Common Gas Pool Heater Issues

A heated pool can make any swim experience a whole lot better. Heated pools give swimmers the chance to enjoy a pool no matter what the current outdoor temperature happens to be. When it comes to the type of heater used by most pool owners, gas pool heaters tend to be the most popular. This is largely due to the fact that gas heaters use inexpensive natural gas as fuel to efficiently provide heat to the pool water. There are other types of pool heater which have been discussed on earlier blogs. For now, we are going to focus on the typical issues encountered by pool owners with gas-powered heaters.

Heater Cannot Reach Desired Temperature
There are a few causes for this common issue. If your heater is unable to keep the pool water at a consistent temperature, or the specific temperature you have regularly set, it can be an issue with the gas supply to the heater. It may also have to do with a faulty regulator that limits the amount of heat your pool heater can generate. A problem like this is usually internal and will require a trained professional to perform the proper pool heater repairs.

The Heater Fuel Won't Ignite
Gas heaters require some type of ignition to light the flame that is used to heat the pool water as it passes through the mechanism. If your gas does not get lit, you will not only be wasting money pumping gas into the heater, you can also run into a number of potentially hazardous situations. The first thing you should do in this situation is check if the pilot light is lit. If it is, and the gas isn't lighting, make sure the supply valve is open, and that natural gas is actually reaching the heater. If the valve is open and the pilot light is lit, but the fuel still won't light, the problem could be a technical issue with your thermostat.

Heater Leaks Water
You may notice some water has started to leak from inside the heater. While this is not always a major issue, it is important to confirm the source of the water leakage. In cooler months, your heater can produce condensation caused by warming up water that is initially cold. Sometimes the reason for water leakage is due to an excess of water being pumped through the heater itself. If leaks are a common occurrence, you may consider enlisting an expert to install an external bypass on the heater to reduce the amount of water that flows through the pool heater at one time.


Pool heaters are great to have when everything is working correctly. Should you ever run into a problem with your pool heater that you're unable to solve or diagnose on your own, be sure to contact the experts at Pool Problems? for all of your pool heater repair and installation needs. We offer free estimates on all of our work, so don't hesitate to contact us today to get your pool problems solved!

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