Causes of malfunctions of the water heater and methods for their elimination

Troubleshooting

If the cause of the leak is a defective valve, then it is replaced with a serviceable part set to the same working pressure. When replacing, or better, even during the installation of a water heater, try not to use cheap Chinese products. Remember that the safety of your family directly depends on the valve. Good Italian safety valves with the same non-separable design, although they cost several times more, are bought once. As practice shows, in the future there are no problems with them. Connect a flexible transparent hose to the drain outlet of the device. This will help visually evaluate the work of the part. Lead the end of the hose into the sewer or a suitable container.

Leaking when the boiler is off

Let's simulate the following situation: the water heater is disconnected from the network, the water supply from the water supply is turned on (the tap on the pressure line is open). Water is flowing from the boiler drain hole. The cause of this phenomenon can be both a malfunction of the safety valve, and increased pressure in the line.

To find the cause of a leaking safety valve, you need to know the water pressure in the water supply

To determine the culprit of the leak, it is necessary to measure the pressure of cold water in the water supply. The fact is that if the main pressure exceeds the accepted SNiP, then the valve will open and will perform its functions of dumping excess water into the sewer. Most water heater safety valves that manufacturers complete their products are set to a pressure of 6 to 8 atmospheres.
The maximum pressure allowed by SNiP in main water supply systems should not exceed 6 atmospheres. In fact, it often happens that the actual indicators exceed the normative ones by 1 - 2 atmospheres. Naturally, the safety mechanism will work in this case.

The second cause of leaks may be the valve itself. Wear of its plate or seat, weakening of the spring - these are the factors that can lead to leakage. Often such malfunctions are subject to cheap Chinese products.

It is impossible to drop from the scales and the possibility of particles of scale or debris getting under the plate of the locking mechanism, which can happen during an emergency release of pressure or after draining water from the boiler during maintenance or repair work.

Why is the water heater not working?

First of all, you need to deal with the cause of the problem. Most often, owners of water heating equipment are faced with the following malfunctions:

The water pressure at the outlet of the water heating equipment decreases.
The boiler draws water and heats it, but there is no water at the outlet.
Water does not enter the tank of the water heater.

The boiler is a complex system consisting of many pipes of various diameters, filters, valves and valves. Failure of any node can lead to malfunction of the entire system.

Boiler design

Here are the main causes of failures:

Deposition on the walls of pipes, parts of valves or valves of insoluble carbonate salts (scale).
The ingress of rust particles.
Blocking the flow of water with an air bubble.
Valve or valve failure (jamming of parts).

First of all, you need to find the problem node. To do this, sequentially disconnect the parts from the inlet and see after which node the water will stop flowing into the system. When the problem area is found, you can begin to repair.

Why does the boiler cool down quickly, although we recently bought it

To begin with, consider the simplest reason for a recent purchase.If you have recently purchased a water heater and have not used it before, then we must warn you about some interesting points.

A good 80-liter water heater, fully heated (this can be understood by the indicator) should freely give 3 adults the opportunity to wash in the shower, and at the same time, far from hot water will flow to the latter. Why is that? We actually use a lot of water when we swim, so the system is designed so that cold water is supplied from below, and hot water is taken from above (even if the supply visually comes from below). Therefore, when there is less and less hot water, some of it mixes with the lower layers of cold water, and cool water comes out.

Even if you were told that now you can wash almost five of us, you were deceived. Now many complain about the insufficient capacity of their water heater, and it turns out that they were told fairy tales in stores.

Why does the boiler cool down quickly after moving or after reinstallation

If you moved with this water heater to a new apartment, or you have installed "insufficiently qualified technicians" there are some errors that may affect its operation.

The most common reason why the boiler cools down quickly is the incorrect connection of the water inlet and outlet hoses. In this case, the water will heat up, but it will cool down much faster, since cold water will fill the system from above, and according to physics, it will go down to the issuance. Therefore, after some time, you will no longer be able to wash normally, although hot water will still be in the system.
In addition, the concept of "too cold water" is often observed. In winter, water enters the system almost icy, in summer it is slightly warmer. If before the three of you washed normally, and now the third is barely enough, you should know that this is the reason. If the three of us used to wash normally, but now the first one doesn’t have enough, then, most likely, this is not the reason.
It is also worth checking the pressure in the system. Often, more cold water can flow, or rather, the pressure can be much more than necessary, and the drainage system can pump out warm and hot water to avoid tank rupture. This happens in extremely rare cases, especially if you installed the system using wizards. Although it is rare to find this, even if you installed it yourself.
Sometimes, a sharp cooling is possible due to the lack of shut-off valves at the hot water outlet. A common error during installation, so if you did the installation yourself, you can take a look at this problem. In this case, hot water may partially go through the system to neighbors if you live in an apartment building.
Pollution of the heating element inside. For the device to work properly, the tank must be opened and cleaned at least once a year. If it has not been cleaned for about 2-4 years or more (the period may be less due to the quality and type of water), the reason may be that a lot of precipitation has accumulated on the water heater, which interfere with normal operation. In this case, you just need to clean the water heater.

