Pool Heater: Simple Maintenance and Troubleshooting Guide

If you care the efficiency performance of your pool heater then you have to also care to the proper maintenance for your unit! The proper maintenance is not only so closely associated the efficiency but also will be helpful to make your pool heating unit last longer and will not fail to work faster! So there is almost no reason why you are lazy to maintain your heater properly. And if you are still unfamiliar on how to do the proper maintenance, below are pieces of helpful information on how to do it properly and successfully!

The function of pool heaters are so important to keep the swimming pool be comfortable on enjoying the outdoor in the autumn or even in the winter, especially if we live in area that has northern climate! With this kind of heater, we can extend the length of our swimming season. As well we know, there are available some types of them and therefore the maintenance is also influenced to the type of the heater itself. Although there are several types to choose from, but most of them come with combustion pool heating model with propane and natural gas for the power supply.

So how to do the proper maintenance for your pool heater:

1. First, you should know that sometimes the maintenance of a pool heating unit is different to other types. So once again it is dependent to the type of the heater itself.
2. In order to avoid clogging problem, it is better to regularly clean any debris from your unit! Use a vacuum or brush if necessary!
3. If you have combustion unit (for gas pool heaters), check the gas supply regularly, check it before after using the unit if necessary. Make sure there are no leaks! You can use a soap to detect any leaks simply and easily. Mix liquid dish soap with warm water then spray it on any pipes surface of gas supply. If you see bubbles, you have to repair the pipe or replace it if necessary by contacting a qualified plumber.
4. Then for electric unit, it usually uses some electrical heating elements! Make sure they are still in good condition and can work properly and powerfully. Replace them if you feel they are not longer to work properly. Contact a qualified professional for the replacement. For the maintenance, you can use a proper wire brush to clean those elements! In addition, don’t ever try to use electric pool heaters with the damaged electrical heating elements, otherwise the damaged elements will create serious hazard (can transmit inadvertently current into the water of the pool).
5. If you seriously want to keep the utility bill low, you can also install and use a proper time setting feature that will be so helpful to keep the water temperature be stable so thus will be helpful to encourage the efficiency.

How to troubleshoot pool heaters (simple troubleshooting guide)?

The unit cannot produce the heat to warm up the water of the pool:

1. First take a look at the electrical connections, make sure they are securely and properly fastened! Improper installation of any electrical connection can lead to the failure of the automatic ignition!
2. Next, make sure the pilot is working properly. It must be lit properly otherwise will cause the failure of the millivolt ignition!
3. Consider also the performance of the pump. Make sure it is turned on and able to work properly!
4. Make sure there are no any leaks in order to ensure that pump air is not locked.
5. Consider the air filter, check it and make sure it is not too dirty. Clean it carefully if necessary.
6. Check the pump strainer! Clean it if necessary to make sure it is not clogged.
7. Then if you find any problems with the wiring, gas controls and pressure switch, it is better to contact a qualified plumber for more detailed information.

The unit in frequently on-off operation (rapid short cycling), the following is simple troubleshooting for this case:

1. Take a look at the performance of the pump strainer and the air filter, clean them properly! The poor performance of them can lead to the poor water flow.
2. Some factors that also can lead the short cycling problem are poor performance of wiring (defective problem), hi-limit problem to switch the thermostat, and the flow valve is not longer to operate properly! For these problems, you can call an authorized plumber in your local area.

Read also: How to eliminate the kerosene odor? And how does infrared heater work?