So naturally, it gets a lot of use during that time. Next, jump across the pressure-switch terminals, thus electrically bypassing the pressure switch. 2022 Poolheatpumps.com. That doesnt mean you cant learn to do the repair. You want to be sure these connections are tight. 2012 - If the answers are yes, dig a bit deeper. Restrictions such as shrubbery, tall grass, dirty. Try moving the knob back and forth several times to clean the contacts. The control components youre bypassing (the pressure switch, the thermostat and the high-limit switch) are designed to prevent the gas valve from delivering gas to the main burner when an unsafe or improper condition exists. If theres no spark, some manufacturers recommend that you pull the wire off the ignition control and hold it approximately 1/8-inch away from the ground terminal. Verify that the temperature has been properly set on the thermostat, and that it is higher than the current water temperature. Each day, a bunch of air passes through the coil. Usually, the pilot generators output should be anywhere from 250mv to more than 500mv with the circuit open that is, when the heater is not running. Shut the heat pump OFF and leave the filter pump running to see if the water stops dripping. This lamp will turn OFF if not enough water is flowing through the unit. Effective Raypak pool heater troubleshooting is all about knowing what to look for, and what the signs mean. Consult manufacturer literature for a proper spark-gap spacing. -Have you waited approximately 5 minutes for the time delay? Heat pumps can produce a large amount of condensation (water) during operation. If your unit doesnt have this light, then walk over to your filter pump and check the pressure. The first thing to check is that the toggle switch is in the ON position. Use these to troubleshoot your Raypak pool heater: As mentioned earlier, using a solar cover helps you pool hold on to heat more effectively. 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. Reset the breaker by switching it OFF, then back ON. First, verify that its receiving 20- to 30 volts. For some reason, it seems as if its only heating half as well, and taking twice as long. Instead, what youre dealing with is likely an electrical issue. And thats why these Raypak poolheater troubleshooting tips are perfect for you. 24Manometer (for fan assisted units, more than one manometer will be needed). 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. Since the heat pump capacity and efficiency are both greater at higher ambient air temperatures, run time should be set to take advantage of all daylight hours, when the air is generally warmer. Although all pool heat pumps need maintenance to maintain performance, a bit of troubleshooting can save you a lot of time. A few areas to clean & check for blockage include: Maybe your pump turns on just fine but doesnt heat the way it used to. 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. If the burner lights, you know that the gas valve and pilot generator are good and the problem lies somewhere along the string of control devices. Check the unit for obstructions, such as a clogged filter pump strainer, a dirty filter, or valves not positioned correctly. Check the on/off switch. Finding the bad bulb is a matter of progressing through the system and testing suspect parts in sequence until you locate the problem. If so, the unit is extracting heat from the aIs water condensing on the evaporator and internal copper pipes? Check the pilot. An annual heat pump service takes care of this, cleaning the coil and any other related parts. Check the circuitry. Author: Robert H. Foutz Jr. is the owner of Purity Pool Service, based in Huntington Beach, Calif. Gardeners or others may have turned the unit off. If not, check out electrical connection points for damage or corrosion. Theres nothing worse than a lukewarm spa or a cold pool. Any debris caught in the vents can impact air floor. If all of the previous checks have been performed properly, then jumping this switch (or set of switches) should result in the heater firing. Youre not sure of the cause, but you know that you want to get your pool heater working again. If you know theres proper flow in the system, then the switch is either out of adjustment or defective. 4. 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. If youve gone through all the previous steps for troubleshooting heat loss, the cause of the problem might be a dirty evaporator coil. Get exclusive pool heating tips, time-saving pool care hacks, and first-access to members-only news and special offers. -Is the ejected air from the unit 8-10 cooler than incoming air? Your Raypak pool heater keeps your pool comfortable throughout the seasons. Here are a few common Raypak troubleshooting codes and what they mean. As with the millivolt system, youll be testing a series of components to locate the faulty part. Note, however, that a low reading also may be the result of faulty wiring. 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. The evaporator coil is the part responsiblefor turning harvested warm air into usable heat for your pool. Heres a four-step procedure: 1. If everything looks normal, but your heat pump is unresponsive, contact a pool heat pump technician for advanced troubleshooting steps. These codes help you understand what problems your heater is having. Fortunately, this doesnt always mean that your pool heater is toast. Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. If all of the above items check out, you should begin to examine the heater itself. 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. The first step along this diagnostic line involves sidestepping the gas valve by clipping a jump wire across the valves terminals (see Figure 1). Check for a spark. 3. Every now and then, your Raypak pool heat pump might display a code. A Dozen Ways to Strengthen Your Remodeling Brand, Decoding the Framing Square for Rafter Layout, New Tool: Metabo HPT MultiVolt Cordless Compressor, A Deck Builder's Guide to 'Google My Business', JLC Rolls Out Deck and Railing Skills Workbook, Webinar: What You Need to Know About Decking. Also, make sure the igniter electrode has a proper spark gap; this not unlike checking for the same in an automobile spark plug. Verify that the breaker is set and operating properly before calling for service. To do this, reset the time clock dial for the longer running time, or manually operate the pump with the timer override switch. By applying a solar cover, you can figure out whether its your pool or pool heater thats creating the heat loss. No ON lights, no water flow indicators. 