These are the main reasons why the boiler cools down quickly. Only the master can really try to solve the problem in this case, especially if the above methods did not help.

Boiler problems:

burst or broken thermal insulation;
the whole structure is installed on the roof (attic) of the house, so it cools down easily due to external temperature;
The water heater itself is defective.

But this happens very rarely. The most common causes are those described above. You can decide on your own if you understand the problem a little, if not, then leave a request to the master.

Why is the water heater not filling up?

Filling the boiler is only at first glance a simple matter.

It is important to follow the correct sequence of this procedure:

the hot water drain valve opens on the mixer to which the boiler is connected, then the cold valve of the general water supply;
the liquid gradually fills the reservoir and displaces air with a hiss;
the water level in the tank rises, it begins to overflow into the pipe (level B in the figure);
when an even stream of water flows, you can close the mixer.

Scheme of the movement of water in the boiler

The water heater is full, only now you should turn it on. This is how it should ideally be. But it happens that the boiler suddenly does not draw cold water, although the plumbing is working. What can influence such behavior of the heat exchanger?

Filter clogged

At the entrance to the boiler, the water is filtered from impurities. To do this, the design of the device has a mesh filter that traps litter and rust particles. The metal grate gasket becomes dirty, and the debris plug prevents the free flow of water. To resume the normal filling of the boiler, you need to remove the cap from the flask and remove the grid. Rinse it in the same way as the mixer filter, return it to its place.

There are also replaceable filters with a gel filler. Poor quality material can leak out and clog the tubes through which water moves. If this is your case, then saving the situation will be very simple: you need to buy a normal filter. But you have to try and carefully clean the water intake pipes with a brush.

Incorrect assembly

It happens that the cold water intake hose is connected to the heated drain, and vice versa. Such a nuisance sometimes happens, especially if the installation was mounted by a beginner. As a result, the functioning of the boiler is disrupted, water does not enter it. The same can be said about the erroneous connection of the safety valve. The problem will be solved by a specialist.

Boiler connection

Check valve defective

To keep water in the boiler and prevent it from flowing back into the general water supply, a safety valve is built into the design of the apparatus. It is located after the shut-off valve, at a short distance from the tank, it acts in one direction when taking in water. It is also designed to relieve excess pressure: when the water is very hot, the valve locking device depresses the spring. Excess liquid is discharged, pressure stabilizes.

In a worn condition or when large particles enter the valve mechanism, it jams and does not let water into the boiler. It often happens that the chamber behind the Belleville spring is clogged with scale. You can return the unit to working capacity, for this you need to unscrew the part, disassemble it into components and thoroughly clean it. If the cleaning attempt fails, the equipment must not be left without a valve.

Boiler runs out of water quickly

Intensive use of water during the summer and a light degree of heating will cause the boiler to empty faster. It is also possible that excess pressure is created in the tank and the safety valve bleeds it, releasing some of the hot water. Or, conversely, low pressure in the main water supply, which does not push cold water into the boiler, it is always half empty.

In addition, the heating element was probably recently changed to a less powerful one. The position of the temperature regulator remains at the same level, and the heating element does not cope with heating. There are many reasons why a water heater runs out quickly, below are a few of them.

Leak in the body

Boilers are made of durable materials that can withstand great pressure and weight. With increased operation and poor maintenance, corrosion forms on the inner surface of the tank - fistulas through which water leaves the tank. The development of corrosion is influenced by:

salt deposits on the walls;
scale;
long downtime in an empty, undried state.

If the boiler is rotten, the holes must not be welded.Such a case is not subject to use, and its place in a landfill.

Rusted boiler body

Connection leaks

The non-return valve, reducer and other elements of the plumbing structure must be connected firmly, without gaps. The nodes must be sealed with tow, fum-tape or plumbing thread and filled with sealant. If this is not done, weakly fixed places will surely leak sooner or later. Imperceptibly or obviously, the water will leave the boiler, and this will lead to a breakdown: if the thermal protection does not work, the heater will burn out.

