zclaymore

To be honest, I don't remember exactly however I think it was in the 6's somewhere. And the pool probably ran for 4-5 weeks "unattended".

Pool Clown: The original problem was most likely due to very low pH. The pool was opened and then run for about a month with no attention to chemicals due to a death in the family. When we came back to the house, the pool chemistry was tested and the high copper levels were found. Over the last two years, lots of water has been added so I doubt the supply was the source. SpaSage: Thx for the reminder. I was considering just replacing the heat exchanger originally. I didn't have time for a DIY that first year and in talking to a couple of local techs they all recommended replacing the unit given its age figuring that the exchanger would just be the first part to go. I reconnected the electrical over the weekend and the unit seemed to check out. I need to re-open the gas supply and see if it still fires up. If it does, then I'll dismantle and try the replace exchanger route.

Two years ago, I had a problem with high copper levels in the pool water. Best guess as to the cause of the problem was a 10 year old Sta Rite SR400NA pool heater. So I bypassed the heater and treated/replaced the pool water until the copper was back to acceptable levels. The process was expensive and a PITA. I've gone two seasons now without a problem but I want to add heat back to the pool. Before going out and buying a new heater, I was wondering if there was any way to determine if my original heater has a problem or not? Obviously, re-connecting it and seeing if my copper problem comes back is NOT an option. If there isn't, I'm just going to replace it. Thx Ron