Gas Pool Heating Servicing, Repairs & Installations In Melbourne

Melbourne’s Best Gas Pool Heater Repairer

We service Melbourne-wide and are experts in servicing, repairing and installing gas pool heaters. Years of experience means we have literally seen it all in terms of faults and fixes for any gas pool heater.

Possible faults with an ageing gas pool heater include corrosion damage, explosive ignition, banging on start-up, leaking and general wear and tear faults.

A well-maintained, chemically balanced gas pool heater should last between 6-10 years, but there’s no reason why they shouldn’t last over the 10-year mark. 

Most pool shops and technicians don’t service the products that they sell; however, we do. Having an in-depth knowledge of all the products we sell and stocking a wide range of spare parts allows us to better serve our customers.

Have you attempted to open your pool heater for the summer or after a long period without use, only to find that it’s not heating your pool as well as it used to? Sometimes gas lines break or leak, which will cause your gas pool heater to work inefficiently or stop working altogether.

Don’t wait for your pool temperature to spoil the fun. When you hire Unitests to conduct your gas pool heater repair or service, you can trust that the job will be done right. We can inspect the gas lines and your heating unit to troubleshoot issues that may be preventing your water from being heated to the right temperature. With many parts on board our service vehicles, we can fix minor problems right there on the spot.

Why Should You Get Your Gas Pool Heating Serviced?

Regularly servicing your gas pool heating is important for a number of reasons and can actually save you money in the long run. Regular servicing improves the longevity and efficiency of your pool heater. By improving the unit's efficiency, you’re reducing the cost to run it, thus saving yourself money in the long run. Servicing your unit regularly can lower your costs for several reasons.

Firstly, within a service, the unit is cleaned, allowing it to run more effectively and not consume excess energy or use excess gas. A service can also identify any heater issues and determine if any parts need to be repaired. In some cases, troublesome parts of the unit that are left unidentified can ultimately do further damage to the pool heater, and in the end, cost you a lot more to repair. Think of your heater like a car. If you don’t regularly service it, things can break, leaving you without a car and an expensive repair bill that could’ve been avoided if you were to have gotten your car serviced.

When Should You Get Your Gas Pool Heater Replaced?

Has your pool gas heater service uncovered some serious issues? Are the repair costs adding up? Is the system simply too old to be repaired? Installing a replacement heating unit may be the answer. With Unitests, your replacement gas pool heater can be installed quickly. Precise, professional gas pool heater installation ensures years of trouble-free satisfaction.

Our experienced team can take care of the entire replacement process, from the product supply and installation to maintenance and repairs, for a genuinely hassle-free service. Every Licenced Gas A Grade Plumber at Unitests is a certified employee, not a third-party contractor like many other companies use. We will be happy to help you with your replacement installation. To have one of our trained, professional service technicians help you with installing a gas heater, give us a call.

Common Issues With Gas Pool Heaters

Below is a list of some common issues that we find with gas pool heaters. You might be able to fix some of the issues yourself, but many of them will require professional help. You can get a no-obligation quote by using the form at the top of this page.

Gas pool heater won’t ignite or the heater starts up then cuts out after 5 seconds

Could be multiple issues due to poor flame sense at pilot, water flow, split burners, water ingress in the heater itself, corrosion damage to temperature sensors. These are all issues that we can solve on the day of the service.

Gas pool heater is leaking

We see this all the time from various components in the heater. High chlorine is the number 1 killer of gas pool heaters across the state of Victoria and can cause leaks. Leaking from components such as washers, water pressure switches, manifolds and heat exchanges is a regular occurrence, with most leaks being fixable.

Gas pool heater has low gas

Low gas occurs when the pipes aren’t sized correctly for the house, gas meter is too small, gas service regulator hasn’t been turned up properly or there may be a blockage in the gas line (water or dirt). If you know you have low gas, it is advised to get the plumber who issued the compliance certificate for the unit to come back and get them to test operating gas pressures.

Gas pool heater makes a bang on start-up

Caused almost certainly by a split in the main burner. If this occurs, then the heater needs attention immediately and more than likely requires a rebuild or burner upgrade depending on the make and model.

Gas pool heater ignites and runs for 10 minutes then cuts out

On the Pentair Mastertemp range of heaters, this can be due to the thermal regulator having corrosion damage, and therefore, needing replacement.

Gas pool heater is excessively noisy

This is usually due to water flow issues or the gas-to-air mixture not being correct. Check that the water flow has no restrictions from the filter or skimmer box. If no success, call us for one of our licensed gas plumbers to assist with setting up the heater properly with a combustion analyser.

