Pool heater leaking

[Nickpooch]

Well you guys helped me cut my pvc pipe last time to open my filter up to change the sand but I’m back again with another problem that I neglected earlier until I realized it was slowly draining my water level in the pool.

One thing to note.

1) when I bought the house the heater didn’t work. I’m not looking to fix the heater just stop the leak so water doesn’t drain from my pool.

My question is when I turn on my filter my pool heater is leaking significantly from the bottom.

What are my options?

When I turn on my filter the heater kicks on with cold air as well. How can I completely shut off the heater as well as stopping the leak?

TFP can you guys help me again! My pool looks amazing right now because of you guys. Hoping this is easy fix.

 

[ajw22]

If you don't plan on repairing or replacing the heater then cut off the grey unions and use some PVC glued in a U shape to tie the two pipes together.

You may be able to use a Hub Saver to reuse those 90s and glue new pipe into it.

PVC Repair - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[1poolman1]

A leak from the cabinet like that is usually the heat exchanger it self. You can open the front panel and, with the pump running, see where the water is dripping. You can also pull the panel above the water lines and see if it is leaking a at the manifold. You can do this on both sides of the heater. That inline chlorinator likely caused damage to the copper heat exchanger. If you are not going to repair it, it should be cut out of the system and the inlet and outlet pipes plumbed together.

 

[ajw22]

When I turn on my filter the heater kicks on with cold air as well. How can I completely shut off the heater as well as stopping the leak?

Disconnect the heater power at the CB or in the heater.

 

[Nickpooch]

If you don't plan on repairing or replacing the heater then cut off the grey unions and use some PVC glued in a U shape to tie the two pipes together.

You may be able to use a Hub Saver to reuse those 90s and glue new pipe into it.

PVC Repair - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

That won’t affect any flow to the pool? One of those lines where the chlorinator is running controls my deep end return jet

 

[sktn77a]

A leak from the cabinet like that is usually the heat exchanger it self.

That was my thought. I'm thinking the heater is toast and the heat exchanger freeze-cracked over the winter.

 

[Nickpooch]

If you don't plan on repairing or replacing the heater then cut off the grey unions and use some PVC glued in a U shape to tie the two pipes together.

You may be able to use a Hub Saver to reuse those 90s and glue new pipe into it.

PVC Repair - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Having trouble envisioning a U shape and what you mean. Can you explain in detail. Sorry .

 

[jedigrover]

Just cut the heater part out of the loop. Cut power to heater, turn off gas.

 

[Nickpooch]

Disconnect the heater power at the CB or in the heater

View attachment 415361
Just cut the heater part out of the loop. Cut power to heater, turn off gas.

Gas is off, confused how to cut power to the heater. When I turn on my breaker to the filter it also fires up the air blowing out of top of heater

 

[1poolman1]

Gas is off, confused how to cut power to the heater. When I turn on my breaker to the filter it also fires up the air blowing out of top of heater

Turn the heater off at its switch. If that doesn't work you need someone very familiar with electrical work to remove power from the heater (disconnect wiring).

 

[Nickpooch]

View attachment 415361
Just cut the heater part out of the loop. Cut power to heater, turn off gas.

Also where’s the best place to cut to make this easy? I have the pipe and elbows. Will I need any other couplings or anything

 

[ajw22]

Having trouble envisioning a U shape and what you mean. Can you explain in detail. Sorry .

 

[jedigrover]

It it were me, I would cut where I've marked in red and pipe in new where I've marked in blue. It looks like you have enough pipe there that if you cut right at the end of the existing elbows, you can weld on a coupler (top) and elbow or coupler (bottom) and build up the rest of the "U" with elbows and pipe.

You could also do as someone suggested above and cut the unions off and build a "U" to weld onto there. But that is CPVC, so you will need an all-purpose glue (something that is for both CPVC and PVC). That exists, but it would just leave some unnecessary extra turns in the piping.

As for the electrical, the reason it's coming on is that usually the heater power is wired in parallel with the filter pump power, so that the heater can never come on without the pump running. This is for safety. Get someone who knows electrical to cut all power to the pad, then unwire the heater's power wires from your controller / timeclock / switches.