Greetings to all, I have a brand-spanking-new Jandy Zodiac LXi 400,000 BTU/HR heater that has never worked. Pool installation company says "gas meter too small" but I have my doubts as there are 3 X 100,000 BTU/Hr furnaces in the house plus a 6 burner gas range and they have all been "on" in winter months. I am an engineer by training so you can consider me to be "handy". Here is what I know so far:
- correct 240VAC power to the unit.
- water switch operates correctly (closes when there is water flow, open when no flow - yes, I have an ohm meter and know how to use it.....)
- Gas line pressure 7.5 inches water column into the heater and at inlet to gas valve
- Manifold pressure 2.5 inches when gas valve opens and heater attempts to light (this is the required pressure according to the sticker on the air plenum cover)
- induces draft fan (blower works fine, pressure in the burner throat is the required 1.0 inches of water column)
- ignitor glows red hot when control calls for it to attempt to light. No visible evidence of damage on ignitor surface (some high temperature discoloring but no white corrosion or evidence of a crack)
- start sequence - blower comes on (seems to have one speed, I read in earlier posts where perhaps some other models have a blower with more than 1 speed); about 30 seconds later you can hear the gas valve solenoid open (and confirmed by manometer using the pressure tap on the burner side of the valve), valve stays open for about 6 or 7 seconds, the flame never lights; then unit cycles 3 times until it kicks out with the ignition alarm code on the LCD. When the gas valve opens, you can smell the methyl mercaptan so I know there is gas getting in to the combustion chamber. But no flame, not never (so far).
I looked inside the burner tubes and did not see any evidence of spider webs or insects. The only thing I have not done after reading some posts here, is to inspect the flame sensor wiring.
When I checked the ignitor I was a little surprised to find the hex nuts finger tight - it took just a turn of my fingers to get them off, so the ignitor did not seem to be very snug on its mount. Anyway after I put it back in after checking it, I did tighten the nuts carefully (not so tight as to crack the ignitor base) and still the until did not fire.
Any thoughts or suggestions appreciated as I wait for the gas company to install a new meter in about 3 weeks..... which I do not really expect to solve the problem.