Gas pool heater has carbon buildup on the inside of the heat exchange

Gas-to-air mixture has been incorrect on the heaters for quite some time and will need what is called a de-carb. This is a process where we open up the heater and remove all of the carbon from the heat exchange. Then replace the firebox and main burner in the process to ensure the heater can run safely. This is a major fix, but is required for most gas pool heaters with 5+ years of regular use.

The 3 Things That Could Break Your Gas Pool Heater

The #1 Killer Of Gas Heaters - Water Quality

Corrosive water caused by low pH, and/or high Chlorine/Bromine levels will strip the copper out of the heat exchanger and damage the seals. Poor-quality water can damage a heater in as little as a few months. The use of Bromine, Trichlor, Dichlor, Salt Chlorination and Acid Feeders can accelerate this damage without you ever knowing it. It is extremely important to check the pool water weekly and adjust accordingly.

The #2 Killer Of Gas Heaters - Poor Combustion

Many plumbers will connect a gas heater, it fires, and they leave. This can be terrible. Too rich, or too lean can do anything from sooting up the heat exchanger, to actually blowing out the burners and more. We've repaired heaters a mere 12 months old, where the gas was burning so hot that it damaged not only the heat exchanger, but the burners, and fire tiles (which can take some serious heat!) You have to make sure that there’s the right amount of combustion.

The #3 Killer Of Gas Heaters - Environment & Chemical Storage

Heaters in salty, windy, rainy, leafy, etc. environments will corrode faster than others. A common thing we also see is where drums of Hydrochloric Acid and/or Chlorine bottles are kept near a gas heater. What you can't see is that gas heaters suck in HUGE volumes of air for combustion, sucking in all those vapours along with it. We always advise keeping containers WELL AWAY from gas heaters, preferably in a vapour-proof box.

Gas Pool Heater FAQ

What Kind Of Pool Heater is Best?

As a general rule, an Atmospheric BBQ-Style burner Gas Heater (such as any of the Raypak Heaters, or the Astralpool / Hurlcon HX series heaters) will last longer than a fan-forced heater. This is simply due to the complexity factor. Fan-forced heaters have far more electronics & parts that are constantly working.

However, what you lose with atmospheric-style heaters is "efficiency". These heaters are much larger than their fan-forced counterparts. Fan-forced heaters are far more compact & complex. When space is an issue, this is where they shine. Fan-forced heaters included Pentair Mastertemp, Astralpool Viron eVo, Astralpool HiNRG, Hayward, and Zodiac JXi gas heaters. 

How Much Should You Spend On Repairing A Gas Heater?

Our general rule of thumb is that if the cost of "repair" is getting to the 20% of the cost of a new unit, it's time to replace. We've found that expensive repairs often can lead to other unknown issues that may arise that simply can't be foreseen. You'll be calling us in 3-12 months unhappy, and we'll be disappointed for you. Unfortunately, the reality is that Pool & Spa Heating just isn't a "cheap" thing to do. 

This is certainly compounded when the heater is more than 5 years old. 

So, as a very rough guide, if you need to spend more than 20% of the cost of a new heater, you should seriously consider replacing it.

For example, If you have a 10-year-old HX 120 gas heater, I wouldn't spend more than $600.00 on repairs in most cases.

So, if you have a $4000.00 heater the limit should be around $800.00 for a repair. For a $5,000.00 heater, $1000. For a $6,000.00 heater, $1200.00. As I wrote above, spending more than these amounts is like spending good money on an old car. You fix one thing, only to have another thing fail soon after.

How Does A Gas Pool Heater Work?

Gas pool heaters typically use either natural gas or propane to heat your pool. A pump circulates pool water to the heater, which heats the water and then passes it back to the pool, increasing the pool temperature over time. Some pool heaters are better than others, but one thing is certain…

There’s nothing worse than going to use your pool, only to find out that your heater isn’t working. Whether that’s happened to you, or you want to book a service to ensure that doesn’t happen, Unitests can help. If you live in Melbourne, use the form at the top of this page to request a free quote to repair or service your gas pool heater.

Other Important Gas Pool Heater Notes

EnergySafe, AGA and VBA have very strict rules on gas heaters and maintenance. This has recently become much more strict due to some incidents that could well have been preventable. These include dodgy installations, poor flushing, corroded fireboxs, faulty ignition systems, poor combustion, etc. Where these cases exist, the heater and installation will need to be replaced and rectified.