Heater has power but will not turn on

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stev

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Jun 4, 2016
44
New Brunswick, Canada
So I've had my pool setup now for 2 years, this being the 3 summer I am opening it. Got the water all cleared up etc and this evening went to turn on the heater. Flipped the breaker on at the main panel, went to the disconnect by the heater and flipped that on and power is available at the heater however the unit will not actually turn on.

I redirected my valves to have the water go through the heater at this point and turned the temperature knob on it and nothing. Unit won't turn on.

Checked my pressure at the filter (sand filter) its about 12. I did a good long backwash and rinse just to be sure and still no change..

This is a Hayward HP-ABG model. Can't seem to locate anything online to check for a wiring diagram on what to troubleshoot.

Can anyone shed some light on this issue?
 
There are 5 sensors according to the schematic. Water sensor, flow sensor, defrost sensor (probably not the problem) and a high and low pressure sensor ( these are for the refrigerant charge). Using a OHM meter, you can check for continuity across terminals for the sensors. You may need to disconnect them from the board to do this as the board may give erratic readings. I am not sure if the high and low pressure sensors should show open or closed. I also noted that there should be some trouble codes displayed on the unit according to the manual.

Dan
 
The Hayward HP-ABG is a heat pump but I would check the pressure switch to start with. You could try disconnecting the two wires going to it and use a small piece of wire to jumper those two connectors together and see if the unit starts up. Do you have a digital display on the unit? Is it showing any error messages?
 
ps0303 said:
The Hayward HP-ABG is a heat pump but I would check the pressure switch to start with. You could try disconnecting the two wires going to it and use a small piece of wire to jumper those two connectors together and see if the unit starts up. Do you have a digital display on the unit? Is it showing any error messages?
Click to expand...

hi, ya no mine has no digital display. I am in front of the unit now and was going to bypass the pressure switch for starters.

See picture of what hat unit looks like with cover off.
 

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I am not familiar with heat pumps other than theory. (my son-in-law is the AC tech in the family) I do know that if the system charge gets too low the unit will not fire. It may be time to get an AC guy to look at it
 

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Richard320 said:
Are you sure this isn't it? http://www.haywardnet.com/pdfs/heatpump-troubleshooting-guide.pdf
Click to expand...

Thank you for this! I think I may have found my model and the wiring diagram. I also found on there a troubleshooting procedure which I followed. Now based on that I am not sure perhaps my low pressure switch is bad? I followed all the steps, only issue is I have no way to test the pressure if its 65psi+ so I assumed that was a yes and moved on down to the next step on checking voltage between L1 and yellow wire on time delay and then all my answers were "No".

I got down to the bottom and measured the resistances for the Low and High pressure switch, for the low I was getting no reading at all. The high pressure switch I was getting like 0.5.

So what is your thoughts, is it a bad low pressure switch?

 
stev said:
Thank you for this! I think I may have found my model and the wiring diagram. I also found on there a troubleshooting procedure which I followed. Now based on that I am not sure perhaps my low pressure switch is bad? I followed all the steps, only issue is I have no way to test the pressure if its 65psi+ so I assumed that was a yes and moved on down to the next step on checking voltage between L1 and yellow wire on time delay and then all my answers were "No".

I got down to the bottom and measured the resistances for the Low and High pressure switch, for the low I was getting no reading at all. The high pressure switch I was getting like 0.5.

So what is your thoughts, is it a bad low pressure switch?

Click to expand...
As near as I can figure, all those various cutoffs are wired in a series. That means both high pressure and low pressure would have to be normally closed for the thing to operate. High is closed, although it sounds like resistance is a bit high. Low is open. Next step is jumper the low pressure switch. If it starts working normal, it's the switch. If it makes noises like the compressor is working yet there is no temperature change, then you're low on refrigerant and the low pressure switch was telling the truth. Which sucks, because it means you have a refrigerant leak.
 
