Pool heaters are a great piece of equipment that extend your swimming season and make it a more enjoyable experience. Like all pool equipment, your pool heater will require special care and proper installation.
Pool Equipment Pad with no Check Valve
That being said, here is the number one reason for pool heater failures (and how to prevent it).
The #1 Reason for Pool Heater Failure is not having a check valve installed behind a chlorinator.
A simple $25.00 check valve will save you up to $1100.00 in cost to replace a heat exchanger. The reason you will need a check valve if you have a pool heater and chlorinator is that the concentrated chlorine in the plumbing near the heater will corrode the copper or cupro nickel in the heat exchanger. Thus causing leaks.The pool pad to the right has Hayward H250 milivolt heater and a CL2002 Chlorinator, but it does not have a check valve to prevent damage to the heater.
Check Valve
Far too often this is over looked by builders and can be a costly error to the pool owner. Also this tends to be overlooked if you are upgrading your system to include a pool heater. If you have a pool with a heater and chlorinator or pool frog
system, demand that a check valve be installed to prevent this potenetial damage.
Here are a few more tips to help keep your heater running at peak performance.
1: Do Not Cover Your Pool Heater. This may sound like bad advice but, once you cover up the pool heater it creates a warm escape for rodents to build nests for the winter. This could lead to potential damage to the heater. Mice like to eat wires, and there nests can get into the burner tray. If a mouse nest gets into the burner tray and is not visible it can start a fire. If you turn the heater on at start up and dont notice the nest it will burn and can cause damage to the heater and components.
2: Keep Pool Equipment Pad Clean. Keep leaves and grassy materials and landscaping plantings away from heater. Keep
a safe distance from heater.Plantings, long grasses are locations where mice, chipmunks, etc live and hide. If you keep that clear of the heater, you will lessen the chance of them getting in your heater and causing damage.
3: Water Chemistry. Balanced water chemistry will help not only your pool heater last longer but all of your pool equipment and the finish of your pool. Monitor pH levels and chlorine levels and keep them at the levels recommended by the pool and or equipment manufacturer.
If you have a pool heater and a chlorinator and do not have a check valve, we recommend installing one asap. Contact Pool Pros today to prevent the # 1 Reason for Pool Heater Failures and a free inspection and estimate.
