Pentair Mastertemp 250 -- water coming out of air intake port

[cannibalcraig]

Hey I'm new to this forum thingy...
Does anyone have any DIY help to fix the water problem? It comes out like a hose is running out of it through intake port when the pump is on. Does this mean my heat exchanger is clogged or is it history?...Can I clean out my exchanger or is it a replace?
any suggestions?

 

[Pool Clown]

It is history and my guess is that the blower is too...

Sorry.

There are exchanger kits available. Specify your heaters' size when ordering.

 

[ps0303]

The unit is done for as noted by Pool Clown. The ignitor, blower motor, and heat exchanger are all shot. At this point you need to replace the heater all together.

 

[cannibalcraig]

Pool clown...thanks for reply
But how is water going through the blower?
Is there an o-ring or gasket?...could the blower just be bad and not exchanger or even igniter?

 

[JamesW]

If water is blowing out the exhaust, the exchanger is leaking.

 

[ps0303]

When a hole develops in the heat exchanger it allows water to fill up the canister of this heater. The blower motor sits on the top portion of the canister where there is the opening for it to blow into the canister. This opening allows the water in the canister to escape and spew out the blower motor. Whenever you have water coming out like this, you have a hole(s) in the heat exchanger.

 

[cannibalcraig]

Thanks...my next concern is-- do I really need to ditch the whole unit or can parts be replaced? Seems like a poor design if one thing blows...scrap it
It (the heater) was replaced in 2006...I use the pool seasonally from memorial day to labor day--- winter months it's closed.
One other question...do I need to flush the heater with something when winterizing? I just opened the drain plugs and drained the exchanger...should I do periodic flushing with something?

 

[ps0303]

If you add up the costs of all the parts you need to replace plus your time to do the work, you are probably over half the cost of a new unit. Heater manufacturers quote 7-10 years on the life span of most units. You said you had it replaced in 2006 so you're at 11 years.

What you need to find out is why did this happen. Is the water not balanced correctly which allowed the copper in the heat exchanger to develop holes in it? I see you winterize it. Yes all you would need to do is drain the heat exchanger so that there is no longer water inside of it. Water in it during the winter and it freezes will blowout a heat exchanger. But you drain it so that is good. So I would have to wonder how well the pool water is balanced.