Pentair MasterTemp400 pool heater - ignition problem

mike61953

12 years ago

Pentair MasterTemp 400 natural gas heater won't ignite. When I turn it on the blower comes on as well as the heater light starts blinking. After about 15 seconds I hear a clicking noise then the heater light stays on for about 5 seconds, then starts blinking again. After about 20 more seconds the heater light goes out and the service heater light comes on. My gas meter says 315 CFM and I think that would be large enough. I smell no gas at all even after trying to ignite the heater several time. The heater is a little less than a year old so I hope it is still under warranty. I has this same problem when they first installed the heater but then it started working after serveral attempts but that strategy isn't working this time around. Any ideas??

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Comments (8)

johnspock
12 years ago
I am having the same issue with the MasterTemp 250. I has worked perfect for about 9 months until now. On the back of the control pad the AGS light is on. Pentair said to check the High Limit Swith and the Automatic Gas Shutoff Switch. I created jumpers to bypass each switch. I tested one, then the other and then both at the same time. No luck. I called Pentair again and they said it is water pressure or gas pressure. Water pressure is fine and I don't have a way to test the gas pressure. I can't believe it is gas pressure. I have about 50' of 1 1/4" then it is reduced to about 10' 3/4" or 1" to the heater. The only other natural gas item that is running is the water heater. The one thing I did notice is when the burner ignites I hear a quite whinning noise then the burner shuts down and the ags light comes on. I disconnected the gas supply into the heater to check if it is clogged. Checked the screen on the Gas Control Valve it was clear. Kind of stuck at this point and my pool guy is not interested in helping.
beckymc
12 years ago
We had exactly the same problem with our brand new MasterTemp 400. We had to install an oversized meter, which immediately fixed the problem. This took several trips from Centerpoint, the PB and Pentair to finally resolve. Centerpoint really argued about it, even though we had to pay for the meter anyway.
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poolguynj
12 years ago
10 foot of 3/4 is 7 feet too much. The whirring is a direct result of low gas pressure. I'll bet the cone in the ignitian chamber is fouled,

I would also have preferred to see 2" used as the feed but with a 250K, it isn't required.

Has there been any new construction in the area? A new pizza parlor or bagel store can draw a lot of cubic feet resulting in slightly less pressure for everyone. You may have hit the threshold.

Scott
mike61953
Original Author
12 years ago
How much did centerpoint charge for the meter
jharrell
12 years ago
Sounds like you have a 315 cubic ft/hr meter, they are not rated in CFM.

Nat gas is roughly 1100btu per cubic ft, so your meter is undersized.

I know my meter is a 415cu/ft and was somewhat worried going with a 300 Mastertemp, since my stove,dryer, and hot water also run off that meter, but I have had no issues so far.
beckymc
12 years ago
Centerpoint charges $350 for the oversized meter. We didn't believe the Pentair rep when he told us it was the meter, since the meter we replaced was brand new - it was replaced prior to the pool build due to a gas leak. We've had no problems since we installed the new meter and we use our spa a lot. We heat the pool at least once a month during cold weather as we entertain swimming kids/grandkids at least that often.
bkdeb_charter_net
11 years ago
We had rolling blackouts which lasted over 3 hours. Power would come back on for a few moments and then go back off. After the power came back on and stayed on, the pool heater never reignited. How can I get it relit? It says call for a service tech which I have done, but have not gotten a reply phone call. I am battling ice in my pool and hot tub because of the outage. Any help would be appreciated
Rack Etear
11 years ago
Turn off the power again to the heater for about 15 seconds than turn it back on..

Does the heater say service system, or service heater?

Pentair MasterTemp400 pool heater - ignition problem

Comments (8)

johnspock

beckymc

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mike61953
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Pentair MasterTemp400 pool heater - ignition problem

Comments (8)

johnspock

beckymc

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mike61953Original Author

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beckymc

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mike61953
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