Major faults storage water heaters

The equipment for water heating differs in a wide variety, therefore diagnostics of malfunctions of different models significantly differs from each other. Thus, cumulative boilers refer to equipment that requires special care in installation and maintenance, failure to follow recommendations often leads to various breakdowns. In this article, we will look at what malfunctions of storage boilers are, and whether it is possible to try to fix them with your own hands.

Often found failures and ways of their elimination

On the basis of statistical data, water heaters service specialists have compiled an approximate register.common faults and possible causes of their occurrence.

When turned on, knocks out traffic jams

The electric water heater, when turned on, knocks out (makes it work) the automatic protection device (RCD). The reason may be incorrectly connected TENthat leads to a short circuit. In this case, check the heating element and, if necessary, replace it. Check the connection of the boiler to the mains supply. In low-quality water heaters, for example, the Vector gas column from Chinese manufacturers, cheap devices are often used that should turn off the product in case of internal malfunctions. because of Low quality they break, so the RCD circuit breaker mounted on the switchboard is activated.

Connection diagram of the heater

Incorrect water temperature

The boiler is plugged in, but the water inside the tank does not heat up. There are several reasons for this:

• the thermostat has blown out or its fastening has become loose;
• heats the heating element poorly due to a large layer of scale;
• The product is not properly connected to a common power supply.

To eliminate the need to check the thermostat mount, dismantle the heating element, clean it or install a new device.

Reverse situation: water almost boils, steam from hot water tap appears. Why is this happening? The reason is simple and trivial - improper connection of the boiler. Check the connection scheme, correct the connection, if you understand this, but the best option is to call the service and call the wizard.

The water from the tank comes warm, which indicates its low heating - the heating mode is incorrectly set, errors in connection of the product or burned out (broke) of the heater.

Diagnostics of the heating element of the boiler

Scaling and corrosion

Water flowing out of the device has rusty color - this is corrosion of the internal capacity of boilers, which is caused by too hard water, even a special magnesium rod does not help. The only solution is to replace the water heater.

Low pressure - this is the first sign of a large accumulation of scale and salt deposits inside the cumulative capacity of the boiler. If you do not respond in time, then various damage will begin to accumulate, like a snowball from the mountain.It is necessary to drain the water and remove scale from the tank walls.

Appearance of a leak

The presence of a large amount of scale and salt deposits in the tank products lead to the formation of corrosion - point fistula in the tank, which can not be repaired. Many users turn to craftsmen who risk brewing leaks in a tank on their own, thereby exposing residents of an apartment or a private building to the danger of an unforeseen explosion. We advise those who doubt to look in the Internet, where there are quite a few such videos:

There are cases when leakage occurs in the area water connectionsespecially in the case of plastic pipes and rubber connecting hoses.

These types of connections are strictly prohibited by water heaters and should be replaced immediately.

It is necessary to tighten the nuts in the place where the inlet pipe is connected and in the place of hot water outlet - this is often enough so that the leakage does not repeat.

Bad smell

The unpleasant smell of hot water informs users about the contamination of the inside of the product. by bacteria: in warm water they multiply instantly.Such cases occur with the irregular use of water heating devices for their intended purpose. Eliminate unpleasant odors can only drain all the water. It is necessary to dismantle the product, clean the inner surface of the container, disinfect it using special means and thoroughly rinse the tank several times with running water when it is full.

Body deformation

This trouble with storage water heaters is due to the fact that in the water supply system are observed pressure surges. According to GOST standards, 4 atmospheres (atm.) Are considered normal pressure, drops occur from 2.5 to 7.0 atm., And during seasonal maintenance work, jumps are up to 10 atm. To avoid such trouble, you need to install pressure reducer. The main advantage of these devices is reliability: with simple configuration, the gearbox is able to maintain the necessary parameters, without the need for energy sources and ongoing maintenance.

Pressure reducer

Users should remember that with a sharp increase in the internal pressure of the water heater not only can break, but also explode from the inside, like a time bomb.

Flow Relief Valve

When the water begins to heat up, then a small non-ferrous metal device begins to drip liquid - this is not a problem. Thus, excess is removed when expansion from heating occurs. If during the day it “accumulates” more than 1.5 liters, then the safety valve must be replaced. Similar actions must be performed when it is completely dry. Its normal state - water drips a bit, which means that everything is in order in the system.

Heating of third-party parts

During operation of water heaters, the surrounding equipment is sometimes very hot: an outlet, a plug from a connection wire, and even a wall. This may be due to loose contact in the outlet - terminals loosened or the load power exceeds that for which it is designed. It is very rare to blame the heating element installed inside the water heater.

Presence of strange sounds

If during the operation of the boiler you hear extraneous sounds, for example, something squeaks when the boiler is turned on, it may be necessary to replace the water supply and drain pipes, and install larger diameter products instead. You should also check the tightness of all connections. Sometimes the initiator of such sounds can be check valve, which must be urgently changed so that there is no trouble.

The main causes of breakdowns

It is worth remembering that modern technology is crammed with electronics and is sensitive to changes in input parameters. Faults storage water heaters can not occur independently - for each there is a separate reason.

1. Unstable voltage in the city electrical network. To protect all appliances in an apartment or house, you need to install a special relay that limits voltage.
2. The long absence of preventive maintenance and service is the negligence of users.
3. Incorrect installation of water-heating equipment often leads to premature failure - because of this, any reliable product can break.
4. Scale and salt deposits are formed inside the storage tank and on the heating elements, which in some models have a very complex structure. Often this is caused by too high a temperature of heating, it is considered optimal not higher than 60. ^aboutc. With increased water hardness it is recommended to install inlet filter.
5. Factory defects are rare, and some of them, unfortunately, do not appear immediately, but after using the product for a short time.
6. Often the fault of users is that they did not replace the damaged parts in a timely manner, which led to more serious equipment malfunctions.

In conclusion, I would like to give some advice to users: buy products only from proven manufacturers, carry out preventive maintenance as recommended, then household appliances will work properly and for a long time.