At this point, heater manufacturers recommend that you bring in a specialist to troubleshoot the system because of the seriousness of the problem. Fortunately, this doesnt always mean that your pool heater is toast. Check the unit for obstructions, such as a clogged filter pump strainer, a dirty filter, or valves not positioned correctly. If not, the circuit breaker may be shut OFF or tripped. Use a pocket mirror to see if the pilot is burning; never put your face or eyes where you could possibly get burned. 
3. Check the pilot. Perform the same test on the temperature control, making sure that the control is in the ON position and that it is set to a temperature high enough to call for heat. For some reason, it seems as if its only heating half as well, and taking twice as long. Without an adequate source of water, a pool heat pump automatically shuts down to prevent overheating. Normally, it takes about 4 days.
Use caution around the electrode: It has low amperage, but a high voltage! Fill out a contact form to get a personalized response from our pool heating experts. Just a blank screen. If it is low, you may have a voltage problem or faulty transformer. First, you must ascertain which type of pilot the heater uses. If you see any leaves or twigs lodged in the vents, remove them. If its less than these levels, you probably have a bad pilot generator; more than that, the failure to light is usually attributable to a faulty gas valve. In all cases covered in this article, theres a logical progression of checks and tests that will lead to a proper diagnosis and cue you to quick action to bring the heater back up to speed. After the desired temperature is reached, return the unit to normal operation of 8-10 hours per day. If the heater is equipped with an electronic temperature control, the controls sensor or probe should be checked following procedures recommended by the manufacturer. Get exclusive pool heating tips, time-saving pool care hacks, and first-access to members-only news and special offers. Then move to the fusible link, the high-limit switch and the pressure switch (see Figure 2). But if the issue is your pool heater, then youll still experience significant heat loss with or without the cover. (Some will fire at 10 gpm, but they wind up overheating or cycling.) If the pressure-gauge reading is too low, check and clean out the pump pot and skimmer basket or even the eye of the pump impeller. (This does not happen in newer models.). Use these to troubleshoot your Raypak pool heater: As mentioned earlier, using a solar cover helps you pool hold on to heat more effectively. A heater that just wont shut off can be particularly alarming. 24Manometer (for fan assisted units, more than one manometer will be needed). Check the gas valve. If the burners fire, then you have a bad thermostat and it needs to be replaced. | The Cost Of Solar Pool Heating, A Quick Guide To Swimming Pool Heat Pumps. A pool heater is composed of switches, components and other devices that turn the heater on and off, and keep the water at the desired temperature. If your heat pump does not operate, or simply does not heat your pool water, the indicator lamps on the front control panel (see Section IV) can provide valuable clues as to what is wrong, and may even indicate precisely what the problem is. If the heater doesnt shut off, you have a faulty valve that must be replaced. Again, a preliminary wiring check will help you avoid unnecessary effort in troubleshooting these components. And thats why these Raypak poolheater troubleshooting tips are perfect for you. When the air is cool with low humidity, condensation may not be evident. That said since your evaporator coil sits behind a layer of metal vents, the blockage could also be there. Raise the thermostat setting. This lamp will turn OFF if not enough water is flowing through the unit. If the pilot lights and all external functions and factors have checked out, the millivolt systems inability to fire is likely to be caused by a malfunctioning component along the electrical path in the heater. Although most of the troubleshooting tips in this post dont require opening up the heater, having the tools for the job comes in handy later. If you do have a spark, but the pilot doesnt light, a good bet is that you have a plugged pilot assembly or a bad gas valve. Faulty high-pressure switch (shuts down to protect unit). While pool heat pumps are built to provide countless hours of heat, theystill need maintenance to stay at peak performance. Whether installed on the heater exterior or in its internal circuitry, the lights provide instant diagnostic information about the status of important system functions, including water flow, pressure, thermostat and gas-valve operation. Nothing. Verify that the breaker is set and operating properly before calling for service. If the burners fire, then you know that the pressure switch is not sensing proper water flow. By applying a solar cover, you can figure out whether its your pool or pool heater thats creating the heat loss. As with the millivolt system, once external checks have been made, you can be fairly certain the heaters failure to fire stems from a faulty component in the control circuit. To jump the gas valve, first turn off the main gas valve so the burner doesnt come on. If you suspect that the heat pump is leaking: a. NOTE: The heat pump will not run when the Remote position is selected on the Pool/Spa selector switch and there is no remote control system attached.ir and transferring it to the pool. Check the circuitry. Check the transformer. The last of the checks, make sure gas can go into the heater. An annual heat pump service takes care of this, cleaning the coil and any other related parts. With the millivolt system, the pilot is on continuously as a standing pilot; the heater uses heat from that standing pilot to generate electricity to run its safety and control systems. To do this, reset the time clock dial for the longer running time, or manually operate the pump with the timer override switch. In any case, the procedure is the same: Jump from one terminal on the thermostat to the other. If, however, the main burner doesnt light, you have either a problem with the pilot generator, a wiring problem in connections for the pilot generator or a bad gas valve. Over time, the coil begins builds up a layer of debris, dirt, and grease from processing so much air. Heating up the water starts taking longer, and sometimes the pump shuts off at random. -Is the Heat Demand lamp ON? Most heaters need a minimum of 40 gpm passing through before they will fire. If the pressure gauge reads normal, proceed. Then attach one end of the jump wire to the terminal connecting the thermostat and gas valve, the other to the connection between the gas valve and pilot generator; these may be labeled TH, TH-TP, thermostat or identified by color, depending on the manufacturer. Concrete or Vermiculite for Vinyl-Liner Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples Receives 2022 AI Dream Designs Honor, Check Out This Year's Dream Design Waterparks, These Family Aquatics Centers Take Dream Designs Recognition, See These Other Categories That Took Dream Designs Honors, The Cove at The Piazza Pool Awarded 2022 AI Dream Designs. The evaporator coil is the part responsiblefor turning harvested warm air into usable heat for your pool. Unblanketed pools can lose up to 10 degrees per night compared to 4 degrees or fewer when a blanket is used. Gardeners or others may have turned the unit off. So naturally, it gets a lot of use during that time. Try moving the knob back and forth several times to clean the contacts. Or. Any debris caught in the vents can impact air floor.
