How to Troubleshoot a Gas Pool Heater?

How to Troubleshoot a Gas Pool Heater

Your winter days can become more fun with a warm pool to swim, and this can be possible with a gas pool heater. But if your gas pool heater suddenly turns out to be faulty, your whole plan of throwing a winter pool party can be ruined.

To save yourself from unwanted situations regarding your swimming pool, you must always troubleshoot your gas pool heater before the winter so that you can enjoy your pool even in the cold season.

Related Article: How to Keep Mice Out of Your Pool Heater

What is a gas pool heater?

If you are a new pool owner, it’s very likely that you had no idea about the gas pool heater. You might have thought you only need to cover your pool throughout the winter. Nevertheless, having a swimming pool for a long time might already have made you realize that a gas pool heater is the best way to enjoy your swimming pool even in the winter. As a matter of fact, the gas pool heater is the most popular pool heater among pool owners because of its quick capacity to heat up your pool.

Features and functions of a gas pool heater

Gas Pool Heaters | Everything 4 Pools and Solar
Credit: everything4poolsandsolar.com

From the name of this pool heater, it can be easily guessed that natural gas or propane is the main element for gas pool heaters. It also requires a pump, chamber, pilot light, a few valves, copper coils, etc. After you turn on the gas pool heater, the pilot or heater light will be turned on, too, if the gas heater is functioning okay. The gas keeps on burning as the pool water runs through the copper coils. The burning gas creates a drain that leaves the chamber through a chimney-type outlet. This turns up the water temperature of the swimming pool. It can operate easily without any influence of the weather or temperature of the air, no matter how cold it is. Another reason for the popularity of a gas pool heater among pool owners is its quiet operation system. It does not make any noise while working.

How to troubleshoot a gas pool heater?

Troubleshooting the gas pool heater means checking before using the gas pool heater and repairing if required. As pool heaters are not used in the whole summer and remain unused for a whole year, it is better to check if it is functioning before using. Without checking and fixing before use can cause you more trouble if you find out later that the heater needed fixing.

While troubleshooting gas pool heaters, most of the pool owners face the same problems. For example-

Not heating up enough

If this is the case, then the total purpose of having a gas pool heater is a waste. This is the first problem of your gas pool heater you would want to deal with. Check if the sensor of your pool gas heater is installed properly. Also, check the thermostat is working or not.

Heater light not turning on

This is a very common problem pool owners face while troubleshooting a gas pool heater. This might be an effect of snow or rainwater stuck in the pool heater. If this is the case, you should dry up the heater surfaces with a clean, dry cloth. Also, check if the heater is getting enough gas supply.

Going off and on

This mainly happens if your gas pool heater needs cleaning. Low water pressure and faulty thermostat are some other reasons for the heater to go off and on. If cleaning your pool gas heater does not work, then try changing the device.

Leaking heater

A pool gas heater usually leaks if the water pressure is higher than the capacity or any part of the pool gas heater is loose. Make sure to adjust the water pressure and tighten up the parts of the pool gas heater.

Rusted heater

This usually happens if there is any chemical imbalance in the pool water because the material of the pool gas heater is made of water-resistant quality; still, if there is no water imbalance in the pool water, you might need to change the heater.

Burned heater

While troubleshooting your pool gas heater, you might found that the heater’s upper side is turning black

Conclusion

Troubleshooting your gas pool heater before is very necessary. Because if by any chance you forget to troubleshoot before setting the gas pool heater in your pool and found out the required fixings later, this will cause more damage to your gas pool heater than it already had.

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