The old heater and how you use it
Make, model and fuel, if you can see them. Pool, spa, or both, and what was going wrong.
Pool-heater installation and replacement
Pool heater installation and replacement in Sarasota and Manatee Counties
Smell gas or hear a CO alarm? Leave first.
If you smell gas, a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm sounds, or anyone may have symptoms of CO poisoning, leave first and call 911 from a safe place. Do not use switches, phones, or anything that could make a spark nearby. Then call your gas utility or propane company.
Colin Morgan installs and replaces natural gas and propane pool heaters in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. That includes Pentair and Sta-Rite, Hayward, Jandy, Raypak and Rheem. He also handles the gas line and regulator work a heater may need, and he pulls the permit when the job needs one. A new heater is more than a box with a similar label. The pool or spa, the controls, the water flow, the fuel and the equipment pad all shape the job.
Replacing a heater you already have
The connections
Water lines, controls, power and gas where the old heater sits.
The gas supply
Whether the existing line and regulator suit the new heater. The old setup is never assumed to fit.
The site
Space and clearances the maker's install instructions call for, and local rules.
When a heater is being replaced, Colin starts with what is there now.
Adding a heater where there was none
A first heater needs a fuel source and a gas line to the equipment pad. Colin plans the line run along with the heater. The route, the other gas appliances on the line, and the heater's needs all affect that work. In many parts of Sarasota and Bradenton, homes may have piped natural gas, propane from a tank, or both. Tell Colin which you have, if you know.
Repair or replace?
Age alone does not decide it. Colin looks at what failed, the heater's overall condition, repeat trouble, whether parts are still available, and whether it still suits the pool and site. Then he quotes the work he recommends. If the heater might be fixable, start on the repair page.
The site visit and the quote
If Colin comes out because your current heater has stopped working, that visit is a service call. You hear the fee before the visit. It pays for his first hour of on-site checking and testing, and it is due even if you do not go ahead. Extra labor, parts, or a permit cost more, and only after you approve them in writing or by text. Planning a heater where there is none, or replacing one that still runs? Ask when you call how the site visit is booked and what it costs. Do not assume it is free. After Colin has looked at the site, you get a total-price quote for the installation he recommends. The quote is good for 15 days from the date it is issued. No installation work starts until you approve that total price.
The repair page explains the fee in full · Fee and quote terms
What to check on your quote
The heater itself
Does the quote include supplying the heater? If you want to buy it yourself, raise that before you book.
The old heater
Does the quote include taking out the old heater and hauling it away?
Water, power and control hookups
Colin checks how the new heater ties into your existing equipment and controls. Ask how that shows up on the quote.
Gas line and regulator
Colin checks whether they suit the new heater. Any line or regulator work he recommends is quoted before it starts.
Permit
Colin pulls the permit when one is needed. Permit costs are billed apart from the service-call fee, and only after you approve them.
Start-up and walkthrough
Ask what happens once the heater is in: firing it, checking that it runs, and showing you the controls.
Registering the heater
Ask who registers the new heater with its maker. Some makers, such as Pentair, ask owners to register a new product to start warranty coverage.
Warranty
The maker sets its own equipment warranty. Colin's terms for the job depend on the equipment and the work. You hear them before you approve.
Changes during the job
Extra labor or parts need your OK in writing or by text before the work goes ahead.
Read the quote against this list. Where a line is not clear, ask Colin before you approve it.
Who handles the permit?
Colin does. He pulls the permit when the job needs one. Whether a permit is needed depends on the exact address and the work. A ZIP code is not enough. Some areas sit in more than one county or city, so the street address decides which office handles it. You do not have to look this up yourself. County permit lookups are linked on each location page.
Use the chosen model's own installation guide
Use the current installation guide for the exact heater model being considered. A guide written for one model does not cover a different heater or brand. The Pentair MasterTemp 125 manual linked here is one example for that model only. Have the make and model ready when you talk with Colin about fit with the existing site and fuel supply.
Bought a heater already?
Tell Colin before any installation is agreed. Give him the brand and model, and where you bought it. Whether he will install a heater you supplied, and how that affects the maker's warranty, is something to settle with him first. Some makers give less coverage to products bought online or not professionally installed. Pentair's warranty page is one example.
Safety comes first
Do not approach equipment during a suspected gas or carbon-monoxide emergency.
Move everyone away from the area. Do not operate switches, appliances, phones or anything that could create a spark. For suspected natural gas, call 911 and the serving utility from a safe location. For suspected propane, contact the propane retailer or call 911 or fire services from a safe location. If carbon-monoxide exposure is possible, get to fresh air and call 911.What to send before the visit
First, safety. If you smell gas, see smoke or fire, or think carbon monoxide is possible, do not take photos. Follow the safety steps on this page. Only when none of that applies: from where you normally stand, take a wide photo of the equipment pad, a photo of the heater (and its label only if you can already see it), and a photo of the display if it shows anything. Add your full address and whether you use natural gas or propane, if you know. Do not take off covers, disconnect anything, test gas parts, or guess at gas sizing yourself.
Clear answers
Questions worth asking
Should I repair or replace my pool heater?
Age or a single symptom does not settle it. Colin looks at the problem and the setup first, then quotes the work he recommends.
Is the site visit free?
Do not assume so. If your heater has stopped working, the visit is a service call: you hear the fee first, it covers Colin's first hour on site, and it is due even if you do not go ahead. For a new heater, ask how the visit is booked when you call.
Does my replacement quote include the gas line and the permit?
Colin checks the gas line and regulator for the new heater, and he pulls the permit when one is needed. Any gas work or permit cost is quoted before it starts. Read the quote for each line.
Who pulls the permit?
Colin does, when the job needs one. The exact address and the work decide whether it does.
Can my old gas line run the new heater?
Maybe, maybe not. It depends on the line, the regulator, the other gas appliances, and the new heater. Colin checks it. It is never assumed.
Are you a factory-authorized installer?
No. Suncoast is an independent company, not a manufacturer-certified service provider or dealer.
Talk with Colin