Do you know how to winterize a pool heater? If not yet, then you’ve come to the right place. In just a few steps, you can with a breeze. All you need to do is to read and follow the instructions below. Yet, here’s a glimpse:
First, you must balance the water chemistry and remove the wall fittings, skimmer baskets, ladders, and solar blankets in the pool. Next is to clean the pool, lower the pool’s water level and leave the pool equipment drained. Lubricate the equipment’s o-rings and winterize the plumbing from and towards the collection.
My dear friends, follow these simple steps to balance the water entirely and ensure it’s ready for the next season. There is so much more to learn, so it’s best to dig into this article further to understand it!
Understanding More About To Winterize Your Pool Heater
Accept that making a mistake regarding this process might result in a broken or damaged heater coming the spring season. It is never tricky winterizing the pool heater, but there are a lot of steps to consider that you should not miss out on. Close the gas valve next to the heater as the latter has 2 gas valves, with the second valve in the gas line while the first one with on/off, and pilot destinations. The second valve is directly next to the heater and is located after the heater’s line feeding gas meter.
But there is always a gas valve everywhere that you have to search for it. Make sure you complete it correctly after shutting it down for the winter. There is a need to close these two gas valves in the heater. If it experiences a slow leak or one has failed, it will result in the adequate gas that builds up inside the heater; thus, sparking occurs, igniting the explosion. The majority of internal gas valves in the pool heaters have terms that are easy to read, about on and off. In the gas valve type of a Hayward ED2, it’s pretty ambiguous to know which an “off” direction is. The valve is in its “on” position. The gas valves fail because they get older, so close to the main valve in the gas line other than the internal valve.
The handle paralleled in the pipe means to say an open valve. A handle perpendicular to the line means, to say, a closed position. Gas valves are also visible with no handle requiring a large wrench to complete them. In the ball valves, the line on the gas valves will mean to stay closed if the lines go perpendicular to a gas line. The lines are also open when paralleled to the gas line.
Steps To Winterize A Pool Heater
There are many models, makes, and brands of pool heaters to find on the market. Among popular brands, they can include Hayward, Jandy, Rheem, Raypak, and Pentair. These brands have differing heater styles, models, and various sizes of every model. And in totality, there are lots of them but with one definitive guide so follow the steps below on how to winterize a pool heater.
Step #1. Turning the gas valves off
It warrants mentioning again, turning the gas valves off. Check the gas valves three times if they are closed already. You may also be interested to know about pool heater gas valve won’t open.
Step #2. Turning the power off in a heater
Not all heaters demand power but in your case, turn off the breaker before finally starting winterizing the heater.
Step #3. Opening the pressure switch
Not all pool heaters have a pressure switch feat, but some do. If your pool has it, open the pressure switch connection to avoid this sensitive and expensive equipment from breakage, as this is true if the water traps inside and it freezes. Search for the pressure switch inside the device that the one-fourth copper tubing connected. Two nuts are available connecting the pressure switch top requiring you to open it.
There are two styles available, either ½ inches or 7/16 inches in size. So please make use of wrenches when opening these carefully, thus avoiding damage to the pressure switch or nuts themselves. There’s no more removal of the button. Open the copper tube connection and let the pressure switch hang in the wires, which is expected in the pool industry. The copper line drains the water upon opening the connection port.
Step #4. Opening the winterization ports
Each pool heater has drain cocks or winterizing ports in various device locations. The ports will rely on the heater you have, but you will still look for two to four ports. The first one is right under the heater’s header with its pipes. Then, you’ll find one or even two of the cocks in the location while there’s a drain cock or even two opposite the heater. As per the drain cocks, they can be in the brass bolt style or the conventional thread plastic plug. Winterize the pool heater as you remove each drain plug to find. Avoid losing necessary pins by storing them in the pump filter basket while you winterize the heater.
Step #5. Blowing through the heater
Make use of specialty tools when blowing the water outside the lines in the pool, like the cyclone blower. What this provides is better airflow as compared to a shop vac. Use a leaf blower, but this might involve custom modification, making the hose attachment on the blower’s end. Make use of the cyclone blower when closing the pool each year. But a conventional shop vac will make the heater work for as long as it’s 5 in size in horsepower.
It’s A Wrap!
Now you learn how to winterize a pool heater. Learn to strike a balance in the water chemistry and remove the ladders, skimmer baskets, wall fittings, and solar blankets in the pool. Clean the pool, lower the water level and drain the pool equipment completely. Lubricate the o-rings of the equipment and continue to winterize the plumbing from and face the collection. The steps are just so simple that you should follow them correctly. Don’t hesitate to know these things too; read about how to plumb a pool heater and how to size a pool heater.