So what do you do when the heater wont heat? Check the thermostat. 2. Check the on/off switch. Restrictions such as shrubbery, tall grass, dirty.
Consult manufacturer literature for a proper spark-gap spacing. -Have you waited approximately 5 minutes for the time delay? When an IID heater wont fire, the ignition control is another suspect. If there is no arc across the space, the ignition control should be replaced. Figure 1: Sidestep the gas valve by clipping a jump wire across the valves terminals. With the thermostat set high enough to call for heat, you should have a spark at the pilot-burner electrode if all the controls are good. Note, however, that a low reading also may be the result of faulty wiring. Here, the pilot is sparked electrically only when it is needed to fire the burners. If your unit doesnt have this light, then walk over to your filter pump and check the pressure. If not, check out electrical connection points for damage or corrosion. coils, or any other obstruction to airflow will reduce performance. It may take some sleuthing to discover the cause of a heater malfunction. Consult manufacturer literature for adjustment procedures. NOTE: If the pool pump and heat pump shut OFF before the water temperature is raised to the desired level, you must lengthen the running time of both. With the lead from the voltmeter still in contact with the ground or common terminal on the transformer, check for voltage along the circuitry, starting with the safety fuse; use the other lead as a probe. First, verify that its receiving 20- to 30 volts. After the unit has been running and then shut OFF for any reason, there is a delay before operation can begin again. You want to be sure these connections are tight. A few areas to clean & check for blockage include: Maybe your pump turns on just fine but doesnt heat the way it used to. Heat pumps can produce a large amount of condensation (water) during operation. Next, jump across the pressure-switch terminals, thus electrically bypassing the pressure switch. Without a blanket, the total heat gained during the day can be lost overnight. -Is the pool blanket/cover being used? Call for backup. Here are a few common Raypak troubleshooting codes and what they mean. Then the suspect parts are the pressure switch, high-limit switch, thermostat, gas valve and pilot generator. Improperly positioned valves or a dirty filter could decrease the flow of water required for efficient operation. Check the ignition control. -Is water flow through the unit adequate? Check for a spark. 4. Youre not sure of the cause, but you know that you want to get your pool heater working again. Also, make sure the igniter electrode has a proper spark gap; this not unlike checking for the same in an automobile spark plug. Set your voltmeter for the proper voltage that is, above 24 volts. Combustion Analyzer needed for all commercial units. -Is the ejected air from the unit 8-10 cooler than incoming air? Multimeter capable of checking AC volts, DC volts, and Ohms, If the unit doesnt run, check the water flow lamp, Run the pump for at least 8 hours to test heat loss, Check air flow to troubleshoot a lack of heat, Reset the breaker to troubleshoot an unresponsive display board, Look out for Raypak heat pump error codes, -Larry Pietrantonio | Satellite Beach, FL, -Chris Rogers | Falmouth, ME/Kissimme, FL, 7 Ways Heat Pump Swimming Pool Heaters Simplify Pool Heating, Balance Your Swimming Pool Water In 7 Steps, A Guide To Basic Pool Heat Pump Troubleshooting, Pool Heat Pumps & Solar Pool Heating: The Perfect Match, Pool Heat Pump Repair | Pool Heater Repair, Energy Saving Tips For Your Swimming Pool. Then make a visual inspection of the unit and test for a spark at the pilot-burner electrode. Note: After troubleshooting any component, always remember to remove the jump wire! If the heater does shut off, the gas valve is OK, but you know you have a control problem. There might be a few cases when you cant even get ANYTHING to show up on display board. Finding the bad bulb is a matter of progressing through the system and testing suspect parts in sequence until you locate the problem. Rio Bravo, Inc. -Is airflow through the unit being obstructed? In this post, we go over a few things you can do to make troubleshooting your Raypak pool heat pump much easier. When youre ready to troubleshoot your pool heater and get it fixed, youll want to be prepared. Circuits in heaters are not difficult to troubleshoot once you understand that the components are wired in series, like a string of Christmas lights. This is also evidence of heat removal from the air. It may result in extremely high water temperatures and constitutes an extreme danger. Often the culprit is not in the heater itself.
When one of these fail, the heater may shut down permanently until it is fixed. Troubleshooting an IID control system calls for an AC voltmeter with a 220-volt range or greater. -Is the control panel Power lamp ON? If all of the previous checks have been performed properly, then jumping this switch (or set of switches) should result in the heater firing.
Reset the breaker by switching it OFF, then back ON. Copyright 2022 Zonda Media, a Delaware corporation. Intermittent ignition devices differ from millivolt devices chiefly in the fact that IIDs require an external electrical source to power their functions.