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Hayward Pool Heater Troubleshooting
When it comes to troubleshooting Hayward pool heater error codes, there's not too much difference between the problem solving process for other gas-fired heaters, made by Jandy, Pentair or Raypak. The components of a Hayward pool heater are also similar to gas heaters made by other manufacturers.
Gas fired pool heaters are similar to a home gas-fired furnace, with the main difference being that a pool heater heats water and a home furnace heats air. Big difference, but other than that, they operate pretty much the same!
Troubleshooting Hayward Gas Heater Error Codes
Below is the troubleshooting guide for Hayward pool heater error codes. Error codes show up on the digital screen of the H-Series H150, H200, H250, H300, H350, and H400 gas models. Work through the chart below if your heater displays the following error codes.
| Code | Description | Information |
|---|---|---|
| bD | Internal fault/power-up error | On initial trial for ignition. Automatic reset is immediate once the gas valve relay check results are acceptable. |
| bD | Gas valve sensed as “ON” error | If valve is open when it should be closed the heater will shut down and go into lockout. Blower will operate until error condition is corrected. Automatic restart 2 minutes after error is corrected. |
| bD | Gas valve sensed as “OFF” error | If valve is closed but flame is sensed the blower will run for 5 seconds, then start a new ignition sequence. If error occurs 10 times during a call for heat the control will go into lockout. Automatic reset is 60 minutes. |
| bD | Data retrieval error | If control input data is corrupts, the heater will shut down and lockout. |
| HF | Flame present with gas valve “OFF” error | If flame is sensed with the gas valve off the control will go into lockout. The blower will run until error condition is corrected. When corrected, control will run blower for 5 s then automatically restart after 2 minutes. |
| PF | Electrical supply wiring error | This code will display if 120V polarity is reversed, low voltage is detected, or if the ground path is not sufficient. Reset is immediate after error is corrected. |
| AO | Blower vacuum switch open error | If the blower prover switch does not close after the blower starts the control will stop the ignition trial go into lockout. The blower will continue to run. Automatic reset is immediate after the switch closes |
| AO | Blower vacuum switch open when expected closed error | If the blower prover switch opens unexpectedly during operation the control will shut down and attempt to re-light. If the switch does not close after the blower starts the control will go into lockout with the blower running. Automatic reset is immediate after error is corrected. |
| AO | Blower vacuum switch open during post-purge error | If the blower prover switch opens during the postpurge cycle (heater is not firing) the control will display the error code. The post-purge cycle will be completed once the blower prover switch closes. |
| AC | Blower vacuum switch closed when expected open error | If the blower prover switch is closed before blower start-up the control will not start the blower. Automatic reset is immediate when the switch opens |
| IO | Igniter open error | If the control is not in lockout and senses that the igniter circuit is open when the blower is running the control will turn off the blower and go into lockout. Automatic restart 2 min after error is corrected. |
| SF | Thermistor error | An excessive temperature difference between the two thermistors (5 °F or more) or an “out of bounds” condition on both sensors (less than 10°F or greater than 180°F) will result in the error code. Automatic restart is 2 minutes after the error is corrected. |
| HS | Water Temperature Sensing Error | |
| Sb | Keypad button stuck closed error | If one of the keypad buttons is closed (or pressed) for more than 30 s the error code will be displayed but the control will continue to function. The error code will be cleared when the condition is corrected. |
| IF | Ignition failure error | If the control exceeds the maximum number of ignition retries or recycles the heater will shut down and go into lockout. Automatic reset is 60 minutes. |
| CE | Communication error | If communication between the ignition board and the display board is not established within 3 s of power-up an error will be displayed. After communication is established, if it is lost for 30 s, the error will be displayed. The error code will be cleared upon a valid data exchange between boards |
| LO | Limit string open error | If the limit string opens the heater shuts down and goes into lockout. Automatic restart is 2 minutes after the error condition is corrected and the limit string closes. See below for more detail |
| EE | EEPROM ERROR | An error was detected in the ignition control circuit board. |
Troubleshooting Hayward Gas Heaters
Below is a list of common issues that can arise with your Hayward pool heater. Unlike the error codes that show up on the digital screen, these problems don't show up as an error notification. Work through the list below if your Hayward pool heater is on the fritz.
| Problem | Possible Cause | Possible Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Heater cycles on & off | 1. Filter or pump baskets are dirty. 2. External bypass is out of adjustment. 3. Internal bypass is broken or stuck. 4. Pressure switch is out of adjustment. 5. Lime scale in the heat exchanger. |
1. Clean filter or baskets. 2. Adjust bypass valve 3. Inspect or repair bypass 4. Adjust the pressure switch 5. Clean or replace the heat exchanger. |
| Sooting of heat exchanger | 1. High water flow (>125 gpm) into the heater. 2. Internal bypass is broken or stuck. 3. Lack of air combustion 4. Low gas pressure 5. Improper venting 6. Blocked heat exchanger 7. Blocked burners |
1. Install an external bypass 2. Inspect or repair the bypass 3. Improve air flow to the heater 4. Check the gas line size 5. Verify the exhaust is correct 6. Clean the heat exchanger 7. Clean debris off the burners |
| Pilot outages | 1. Low gas pressure 2. Restricted gas flow 3. Weak thermopile 4. High winds 5. Broken pilot gas tubing |
1. Increase pilot gas pressure 2. Clean pilot orifice 3. Replace the thermopile 4. Install a high wind stack 5. Replace the pilot tubing |
| Heater does not heat pool enough | 1. Heater is too small 2. Starting temperature is too low 3. Bad wiring or bad connections 4. Water flow is too low |
1. Add a solar cover 2. Add a solar cover 3. Check and repair or replace wiring and connections 4. Adjust bypass for more flow |
| Heater does not fire or light | 1. Bad gas valve 2. Pressure switch 3. Thermostat 4. High limits 5. On/Off switch 6. Fireman's switch |
1. Use jumper wire to jump "TH" terminals 2. Use jumper wire to jump across wires on the pressure switch 3. Jump wires on thermostat 4. Jump wires on high limits 5. Jump wires on on/off switch 6. Jump wires on fireman's switch |
Summary
We hope these charts help solve your Hayward pool heater problems. Pool heaters can be the most baffling piece of pool equipment, but if you consider the proper flow of gas, water and electric, you’re sure to find a solution quickly!
Troubleshooting pool heaters is a methodical process, or a process of elimination. First eliminate water flow issues, then gas flow issues, and finally the low voltage electric currents that run between pool heater components. And if you have Hayward heater error codes on display, that makes finding the problem almost easy!