Hi everyone, our pool heater just started leaking profusely, and I'm looking for a little help. I'm stumped because the heater was brand new, installed in 2012 by the previous owners of the house, (we moved in this past November after the pool was winterized) by the local pool company. It has been working all season, although about a month ago the pilot stopped staying lit so we had that repaired.
According to the HVAC person, the cause of the leak is a very cracked heat exchanger (this is also what came up when I was researching probable causes of the leak). They are suggesting to replace the unit, as the cost of the repair would be almost as much as the unit. Unfortunately the old owners didn't buy the heater from the pool company who installed it, so there is no warranty from them, but we're going to check with Jandy if there's anything there. The pool company have suggested that it could be poor water chemistry that caused the issue, BUT we opened ourselves and haven't used them at all since we moved in, so I'm wondering if they're just trying to scare me into becoming a customer!
The water chemistry has been fine all season, based on everything I've read/seen/my tests, though who knows what it was like last year. The HVAC guy thinks it's more likely that it wasn't winterized properly, and that it has maybe been cracked since winter but just now it got worse and finally blew. I'm inclined to agree with that since a) I know the old owners didn't do other things properly around the property, including not draining the garden hose hookup outside, so that burst over the winter, and b) They didn't do other parts of the winterizing for the heater that were noted in the heater manual when I opened in the spring.
Anyway, I guess I'm just wondering if there's any way this is my fault, since I'm a first-time pool owner, and would hate to think I broke something. My test results, taken the same day the leak was discovered were as follows:
pH: 7.5
FC: 6 - - this is a bit high because the pool had been covered for a week and it's been really cold, didn't turn down the SWG % enough I guess.
CC: <0.5
CH: 125
CYA: 30-40 - - at one point earlier this summer I was getting levels of 50, haven't added more since it's barely been sunny
TA: 100
Salt: 1870 -- we have the "low salt" model of aquarite, so this is a bit high and has been higher (added too much salt at the start of the season) but it was never high enough to make the SWG unit turn off, and was always well within the parameters for a normal SWG, so I can't see how that could have damaged the heater.
It's a vinyl pool, if that helps.
I'm just really annoyed, this is an expense we weren't expecting until at least a few years from now, wondering if it's even worth replacing it at this point. Thanks for any insight you can provide.
According to the HVAC person, the cause of the leak is a very cracked heat exchanger (this is also what came up when I was researching probable causes of the leak). They are suggesting to replace the unit, as the cost of the repair would be almost as much as the unit. Unfortunately the old owners didn't buy the heater from the pool company who installed it, so there is no warranty from them, but we're going to check with Jandy if there's anything there. The pool company have suggested that it could be poor water chemistry that caused the issue, BUT we opened ourselves and haven't used them at all since we moved in, so I'm wondering if they're just trying to scare me into becoming a customer!
The water chemistry has been fine all season, based on everything I've read/seen/my tests, though who knows what it was like last year. The HVAC guy thinks it's more likely that it wasn't winterized properly, and that it has maybe been cracked since winter but just now it got worse and finally blew. I'm inclined to agree with that since a) I know the old owners didn't do other things properly around the property, including not draining the garden hose hookup outside, so that burst over the winter, and b) They didn't do other parts of the winterizing for the heater that were noted in the heater manual when I opened in the spring.
Anyway, I guess I'm just wondering if there's any way this is my fault, since I'm a first-time pool owner, and would hate to think I broke something. My test results, taken the same day the leak was discovered were as follows:
pH: 7.5
FC: 6 - - this is a bit high because the pool had been covered for a week and it's been really cold, didn't turn down the SWG % enough I guess.
CC: <0.5
CH: 125
CYA: 30-40 - - at one point earlier this summer I was getting levels of 50, haven't added more since it's barely been sunny
TA: 100
Salt: 1870 -- we have the "low salt" model of aquarite, so this is a bit high and has been higher (added too much salt at the start of the season) but it was never high enough to make the SWG unit turn off, and was always well within the parameters for a normal SWG, so I can't see how that could have damaged the heater.
It's a vinyl pool, if that helps.
I'm just really annoyed, this is an expense we weren't expecting until at least a few years from now, wondering if it's even worth replacing it at this point. Thanks for any insight you can provide.
