Heater fires up and sounds like it's running for a few seconds, it blows out heat, then it cycles and tries again. Had a pro out he swapped out the flame sensor. He said the ignitor and gas exchanger were fine. I got it to run one time after about 10 tries of it firing up and it ran the entire day and it hasn't worked since. Gas company checked the line said the gas pressure was fine. He couldn't get a hold of Hayward support and has gone radio silent since he was here. I can't get anyone else to come out everyone is booked. What should I check next?
Hayward H250FDN IF code
- Thread starter skudz
- Start date
swamprat69
Well-known member
All heaters need regular maintenance (service) and CLEANING! Did your "Pro" clean the burners and orifices by removing them from the burner box? Did he run the heater through several normal cycles after replacing the flame sensor while observing the heater operation and burner flames? Did he use any test instruments to check operating parameters? If heater is still not working after he repaired it, why is he not returning for a possible "callback" for the same problem? While it is possible for a heater to have multiple intermittent problems (especially if it hasn't had regular maintenance and service), any reputable service company/tech will return to diagnose the problem for a recently repaired heater.
Best guess is he is too busy for a small job most of the companies are completely booked for the summer or don't work on heaters and there's no Hayward certified technicians in the area. He checked all the parts and burners, he was here quite a while twice and couldn't figure it out. It's only 3 years old. The gas company checked the gas pressure for me and they said it was fine also.
swamprat69
Well-known member
Do you have a multimeter? Do you feel both 100% safe and comfortable checking electrical with the multimeter?
swamprat69
Well-known member
This should be the installation and service manual for your heater https://hayward-pool-assets.com/ass...uals/UHS-Service-Installation-011717-RevT.pdf Do you have a copy of this?
So I loosened the cover on the igniter and it fired up. If I tighten the cover it shuts off. Go figure something silly like that can cause this.
swamprat69
Well-known member
When you say the cover on the ignitor, do you mean the ignitor screws themselves or the screws on the air box cover? The air box cover has a gasket and is meant to be sealed. If the heater won't operate with the air box cover sealed, there is a problem. It could be several things... gas pressure both in and out, combustion blower air volume or obstruction in the combustion path. The gas company probably just checked the inlet pressure to the gas valve. They should have checked the inlet pressure both static and with the heater running. If the heater was not running at the time, they would only be able to check the inlet static pressure at the gas valve. They are not responsible for the correct operation of the heater or the correct adjustment of the gas valve regulator. You really need a service tech that understand the basic operation of the heater. I migh be able to help you with an HVAC company in your area (possibly, as not all HVAC companies will work on pool heaters) if you were more specific in your location than NY.
I have had that twice over the years with the same heater. The first time spiders got into the electrical part of the gas valve causing the gas valve to cycle on and off rapidly. I fixed it by removing the electrical part (slides right our after you disconnect the spade leads} and blew it out with compressed air to remove the fluffy egg nests. The second time it happened, spider nests had blocked the 2 jets right by the igniter blocking any gas flow. Blew them out and solved the problem. Hope this helps.
This why I hate the Hayward I have. You can’t diagnose or do anything with a sealed up combustion chamber. My old Laars was great. You could visually inspect the glow plug, flame color, and flame sensor in action and without taking anything apart. Wish I had known just how cheaply designed the Hayward was before it was installed.
This false. These heaters do NOT need yearly maintenance. They either work or they don't. I have worked on units that were close if not over 20 years old and they looked great. Anyone that sells a maintenance service for gas pool heaters is taking money from your pocket for now reason. Don't buy into that nonsense.
Is the unit leaking any water? Pull the igniter and look for signs of water damage. There could be a spraying of water inside the chamber that is affecting the units ability to stay lit.
What model of Hayward is this?
What model of Hayward is this?
swamprat69
Well-known member
Please note that I did not state that "yearly" cleaning and service are needed, but that "regular" cleaning and service are needed for a gas heater (pool/home etc) in order for the heater to operate safely and efficiently. Most heater Mfgs. recommend yearly service as a liability issue. The need for regular cleaning and service will vary greatly between individual heaters depending much upon the heater operating enviroment (home heater installed in a laundry room... Uh Oh). Pool heaters that operate in an outdoor enviroment are more prone to problems due to dirt, leaves, insects and rodents etc. than a heater that is installed inside of a home, much like the very common problem of an earwig getting fried in the contactor contacts of a HVAC condensing unit outside of the home. Many of these problems can and do result in a safety issue ( blocked heat exchanger, sooting and delayed ignition et.al.) that can lead to the early demise of an expensive piece of heating equipment (also like chemical balance effecting the life of pool heater heat exchanger) that could have been prevented by regular cleaning/maintenace by a "qualified" technician. Not all companies/technicians who work on heaters have the knowledge to work on and diagnose problems with those heaters correctly. Ultimately it is up to the heater owner to decide on the cleaning/maintenance schedule needed (hopefully by observation of the cleaning/maintenance and what is needed at the time). " An ounce of prevention"?
