Gas heater help!

[silverbug]

Hello, I am a fairly new inground pool owner and perplexed by a problem we are having-
pool heater pilot light is on, gas line open, didn't start up at beginning of season. Ran filter for a couple of days when starting up the pool and adding chemicals, then all of a sudden it started working. For about 2-3 weeks it's been good, until about 48 hours ago and now it won't turn on. Similar problem last year, had an HVAC tech assess the heater and he gave it an A+ said it looked clean, fired up and passed all his diagnostic tests. Around that time the sand filter seemed to be an issue, it would require backwashing for 5+ minutes about once per week then the heater would start working albeit intermittently. I tried backwashing again this time with no luck. We have a salt water generator that is working fine so the system seems to have enough pressure, it would usually show "low flow" with even slight pressure changes...

The company that did our liner says sand filter should get better with age and not require any maintenance or media changes. Another told us the sand filter media should be changed but they didn't show and kept procrastinating our service...The PSI gauge broke as well so I'll get that fixed .

I have an odd troubleshooting concern that the pool companies haven't brought up- thinking that the sand filter is the problem, I set the filter to the "whirlpool setting" but the pool heater still won't turn on even after 10 minutes. Does that not rule out the sand filter as the problem and maybe it's a problem with a switch/thermostat of the gas heater?

Specs:
16 x 32 inground pool about 20 yrs old , liner replaced this spring
Jandy Lite 2 gas heater almost new, 2 years old
Jacuzzi sand filter, likely 20 years old and sand not changed in 5+ years (house was neglected by previous owner)
Hayward Aquarite Low Salt Generator

Thank you in advance for any help,

 

[danpik]

You can look up how to deep clean a sand filter. There are some good articles on it on this forum. Sand does not need to be changed. Mine is over 20 years old. As for the heater, you need to determine why the gas valve is not getting a signal to open. It could be that the pressure from the pump is too low. It could also be another sensor either malfunctioning or actually doing its job. A volt/OHM meter can be a big aid in this to find which switch is not closing properly. Since it has a pilot light, It could be the power pile/generator (thermocouple type device) is not generating enough power.
Dan

 

[Pool Clown]

With any filter that needs to be backwashed, good velocity AND volume (not necessarily pressure) are key to a good cleaning of the filter. If you have a variable or 2 speed pump, you should be running it at a significantly raised RPM or on speed 2, when attempting to backwash AND be sure that all your baskets are clean before you start. The symptoms you have described point toward a lack of pressure to the heater. Especially the part where the heater would spontaneously start and run.

 

[skimmerswimmer]

If you have a pilot light, you likely have a series circuit of all the safety switches required to operate as expected in order for your heater to fire up. Since the operation seems to be intermittent, I'd start by briefly jumping/shorting each switch one at a time to see which one is causing the issue. If it turns out to be the flow pressure/switch, then the filter and/or flow is likely suspect...or the switch is going bad. I had a similar issue with my Raypak heater and it turned out to be a bad thermostat, so I bypassed it and now I just turn the heater on and off using the rocker switch as appropriate. Eventually I'll replace the thermostat. For heaters with a pilot light, the millivolt circuit created by the pilot can be a bit sensitive to improperly crimped and/or damaged wires and I would check everything to make sure you are not getting an intermittent grounding or shorting anywhere along the circuit path. Your pilot output could also be borderline and I would also check to see if the pilot flame is nice and strong and the assembly is clean.

 

[silverbug]

Thank you all for the replies. I'm abandoning the ideanof the filter being the problem for now given that I can bypass it with the whirlpool mode of my handle and the heater still doesn't turn on.

Danpink and swimmerskimmer, I think you are right regarding issues with the circuitry. Unfortunately I know little about electricity and might resort to calling a pro. I've touched base with jandy and got a lead. I'm thinking a gas tech 2nd opinion to decide if something electrical needs to be replaced, or possibly just upgrading to a better more reliable unit. It's frustrating that this one lasted less than 2 years, I've been told jandy is not a reliable brand for heaters?

 

[borjis]

Raypak have been very reliable for a lot of us.

Highly recommended.

 

[skimmerswimmer]

Raypak heaters, installed and maintained correctly, are the most reliable. My previous one lasted almost 20 years.

 

[silverbug]

Update:
Had the gas tech come out and he verified that the electrical connections we're loose/bad , he soldered several of them, now it clicks on and runs like a champ! So glad to not have to spend on a new heater.

Thank you to everyone for the replies.