RayPak 406A Problems - Would Love Some Help

[Watermom]

Actually, you can't post anywhere else in the forum just yet. But, once your registration is complete, it will be moved out into the appropriate section of the forum and you will also be able at that point to post in other sections besides just the "getting started" section.

[AshburnVA]

When does my registration become complete? As you can imagine from the nature of my post, I'm dealing with a time sensitive issue that I need to engage on, and would LOVE to get some impartial opinions on before I do. That's kind of the reason I joined the forum...

[Watermom]

I have alerted Ben to your thread to see if he can your registration finished. We've been swamped this week with everyone trying to get their pools perfect by Memorial Day and we are struggling to get everything done as fast as we would like!

[PoolDoc]

I'm move this into the equipment section . . . but I'm not going to try to answer it now. As Watermom told you, we've been absolutely slammed, and everyone who's knowledgeable is doing as much as they can. Maybe someone will answer helpfully. If not, bump this in a couple of weeks, and I'll try to take a look, but realistically, it maybe after July 4th before we can start looking at issues for the fall season.

[AshburnVA]

Ok PoolDoc. This will be over and done by then. Obviously, need to get on this as soon as possible if I have any shot at getting manufacturer or builder to take accountability.

Thanks anyway - was hoping for some good advice from people who seem like they know what's going on...

[PoolDoc]

As I've explained repeatedly this year, the move to "electronic codes" to make trouble shooting 'easier' . . . doesn't. The pool industry does not have master mechanic manuals (like you get for autos) that explain EVERY code, and how to respond.

Instead, most of the codes are unexplained in any source I've been able to find. So my moderate knowledge of gas fired pool heaters is useless since I've never worked on a RayPak 406a -- I'd need product specific service info I don't have, and don't seems to have access to.

There are a LOT of people here who know "what's going on" with pools, but very few of them have a RayPak 406a -- and to be a little blunt, most of us don't waste our time reading through long posts, once we hit the reference to electronic "codes" -- we already know enough about what's going on, to know that it's not likely that we can help.

So, we move on to someone else, who we can help.

[AshburnVA]

Thanks for being blunt.

Now let me be blunt. The problem I described - with as much detail as I could - has very little to do with the code, and much more to do with a heater - could be ANY brand of heater emmitting ANY error code - that is breaking down well before it is supposed to...displaying rust, breakdown of the firebrick, and an orange flame. Turns out the manifold is cracked, as is the header, and has been spewing water inside the unit - probably has been since it was installed. Working Raypak to work on some sort of settlement so I'm not out $3k.

I've seen the same sort of question and response dozens of times on your forum - posted by people with much less information than I tried to provide, answered by people - you included - with their best guess of what the problem is...and in none of those case did it seem like the people who responded knew the exact unit and product in order to help. That's why I posted.

If you need certain things from your forum community - particularly new members in need of some help - then you should say so. Didn't see anythig in your tips for new users about keeping posts to xx words or less, or leaving codes out of it, etc - in fact it says several times to provide as much detail and background as possible. That's what I did.. Raypak isn't exactly a fly-by-night brand, and there seem to be lots of 406a's out there - that's why I thought somebody could help.

Sorry to have bothered you.