Pentair MiniMax 400 DV Heater - No 24 volts

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restoman

restoman

Well-known member
Dec 24, 2010
168
Murrieta, CA
Gents, I have a 15 year old Pentair system and the Jacuzzi heater gave out about a year ago. As you can see from the pictures (see attached), it's a Pentair MiniMax 400 DV heater. I have 120VAC coming into the transformer but I don't seem to have the 24V going to the orange and white wires. Can anyone give me any guidance on getting this fixed? I'm assuming it's the transformer, but electronics isn't my strong point.

Thanks
Ed
 

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Actually you are setup for 240v coming in, red plug. But you should have 24V on the other side of the transformer. If not, then it could be a bad transformer. I'm guessing you have no display on the front of the heater when you turn it on? Have you tried flipping the black switch below the red plug?
 
Thank you sir. Any idea how much one of these things cost? I looked on ebay and found a few listed for the MiniMax, but $45 seems a bit much. Especially for some piece of **** made in China. I would bet I could find a good ol' USA made one if I knew the actual manufacturer part number.

Ed
 
Keep in mind that the blue plug connector you see inside is for 120V supply. If you are in fact 120v as you say then you need to be using the blue plug connector. The red one is if you have a 240v source coming into the heater.
 
I just looked at the OPERATION AND INSTALL MANUAL (page 19 figure 16) and you're right! However, my son said that's how he blew the transformer (of course, he didn't mention this yesterday). He said he noticed this in the manual as well and moved the plug from the red connector to the blue and it instantly fried the transformer! So he moved it back. I'm now wondering what other damage he's done.

Ed
 
If there is 110V coming into a heater that is configured for 220v it shouldn't blow the transformer. Typically the readout reads "Err" because its only gettin 13-14VAC to the control board.

If the heater is set up for 220V operation you should have 220V at the terminals on the heater.
 
Looking at your picture, heater appears to be wired for 220V (two black and one green, wire-nuted, NO white wire), granted im making an assumption there. When the plug was changed from the high voltage to the low voltage plug, you smoked the x-former (yes, 40 bucks sounds right) and hopefully, you just tripped half of the 220 breaker. So go and reset the breaker, pushing both switches to off then back on. Then check voltage. Do this even if they don't look tripped Many times when 1/2 a breaker has tripped, it wont appear that way, the other half it is tied to, holds it in the on position.
 
I was going to attach another picture showing the two circuit breakers that are tied together at my main house fuse box but the site won't let me. Apparently I've exceeded my quota.

Anyway, I flipped the two breakers that are tied together. but I still only have 120V at all the power connectors. And what's strange is that both the blue AND the red connectors have the exact same 120 volts on them at the same pins.

I've placed a bid on THIS TRANSFORMER on ebay, so if I win this one, I'll replace it and see what happens.

Ed
 

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Ok, I just checked all the wires at that connector, and ALL of them (with the exception of the brown one at the lower left slot) has 120V on them. The brown one is one of two brown wires going into what I believe is called the ignitor (?)

As far as I can tell, the way it's hooked up now is the way it's always been from day one. I say that because if I move the 9 pin white connector from the red to the blue receptacle, it's kind of hard to do because the wires have been in the red receptacle so long they have a "memory". You know what I mean? In other words, they have a natural bend to them now and if I move them to the blue receptacle I have to re-bend the wires.

Anyway, I've added more pictures in my photobucket account for you guys to look at.













Ed
 
Yes you're heater is running on 240v. To truly confirm, you see in the fourth picture, the small connector with the one green and two red wires coming into it on the right side, that's the incoming feed from your breaker. Using your volt meter, if you put one lead on screw for one red wire and the other lead on the other screw for the second red wire, you should get 240v.

And the picture for the breakers, you don't have another panel anywhere else for the pool equipment?
 
OK. So replace the transformer on the heater and lets see what happens. Also, don't use the blue plug inside the heater or you'll smoke another transformer.

The Intellitouch systems is where the heater and your pumps(s), pool equipment are connected to for power. The grey breaker box you showed earlier should be the main feed to the Intellitouch.
 
****. I just found out that I need a Pentair 471571 transformer, not the 471360 transformer that's on ebay. Anyone know what the difference is between these two other than the wire colors and the 30VA vs the 40VA I need? In other words, if I win would it still be possible to use this one?

Ed
 

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