Do-it-yourself water heater repair Ariston 80 liters

Not every user knows how to drain water from a water heater. Almost everyone who owns an electric heating tank sooner or later faces the question, the question of how to descale it. Due to the increase in utility bills, including for hot water supply, more and more residents are buying water heaters to constantly supply hot water to an apartment or house. The boiler is easy to operate, does not take up much space and makes it possible to use it at any time.

Such a household appliance as a water heater is very popular. Convenient and undemanding in maintenance, it has found its application both in private houses and in apartments. However, not everything is as smooth as it might seem, and sometimes the owners are faced with incorrect operation of the equipment. The reasons for the fact that, for example, hot water does not come out of the boiler when the tap is opened, may be different. In the event of a problem, do not panic and change the device to a new one, in most cases, breakdowns can be repaired.

The inlet part of the water heater passes through itself large volumes of water. To protect the internal parts of the device from foreign elements and water debris, the design provides for the installation coarse filter
. Due to the nature of its operation, the filter is subject to periodic contamination. Rusty pipes, dirty water form dense formations on the mesh gasket that interfere with the flow of fluid.

The malfunction is eliminated after thorough cleaning under running water. For this you need:

unscrew the cap of the flask using a special key;
remove the mesh gasket and eliminate contamination;

If the blockage is too dense, you can use dishwashing detergents.
Do not leave the mesh soaked in a solution with a product, just apply it on a sponge and wipe the part. After that, you need to install the filter in place, repeating all the steps in reverse order.

Coarse filter

Faucet contamination

Liquid will flow in a trickle if mixer spout
congestion has occurred. The pressure will be equally bad for both cold and hot water. To fix the problem, you need to carry out a number of procedures.

Close the riser to turn off the water.
Remove the mixer carefully.
Unscrew the spout from the common body.
Remove the mesh and rinse it under running water. In case of formation of salt deposits or dense dirt, let it soak in a special cleaning solution.
Rinse the mixer spout thoroughly and clean the insides of dirt with a brush.
Assemble the faucet in reverse order and reinstall it. Don't forget to open the riser.

This procedure may take some time, as an alternative, you can simply replace the clogged mixer with a new one. Experts recommend replacing worn parts every few years to avoid serious breakdowns in the future.

Trouble-shooting

Having found a problem node, you need to start restoring the boiler's performance. The procedure depends on the specific reason that prevents the device from working normally. Let's consider the most common situations.

Scale clogging

Clogged water heater

Scale is deposits of insoluble carbonate salts on the walls of appliances for heating water. It is found in kettles, washing machines, water heaters.

The amount of scale depends on the hardness of the water. In regions with hard water, even for a year of operation of the boiler, the amount of salts deposited on the walls may be enough to completely block the lumen of the heating element tubes or significantly narrow it.

If scale has caused the failure of the water heater, repairs must be carried out in the following order:

Open and remove the protective cover from the water heater.
Unscrew the nuts holding the heating element in place and remove it.

Dismantling the heating element

Wash the boiler walls and the heating element coil from carbonate deposits. Organic acid - lemon or oxalic - will help dissolve the hard crust. You can also use industrial products - antiscale. Soak the part in an acidic solution to free it from accumulated deposits.

Cleaning the heating element from scale

Using a tester, make sure that the heating element coil has not burned out due to a violation of heat removal by scale.
If the spiral is intact, assemble the device in the reverse order of dismantling.

If the heating element is out of order, you will have to look for a new one or buy a new boiler - you need to choose the most economical solution. If repairs require large financial costs, it is more profitable to immediately purchase new equipment.

Failure of the pressure reducer

The pressure drops of the incoming water in the system can be from 2.5 to 7 atm. To compensate for surges at the inlet to the boiler, a special unit is installed - a gearbox. Its task is to ensure equal pressure at the outlet of the boiler and from the tap. If it fell due to the failure of the gearbox, it is necessary to adjust its operation or replace the broken part.

Low pressure in the main water supply also leads to a drop in pressure at the outlet of the water heater or instantaneous water heater. Unscrew the hose and check the pressure level: if water comes from the main water supply in a thin stream or does not flow at all, it is worth waiting, as the problem may arise due to repair work. If the pressure has not recovered within a few hours, it is worth contacting Vodokanal.

Thermostat failure

If the water leaving the boiler does not heat up enough or does not heat up at all, the cause may be the failure of the thermostat - it is he who is responsible for maintaining a constantly high temperature. To diagnose, turn off the power to the boiler and remove the thermostat from the housing.

