Hi all,
When opening my pool this year (3rd pool opening since I bought the house), I took a closer look at the heater than before. I noticed that there was quite a bit of organic debris (leaves) and rust built up in the bottom under the burner tray. Also there was a ton of leaves and some rust when I opened up the top. Specifically, I think the baffles on top of the tube bundles are starting to rust. I've cleaned out as much of the leaves and loose rust as I could (without causing more deterioration/damage), and the unit is operating properly. So my question is how quickly do I need to replace the heater? Obviously my main concern would be a failure that could cause a fire.
I have checked and I don't see any drips, sizzling nosies, or visible water when the unit is on or off, so I don't think there is a leak. I assume the rust under the burner tray is from either condensation, a previous slow leak that has been repaired, or from either rain or snow melt penetrating the base and panels. Based on the serial number, the unit appears to have been built in 2009. There is a handwritten note on the tag indicating the unit was installed in 2011, but I don't know if that means the unit was used and refurbished prior to installation or if it sat new for two years before installation.
Given the average lifespan of pool heaters, clearly it is nearing the end of its service life and should be replaced instead of repaired when it fails or is no longer safe to operate. My questions are:
1) What is the severity level of the rust and deterioration for a 8-10 year old unit? (average, bad, very bad, etc.)
2) Looking at the pictures, does anything stand out as potentially unsafe and requiring immediate replacement?
3) Do people generally run a rusting heater until it ultimately stops working properly and then replace, or is there a reason why I would need to proactively replace the unit?
Thanks, I appreciate the input!
When opening my pool this year (3rd pool opening since I bought the house), I took a closer look at the heater than before. I noticed that there was quite a bit of organic debris (leaves) and rust built up in the bottom under the burner tray. Also there was a ton of leaves and some rust when I opened up the top. Specifically, I think the baffles on top of the tube bundles are starting to rust. I've cleaned out as much of the leaves and loose rust as I could (without causing more deterioration/damage), and the unit is operating properly. So my question is how quickly do I need to replace the heater? Obviously my main concern would be a failure that could cause a fire.
I have checked and I don't see any drips, sizzling nosies, or visible water when the unit is on or off, so I don't think there is a leak. I assume the rust under the burner tray is from either condensation, a previous slow leak that has been repaired, or from either rain or snow melt penetrating the base and panels. Based on the serial number, the unit appears to have been built in 2009. There is a handwritten note on the tag indicating the unit was installed in 2011, but I don't know if that means the unit was used and refurbished prior to installation or if it sat new for two years before installation.
Given the average lifespan of pool heaters, clearly it is nearing the end of its service life and should be replaced instead of repaired when it fails or is no longer safe to operate. My questions are:
1) What is the severity level of the rust and deterioration for a 8-10 year old unit? (average, bad, very bad, etc.)
2) Looking at the pictures, does anything stand out as potentially unsafe and requiring immediate replacement?
3) Do people generally run a rusting heater until it ultimately stops working properly and then replace, or is there a reason why I would need to proactively replace the unit?
Thanks, I appreciate the input!
