Well-maintained heater extends swim season

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One other non-heater-related problem could be the pool's water level, which may be too low for consistent heater operation.  The answer may be to raise the water level, check for system leaks and possibly install a water leveling device.  Improper ventilation is the cause of many heater problems.

One of the symptoms is sooting — black carbon buildup on the heat exchanger.  The carbon starts as a dirty, black coating and builds up to the point where hunks of coal burn and break off, failing onto the burner tray.  The burners become clogged, shutting dow the heater's full capacity and causing the heater to smoke.

While cleaning the burner tray and components can temporarily solve this problem, the ventilation needs to be fixed to the solve the long-term situation.  Check the installation for proper clearances and/or venting.

Sooting could also be caused by excessive water flowing the heater. In that case, the solution is to correct the water flow and clean the heat exchanger.  Also, the air inlet or "venturi" for the burner could be plugged.  Once again, the solution is to check for debris, dirt, insects or small animals in the burners inlet's throat or venturi and clean them.  If the burner will not stay lit, the problem could be low gas pressure.  Check the gas pipe and meter sizes and/or adjust gas pressure as needed.  Then again, debris, dirt and those pesky insects may be just plugging the burners.  Clean them, and the problem may be gone — that is, until those conditions return.

Following are other common areas that service pros should look at if problems persist:

• The heater's manual bypass could be out of adjustment and simply require some minor fine tuning. In that case, simply check for the manufacturer's guidelines, and make the adjustment.
• The unit's switches — the pressure switch or high limit switch — may be out of adjustment.  Adjust or replace the switch in question and verify that the heater shuts off when the system's pump shuts off.   If the customer complains about the heater making knocking or whining noises, the unit could be still trying to fire after the pump shuts off.  Adjustment or replacement of the pressure switch should do the trick.  The cause of the noise may also be the pressure switch itself, which may require a minor adjustment.
• Debris or other restrictions may be blocking the system.  Remove the blockage and flush the system.
• Scale built up in the heat exchanger tubes could require descaling or replacement of the heat exchanger.  Check water balance, its the cause of the scaling situation in the first place. Major heater manufacturers — including RayPak, Pentair and Jandy (Laars) — have scheduled a full slate of factory-authorized seminars across the country beginning this fall and running through the spring. 
  
  In addition to becoming certified to handle warranty work, service professionals gain valuable knowledge to work on installation, trouble-shooting and repair work.  Most manufacturers even provide spare parts and tool kits necessary for doing trouble-shooting and minor repairs at their factory-sponsored seminars.
  
  Service firms should also consider that when they continually are called out to work on older units in disrepair, tit may be time for a replacement with a newer unit that not only works better but is more energy efficient and easier to maintain.  Today's energy-efficient units could well pay for themselves with lower gas and/or electricity costs.  At the same time, they monitor their own activity and report malfunctions before they have the opportunity to develop into major problems.