If you need assistance with your heater, have a problem to report or want to check warranty status of your unit, please contact us or the manufacturer of your heater. The heat pump service number is listed right on the front of every unit.
If you have reviewed the
troubleshooting guide below and your heater is not functioning properly
and you need assistance with your heater please contact us or the
manufacturer with your serial number ready.
Heat Siphon: 800-447-9667 or 724-537-3500
AquaCal: 727-823-5642
Jandy-Zodiac: 800-822-7933
Raypak: 800-260-2758
Hayward-Summit: 800-432-8387
Waterco: 888-796-6002
Gulfstream: 239-567-0009 or 239-939-7446
Pentair: 800-831-7133
Nirvana: 844-447-7665
Kopec Enterprises: 954-376-3932
Rome Solarium / Medallion Energy : 407-786-0000
Ruud: 1-800-621-5622
Rheem: 1-877-720-2076
Every single heater comes with a certificate that includes its unique serial number and you will be asked for that serial number, because it identifies your individual unit. We'll know exactly the day and time that specific unit was manufactured and will assist you with any questions.
We here at Poolheatpumps.com know there is nothing worse than a cold pool because your heater is not working. Like any other mechanical or electronic appliance, one day things are going smoothly, and the next day something seems not right. So what do you do when on the rare occasion that you turn on your heater and you don't think it is working correctly? Please don't panic as the solution might be very simple.
Call us if you feel something is going haywire with your heat pump. This way, we can document it and make sure you are taken care of in a timely manner. We have some know how on what to take a look at. Be it valves that are stuck closed but look open, water flow issues like a dirty pool filter/ pump basket, air leaks in the pool pipes or a water pump impeller clogged with pine needles etc. If we cannot help you, we will get you in contact with the factory rep who will be responsible to get your heater working in a timely fashion. Please have some patience with this. The factories are closed on the weekends, so the earliest we can get in contact for them is on Monday. If you do not have a response in 24-36 hours, call us again, and we will rattle the factories cage so to speak and make them work on yours and ours behalf!
One way to make sure your heat pump is working properly is to measure that the unit is discharging cold air when it is on the heating cycle. This cooler air leaving the top of the heater will be around 5 to 10 degrees less than the air going through the sides. This is a sure sign that the heat pump is providing heat to the pool.
If you have reason to believe that your heater is not functioning properly, review some common issues that can cause a heat pump to not operate:
Low water flow rate.
This is the number one issue for the heat pump not working. Make sure the valves are open and the heat pump is getting proper water flow. Make sure the filter has been cleaned/backwashed. A dirty filter can severely hamper water flow.
Leaking Heat Pump
A common concern is condensation. Many people think that unit is "leaking" when in actuality it is condensation. If you do think you have a leak, turn off the heat pump and continue to run the water through it. The condensation should disappear. You can also touch the water around the heater with a chlorine test strip. It has a reaction then the heater is leaking pool water. If there is no reaction then it is rain or condensation water.
Low ambient air temperature.
Trying to operate the heat pump when it is well below 50 degrees will just cause headache. Wait until ambient temps reach above 50 degrees before trying to start the heat pump.
No power.
Make the sure the breaker has not tripped. You may also have faulty wiring or a poor connection. You will need a licensed electrician to tell you for sure. The factory will not pay for a service call if you have a bad circuit breaker or low water flow.
Is the thermostat set too low?
Make sure it is higher than the actual pool water!
Low Freon pressure.
This error code happens most when it is too cool outside to heat.
High Freon pressure.
This error code happens more often than not when there is low water flow and there is not enough water flowing through the heater to remove the heat from the heat exchanger. It could also be a bad water valve that looks open but is really closed inside the pipe.
The unit is covered in ice.
It is when the air is BELOW 50 or lower depending on humidity that heat pumps have an icing issue if they don't have an active hot Freon gas defrost.
In order to take heat out of the air, the refrigerant inside the heat pump's evaporator tubes must be about 10 to 15°F COLDER THAN THE AIR so at about 42 to almost 50°F (5°C) air temperature the heat pumps outside coil is approaching 32°F (FREEZING-0°C) and any moisture in the air will begin to FREEZE on the coil and ice it up.
Icing clogs the small fins, insulates the tubes and stops air flow all of which severely reduce the efficiency. If a lot of ice is allowed to build up it will take a long time to thaw out and melt.
Heat Pumps are designed to shut off when the air can cause icing and automatically restart when it is safe again as the air temperature goes over 50°F. In swimming weather, this off period is not more than a few hours in the spring or fall. This should have no significant effect on your water temperature.