Hayward Heater Leaking again

[jonmar]

Our pool build was in 2009. We've had the heater replaced twice already and today I noticed it leaking again. This one is 4 years old. Its the H250 electronic ignition. When the heater runs the leak seems to stop. I imagine when it cools the leak will return.
The history is the first was replaced under warranty. The second was out of warranty and I had to purchase a new one as they blamed my water chemistry. Since then, I have kept a log in my phone of every single water test I've done. I check every three days or so. Apart from the odd episode my numbers are where they should be.
Last night:
Cl-5.6
CC-0
Ph-7.8
TA-90
CYA-60
CH-390

Any ideas what is constantly eating my heat exchanger?

 

[ps0303]

Get a Raypak heater. Your numbers look pretty good but I contend that the Hayward's are junk and have issues like you are seeing. Case in point, this is your second Hayward.

 

[jonmar]

Hasn't leaked all day. Was just this morning. If the there's a hole in the HE shouldn't it leak constantly?

 

[ps0303]

Yes if there was a hole it would leak all the time.

 

[jonmar]

Haven't run the heater in five days. No leaks. Turned it on tonight. The water was 75. I'd say the air temp is about 65. It's been leaking since. Pretty wet puddle enough to put a test strip in (I know they aren't great but I couldn't capture enough to use the drop test) and it didn't change colour at all. Could it be condensation at these temps? It hasn't happened before except the first run in the spring when the water is about 50. It normally goes away at about 60.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[ps0303]

Yes I would say condensation if the test strips didn't show any change.

 

[jkayca]

I had a similar issue with the same model of heater. Heater would only appear to leak when it was on. I have a thread on it somewhere. I initially attributed the leak to condensation too. However, after a while it leaked all the time, on or off. The heat exchanger ended up being shot.

 

[jonmar]

So I turned it on this morning. Water was 80 and the outside temp about 75. 20 mins in the concrete pad has a healthy stream going. I put another test strip in the stream and saturate it. No color change. I take the back panel off and you can visibly see condensation on the walls. I've attached an image. What can cause condensation out of the blue in these temperatures? Does it eventually damage the heat exchanger?

The pic should be rotated 90 degrees to the left.

 

[jkayca]

If the exchanger is leaking, the water will fall onto the burners and turn into steam which can then condense inside the heater.

 

[jonmar]

Which would explain no chemicals in the tested water but not explain the lack of a continuous leak.

 

[jkayca]

Correct. This flummoxed me too. My heater started behaving exactly the same way you described. Eventually it leaked all the time.

My only guess was that the leaked started out small. It did leaked but got absorbed by the insulation material around the heater box. When the burners came on, the leak hit them and immediately converted to steam, creating a lot of condensation inside the unit. When the leak grew, it grew large enough the the surrounding material couldn't absorb the water so the leak was visible on the concrete pad on which the heater stood.

 

[ps0303]

The only thing you can do to confirm the leak is to take it apart. Remove the heat exchanger and inspect the unit. Then you will know if you have a leak or not. Usually when the heat exchanger has a hole in it, it leaks all the time, not just when the heater is on.

 

[jonmar]

So let's say you're correct and I think you are. Can you just change the HE if the insulation and foamy stuff is all full of water damage? It sounds like all you did. What kind of chemistry were you keeping? The only number that drifts on mine is the CL level.

 

[ps0303]

Sure you can change it out but cost might be a factor. Plus you have to consider that you will most likely be back in the same place in maybe a year or two.

This is NOT the FD Hayward, correct?

 

[jkayca]

The cost of the HE was pretty pricey. In the end I decided to go an get a new heater instead as it was likely the burners would need replacing soon too because of the leak. It really was only a few hundred dollars more. I got a Raypak in the end.

 

[jonmar]

It is. Why?

- - - Updated - - -

Know a place in the GTA that has great prices on heaters?

 

[ps0303]

Usually the Raypak is a few dollars less or equal to the price of a Hayward unless you opt for the cupro nickle heat exchanger which on a residential pool isn't needed.

 

[jonmar]

I thought the cupro nickel was for salt systems. Is that wrong?

 

[ps0303]

I thought the cupro nickel was for salt systems. Is that wrong?

There is no special system for a salt chlorinated pool. Unfortunately there is lots of misinformation on the internet and this is just another one of them. Just because you have a salt chlorinated pool you don't have to use cupro nickel. Cupro nickel systems were really designed for a commercial setting where systems take a beating. Also, cupro nickel will still have the same issues as a copper heat exchanger if you do not maintain your pools chemicals correctly. If you ignored your chemicals it will still eat thru the curpo nickel but it would take a little longer. So the key is, maintain your pool correctly and you won't have to worry about it.

There is a lot of great information on this site that will help you maintain your water and with very little effort.

 

[jonmar]

Spoke with a pool guy tonight that asked if I had a check valve installed between my heater and salt cell. I don't. The distance between the cell and the heater is about 6 inches. He says he guarantees that's what's ruining my heat exchangers. Sound accurate to anyone here? Was that always in the manual? I see it is in my most recent one.