The swimming pool is an essential fixture in most homes. You want to relax and cool off after a long day at work? Your swimming pool is a cool place for that. However, before a swimming pool can function essentially, some other accessories need to be in place, functioning effectively. These few accessories contribute to the usefulness and functionality of the pool.
One of the incredible and useful features of the swimming pool is the pool heater. The pool heater handles many important functions, which includes the following:
- It is useful for water purification. During this process, water is passed via the filtration system such that every dirt is removed to prevent clogging,
- It is also helpful for water current circulation. This process inhibits the growth of algae in the pool.
As useful as the pool heater, it is always faced with a common challenge- it shuts off unexpectedly. If your pool heater faces the same challenge called Tripping, then this article is for you. Here, we will discuss the reasons behind the pool heater shutting off unexpectedly and how to solve the issue.
Let’s dive in!
What Causes the Pool Heater to Shut Off?
It is impossible for the pool heater to shut off itself for no reason. There are certain conditions responsible for it shutting off. Let’s learn about these conditions below:
- Voltage
The pool heater uses electricity to work, which involves a bunch of wires and other electrical components. If the pool heater is cut off from sufficient voltage, it may result in shutting off abruptly, giving no hints. When you detect this issue, you need to call a professional electrician to set it right.
- Impeller
Here is another essential part of the pool heater that can cause the pool heater to shut off if something goes wrong with it. The impeller is a pool heater accessory that assists it in pulling out water from the filter. So, if the impeller is hindered from spinning by an item or some items, it will affect the pool heater and eventually shut off.
- Pump
The pump of the heater can also be the reason for tripping. Most recent pool heaters have been designed to trip off if there is something wrong with the pump. If the pool heater is working but not producing any heat, then it can cause the pump to overheat, thus tripping off unexpectedly. Call a professional electrician or experienced technician to check the heater for you and determine what is causing the overheating.
- Lack of Proper Priming
If there is not much flowing water, the pool heater may think it is not functioning. This can easily be solved by priming the pool heater with clean water. Priming is necessary to ensure that water flows through the filter and pump of the pool.
- Energy
Using too much power or less may cause the pool heater to shut off, giving no signal. It is possible that there is an imbalance in power usage in the home causing the heater to receive too much power or less power. Try to balance the power/energy consumption across all home appliances.
How to Fix a Pool Heater
We have mentioned a few ways to fix your pool heater when it shuts off abruptly. However, if you have profound knowledge about electrical appliances and switches, you can try troubleshooting your heater. Here is a short guide depending on the brand of the pool heater:
- Hayward Pool Heater Troubleshooting
If you are using the hayward pool heater, the first thing is to check the installation. Is it properly installed according to the manual provided? Check the electrical connections and wiring to ensure that everything is properly fixed.
If you noticed that the shutting off of the heated is due to the circuit breaker. Turn off the breaker and turn it on back after some minutes. Examine the switch to check if any is short or wrongly installed.
If your hayward pool heater is working but not producing heat, then the problem is with the heater thermostat. Try raising the temperature and check again. If it still is not working, you need a pool heater thermostat replacement.
- Rheem Pool Heater Troubleshooting
It is different if you are using the Rheem pool heater for your swimming pool. The first thing you check is the control panel power lamp. If it is not on, then you need to reset the breaker switch by switching it off and on.
The next thing to check is the pool heater thermostat and setting of the pool. Ensure that the temperature set is correct and above the current temperature of the water.
The Rheem pool heater is a special type of heater. It will shut off if the remote-control system isn’t correctly placed or available. Ensure that the control system is well-placed according to the manual.
Conclusion
There are many other brands of pool heater but these two mentioned above are the most common. We also have the likes of Jandy and Pentair. The pool heater gas valve can also cause the heater to shut off if not working correctly. Ensure to employ the services of a technician if you cannot handle it yourself.