4 year old Mini Max Heater comes on just fine but keeps turning itself off ever 10-15 minutes. It fires back up when we turn it back on but it just won't STAY on. Eventually after it cycles a bunch of times we get either the E04 or E05 error code but the 'service guy' says the fan, ignition, board, hoses, etc are all fine. They cannot find anything wrong. Same thing happened with my sisters heater and it turned out to be something wrong in the software. Because hers was still under warranty Pentair fixed it. Mine is no longer under warranty and Pentair customer service is NO help. Can anyone tell me how i can tell (what would some signs be) if it was a BAD PC BOARD? Or does anyone have any other suggestions as to what i can have my service guy check?

I live in Huntington Beach and my pool is salt so there is a LOT of rust and corrosion in the heater. So bad my service guy is afraid to take out the burner tray and clean off any rust/corrosion because it might not go back in correctly...the screws are SO rusted he is nervous that the integrity of what holds it in might just be so rusted and corruded that it crumbles.

Can't believe i might have to get a new heater after just 4 years. Any help would be SO appreciated.

UPDATE:It ran for 24 minutes then turned off with an error code of E05.
I restarted and it ran for 19 minutes and then turned off with an error code of E05.
Then i restarted it again and it ran for 14 minutes and then turned off with an error code of E05.
Then i restarted it again an it ran for 10 minutes and then turned off with an error code of E05.

Does this help indicate what the problem could be? I am told that fan, ignition, hoses are all fine. Could corrusion make it turn itself off?

The DDTC board is fine. Its doing exactly what its designed to do.

E04 is a fan failure. This means the vacuum switch isn't making. This, 95% of the time is indicative of a fan motor not spinning fast enough or the hose to the vacuum switch is leaking as opposed to the vacuum switch failing. The switch has proven to be very reliable.

E05 indicates a potential issue with the Hot Surface Igniter not coming up to temperature and or the flame sensor is sooted up from incomplete combustion.

That your heater is rusting, leads me to believe that something either bond wire or ground related is happening to cause electrolysis. Are there any other metal fixtures that are having rust issues?

To say that Pentair support has not been any help is very unusual. What did you expect them to do?

Scott

PoolGuyNJ
I expected Pentair to offer suggestions as to what the problem could be or send a guy out to diagnois it and potentially fix it. Just like when my exercise bike broke, LifeFitness sent someone out and they fixed it. Pentair just told me that i need to buy a new heater. That is what i meant by they were not helpful.

i knew what the E04 and E05 codes meant...i found that on the back panel and on the internet in about 2 seconds however the 3 people that have looked at the heater tell me that the fan and all the parts are fine.

So i continue to ask...Does anyone have any ideas what could be making it turn off every 10-15 minutes? Any ideas anyone?

Replace the Hot Surface Igniter.

Scott

Was this heater designed to be used with salt water?

@annap: The salt level in SWCG equipped pools has no bearing in any residential pool heater built within the last 25 years. If it was sea water, that would be a different issue altogether.

Scott

Well the heater is fixed and the problem was excatly what i kept asking people if it could be, which was a rust/corrusion issue. All the parts were fine....ignition, sensors, hoses etc. My service guy brought over a compressor and shot pressured air into the unit and tons of rust and corrusion came flying out. He also stuck in some long pipe cleaners and got more stuff out. That was the problem,,,,,corrusion and rush. The heater is fine now. At my request he took out the flame sensor to see if it was bad and it was fine...clean as a whistle somehow. So, i am going to be having him clean it out once or twice a year.

Sure it does. The salt increases the viscosity of the water, as well as the conductivity. Both of which dont help a pool heater exchanger.

I don't usually disagree with you racket. I think the is the 2nd time in 5 years but...

The viscosity delta is marginal at best and doesn't increase the friction erosion rate enough to be really significant and and the electrical issues are dealt with by bonding properly and if needed, adding a zinc anode (also bonded) to the water.

The cupro-nickel often used today for heat exchangers is to reduce the effect of chlorine on copper, not electrolytic corrosion.

The Min-Max line of heaters were pretty lame to begin with, which is why they aren't made anymore.

Scott

In fact, I usually defer any answers to you as you have a great wealth of knowledge and should be held in the highest regard. While I know you know this, other on this forum may this not but they should. I hold you in the highest regard, my friend.

Scott