Pool heater repair

A heater that will not fire is usually one part with a clear cause, and finding it is the difference between a small repair and an unnecessary replacement. We diagnose first, then give you the answer with the price attached.

What we look at first

1. No ignition — an igniter, a flame sensor, or the gas supply itself
2. Short cycling — a pressure switch reporting badly, or water flow restricted through the exchanger
3. Temperature off target — a thermistor reading wrong, or a control board acting on bad information
4. Leaks at the exchanger — almost always scale and chemistry rather than a fault in the part
5. Blower and venting — often a nest, debris or a blocked flue rather than the blower itself

Why heaters love good water

Hard fill water is the quiet cause of a lot of heater trouble. Calcium arrives with the fill water, cal hypo adds a little more over the season, and it ends up plating the inside of the heat exchanger. Scale insulates, the exchanger runs hotter than it should, and eventually it gives up. That is a chemistry story with an equipment ending — which is why we hold calcium hardness at 200 ppm and keep it there.

Flow is the other half. A clean filter, an empty pump basket and valves set where they should be keep the exchanger happy, and the heater rewards that with years of quiet service. It is one of the reasons the weekly visit checks the pad every time.

Repair, replace, or simply tune

A thermistor, an igniter, a pressure switch or a board is a repair, and a good one. A scaled exchanger on a fifteen-year-old heater is a different conversation, and we will have it with you honestly. When a new heater is the answer, sizing matters most: the right size runs comfortably, while one that is too big short cycles and one that is too small never keeps up.

Two things to check before you call

Look at the filter pressure first — if it is high, clean the filter and see how the heater behaves. Then note exactly what happens: clicks without firing, fires and shuts down after a minute, or runs happily while the water stays cold. Those three describe three different parts, and knowing which one you have gets us to the fix faster.

What we focus on

Weekly service and the equipment on the pad — repairs done in house, and partial or complete equipment upgrades. That focus is why we are quick to the pool and quick with the fix. Building, resurfacing and remodeling belong to the builders, and we are happy to point you to good ones.

Good questions

My heater clicks but will not light. What is it?

Most often the igniter, sometimes the gas supply or a flame sensor. We install and service Pentair, Jandy and Hayward heaters, so the parts are common and the fix is usually straightforward.

The heater runs but the pool never warms up. Why?

Usually restricted flow through the exchanger, a thermistor reading badly, or a heater sized below what the pool and the weather ask for. A dirty filter is the first thing to rule out, and it is the most common cause by a distance.

Is it worth repairing an older heater?

Often yes. A control board or a sensor on a sound heater is a great repair. A badly scaled exchanger on a very old unit is where replacement makes better sense, and we will talk you through which one you have.

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