Need help quick with heater

[docsobeck]

we have our annual memorial day weekend get-together coming up, and i'll be in trouble with the wife if i don't get the heater up and running in time...

it's a natural gas minimax heater. had no problems lighting the pilot, but the heater will not fire up. i could sure use some diagnostic help. as i turn the thermostat knob, i'm pretty sure i can hear clicking at some point, although it's hard to say for sure with the pump running 18 inches from my ear when i listen for it.

i've had trouble in the past with spiders blocking the gas jets. if that's the issue, would nothing happen at all? how can i get to them to see/clean? i've done some electrical work on other stuff, so i'm fairly comfortable with a VO meter. how can i check the electrical stuff with the VO to see if it's an electrical issue with a part that i could replace? any help would be tremendously appreciated.

[docsobeck]

update: the pressure switch and the on/off switch both test good for continuity.

do these things have a fuse in them somewhere? it's not even clear to me that it's getting any power at all. would the pilot light stay lit if there was no electricity getting to the unit?

ps - i know i should just call someone, but there's no way i'll get someone out here before next weekend, which is why i'm desperate.

thanks

[Brock]

It has a standing pilot and it is on, well you know you have gas anyway.

Mine has power coming in and the pressure switch and an external heater temp switch connected to the pool controller. You could try shorting out the wires leading in to the pressure switch just to be sure and make sure you have 120 or maybe 240 feeding the heater itself. They are pretty straight forward. Does it have any indicators on the front? If they are on you should have power. Mine has two small circuit breakers in it on the right side I did trip one once, not sure how, but it was just a push to reset and I was good to go.

[docsobeck]

i'm not exactly sure where to look for power coming in... i poked around with the volt meter, just pretty much putting the leads on all of the wires into and out of the control module in pairs, and never got any voltage reading at all. let's say that the power switch is on and the pump is running... if there's power getting to the unit, would i get a voltage reading if i put the volt meter leads on the wire in, then the wire out of, the pressure switch?

i guess the question i really need to ask is where i can put the leads to see if there's any juice getting in there at all.

[Brock]

On my heater the power comes in and the first thing it does is runs through a transformer to 24v or 28v to control lines. There was a resetable breaker right at that input that tripped on mine. Oddly the power comes in on the left side, but all the controls are on the upper right side of the heater.

[docsobeck]

that sounds like a pretty good lead. wish it wasn't dark out! i'll check it out first thing in the AM. i'll report back.

[viking1]

Hey Brock,

I have a Raypak 2100 with the digital display.

The digital dispay on my heater in not working but I'm getting power to the unit.
I know there's a small transformer by the on switch. I noticed you mentioned to docsobek that there was a small breaker on yours.

What is your brand heater? Where exactly was the breaker?

Thanks

[imfignewton]

Check your heater manufactures manual or web site they usually have a trouble shooting chart to go thru.