Error codes and replacing parts

Customer: "My heater is displaying an EO5 error code. Can you tell me what the problem is and how much it will cost to repair?"

TPR: I can't tell you what is wrong until I come out and troubleshoot it. 

Customer: "I looked it up. It is a stack flue sensor. How much for that? 

TPR: I can tell  you the price to replace that part, but there is no guarantee that that will fix the problem.

Explanation

The above exchange happens often. Error codes do not tell what the problem is. They point in a general direction. Most "do it yourselfers" and many inexperienced pool guys assume that an error code tells you what sensor to replace. It isn't that simple. One should always start with the possibility that the sensor is doing its job--that it is working correctly--and is telling you something about the heater. 

So, with the above example, a stack flue error isn't necessarily telling you that the sensor is bad. It may be that the temperature at the exhaust (the stack flue) is excessive. If you get this error a prudent and careful tech will need to rule out this possibility before replacing the sensor. 

This is why troubleshooting matters. 

What would cause excessive exhaust temperature? 

• poor water flow through the heater could cause this
• incorrect adjustment of the gas valve
• excessive soot build up on the heat exchanger
• a blockage in the vent (more likely with indoor installations)

Now, it could be a bad sensor, but that is not the starting point. Sensors aren't put in a heater to simply be replaced. They are part of the design because they can point to underlying problems. 

Price

Customer: "You charge $200 to come out and diagnose my pool heater? This other guy only charged me $150. He came out and didn't do anything." 

I have heard this story a couple of times now. 

A customer chooses to go with the cheaper option only to find out that the cheap guy doesn't fix the problem. Indeed, he doesn't do much of anything? Why would that seem like a better value? 

Let's take a step back and see why I need to charge what I do. 

First of all, I fix things that are complicated--things that often take some time--and some work--to figure out. If the problems I fix were easy or obvious we wouldn't need professionals. 

When it comes to repairing a pool heater or a control system problem, the aspect of the job that requires the most expertise and careful work is the troubleshooting. This is especially true when there are multiple problems causing the same trouble. 

So, to reflect this, I charge for troubleshooting. Currently, I charge $200. This might seem like a lot, but consider this: it cost me more than $100 just to fill up the gas tank on my service truck--and I do show up in a fully stocked service truck that likely contains enough parts to fix most heater problems. 

What happens during the trouble shooting phase? From what my customers tell me, the $150 guy looks at it and makes a guess. If anything looks complicated, he tells you it is too old and you need to replace it. He is in and out in 5-10 minutes. He "only" charges $150, but you don't know any more than when he arrived. 

With me, I will first see if it is safe to fix--some heaters--if they are rusted out or the combustion chamber is compromised--simply aren't safe to repair. Second, I will advise your on whether or not it is prudent to repair. If the heat exchanger is so full of soot that it traps excess heat inside so that any repair I do will be short lived, I will tell you that prior to proceeding. Now, for those heaters that are in generally good condition, I will troubleshoot them. This troubleshooting often requires specialized equipment and often requires swapping in new parts. If there are multiple problems, this can take a while. If the heater is staying off due to a dirty filter, I will have to clean the filter before I can tell if there is a problem internal to the heater or not. This is what the $200 pays for. It pays for real work, not guessing. 

After that phase, I can give you a quote to repair. 

The actual repair portion is often much simpler than the troubleshooting phase. 

Think of me as a knowledge worker, not a laborer. You pay me for what I know and what I can tell you, not just my labor.