What does this look like to you? Yes, again!

Wow, so the corrosion was so bad it ate the protruding parts of the copper in your first pic. Where does that "eaten" copper go? into the water or is it oxidized into something else?

Copper dissolves into the water and once there is enough it will start staining the pool, plastic items, hair, fingernails, dogs, etc.
 
Hey, stop blaming the Service guy! He was just trying to save the poor lady from having to pay for copper algaecide when he could generate it for her in situ by just dissolving the pipes a little :stirpot:

:laughblue:
 
Wowzer that unit is cooked.. can we get a pic of the whole system (if you ever go back please) I just really hope there was a mechanical problem, Chem backfeed etc- & not the weekly technician being so wacked out/wreckless
 
Wowzer that unit is cooked.. can we get a pic of the whole system (if you ever go back please) I just really hope there was a mechanical problem, Chem backfeed etc- & not the weekly technician being so wacked out/wreckless

I assure you it was the technician that was servicing, or lack there of, the pool. The insides are good still and it fires with no issues.
 
WOW! Just heard back from the customer and the pool service folks are blaming me for installing the copper heat exchanger system on a salt pool. Also found out that the service company did a stain treatment of sorts and allegedly bypassed the heater. They might have but did they confirm the water wasn't acidic before they reattached the unit? So now the customer is screwed but I will work to make them a deal if I have to. Unbelievable that people really think this stuff about cupro-nickel and salt pools.

Just wow!
 
Ah, the time honored tradition of passing the buck! I hope these guys don't try to badmouth you around town. I would think the manufacturer would have a big old warning, not for use with SW pools, if that was true.
 
I wonder if they did a no drain acid wash.

The damage is almost definitely from low pH.

Yes I would bet the same JamesW. No drain acid wash. Then they didn't stabilize the water before putting the heater back in the loop.

My Rheem rep will be talking to the customer to let them know that the pool service folks are full of it.
 

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Ugh! I hate those zinc anodes....absolute hogwash! They take a perfectly credible scientific concept and extend it to situation where it does not apply....and, if you stare at that anode long enough, you'll see a problem right away with the installation....
 
If they did a no drain acid wash, I think that's the cause. I doubt that they even took the heater offline.

I would ask the company to give a detailed explanation of what they did to take the heater out of the loop and how much acid was used.

I would also ask the customer the same thing.

In my opinion, that type of damage is from very low pH or possibly super high flow rates. Unless they have an intelliflo running full speed with no bypass, I think that it's acid damage.
 
Look at what else they have sold to Mr. Customer. Really???

Pool Tool Company

View attachment 70608

I'm guessing the anode install was / is leaking too.. water or should We say "vinegar" has turned bond wire green (since we all know that copper wire segment was installed & lugged to existing bond at anode install, it is not weathered ) & stainless clamps are even tarnished... I'd say damage to clamps, bond & exchanger gives them three strikes..

That's the contention I would make, 3 separate metal components (bond wire, clamps, exchanger) damaged by water quality.

Out of curiosity, is any zinc left in the anode housing?

Ps - I think I recognize you from contractortalk , back in the day??

Ray
 
I do not know what the records look like for this pool. I used to do heater installs for this pool service company but after issues with them I quit doing anything with the company.

YippeeSkippy, I can replace the heat exchanger and it would be good. P&L is over $1K. I did verify that it still fires. Leak is on the back corner so pilot assembly is in good shape. Homeowners never did check behind the service company to see if they were doing their job. Kind of sad companies don't do what they are hired to do. It takes very little time to manage a pool properly.

Side note. The same pool service company the day before told another customer that she needed to replace the board on her Easytouch system because ants had gotten on it and shorted it out. Customer had complained to them that the pool wasn't coming on at its normal time. I also installed her heater so she called me to look at the controller issue. Yes there were a few ants on the board but I've never seen an ant short a board. 2 ants is all I found. However, when I went in her house to look at the controller on the wall I noticed the time was on AM when it should have been on PM. She set it wrong when we had the time change. Pool has been running on schedule ever since.

Not all pool service companies are like this. But if you do use one, sometimes you have to question them and don't always take their word for things that might be wrong. Like many pool stores, they make more money off repairs and selling you chemicals.

I like to believe it isn't about willfully "tricking owners" out of their money. We both know there is far more money to be made through consistent due diligence & quality service.

I also like to believe, these situations arise when an owner throws anybody with a pulse in a truck & dubs them "service tech of the highest order" - a practice I find equally repulsive.

Connecticut & Florida are both regulated pool states, from contractor to technicians holding personal licenses..

Though this incident is in Florida, it gives us all a black eye.
Ray
 
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