Propane pool heater after service - Yellow flame

[Ryouko]

I was hoping you guys could tell me if this looks like the pool company did a good job servicing our heater. We have a 20k gallon in-ground pool with a 333kbtu/hr Raypak propane pool heater. Last year I tried to get it up and running myself. First it had an error on the screen so I looked it up and replaced the temperature sensor. Then when I started it up the flame was "rolling out" the side and getting really close to a little fuse which I later learned was the roll out sensor. I took my shop vac to it and the flame was still very yellow, but not rolling out. Now that my pool is open for the spring I decided to call in the professionals and have them deal with the heater. So I called a local pool company and explained that the flame was yellow and I wanted it to be serviced. They sent out a guy who was here today. Here is the write up from the service:

customer requests heater be serviced - clean out, burners, flues, etc. flame is burning really orange - see if any other issues, etc. - call with an ETA but probably won't be home and that's OK - Raypak heater --- Cleaned flues, started heater which turned on and noticed blue flames. Heater display screen is pixelated and in readable. Customer can call the store if they would like this fixed. Noticed chlorinator hose near heater was dripping, resecured hose and nut, stopping the drip.

When I got home from work I opened up the side and fired it up and looked at the flame.... It still looks yellow to me. If you guys could give your opinion on if this is acceptable, or not would be great. I don't want everything to get sooty and run inefficiently when I paid to have it serviced. Thanks.
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[sktn77a]

Is the flame the same color as it was before the service? Right now, it's blue at the bottom and yellow at the top. Hard to tell if there's too much yellow. You're always going to have some yellow flame at the top.

 

[Ryouko]

It's hard to remember exactly how much yellow there was. The last time I looked at it was in the fall.

 

[JamesW]

Looks like too much yellow. You need a qualified gas contractor to check it out.

 

[Ryouko]

I took a video last night, it's hard to take pictures of a flame, so hopefully this gives you guys a better representation.
propane pool heater after servicing.

 

[JamesW]

Definitely looks wrong.

It's incomplete combustion.

Possibly a gas pressure or air flow issue.

You probably have a sooted up heat exchanger.

You need a qualified gas contractor to check it out.

 

[Ryouko]

I would have expected the pool company to clean the heat exchanger when they were here yesterday, but what do I know.
Alrighty then, It sounds like I have 3 options:
Call back the pool company and complain that the heater flame is unacceptable and I want them to come back out and fix it.
Call the propane company and tell them that I want them to adjust both regulators on the pool heater.
I buy a $50 LP manometer on amazon and try not to kill myself.

 

[JamesW]

I would check the heat exchanger first. It's probably clogged with soot.

A sooted exchanger reduces airflow, which reduces the available oxygen.

The combustion reaction requires two oxygen atoms to be complete. Complete combustion results in carbon dioxide CO₂.

If there is only one oxygen atom available, you get incomplete combustion and carbon monoxide CO.

Complete combustion creates a hotter flame, which is blue.

Incomplete combustion creates a yellow or orange flame.

The flame color corresponds to the flame temperature.

Flame temperature from coolest to hottest is red, orange, yellow, green, blue.

 

[sktn77a]

The pool company appears unable to fix this correctly. You could ask them to send out sonmeone with more experience but I'd bit the bullet and pay the propane company to fix it. Just let them know of your most recent experience with an (apparently) untrained individual and to send someone out with experience.

 

[Ryouko]

I ended up calling the pool company again. I don't want to take too much apart since I already decided to pay someone to do this. I'll give an update in a few days.