14 Jun How to Fix My Pool Heater After a Storm

Storms can cause a lot of problems for pool heaters and can result in a number of issues. Anything from hail, to electrical shortages can cause problems for your pool heater. We get a lot of inquiries from people asking “How do I fix my pool heater?”. The first thing to do is diagnose the specific problem and then see if you can solve the problem yourself or get a professional in to help. Note: You should never attempt to open the components of your pool heater or complete any electrical work yourself – if you think the issue is an internal or electrical one you should call a professional.

If you find your pool heater is not functioning after a storm there are a couple of things you can check to begin with.

Power Inputs

Check your safety switchboard. Although this is not often the case ( as most people will notice other appliances not working) we have had a few instances where customers have only noticed a few days after the storm and forgotten to check their safety switch or simply have not reset the tripped safety switch. Although rare, its easy to diagnose and can save you service fees if it is the problem. Although it may sound silly, check all switches to the controller are switched on- switchboard, power point and on the device itself – all easy fixes that can increase your time in a heated pool.

Brownouts

Like a blackout but houses still tend to receive some amount of electricity. You will notice that your lights come on and your low energy devices may work – but your pool heater may not come on. Brownouts usually occur during and immediately after a storm. You can check for these by looking at street lights and your neighbors homes – if they have lights on but they are dim then its probably a power grid issue – not isolated to your home only. You should also check your local energy distributors website for any updates. If you experience a brown out your heater should be fine once the brownout issue is solved – its usually a matter of time for the energy distributor to diagnose the problem on the grid and remedy the situation.

Hail & Storm Damage

If you have experienced hail damage you may notice your pool heater is playing up, either not turning on, not heating or malfunctioning. This can often occur when hail damage strikes equipment that is mounted on the roof. It can also occur if your controller is struck. Because hail damage is usually caused from physical force and your heater may be damaged, it is best to not operate the heater, until it is checked by a professional. This applies especially to solar heaters whereby water runs through a series of pipes on your roof – continuing to operate a damaged solar heater can result in leakage, which is not ideal when the equipment is roof mounted.

Allow your pool heater to run for a few hours

Assuming none of the above are an issue and your pool heater is functioning properly you may just need to give the heater a few hours to heat up after a storm. One thing to note is that rainwater that enters the pool during a storm, coupled with the fact the sun is generally blocked (relevant especially for Solar Pool Heaters), will generally cool down your pool naturally. This works against the heater and, assuming you have turned your pool heater off in preparation of the storm, you just need to give it some time to heat up the pool again.

Ask a Technician about how to fix your pool heater

If these fixes can’t get your pool heater working again the problem may require the experience of a technician. If you need some assistance with your pool heater repairs  you can review our Pool Heater Repair page before calling us on 07 3829 3324.