Press the thermostat button.
Heat up the copper tip of the thermostat. If the node is healthy, the button should be disabled.
Ring the thermostat circuits with a tester.

Typically, a thermostat malfunction is caused by an overheat protection trip. As a result of the operations performed, the device should start working, and the problems will disappear after it is installed in place. If the tester shows an open circuit, you will have to replace the burned-out thermostat.

Clogged mixer

If water comes out of the boiler with sufficient pressure, and it runs slowly from the tap, the reason lies in the clogging of the mixer with scale or rust. You will need to turn off the water, disassemble the mixers and thoroughly clean the filter mesh. You also need to inspect all the sealing gum and make sure that the crane boxes are working properly.

If water does not enter the boiler

If the reasons described are eliminated, there is water pressure, but the boiler still cannot be filled, the cause may be an incorrect connection (the inlet and outlet pipes are mixed up) or a clogged mesh filter pad. Troubleshooting these problems is easy: unscrew the hoses, rinse the filter and assemble everything back in the correct order.

Scheme of operation of the water heater

Another cause of failure is a broken check valve. It is installed at the inlet to the storage tank and does not allow water to return to the water supply. It can also release excess pressure when overheated. Over time, the valve spring becomes clogged with scale and rust particles, as a result, the valve jams. Disassembly and thorough cleaning will help fix the problem. If it was not possible to clean the part and restore its performance, you will have to look for a replacement.

Having figured out why the boiler may stop working normally and how to fix the most common malfunctions, it is worth dwelling on preventive measures.

Most breakdowns can be avoided by following these simple maintenance guidelines:

Do not overheat water. The lower the temperature, the slower the formation of scale, leading to breakdowns.
The design of many boilers provides for the use of softening cartridges. Do not skimp on water softening, as this will help you avoid spending on repairs.
When leaving for a few days, turn off the device without draining the water. But turning it off at night to save energy is impractical due to the high wear of the electrical part.

You can solve the problem yourself. Consider the most common malfunctions of water heaters.

Can I fix the problem myself

Troubleshooting a water heater requires the user to be familiar with water heaters. This will help him not to confuse anything and the actions to correct the breakdowns will not cause even more problems.

If there is no such experience, then when dismantling various parts of the water heater, disassembling its parts and components, it is better to invite a specialist who repairs devices of this class and brand. The measures are connected with the fact that in different models of devices from different manufacturers, there are necessarily significant design and functional features, their own specifics of functioning. This applies to both the appearance of the device and the features of the configuration, the layout of its internal parts and elements.

For example, one well-known company decided to equip its water heaters with connecting elements in the form of self-clamping clamps, and another uses nuts to connect pipes, and the use of anything else, in this case, will be useless.

In heating devices of other companies, the coil of the water heating element is placed in a hole with a diameter of 65 mm. To fasten it to the tank, special tools are needed, and the bolts that are screwed in are so tightly joined with the nuts that it is simply impossible to unscrew them with all the desire. As a result, when something fails in the device, it will not be possible to quickly open its case. In addition, all fastener parts, and there may be more than 12 of them, will have to be removed with a grinder, and the likelihood that, by removing the bolts, you can also remove part of the body at the same time is very high. In addition, the boiler is an electrical device, and in order to work with it, you need to know which wire should be connected to one or another element. And not knowing and not observing safety precautions when working with electrical appliances can lead to dangerous consequences, the most harmless of which will be a short circuit in the wiring.

It is impossible to do without contacting specialists in the event of interruptions in the operation of the boiler, because difficulties are caused not only by the breakdown of parts of the device, but also by external factors that in no way depend on the user or on the device that he is trying to fix on his own.

Nevertheless, it is necessary to carry out preventive maintenance of the device from time to time: change filters, inspect the internal tank for leaks and possible damage, check the integrity of the electrical wiring, at the slightest suspicion that the device is not working correctly.In the event of a breakdown, contact the service center for troubleshooting. Then the water heater will last a long time, it will be safe to use it.

Relief valve weakness

Leakage of water through the drain pipe of the valve can be considered normal if a liter jar is collected dropwise from it in a day. These are the excesses formed when the pressure rises from heating. But sometimes the amount of fluid flowing out cannot be determined, since it descends into the sewer through the outlet hose. If at the same time the boiler empties unusually quickly, a weak valve can be suspected. In this case, you will have to install a new part, and indeed this important unit is recommended to be changed annually.

