Should I run my heater periodically?

[Poiks]

It just dawned on my that I rarely use my pool heater, and that maybe I should run it for a short time, periodically, to keep it in good working order. Any thoughts?

 

[ajw22]

Yes, best to run your heater for 15 minutes every week. It keeps spiders and critters from nesting in it and gets rid of condensation that causes corrosion.

Heater Maintenance - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[generessler]

+1 to running once in a while. If mine sits for more than a month or two, there are flame sense issues that require a couple of restarts. Once it gets hot, it's good to go indefinitely.

But note that for many heaters, running with cold water corrodes the innards and voids the warranty.

Side note: I think the problem with mine is the infamous Mastertemp grounding bug, but i haven't felt the need to fix it. Of course Pentair will sell you 10" of wire for $20 as a fix.

 

[ajw22]

But note that for many heaters, running with cold water corrodes the innards and voids the warranty.

That is not accurate.

Cycle a gas heater with water temperature that never gets above about 60F and you can create corrosive condensation.

Run the heater in one cycle to get the water above about 60F and you will be fine and not void warranties.

Heater Condensation - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[generessler]

That is not accurate.

Cycle a gas heater with water temperature that never gets above about 60F and you can create corrosive condensation.

Run the heater in one cycle to get the water above about 60F and you will be fine and not void warranties.

Heater Condensation - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Exactly. I should have made that clearer. By "running with cold water" I meant cold water only.