

Well, I touched just a little bit there on the WiFi that's built in there. The WiFi, and again, this is a standard feature. It's not an upgrade. It comes on every Avia. This allows customers and services, for that matter, to control the temperature. They can set scheduled programs on the heater. They can operate the heater entirely off-site using our remote app. The app is free, the download is free. There are no ongoing charges for use. You can program your heater to send you alerts if there is a failure of some sort. For instance, something as simple as the water switch your pressure switch is open due to some simple thing. There was a wind event and your skimmer basket got chalkful of leaves and it stopped the flow enough so that the heater won't fire. You can get a text through the app on your phone that indicates that that is a problem. Your heater is not currently working because of this, the water switch is open.

[00:06:23.290] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Well, let me play devil's advocate for a moment. We have a lot of pool professionals who listen to our podcast. Why is this product so appealing to those who are responsible for servicing the equipment?

[00:06:34.810] - Brad Duncan - Raypak

Well, for starters, it's a drop-in replacement for similarly-sized heaters on the market, which means that the plumbing and the gas lines will match up perfectly. You take the small footprint heater out, you put an Avia in its place, it will line up perfectly. Also, this heater is serviceable from the top, which means you can pull the top off, and most of the servicing, really, you don't even need to take the panels off the side until you get down to removing the heat exchange or something like that. So there's no side opening junction box. You may be aware of a heater that has a junction box on it with a door that opens sideways, which could possibly cause problems if the heater is close to a wall or other obstruction. We don't have that problem. Everything opens from the top. 

[00:07:24.150] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

What has the reception been like with pool professionals since the Avia  launch?

[00:07:29.580] - Brad Duncan - Raypak

Well, I'd I'd say pretty good. Last year at the Pool Nation Awards, we received the 2023 Heater of the Year Award. We felt like that's indicative of a pretty good reception there. I teach a lot of classes on this product, and what I generally see is a lot of excitement about the ease of service and installation, the fact that Avia with Nitek has a higher efficiency rating than similar products with Cupro Nickel. It's generally pretty well received.

[00:07:57.460] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Yeah, I see the line of pool pros about 3D. Looking to talk to you about the product that a lot of the different trade shows that I attend. So I know that a lot of people are actually interested in learning more about the Avia HD. 

[00:08:09.650] - Brad Duncan - Raypak

Indeed. This has been my experience as well. 

[00:08:12.910] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Well, sustainability has definitely become the definition watchword over the last decade. And manufacturers, in particular, are paying increased attention to the impact their products have on the environment. What role does the new flagship heater play in helping Raypak achieve its overarching sustainability goals?

[00:08:31.060] - Brad Duncan - Raypak

Well, in terms of sustainability, I would say that Raypak is one of the manufacturers you're talking about. We're a division of Rheem, and back in 2019, Rheem set a pretty aggressive set of sustainability goals for all of their business units. And As a result, products sold by Rheem have caused the avoidance of nearly 40 million metric tons of CO₂ emissions since 2019, and over 330 million tons of landfill waste avoided. One of these goals that we've set for our ourselves is to try to go to zero waste to landfill. If you've ever seen any type of manufacturing, you can see how much waste is produced. Every time you cut something, you produce waste. We're looking to try to either reuse or recycle everything so we're not sending everything or anything, rather, to the dump. As an individual product, a VHD has a higher efficiency, which makes it a lot more environmentally friendly. The Protec Shield extends the life of the product, so you're not buying a new product as often. Also, extending the life would be our longer lasting straight tube heat exchanger. Without bends in the tubes, we feel like the tubes are going to be a lot less vulnerable to the type of degradation that you might otherwise expect.

[00:09:45.110] - Brad Duncan - Raypak

Of course, as a low-nox appliance, we are reducing carbon dioxide that is released.

[00:09:51.180] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

I could talk about the Avia HD all day, but there's another product in Raypak's lineup that is another big sustainability standout, and that's the new Crosswind V for vertical discharge, right? 

[00:10:02.900] - Brad Duncan - Raypak

That's correct.

[00:10:03.740] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Yeah, I was hoping you could give us some better insight as to the features of that particular product. 

