spa heater will not come on

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tstex

Silver Supporter
Aug 28, 2012
2,236
Houston, TX
Hello to all,

Hope everyone and your families are all doing well.

My Hayward H400FD 400K Heater is not coming on either via the inside remote or at the pool panel. If I press either icon/button, respectively, nothing happens. It's like the on/off switches are not functioning. They do not either light-up or come on.

I checked the breaker that feeds the heater and it was on. Turned it off for 15-20 secs, then back on. After turning breaker back on, I tested the blower that is also on that circuit and it worked fine. Then tested the spa again and nothing.

Went to the spa and hit the MODE button and it changes from SPA to POOL, etc fine. It is back in SPA mode.

Have not opened her up yet bc it was still to dark at 6am. I am hoping maybe a relay or something simple. but I am all ears on what to start testing.

Note, I periodically turn on the spa during the off season [summer when the water gets 90 degrees] to keep all going. I probably have gone the longest since it was installed in 2005 of not running it. Maybe 2-3 months. If the orifices are clogged w spiderwebs, hypothetically, would that possibly cause this?

Thank you in advance for your help and suggestions.

Best,
tstex
 
mknauss said:
Have a read through Hayward H-Series Heaters - Further Reading while waiting for our experts to reply
Click to expand...
thanks Marty - hope you are doing well.

one add'l comment is the LED on the Spa is working properly and is providing the correct code. which is the "bO Code
A bO code is a normal display on the heater display when the heater is being controlled by automation. It indicates the heater is in remote control mode."
So, there are no error codes being displayed.
 
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tstex said:
thanks Marty - hope you are doing well.

one add'l comment is the LED on the Spa is working properly and is providing the correct code. which is the "bO Code
A bO code is a normal display on the heater display when the heater is being controlled by automation. It indicates the heater is in remote control mode."
So, there are no error codes being displayed.
Click to expand...
With the system running, what temperature does the automation display for the pool or spa?
Is it correct? If not, a bad water temp sensor will not allow the automation to turn the heater on.
Find the small "control" wire coming from the automation. At the automation, disconnect it from the two terminals (be sure to note which terminals), twist them together (don't allow them to touch any metal or, at the very least a fuse in the heater will blow) , turn on the pump and see if the heater starts. If it does, the problem is in the automation.
 
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1poolman1 said:
With the system running, what temperature does the automation display for the pool or spa.
Is it correct? If not, a bad water temp sensor will not allow the automation to turn the heater on.
Find the small "control" wire coming from the automation. At the automation, disconnect it from the two terminals (be sure to note which terminals), twist them together (don't allow them to touch any metal or, at the very least a fuse in the heater will blow) , turn on the pump and see if the heater starts. If it does, the problem is in the automation.
Click to expand...
Thank you poolman

I am now remote until Saturday morning. But to answer your question on temperatures, the spa LED does not display the temp. It never has, even when it has routinely worked the last 9 yrs. The temp is displayed at the panel & the inside remote, and that temp both now and always has been correct. It stated about 82 degrees, and that is accurate.

When i arrive home, I'll perform the steps you outlined and post back. If anything i stated prompts further questions, pls let me know? I can also have my daughter go to the panel & or spa LED and perform any functions.

Thanks again
 
tstex said:
Thank you poolman

I am now remote until Saturday morning. But to answer your question on temperatures, the spa LED does not display the temp. It never has, even when it has routinely worked the last 9 yrs. The temp is displayed at the panel & the inside remote, and that temp both now and always has been correct. It stated about 82 degrees, and that is accurate.

When i arrive home, I'll perform the steps you outlined and post back. If anything i stated prompts further questions, pls let me know? I can also have my daughter go to the panel & or spa LED and perform any functions.

Thanks again
Click to expand...
Quote: "With the system running, what temperature does the automation display for the pool or spa?"
 
1poolman1 said:
Quote: "With the system running, what temperature does the automation display for the pool or spa?"
Click to expand...
Here is a pic just taken of the display : is this what you need?