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. Unblanketed pools can lose up to 10 degrees per night compared to 4 degrees or fewer when a blanket is used. Without a blanket, the total heat gained during the day can be lost overnight. If the burners fire, then you have a bad thermostat and it needs to be replaced. Manufacturers offer specific diagnostic recommendations for testing electrical current between these devices using a voltmeter. Intermittent ignition devices differ from millivolt devices chiefly in the fact that IIDs require an external electrical source to power their functions. This is sometimes the cause of what many describe as a pool heat pump turning off and on. If the water stops dripping, the heat pump is not leaking. Heating up the water starts taking longer, and sometimes the pump shuts off at random. After heating thousands of gallons of water, certain parts in your pool heater may begin wearing down. Evaluate these things first:Check the circulation system. Check the gas valve. Circuits in heaters are not difficult to troubleshoot once you understand that the components are wired in series, like a string of Christmas lights. In this post, we go over a few things you can do to make troubleshooting your Raypak pool heat pump much easier. So what do you do when the heater wont heat? -Is the Heat Demand lamp ON? If you see any leaves or twigs lodged in the vents, remove them. Improperly positioned valves or a dirty filter could decrease the flow of water required for efficient operation. Call for backup. If this lamp is OFF, but you can feel normal flow at the pool returns, check the water valves or settings. Use caution around the electrode: It has low amperage, but a high voltage! -Are the thermostat setting and the Pool/Spa setting correct? 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. Set your voltmeter for the proper voltage that is, above 24 volts. To do so, remove the wire running between the gas valve and the thermostat. The last diagnostic step with millivolt systems is a check of the high-limit switch or switches. -Is the control panel Power lamp ON? If you suspect that the heat pump is leaking: a. This enables you to bypass the chain of control devices wired along the same circuit as the valve and to check the performance of the gas valve and pilot generator. 1 reason a heater will not fire is inadequate water flowing into it. Over time, the coil begins builds up a layer of debris, dirt, and grease from processing so much air. If you liked this post, you might also like: Get access to exclusive swimming pool tips, special offers, and members-only news, Medallion Energy 3055 Tech Park Way Deland, FL 32724 407-786-0000, Hours Mon-Fri: 8am 7pm Saturday: 9am 5pm Sunday: By Appointment, Service Areas Anywhere in the United States and throughout Florida.Orlando, Longwood, Miami, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, St Cloud, Tallahassee, Daytona Beach, Davenport, Windermere, Clearwater, and the rest of North, South, and Central Florida, How Well Do Solar Pool Heaters Work? 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. Before calling for heat pump service, gather these tools: If one day you wake up and your pool heat pump stops running, the first thing to check is your water flow. Attach a voltmeter lead to one of the terminals for the systems 24-volt transformer, then probe the other terminal with the second lead. Check the transformer. Figure 2: Pressure switch test in an IID system. 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. The connection between pilot generator and gas valve should read more than 200mv with the heater firing. 2. If the heater doesnt shut off, you have a faulty valve that must be replaced. If there is no arc across the space, the ignition control should be replaced. That said since your evaporator coil sits behind a layer of metal vents, the blockage could also be there. -Are rapid heat losses occurring in some other way, such as high wind, spillage, rainfall, flow through solar panels at nights, or a high water table? Should You Consider Switching to Cost-Plus Pricing? If not, they need replacing. (Some will fire at 10 gpm, but they wind up overheating or cycling.) Here, the pilot is sparked electrically only when it is needed to fire the burners. If they dont, you need to move on. If the heater is equipped with an electronic temperature control, the controls sensor or probe should be checked following procedures recommended by the manufacturer. Without an adequate source of water, a pool heat pump automatically shuts down to prevent overheating. Want to lower your pool heating bills and make pool care easy? Again, a preliminary wiring check will help you avoid unnecessary effort in troubleshooting these components. After the unit has been running and then shut OFF for any reason, there is a delay before operation can begin again. Remember that the heat pump only operates while the pool pump is running. When an IID heater wont fire, the ignition control is another suspect. coils, or any other obstruction to airflow will reduce performance. -Is the Water Flow lamp ON? By reporting on the telephone which lamps are ON and OFF, the service rep may be able to solve the problem without the expense of a service call. 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. Set the time clock to permit 24 hour per day operation. Often the culprit is not in the heater itself. If the heater does shut off, the gas valve is OK, but you know you have a control problem. 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. If the pressure gauge reads normal, proceed. In an older heater that has not been used for several months, the contacts in the thermostat may be dirty. Once you find out which part is keeping the heater off, it can be repaired or replaced. Faulty high-pressure switch (shuts down to protect unit). If you replace the high-limit switch and still have a problem, check for proper water flow through the heat exchanger. Association of Pool & Spa Professionals Launches Operator Certification, Cubic Electrical Appliance Introduces Line of Heat Pumps, Industry Seeks to Standardize Storm Response. But when you cant figure out the problem yourself, you can get pool heater troubleshooting help over the phone. First, you must ascertain which type of pilot the heater uses. Use a pocket mirror to see if the pilot is burning; never put your face or eyes where you could possibly get burned. Raise the thermostat setting. Then move to the fusible link, the high-limit switch and the pressure switch (see Figure 2). Or. Check the switches. But if the issue is your pool heater, then youll still experience significant heat loss with or without the cover. Sometimes when a heater is shut down for winter, the gas to the heater will be turned off at the gas valve. Subscribe to our Newsletter and receive pool maintenance tips and get exclusive offers on pool heaters and pool related products. If the burners fire, then you know that the pressure switch is not sensing proper water flow.