[00:10:10.410] - Brad Duncan - Raypak

Well, heat pump technology is far more efficient than gas heaters. In terms of sustainability, it's a standout right away. But as far as efficiency goes, we measure the efficiency a little bit differently, but I can compare that for you. A gas heater, modern gas heaters come in about 84% efficient, which means for every dollar's worth of energy you put into the device, you get about 84 cents worth of heat in the water, which is not bad. That's pretty good. If you have a heat pump device with a coefficient of performance at, say, 5.9, that means for every dollar's worth of energy we put into this device, we get five dollars and 90 cents worth of heat in the water. That's seven times the efficiency. So right off the bat, it's going to be a more sustainable product just based on the technology there. In terms of our product, we use a powder-coated steel cabinet. It has removable panels that protect the evaporator coils but can be taken off for cleaning. We use a four-blade fan that is designed specifically to be as quiet as possible because you don't want to hear that thing rattling away there.

[00:11:29.000] - Brad Duncan - Raypak

There are some built-in automation features in this device. We feature a very quiet, very efficient compressor. There is a titanium tube heat exchanger for durability. In fact, the titanium tube has a 10-year warranty on it and two years labor. So 10 years parts and two years labor just for the heat exchanger on that. 

[00:11:53.140] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

I understand this is one of the few heat pumps on the market that come with a cooling mode. Can you tell us a little bit more about that aspect of functionality with this particular product? 

[00:12:02.210] - Brad Duncan - Raypak

Well, the Deluxe model does have a both heating and cooling mode within a certain temperature band. Look, you have a pool for a reason. You want to swim, but you want it to be warm enough to be comfortable, but you don't want it to be so warm that it's not refreshing. All right, what if we could set a temperature band wherein it won't get any colder than X and it won't get any warmer than Y? Hey, I like a swimming pool about 75 degrees, I don't want it to get any hotter than 85, because at that point it's like a bath. So what if I set it so that it will heat until it gets to 75? And then if the sun continues to warm the water, it will cool beyond 85. And that's what your heat cool product does for you. So this will go both directions in that way. And that's programmable within the product yourself. You can set your band wherever you like I like that feature. 

[00:13:01.540] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

When it comes to pool automation, you were just mentioning that a moment ago. Raypak is going along with some of its collaborations. I heard that Poolside Tech and Raypak are collaborating. I was hoping maybe you could tell us a little bit more about that? 

[00:13:16.030] - Brad Duncan - Raypak

Well, we have recently concluded talks with Poolside Tech. We've agreed to work together to combine the best pool heater with the best and newest automation in the industry. This would be the Attendant. This is a brand new partnership, fresh off the blocks there. We're still rolling out the details, so stay tuned for ongoing announcements about that. I'm not even sure how much I'm allowed to say exactly, but I can't say that we're just tremendously excited to be working with the makers of a product with this type of innovation. I believe you had Poolside Tech on the show?

[00:13:51.610] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Yeah, I had a great discussion about the attendant with Stan Reznik, the CTO of Poolside Tech, a little over a year ago.

[00:13:58.170] - Brad Duncan - Raypak

Great. Yes, I've met most of those folks, good people, very sharp people, and they've developed a product that is just mind boggling. They have features that, to me, are almost absurd. When I think of the idea that this device will actually monitor the weather for you to tell you whether or not the heater needs to be turned on, I just want to say, No, come on. It won't do that.

[00:14:20.670] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

I've talked about the AI tech before. I mean, they've got a lot under the hood there.

[00:14:24.940] - Brad Duncan - Raypak

It is a really tremendous product. We're pretty excited about working with them on that.

[00:14:29.980] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

I understand you can't say much, but I'm really looking forward to seeing how this collaboration pans out. Brad, thanks so much for appearing on the show today to answer some questions we had about the Avia HD and Crosswind V. Really enjoyed our conversation and appreciate you taking time out to connect with our audience. 

[00:14:45.530] - Brad Duncan - Raypak

Well, thanks a lot. I appreciate you having me on. It's been a lot of fun. I do hope your visitors will take a moment to visit our Raypak website. That's www.raypak.com. Raypak is spelled R-A-Y-P-A-K. Don't put a C in there. It won't take you any place.

There is just a tremendous source of information on Raypak heaters and heat pumps. By the way, if you're interested in Raypak product training, if you go to the top of the page there on the opening page, you can click on Training, and that will take you to our training page. You can scroll down to pool calendar and click there for specific training events. If you go a little further down the page, you can click on upcoming Raypak Trade Shows and you'll see those. But I can tell you right now, we'll be at nearly all the major shows across the US. I have a very busy season ahead of me.

[00:15:36.620] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

I look forward to seeing you there, Brad. That's all the time we have left for today. Make sure to like, share, subscribe, and follow, and we'll catch you next time on another episode of Pool magazine podcast.