Sta-rite max-e-therm 400

[Tcleighton]

Is it normal for you to smell gas when the heater cycles on for a Sta-rite Max-e-therm 400? When the heater cycles off, we don’t smell it.

I put a combustible gas leak detector over the gas supply lines and did NOT get an alert. I put the detector over the exhaust and it alerted and I smelled it.

I wonder if it’s not burning all the gas in the heater/line?

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

Its not unusual on a Jandy JXi, a Pentair MasterTemp, a StaRite Max-E-Therm heater to smell gas just before the burner lights. The blower literally blows the gas mixture so fast that some will escape before it is lit. The odorant that is put into gas is very strong, but the amount of un-burned gas that escapes is very small.

 

[Tcleighton]

Welcome to TFP.

Its not unusual on a Jandy JXi, a Pentair MasterTemp, a StaRite Max-E-Therm heater to smell gas just before the burner lights. The blower literally blows the gas mixture so fast that some will escape before it is lit. The odorant that is put into gas is very strong, but the amount of un-burned gas that escapes is very small.

I smell it the whole time while the heater is running and not just before the burner lights.

 

[ajw22]

Check your static and dynamic gas pressures using a manometer.

While running, press and hold the On button to display the exhaust temperature (Older Models).

The new models use the Menu to get the SFS.

Here is what the normal exhaust temperature should be:

• Below 250 degrees...very low
• 250 to 290 ..................low
• 290 to 350.................acceptable
• 350 to 480 ..................high
• Above 480...................error/shutdown.

Note: HD models can be up to 75 degrees higher. HD models use a cupro nickel exchanger and the efficiency is slightly lower resulting in less heat transfer and more waste heat.