It was 81-82 earlier this am. The filter pump turns off at 2pm, so i have someone turn on filter pump, wait until it ran through the prime cycle, then take this pic.
 

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tstex said:
Here is a pic just taken of the display : is this what you need?

It was 81-82 earlier this am. The filter pump turns off at 2pm, so i have someone turn on filter pump, wait until it ran through the prime cycle, then take this pic.
Click to expand...
Yes, thanks. I'm guessing that the water temp displayed is accurate, so the temp sensor should be good. That would eliminate that as the issue.
 
1poolman1 said:
Yes, thanks. I'm guessing that the water temp displayed is accurate, so the temp sensor should be good. That would eliminate that as the issue.
Click to expand...
There's a temp sensor that goes into one of the 2" PVC pipes, and that just measures the temp of the water going through the pipes. However, this is the same sensor that measures the hot water when it's coming out of a properly operating spa. Then there's the internal sensor to the spa only that determines what temp to heat up the water based on what i set it, correct?

Thanks again
 
tstex said:
There's a temp sensor that goes into one of the 2" PVC pipes, and that just measures the temp of the water going through the pipes. However, this is the same sensor that measures the hot water when it's coming out of a properly operating spa. Then there's the internal sensor to the spa only that determines what temp to heat up the water based on what i set it, correct?

Thanks again
Click to expand...
The pool/spa heater should be set to 104 degrees, the highest it can be, never changed, and then the automation will control it from there if all is working correctly.
Set the heater to 80 and the spa temp in the automation to 102 and the heater will stop at 80 regardless of what the automation is trying to do. It will say that it has turned the heater on but the heater itself will turn off. Except for some very new heaters and automation systems, there is no direct communication between a heater (any brand) and an automation system (also any brand).
I've made, and charged for, several service calls because, even after explaining on the phone how to do this so I wouldn't have to go out, customers would not believe that was all that was wrong with the system, user error. Costly user error.
 

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Thanks again p-man. I will do exactly as you stated and understand the process.

For the last 9.5 yrs, I've run the spa in the fall, early winter, late winter & spring, but not if the pool temps are below 55-58 rangex I've always had the pool cut off max setting at 100F.

Usually about every mo or so when I'm not using the spa, I'll fire it up for 10-20 mins to insure "i get the cobwebs out" or to prevent them occurring. The heater has always come on., now, no matter whether it's from the inside remote or outside panel, the heater icons will not come on or light up.

Thanks again snd when I'm back home (Saturday), I'll start the trouble shooting process.
 
Quote1poolman1:

"Except for some very new heaters and automation systems, there is no direct communication between a heater (any brand) and an automation system (also any brand)."

I would surmise that bc all brands are interchangeable and not proprietary, there's no software that enables programming due to open systems?

Hopefully my problem is minor.
 
tstex said:
Quote1poolman1:

"Except for some very new heaters and automation systems, there is no direct communication between a heater (any brand) and an automation system (also any brand)."

I would surmise that bc all brands are interchangeable and not proprietary, there's no software that enables programming due to open systems?

Hopefully my problem is minor.
Click to expand...
It sounds very much like your automation is not completing the control circuit, the wire may be disconnected at one end or the other, the wire may have rodent damage (they love the taste of the insulation) or just be broken. The last two are what I find at least 90% of the time.
 
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1poolman1 said:
It sounds very much like your automation is not completing the control circuit, the wire may be disconnected at one end or the other, the wire may have rodent damage (they love the taste of the insulation) or just be broken. The last two are what I find at least 90% of the time.
Click to expand...
@1poolman1

You were spot on...something chewed a wire and it was cut through. I had enough extra wire on both sides so I used the appropriate barrel connector, clamped then heat shrunk it to obtain an impervious seal. Afterwards, I was able to fire-up the heater in normal fashion and she was good to go.

Thanks again for all your help and support in troubleshooting my heater...I'll be ready for the first real cool front to fire up the spa...tis the season soon.

Best,
tstex
 
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