Hayward H400 IDL Problems

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cpropes2005

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Jul 26, 2013
24
Is there a way to tell when a heater was built from the serial #? I have an H400 IDL but after doing some research it looks like there is an IDL1 and an IDL2 version and they use different parts. There is also a cutoff date in 2004 where parts changed but I am not sure if that was the actual conversion from the IDL1 model to the IDL2. The sticker inside the panel says Model No: H400IDL and Serial No. 31256009.
I cant find any dates inside the panel but I was thinking I had the older model because my manual says resistance across my motor should be 30 and 100 for the different wire combinations as opposed to something like 5 and 10 on the newer IDL2 manuals I have found online. I tested my motor and it falls within the range of the higher values listed in my manual.

The problem I am having is that after I turn it on it it will eventually cycle up the blower motor and act like it wants to start working but after a few seconds it will cycle the motor down again and then give an A0 code. Manual pointed to blower motor or vacuum switch for this code so I checked and cleaned the small vacuum hoses and checked resistance across the motor. That all looked good so I figured it had to be a bad vacuum switch so I ordered a new one along with a new vent pressure switch which I accidentally broke while checking some of the wiring. When I installed the new switches it immediately threw another code saying the vent pressure switch was bad. Could I have bought the wrong ones? I thought I had a pre 2004 IDL1 model so those are the switches I ordered but they dont seem to be working. Thanks in advance for any assistance.
 
Welcome to TFP cpropes2005! :wave:

I can not help you but someone should be around soon.
 
It definitely seems like the motor isn't spinning at full rpm but I wasn't sure if that was by design or if the motor and/or control board was bad. With the cover off you can see the shaft spinning but not at full speed until it tries to kick everything on and then it will ramp up to full speed but only for a few seconds before it comes back down and usually gives the error.
 
I had a technician come out and look at it today and he said it needs a new blower motor. Does that sound right? Unfortunately I wasn't there and since the appointment was for last Tuesday and he showed up today without calling I am not entirely confident in his thoroughness. The manual says to check resistance across the different wires and it appeared to be within the range listed in the manual (30 and 100 ohms I believe for the two different sets of wires). Is there another way to test the motor before paying for a new one?
 
Well I would have to say that if he installs the motor and it still doesn't solve the problem, he can take it off and go home. You should owe him nothing. Does he work on pool heaters for a living? What was the cost?
 
For future reference, the vacuum switch is what is says it is....just a switch....that can be jumpered out. I've also had good luck with just pulling one end of the vacuum hose from the housing and using my mouth to put suction and then fold the hose over. This is just for diagnosis purposes only. You'll need to re-enable all the safety switches when you figure out the problem.

There is usually a major reason why the exhaust fan is not blowing sufficiently. If the pool heater sits outside and subject to rain, snow, salt, etc. then some of the fan blades may have rusted out and broke loose from the squirrel cage thus, not moving as much air as designed. There is one or two places on the internet that make and sell just the cage fan blowers but, if the rust has caused damage to the blades then most likely the cage will be a beast to get off the motor shaft. The cheapest blower/motor combo I've seen go for about $350.

Hope this helps.
 
After talking to my wife who was there when he came out she said he was actually very thorough with the diagnosis and that he was pretty certain it was the motor. She said he actually suggested I just buy the part and install it myself since it is basically just a few screws and a plug and it would be a lot more expensive for him to come back out and do it.

So that leads me back to the question of is there a way to make sure I get the correct one? I know I it is an H400 IDL and I think it is an IDL1 not IDL2 but I am not entirely sure and I am not sure when it was built. It seems like 2004 was a cutoff for a change in part design. Is there anyway to use the serial # to make sure I am getting the right parts? Also, what are some good online parts resources? Thanks for all of the help!
 
Sorry to say but my normal supply avenue for parts no longer have a motor for this unit. "If" you find one, it might be on eBay. The heater was old and parts are scarce.
 

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Have you checked the motor yourself? If its certain that the motor needs to be replaced, perhaps you could remove the motor and fan unit and check to see if the motor spins freely or is frozen. Maybe you can take some pictures of the motor nameplate and inside the fan housing. I would check for rust and see if the blades on your fan are in good shape. Also, what is the condition of the capacitor on the side of the motor?
 
Thanks Paul. I did end up getting that motor and it seems to have fixed the A0 problem. Now the blower kicks on full speed and seems to be operating correctly. Problem is now I am getting an ignition failure. The blower runs for 30 seconds or so, then the gas opens up for a few seconds but does not light ( I can smell the gas). This repeats 3 times and then it gives the IF error code. Back to the drawing board I guess.
 
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