Swimming pool heaters are one of the most common repair calls that come into the office. The pool heater can be quite complex and should only be serviced by a qualified heater technician. Problems that come up with heaters can be caused by corrosion, clogged lines, rodents eating wires, circuit boards or igniters going bad, among other things. Most of these and other heater issues can easily be solved with replacement parts as long as the heater is still safe to operate and in overall good repair. When it comes to older heaters it is a good idea to carefully weigh the amount of money going into new parts verses the cost of a new heater.

I say this because swimming pool heaters have come a long way in the last few years and the models we install today are much different than those of 8 or 10 years ago. Many of the problems that are so often seen on the old heaters have been solved in the new models. For instance rather than a sheet metal shell that would rather quickly begin to rust and corrode, new models can be purchased with a plastic outer shell and the problem is solved. The copper core of the old models has also been replaced with things like titanium and nickel depending on the model. The copper cores were often blamed for staining pool plaster due to deterioration of the core. Best of all new models are more energy efficient and can heat a pool or spa rather quickly. So again, carefully consider your options when major repairs to an old heater may not pay off.

As we always say in this business preventative maintenance is a very important aspect of owning a pool. When it comes to a pool heater (which can be a hazard if not properly maintained) it's a great idea to have a qualified technician inspect and service the heater annually. This will help ensure that the heater is safe, operating properly, and working as efficiently as possible. This service is well worth the expense which should be about one hour of labor.