Water is dripping from the valve - this is normal

It is forbidden to empty the boiler through the opening of the safety valve! Scale and sediment can clog the drainage pores, and the mechanism will stop functioning.

No matter how well the water heater is thermally insulated, heat loss still cannot be avoided. So do not set the temperature control to the maximum. If water consumption is moderate, it is better to heat it to an average state so that dilution is not required. Strong warming is desirable at a time when you need to take a shower, and you need to get a lot of water. Lower temperature means less scale.
If there is no one at home for several days, the water heater must be turned off, but left filled. But night shutdowns will not help save electricity and will even lead to accelerated wear and tear of electronics, which is often forced to experience overloads.
After a long period of inactivity, the stale water must be drained, the boiler rinsed and refilled. At the maximum mode, warm up for two hours, this will help get rid of the unpleasant odor and bacteria. When the need to use the boiler disappears for a long time, for example, in the winter in the country, it is emptied, dried well and kept warm.
Such a useful element as a magnesium anode will help reduce the formation of scale on the walls of the boiler. It dissolves over time and needs to be replaced about once a year. But this is a general recommendation, and in each case you need to think about whether to interfere with the operation of the equipment. The level of hardness and impurities in the water is different everywhere, but if the unit began to crackle and heat up more slowly, it would be nice to disassemble the structure and inspect it from the inside.

Anode for water heater

To soften the water, you can put a filter at the inlet to the boiler, the cartridge of which is filled with a special resin. This substance displaces magnesium and calcium ions, and sodium ions take their place. Another way to reduce water hardness is to install a hydromagnetic system. The magnet crystallizes the salts, turning them into sludge, then they are retained by the filter.

A properly installed and properly maintained boiler can last up to 15 years. Its performance is influenced by various factors: from water parameters to the quality level of parts and assemblies. In diagnostics and repair, the “random” method should not be used, the main rule is to follow the requirements of the instructions.

Storage tanks capable of heating water to a certain temperature (colloquially - water heaters or boilers) are most often installed in those rooms where there is no centralized supply of hot water, or there is a high probability of turning it off. This device does not lose its relevance from ancient times to the present day. So, the ancient Greek mechanic Heron of Alexandria (second half of the 1st century AD) is rightfully considered the inventor of the boiler. The unit he created heated cold water with steam. Then they forgot about it, in connection with which, at the end of the 17th - beginning of the 18th centuries, they were forced to invent the apparatus anew.But, like any other household electrical appliance, even an improved water heater can break down as a result of internal or external factors, as well as due to the banal wear of parts. All the reasons why hot water does not flow from the boiler, as well as ways to eliminate them, will be described in this material.

Valve leakage during operation of the water heater

If the water heater is plugged into the network and heats water for a long time without significant water intake, then the fault of the constant leakage is most likely a faulty safety valve. The fact is that during the initial heating of cold water, its volume in the boiler will increase by about 2-3%. It is this excess liquid that will be dumped from the tank. In the future, the boiler simply maintains the temperature of the hot water, so there should not be any leaks, so the cause should be sought either in a breakdown or in a clogged safety valve.

A completely different picture should be observed with increased water intake, for example, while taking a shower: the constantly leaving volume of hot liquid will be continuously replaced by cold water.
But when it is heated, the surplus indicated above will begin to appear. Therefore, the outflow of a certain amount of water from the drainage hole in this case is quite logical.

Safety valve device for water heater

And the third option - with a small, stretched in time water intake. For example, washing dishes or cooking. With such a flow rate of hot water, there should not be a constant leak from the drain pipe, but the periodic leakage of drops of liquid will just indicate the correct operation of the water heater.

Device and principle of operation

In general, we can talk about three types of devices capable of accumulating and heating water:

electric water heaters;
indirect heating boilers;
gas water tanks.

All these devices have a similar design and function on the same principle. They differ only in the heat sources with which water is heated. In this case, the role of a heater can be performed by: a heating element, a coil with a coolant supplied to it (for example, a boiler), a gas burner. Structurally, all boilers have the form of a wall-mounted tank, the inner surfaces of which are covered with heat-insulating material.
. Cold water enters it through a pipe located in the lower part, and the selection of heated liquid is carried out from the upper part.

Heaters in all boilers are located in its lower part. The water in the tank is heated to the desired temperature, and then used by the owner for its intended purpose. To maintain and, if necessary, correct the required temperature, the water heater built-in thermostat
. In addition, the boiler is equipped with a temperature meter, with which the user can control the degree of heating of the water, and a safety valve that prevents the unreasonable leakage of liquid.