Pool heater broken But I think I know why - confirm

[darthv]

Hello all,
I have a Lars Teledyne (Jandy) series 2 230v heater that worked fine, then this year when I turned it on , nada.

pool guy said it’s not fixable but only because he said it’s so old. Didn’t even do a diagnostic. Quoted me 2k to replace.

so I took a voltmeter and was able to confirm 24v (for some reason mine is reading at 28v) at the transformer, fireman’s switch, pressure switch and at the blackwire that leads up to the temperature control panel. Then the voltage disappears,it does not proceed to the black/yellow wires to the ignition block.

the thermistor seems to detect the resistance appropriately.

at this point I think it’s a broken temperature panel and need to buy one (some used on eBay $120). I bridged the two black wires heading and and out of the temp control panel and was able to get the ignition block to sound like it was sparking but didn’t hold it long enough to see everything fire up.

am I missing something, is there anything else that could be wrong that would lead to the above ? (I’m going to buy a used panel on eBay and if it doesn’t work, still won’t know if it’s my logic or I got a bad panel replacement. )

thanks

 

[swamprat69]

Exact model number of your heater would be helpful

 

[darthv]

I

Exact model number of your heater would be helpful

I believe it’s just called the series 2?

 

[swamprat69]

Does the wiring diagram in your heater look like the one on page 7 of this manual? https://www.parts4heating.com/v/vspfiles/images/pdfs/ESCSeries2.pdf

 

[darthv]

Yes that is it. I can get voltage all the way up to the temp panel but cannot from the black/yellow running to the ignition block

 

[setsailsoon]

d,

Nothing at all wrong with doing the diagnostics on your heater. I believe it's almost always worth repairing unless the unit is so rusted and old that you'll need to replace multiple expensive parts or they aren't available anymore. Important thing here is to do the diagnostics and don't guess since it usually leads to replacing a LOT of good parts. If you're reasonably handy with a VOM and digital gas manometer you can remove all the guesswork with good diagnostics. Swamp is one of the best there is at diagnosing since he's got years and years experience. All that said $2K is pretty good price for replacing with a new heater. What exactly is included at this price?

Good luck and please do keep us posted. It's always interesting to learn what you did to fix it.

Chris

 

[swamprat69]

From the information that I can garner on the internet it seems that your heater was manufactured in the early to mid 1990's. The problem appears to be with the "electronic temp. control", but since there is no reference to the operation mode of the "electronic temp. control" it is difficult to diagnose exactly what is causing the problem. For instance, is the "water temp. sensor" that is mounted in the water header an integral part of the "electronic temp. control" or is it a separate part that is independently connected to the "electronic temp. control". The temperature selection dials are not marked in degrees F, but just "hotter or cooler" which is a sign of the state of controls at the time during the switch from electro-mechanical to pure electronic. Without knowing the internal operation of the "electronic temp. control" it appears that it takes the combined reading from the "water temp. sensor" and the associated dial (pool/spa) and gives a go/no go signal to the ignition control. Due to the age of the heater and the availability of other major parts should they fail (usually 6-10 yrs. after product has been discontinued) it would be a personal preference decision as to whether to attempt a repair or not. I do not see a BTU size listed for your specific heater ( page 1 of manual 125 to 400 BTUs) nor the size of your pool, so it would be difficult to tell what you actually need and what the 2k quote includes as that is normally a low to mid price for the replacement heater alone. Will gladly try to answer any other questions that you may have.

 

[setsailsoon]

Seems like I recall a post or two somewhere that indicated the electronic temp control was non-serviceable and had to be replaced as a unit. With this and the age of the unit it may be time to cut your losses... with all the gas supply and power already there a DIY replace is easier to do if you are comfortable with the job. But you do need to be familiar with gas safety plus wiring 240 vac. If you're not, hire the crafts to help. You'll still save a bundle, learn a LOT, and most importantly end up with a safe installation.

Chris

 

[darthv]

Seems like I recall a post or two somewhere that indicated the electronic temp control was non-serviceable and had to be replaced as a unit. With this and the age of the unit it may be time to cut your losses... with all the gas supply and power already there a DIY replace is easier to do if you are comfortable with the job. But you do need to be familiar with gas safety plus wiring 240 vac. If you're not, hire the crafts to help. You'll still save a bundle, learn a LOT, and most importantly end up with a safe installation.

Chris

I tested with a voltmeter and found correct voltage going into the temperature control panel and but none coming out to the ignition control panel. So I went on eBay and paid $100 for the exact panel and supposedly it was new and not used (looked pretty new). Installed it and everything fired up just like the good old days. At least this may let it run for a year or two more hopefully. The pool guy said previously my 3/4” line into the heater was too small to get a big heater that can heat the pool area fast as opposed to just the spa area. In that case, if I can’t get the full benefit out of the newest and greatest heaters there’s no real push to upgrade.
Thanks for your guys’ help

 

[setsailsoon]

Thanks for the follow up! That's great that you were able to find one at a good price that works. Yep, 3/4" is too small. Are you sure it's 3/4" all the way? Meters can usually deliver a little more than the rated flow if it's close but that's way less than it should be. If it's 100 equivalent length the line should be should be 1 1/2" at least. If it were me I'd use 2".