Richard320 said:
As near as I can figure, all those various cutoffs are wired in a series. That means both high pressure and low pressure would have to be normally closed for the thing to operate. High is closed, although it sounds like resistance is a bit high. Low is open. Next step is jumper the low pressure switch. If it starts working normal, it's the switch. If it makes noises like the compressor is working yet there is no temperature change, then you're low on refrigerant and the low pressure switch was telling the truth. Which sucks, because it means you have a refrigerant leak.
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Jumping the low temp switch makes the unit work. And my power pilot light also comes on. Its running now, I am pretty sure the temperature is luke warm/warmer coming out of the jet. I'll let it run overnight and see if I can feel a slight increase in temp in the AM. No issues in this?

The low temp switch I got the part number off it says HP2177.. seems like no results :(
 
The parts list in that link shows VPX2179 as the part number, and googling it gets all kinds of hits. One of the hits led me to Hayward Switch, Replacement Lp Heatpro (hpx2179) - INYOPools.com

It's worrisome that the switch comes with that brass Tee.... it's like there's been a change in something. If it was just the switch, I would suspect that the port it screws onto has a Schrader valve and the refrigerant loss would be insignificant when you replaced it. This looks like it may require discharge and recharge
 
Richard320 said:
The parts list in that link shows VPX2179 as the part number, and googling it gets all kinds of hits. One of the hits led me to Hayward Switch, Replacement Lp Heatpro (hpx2179) - INYOPools.com

It's worrisome that the switch comes with that brass Tee.... it's like there's been a change in something. If it was just the switch, I would suspect that the port it screws onto has a Schrader valve and the refrigerant loss would be insignificant when you replaced it. This looks like it may require discharge and recharge
Click to expand...

Richard, that is exactly the switch I came across as a cross reference part #. I ended up ordering it through amazon as it was hard to tell from the picture so worst case I return in.

But basically my unit simply pulled off on the copper tubing with another piece remaining, there was a plunger like still on there. But as you mentioned looking at this picture it looks like this style uses a screw on type and my concern was exactly that how do I make this one work with what I got without losing refrigerant.. I will wait the new part is supposed to arrive next week.

In the meantime I will take pictures of how the current setup is, also the existing switch part I pulled off says HP2177..
 
Well the part came in and as luck would have it its not the exact match. So the cross reference from the manual isn't right.

The switch I removed reads HP2177, what the book says its HPX2179. So I am not sure what to do now..

If I cut the old one off using a tube cutter from that copper line on my heatpump what is your guy's thoughts to thread this unit back on obviously I'd have to figure out how to get this on there and sealed so it doesnt leak refrigrant and during all this I'd probably have to get the service guy to come in and top it off..


 
Don't cut anything. The link I posted above shows the switch and a Tee. If the old switch is permanent, then maybe they expect that Tee to get screwed onto an existing service port. You'd need to hire an AC guy to come discharge the system, remove the core from the existing port, screw it all together and recharge.
 
Richard320 said:
Don't cut anything. The link I posted above shows the switch and a Tee. If the old switch is permanent, then maybe they expect that Tee to get screwed onto an existing service port. You'd need to hire an AC guy to come discharge the system, remove the core from the existing port, screw it all together and recharge.
Click to expand...

If you look at that switch picture from your link, the right side of the T there is a cap like part on it. Well I have the very same cap on the my system down below where the low pressure side is where I guess you would fill the unit.

I am wondering like you said, perhaps that T gets adapted to the old service port and thats it. Why would I need to discharge the system to attach that T to the old service port?
 
stev said:
If you look at that switch picture from your link, the right side of the T there is a cap like part on it. Well I have the very same cap on the my system down below where the low pressure side is where I guess you would fill the unit.

I am wondering like you said, perhaps that T gets adapted to the old service port and thats it. Why would I need to discharge the system to attach that T to the old service port?
Click to expand...
There should be a schrader valve -- tire valve core -- inside that needs to be depressed to allow the pressure to reach the switch. Just attaching that Tee won't do it, the valve needs to be removed, then the tee screwed on, then the switch screwed to one side, leaving the other available as a service port. The old switch likely just sits there useless.

If you look up inside the new switch, you'll likely see a little plastic nub in the center that is designed to depress the schrader valve. You could always just screw the thing onto the existing service port and leave the Tee and a note inside explaining what you did for the benefit of some future service technician. If he needs to get at the port, he can fix it right before he leaves.
 

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