Does your heater have a millivolt gas valve?

Many heaters have an interlock with the switch for the pump so that
unless the pump is turned on the heater can't ignite.

I believe that the Teledyne Laars heater has a series loop with one of
two high limit switches, a pressure switch, an on/off switch, and a
thermostat all in series. If any of these are performing marginally you
could have the problem you describe. The gas valve could be defective
or the pilot generator could be generating a lower than desired voltage.

The switch contacts in the pump control can get dirty or become
oxidized. With the millivolt gas valves there is so little current (dry
switching) that the contacts don't tend to be self cleaning.

This interlock usually exists in addition to any pressure switch that
may be in the heater.

Do not attempt to bypass any of the safety devices if gas can be
ignited. It will only take seconds to melt a hole in your heat
exchanger if water isn't flowing. Then you will buy a new heater
because the cost of a new heat exchanger (with all of the needed
installation components) will exceed what a new heater will cost.

Boden

Brent M. wrote:
You have a good point and I really appreciate your response. I only wish I
could find someone competent.

I have had techs here five times to look at the system. The most recent
problem was the pump's hi-speed not engaging. The tech replaced the circuit
board ($300.00) and it still didn't work. Another $415.00 later he told me
that he found the problem after all--he had originally hooked up the wrong
power wire to the hi-speed lug on the pump. While here he next looked at my
heater as it was not engaging on low speed. He replaced the pressure switch
and it worked for several minutes. By the next day it didn't work once
again. And here I sit.

I'm so frustrated with the incompetence of my local spa place here in
Northern Va that I'm trying to see what I can do. Can I call someone other
than a "pool and spa place" to repair this type of thing? I'm ready to fill
in the spa and stop wasting $$ and time trying to fix it.

Brent
"HvacTech2" wrote in message
...


Hi Brent, hope you are having a nice day

On 07-Dec-03 At About 06:04:07, Brent M. wrote to Brent M.
Subject: Spa Heater (Laars) Won't Stay On

BM From: "Brent M."

BM All,

BM Thanks in advance for whatever help you can give.

BM Bottom line: My Laars EG-125 gas heater will ignite only briefly
BM before shutting off. The heater light is on, it has a new pressure
BM switch, new circuit board, new 2-speed pump, I have removed the
BM filter and cleaned the jets.

BM The two ways I can get it to turn on a 1. Flip it off and then
BM back on 2. "Bump" the heater or heater pipes with my hand These two
BM methods will make it fire for about 3-10 seconds before it turns
BM back off.

BM What could it be? Where do I start?

BM Here's some additional background info if you are interested:

BM It is a 500 gal Catalina Boca Grande spa with a brand new Dura-glass
BM 2-speed, 240 volt pump. I just replaced the orginal RC-4 circuit
BM board with a BL-40 universal board. The pump starts and runs fine.
BM The problem is the heater.

BM My heater is a Laars EG-125 with a recently replaced pressure switch.
BM After the pressure switch was replaced the heater worked fine for
BM a couple of hours. Now it will only work (and even then only
BM briefly) if I hit it with my hand or flip the on/off switch.

BM Thinking that maybe there was not enough water pressure to make it
BM fire, I removed the filter and removed all the jet nozzles to make
BM sure they were not blocked. They were partially blocked with rust
BM particles so I cleaned them out. I replaced the jet nozzles back in
BM their places and fired up the spa. It then heated to 110 degrees
BM with thermostat turned all the way up! I turned it off and then
BM restarted it the next day. It now will only ignite if I turn the
BM heater off and then back on or hit it with my hand. It only ignites
BM for 2-5 seconds before shutting down again.


Don't you think you should call someone who knows what they are doing to

look

at it? you have practically rebuilt it and you still have the problem. you
would have spent less money had you called a pro in the first place.

-= HvacTech2 =-


.. "After they make styrofoam, what do they ship it in?" - s.w.

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