Sta-Rite woes

[Numerator]

Recently bought a house and trying to get my pool into shape.

It is getting chilly on occasion here in Florida and the wife really wants the heater working.

I've read many threads on this forum about this heater. First step was to replace the rotted out key pad. Good progress, but no heat yet.

My propane tank reads at 50%. I do believe I properly turned it on. Gas guy told me they would fill it to only 80%, and am not sure if I am perhaps too low.

Thinking I had air in the line, I tried starting many times. No go. I have a strong feeling that I have not bled the line properly. Any advice on this appreciated.

I am a complete newbie.

Maybe I need an Ignitor replacement?

Please chime in and help me get the wife hot.

Video February 5, 2016 - YouTube



pic attached hopefully


Shane

 

[tim5055]

Welcome to TFP!!

A 50% fill should be fine to make it work. The gas guy is not feeding you a line, 80% is the standard to which they will now fill LP gas tanks. The small "gas grill" sized tanks have an OPD valve that won't allow over an 80% fill.

I've never had to do it with a pool heater, but purging the gas lines in my RV's have always taken a lot longer than I thought it would. Are there any other gas appliances in the house running off that tank?

 

[ps0303]

I suspect the ignitor. Do you smell any gas when it tries to light?

 

[Numerator]

I have NOT smelled the propane at all. Granted the vent points upwards and has the blower going perhaps I am not detecting the smell.

The tank is ONLY hooked to the pool heater.

Thanks for the warm welcome. Would like my pool to feel the same.


Edit: my wife, who has a much better sense of smell didn't catch anything.

 

[ps0303]

Well if you don't smell and propane then I would hav eto wonder of gas is making it past the valve. The only way to correctly tell is to use a manometer to see. On the starite, when the system tells the gas valve to open, the gas pressure on the manifold side should be a -.2 if I recall correctly. It's listed on the tag inside the unit as to what the various check points what it should read. Do you feel the gas valve "click" at all when the system is running?

Do you have the manual for this unit?

 

[Numerator]

I do have the manual. http://www.pentairpool.com/pdfs/MaxEThermEngOM.pdf

I do not have the toggle style switch listed on page 32. See picture below. The knob rotates and can depress.

The tank is buried about 30 feet from the unit.

I could NOT find any instruction on how to purge the air from the line. I have cycled the unit on maybe 15 times hoping that would do the trick. Maybe that logic is flawed?

I will check to see if the gas valve clicks and report back.

Had to google manometer, so that should tell you my experience with the tool.

 

[Numerator]

The gas valve does click twice. What does this mean?

First click coincides with the 'Heating' light going from a flash to a solid light. This is after the blower runs for a little over 20 seconds.

Second click is 8 seconds after the first and ends the solid light.



I found the diagram showing the manometer test- attached. For the low pressure side: does the 'Pressure Tap' come out and I stick the tubing in the hole?

I appreciate the help.

 

[ps0303]

You have an older unit so the gas valve on/off is different. OK sounds like the valve might be operating correctly. I would suggest that you find someone in your area that could check the gas pressure per the manual as that really isn't a DIY type of thing. Maybe your propane company. Usually with propane you can smell it out the exhaust easier then natural gas as it is heavier and lingers around longer. But if you don't smell any it could mean several things. No propane, no propane getting out of the tank, no propane getting past the gas valve inside the heater. You have several possibles. I'd hire someone to take a look but also don't be surprised if they tell you to just replace it. I also wonder if the can has water in it with it being an older unit.

 

[Numerator]

Thank you Paul. I will do that.

 

[Pool Clown]

help me get the wife hot.

Im not doing that...

 

[Numerator]

Success!

Gas guy came out- the tank was disconnected! He put it back together, bled the line at the unit and it fired up on the first start!

Exhaust temps read normal (he said between 250-300 is good).

Good stuff!

Glad i read up on this forum and replaced the touchpad before I had him come out.

Now I will start working on getting my water chemistry correct. Plenty of reading to do before I start a new thread.

 

[Pool Clown]

Success!
Gas guy came out- the tank was disconnected! He put it back together, bled the line at the unit and it fired up on the first start!
Exhaust temps read normal (he said between 250-300 is good).

I wonder why the line was capped off to begin with? Sounds like there may have been a problem with the line from the tank to the heater (leak). Did he pressure test it before he hooked it back up?

 

[Numerator]

There was a "lock" installed that required a "key." Looked like a plug to me.

The house was a forclosure. Guess I should've mentioned that originally to you.

He did not hook up any gauges. Also didn't seem concerned with the health of the system at all. He thought perhaps the prior gas company was owed money or maybe even owned the tank.

 

[Pool Clown]

Well, that's different.

 

[ps0303]

WOW, the propane company should have known this all along. This is normal that a propane company does this on the tanks when a house is sold or foreclosed on. You have to establish an account with the propane company and then they will remove the lock out.