Raypak Genuine OEM Flow Switch Kit, 007142F

The Raypak 007142F is the genuine flow switch kit for the P962 through P1826 pool heaters. It arrives as a kit, so the switch goes back in complete.

What the flow switch does

A gas heater will not light until it knows water is moving through it. The flow switch is that proof. When flow drops or stops, the switch opens, the control drops out and the burner cannot fire. It is a safety device first: without it, a heater can fire against a static column of water and cook its own heat exchanger.

When to suspect it

A heater that starts, runs briefly and then locks out on flow is the classic symptom. Rule out the ordinary causes first, a blocked filter, a closed or partly closed valve, a low water level, a clogged pump impeller. If flow through the heater is clearly good and the switch still will not make, the switch itself is the fault.

One thing not to do

Do not jumper the switch to get heat for the weekend. That defeats the only thing standing between the burner and a dry exchanger, and the repair that follows costs many times what this kit does.