Pentair Heater won't stay lit

[stevemiro5]

I have a Max E Therm SR333NA heater that is only about four years old but hasn't been fired up in over two years. Due to the cool summer, I want to use and can't get the unit to fire up.

The heater will ignite, burn for five seconds,release a short puff of light smoke, shut down and continue through that sequence until I turn it off the heater. No diagnostic lights on the Fenwall light.

Any tips out there?

Thanks

 

[Charlie_R]

Have you looked at the flame on the burners? Since it's been a couple of years between uses, you could have had bugs take up residence in the burner tubes.

Should be an even blue flame all the way down each tube, with maybe a tiny bit of yellow at the very tips of the flame.

Lack of air mix will turn the flame yellow, and send out puffs of smoke. If you see yellow flame, you'll have to clean the tubes.

 

[ps0303]

Unfortunately this unit has a sealed combustion chamber so you can not look at the flame. So no Service Heater light lit up?

Natural or Propane gas?

Try this. Thinking maybe there is water inside the burner area, on the side where the inlet and outlets are, there are bolts holding the header on. Take one of the bottom bolts out and when you do if any water comes out, then the heat exchanger is leaking and the unit would be considered shot. So check and see if any water comes out of one of the bottom bolts.

 

[stevemiro5]

Thanks for the tip - will give it a try. Next step is to call in the pros.