Raypak Pool Heater R206A Leaking after only 1 year

[polarglock]

I have a Raypak 206a that I installed in Aug 2022. About a week before closing the pool, it started leaking. Is supposed to be a 2 year warranty but I couldn't get Raypak to respond to me, nor could I get anyone to come out since I installed it myself. So... I opened it up and could see water coming up from where one of the heat exchanger tubes goes into the end plate. I have a video but apparently can't post those here. I took the header off and I can see what looks like a slit of some sort that I assume is causing the leak. See the picture. I assume it was a manufacturing flaw that worked through the adhesive.
I am thinking a little bit of Liquid Steel Epoxy would solve the issue but wanted to run it by the forum. I really don't want to spend $800 for a new heat exchanger. Thanks!

 

[igneous]

JB Weld should fix that. Don't get the quick cure, use the one that takes a day to fully cure and do both sides if possible.

 

[1poolman1]

I have a Raypak 206a that I installed in Aug 2022. About a week before closing the pool, it started leaking. Is supposed to be a 2 year warranty but I couldn't get Raypak to respond to me, nor could I get anyone to come out since I installed it myself. So... I opened it up and could see water coming up from where one of the heat exchanger tubes goes into the end plate. I have a video but apparently can't post those here. I took the header off and I can see what looks like a slit of some sort that I assume is causing the leak. See the picture. I assume it was a manufacturing flaw that worked through the adhesive.
I am thinking a little bit of Liquid Steel Epoxy would solve the issue but wanted to run it by the forum. I really don't want to spend $800 for a new heat exchanger. Thanks!

Might be able to solder a patch, or just use the solder, over that crack. Would take a small torch and MAPP gas to get enough heat.

Oatey Soldering Kit with 1.7 oz. Lead-Free Water Soluble Flux Paste and 4 oz. Silver Solder Wire 506912 - The Home Depot

Oatey Lead free solder kits includes solder wire, flux, abrasive cloth and application brush to make the soldering job easier. Oatey H20-5 flux is a water soluble, smooth, non-runny paste that applies

www.homedepot.com

 

[polarglock]

Might be able to solder a patch, or just use the solder, over that crack. Would take a small torch and MAPP gas to get enough heat.

Oatey Soldering Kit with 1.7 oz. Lead-Free Water Soluble Flux Paste and 4 oz. Silver Solder Wire 506912 - The Home Depot

Oatey Lead free solder kits includes solder wire, flux, abrasive cloth and application brush to make the soldering job easier. Oatey H20-5 flux is a water soluble, smooth, non-runny paste that applies

www.homedepot.com

Thanks! I thought about soldering it. I am concerned that the tubing is so thin and my lack of soldering skills. I also was concerned about the temperatures with this being the heat exchanger, right above the flame. I think solder melting point is around 200 degrees or so. The liquid steel epoxy says it is good to 550 degrees.

 

[polarglock]

JB Weld should fix that. Don't get the quick cure, use the one that takes a day to fully cure and do both sides if possible.

Thanks!

 

[JamesW]

Can you show the system?

 

[ajw22]

Thanks! I thought about soldering it. I am concerned that the tubing is so thin and my lack of soldering skills. I also was concerned about the temperatures with this being the heat exchanger, right above the flame. I think solder melting point is around 200 degrees or so. The liquid steel epoxy says it is good to 550 degrees.

Considering that gas heater stack flue temperatures can go up to 400F I don't see a solder fix lasting.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Thanks! I thought about soldering it. I am concerned that the tubing is so thin and my lack of soldering skills. I also was concerned about the temperatures with this being the heat exchanger, right above the flame. I think solder melting point is around 200 degrees or so. The liquid steel epoxy says it is good to 550 degrees.

Don’t use epoxy. It wont last. They aren’t intended to work in a harsh environment like that where you have large differences in thermal expansion.

In the old days, automobile radiators with pinhole leaks were routinely fixed by solder filling. Modern lead free solders melt at around 500°F not 200. Soldering that crack is the only proper way to fix it. You do need to clean off any debris or smut using a wire brush and apply flux so that oxides are reduced. Then a heat it with a MAP gas torch and dab the solder along the crack allowing it to wick into the crack. It’s the best repair you can do short of replacing the entire heat exchanger.

 

[JamesW]

I doubt that any type of patch will work.

Even if a patch holds, the copper looks stripped and extremely thin.

It does not look like chemical corrosion, so I would suspect erosion from excessive water velocity.

Copper gets stripped at velocities above about 6 feet per second.

The erosion increases exponentially as the velocity increases.

So, at double the flow, the erosion increases by at least 4 times.

You might have a combination of chemical and flow erosion.

In any case, even if a patch would hold, the tubes are probably going to continue to develop more holes due to whatever is causing the erosion.

 

[1poolman1]

Considering that gas heater stack flue temperatures can go up to 400F I don't see a solder fix lasting.

The heat exchanger never gets that hot. The water carries the heat away.

If the heat exchanger or water was that hot at that point in the exchanger the entire manifold would melt down. That's at either the inlet or rear header, which, in a 266A, is made of a plastic.

Looks to be right at the area the tubing was swaged into the end plate.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I would attempt a solder fix. You have nothing to lose. It doesn’t sound like Raypak is going to help and, since it was a self-install, they have ample enough wiggle room in their warranty to go tell you to take a hike. If the soldering works, great. If not, then you need a new heat exchanger.

 

[JamesW]