In modern society, with the advent of new household appliances, a boiler water heater plays one of the most important roles in the economy. Nevertheless, this expensive unit, in case of failure, can be repaired by yourself. You will learn how to repair a boiler with your own hands in this article.
Almost every breakdown of a storage water heater occurs due to improper operation. Also, the correct operation of the tank depends on the water itself, its hardness and the presence of impurities. Due to low-quality water, over time, the heating element of the water heater is covered with scale, and the inner lining of the tank lends itself to corrosion. The latter problem entails replacing the tank itself, which in itself is costly and expensive, and not every service can undertake this. Therefore, in order to avoid such problems, it is recommended to use different kinds of water purifiers.
Reasons for boiler malfunction
There are frequent wiring problems when the boiler does not turn on or off, and also does not heat the water, or vice versa, heats up continuously. In such a situation, it is necessary, following the instructions when connecting the boiler, to correctly connect it to the network and ground it so that the current does not pass through the body.
There are cases when, if the water heater is incorrectly connected, water does not enter the tank. This most often happens because the water from the water supply system comes under too high a pressure and this either leads to a rupture of the tank during a water hammer, or the boiler is protected and does not allow water to pass through. It is recommended to install safety valves between the boiler and water pipes.
What to do and what to do if the storage water heater is out of order? To begin with, do not panic, but try to figure out the cause of the breakdown. After finding out the reasons for the failure of the device, it is necessary to understand how to disassemble the boiler - without this stage it is impossible to start repairing, because most of the problems are associated with the inside of the tank. How to repair a storage water heater yourself, we will describe in order below.
See also - What to do if the boiler is leaking?
Boiler repair
If the water in the tank does not reach the required temperature, while noise and rustling are heard inside the tank, then this is the first sign that the heating element of the water heater has a malfunction. Presumably, scale has appeared on the heating element, which needs to be cleaned. This is not difficult to do. You need to do the following:
- disconnect the unit from the power supply;
- drain water from the tank;
- remove the cover with the heating element electronics from the body;
- extract the heating element itself.
There should be no problems with disconnecting the boiler from the network. But draining the water from the tank can become a problem, since this process differs on water heaters from different manufacturers. For example, the Termeks water heater has a special water drain system. The rest do not have such systems, and if they do, it is very rare. Nevertheless, in order to drain the water, you need to have certain knowledge, which can be obtained by looking at the instructions on the Internet or by contacting the master.
After the water is drained, the question arises of how to disassemble the water heater. To do this, it is necessary to disconnect all faston contacts that are connected to the thermostat. Then unscrew the screws and remove the base of the thermostat with the heating element. When removing it, residual water from the tank may leak out, as well as accumulated debris that was not retained by the filter. It is advisable to clean the heater immediately while it is wet. For cleaning, there are special agents that need to be sprayed over the device. Then the deposits can be cleaned off with a blunt object without much effort. You can also boil the heater in water with acid added to it, and polish the surface with sandpaper until it shines. In this case, the heating element will be in good condition. It is recommended to check the magnesium anode, which prevents the tank from rusting. If it is faulty, this element should be replaced, since it cannot be repaired. After all the manipulations are over, you need to assemble everything in the reverse order, fill up the tank and turn on the boiler. With proper repair and assembly, it must heat the water to the required temperature, that is, it must work properly.
Possible malfunctions and remedies
If the water heating indicator on the heating tank body does not light up, the water does not heat up, and the body is shocked, check the heating element with a tester. To do this, it is enough, after removing the latter, to attach the probes of the multimeter to the contacts and see the resistance. When "1" is displayed on the display, it can be concluded that the heating element is unusable, a break has occurred and it must be replaced.
If you notice a leak in the tank, repairs on your own are not always possible, since not in all cases the cause of breakdown is wear of the sealant, which can be replaced. Most often, the reason is the wear of the tank itself, the appearance of holes in it, eaten by corrosion. In this case, it will be quite problematic to repair the unit. The leak can be welded, sealed or soldered holes, but after a certain period of time the tank will still become unusable, as the holes will expand. In this unpleasant incident, in any case, it is required to replace the body or purchase a new storage water heater.
Here, in fact, are all the main provisions on how to repair a boiler with your own hands. We recommend that if you have insufficient experience with electrical engineering, contact a master or a service center.
See also - Which company water heater is better to choose
