I have a Sta-Rite heater that has been hooked up for about 2 weeks and it's started acting up on me. I have an EasyTouch Controller that runs the pump, SWCG and the heater. I have the heater controlled by the EasyTouch via the fireman's switch. When I got the gas connected I threw on the breaker and it fired right up. After about a week, it stopped working so I opened it up and found that there was no power at the coil. Turns out the factory connector to the primary side had worked itself loose. I plugged it back in and used some cable ties to keep it together for good, put the heater back together and it started working again. The next day, it wasn't coming on again. By throwing the breaker to the heater on an off repeatedly it would come on, light up, then shut off, then it would come on and fire up then shut off then if you threw the breaker again it would come on and function properly, cycling on and off as the water temp called for it to do so. Pretty bizarre. Has anybody had this happen to them or heard of this happening? I will contact Pentair next week but if anybody has an idea what might be happening it will probably make the process easier.
Sta-Rite SR400HD Heater Startup Issue
- Thread starter diyindux
- Start date
Does the service heater light come on? If so, if you look under the dome you might see what LED is lit to help indicate what the problem is. Be careful what you yourself do as you don't want to void the 2 year warranty.
There are no lights. It shuts off as if the power has been cut. Yesterday required 5 tries to get the heater to fire. There is 240 volts at the inputs when it shuts off so it's probably the main board.
It's really strange. It's like a hard-starting gas engine. It just takes 4 or 5 cranks to get going!
It's really strange. It's like a hard-starting gas engine. It just takes 4 or 5 cranks to get going!
Pool Clown
In The Industry
Contacted Pentair and told them the issue. I had 240 volts going to the transformer and 0 coming out. I noticed the blue lead coming from the transformer on the secondary side was not well attached. I moved it a little and got the heater working. The woman at Pentair checked with her manager to see if she could send me the transformer but he had her contact a local repair company. Makes more sense for both of us I guess but I don't like the idea of waiting.
It's running now and since it's on the low voltage side it is not likely to burn up so I'll find out tomorrow when they can fix it.
By the way, Pentair customer service seems pretty awesome!
It's running now and since it's on the low voltage side it is not likely to burn up so I'll find out tomorrow when they can fix it.
By the way, Pentair customer service seems pretty awesome!
UPDATE - Had the heater working for a bit then it shut off. I switched the breaker off and on again and it fired up, then began to shut off but this time the readout flickered. While it happened, I was right next tot he EasyTouch panel and I could hear a little crackling sound from the breaker. I switched the wires over to another 20 amp double pole breaker in the panel and the heater started right up and stayed on! My electrician had installed what appears to be a used Murray breaker that must have been arcing internally. I think that the breaker was able to pass enough current to read at the inputs but once any real current was required to start up the unit the breaker couldn't pass enough so the heater would shut down. I replaced the breaker with a new 20 amp double pole Eaton breaker and the thing is burning up fuel and heating my pool as I type this. Unreal. I had 240 volts at the terminals but with no current draw so I figured the problem was elsewhere. It makes sense now that I look back on it. When I was kicking the breaker on and off, if the unit could get enough current to charge the capacitors and get the blower turning it could stay on. Just like an old carbureted car with a balky choke. I'm not sure why I wasn't reading 24 volts at the fuse on the fireman's switch but with the thing working I'm not going to worry about it.
Fortunately, the internal arcing inside the breaker wasn't enough to make the thing burst into flames. That would have sucked since the panel is mounted on the side of my house. This is what happens to me when I'm forced to use a "licensed" contractor to get a permit. The last licensed electrician I had in here wired up a new circulator pump for an additional zone on my furnace for an indirect water heater by pulling power from the feed side of the service switch and connected the pump solenoid so that it was constantly on. I found the problem when I walked in my house and smelled the melting coil, then switched off the service switch to no effect. That coil was practically glowing by the time I got to the breaker panel to shut it off. The wiring from the control was all wrong as well so that the pump wouldn't come on correctly. I had another one replace may main breaker panel after I found all the breakers were arcing at the buss due to corrosion (it's in my garage). That guy never pulled a permit or called the power company so he replaced my meter socket after pulling the meter himself. I still don't have a tag on the meter lock ring. The electric company could make my life miserable for that. Of course with my monthly bills, especially now that I have a pool pump to feed, should prove that I'm not stealing anything!
Thanks for your suggestions. Here's another possibility to throw out for the next pool owner with a heater problem.
Fortunately, the internal arcing inside the breaker wasn't enough to make the thing burst into flames. That would have sucked since the panel is mounted on the side of my house. This is what happens to me when I'm forced to use a "licensed" contractor to get a permit. The last licensed electrician I had in here wired up a new circulator pump for an additional zone on my furnace for an indirect water heater by pulling power from the feed side of the service switch and connected the pump solenoid so that it was constantly on. I found the problem when I walked in my house and smelled the melting coil, then switched off the service switch to no effect. That coil was practically glowing by the time I got to the breaker panel to shut it off. The wiring from the control was all wrong as well so that the pump wouldn't come on correctly. I had another one replace may main breaker panel after I found all the breakers were arcing at the buss due to corrosion (it's in my garage). That guy never pulled a permit or called the power company so he replaced my meter socket after pulling the meter himself. I still don't have a tag on the meter lock ring. The electric company could make my life miserable for that. Of course with my monthly bills, especially now that I have a pool pump to feed, should prove that I'm not stealing anything!
Thanks for your suggestions. Here's another possibility to throw out for the next pool owner with a heater problem.