Electric water heaters can solve the problem of hot water supply of cottages, private houses and city apartments where this service is not available. If the boiler breaks down, it is not necessary to call the master and pay him a lot of money. In most cases, you can repair the boiler with your own hands, saving your own money and gaining invaluable experience in servicing household appliances. The success of the event depends on the nature of the breakdown and the possibility of eliminating it at home.
The principle of operation of boilers
Knowing the design of storage models will minimize the occurrence of problems with their performance, simplify the preventive maintenance of the boiler and repair activities.
Home appliances consist of such parts:
- Tank. Made of steel, has a hole at the bottom. It is covered from the outside with thermal insulation, and from the inside by ceramic spraying.
- TEN with a replaceable anode. Designed for heating water. By design, the element can be open and dry, enclosed in a glass flask.
- Thermostat. Provides maintaining the temperature in the tank within the specified parameters. It is a tube inside which the sensor is located.
Products are equipped with safety valves designed to bleed off excess fluid at overpressure inside the housing.
After filling the tank, the heater warms up its contents until the thermostat shuts off the power. When the water cools down or is drained, the next heating element turns on, heating, shutting down, cooling - the cycle repeats.
Fault Classification
If possible, breakdowns are divided into critical and non-critical.
It is impossible to repair the following types of malfunctions:
- through corrosion of the metal of the walls of the housing;
- violation of the tightness of the junction of the tank and nozzles;
- mechanical damage from impact or fall (hole, crack).
Theoretically, repair of water heating tanks is possible, but this is a complex, lengthy and expensive undertaking. It will still fail to completely restore the appearance of the product. It is more expedient to dispose of it and buy a new one.
Non-critical types of breakdowns include:
- burnout of the heating element;
- failure of the thermostat;
- wear of the rubber gasket on the body;
- incorrect operation of the electronic control unit.
Repair of boilers in such cases consists in disassembling, conducting diagnostics and replacing damaged parts
Causes of malfunctions
Like any equipment, water heaters have their own resources and sooner or later break down. Sometimes this happens even before the expiration of the warranty period.
The causes of boiler failure can be as follows:
- Damage to the heater. If the appliance is used for a long time, this is the result of wear on the heating wire. More often, the problem arises due to scale, which settles on the spiral, playing the role of thermal insulation. The element works constantly, overheats and burns out.
- Thermostat defect. The reason may be a manufacturing defect or resource development. The problem is resolved by replacing the sensor.
- Failure of the control unit. Only a specialist who is well versed in electronics can repair the Ariston boiler power module on his own. It is advisable to return the module to the workshop.
- Leakage.If the tank is intact, water may leak due to shriveled rubber seals on the body or heater. The problem is solved independently.
After finding out the cause of the malfunction, a decision is made on how to eliminate it, everything necessary for work is prepared.
DIY repair preparations
To repair a water heater on your own, you need to prepare the following set of tools and materials:
- adjustable wrench;
- pliers;
- Screwdriver Set;
- tester;
- scissors;
- steel scraper;
- FUM tape;
- rags.
To repair the water heater, you need to perform a series of preparatory manipulations:
- Disconnect the appliance from electricity.
- Block the water on the mixer or on the inlet pipe.
- Remove the plastic cap.
- Disconnect wires, remove cover.
- Unscrew union nuts of the pipeline from the nozzles of the device.
- Remove the thermostat from the socket.
- Drain the water tank.
- Get the heater.
After that, you need to inspect the product, identify the type of malfunction and outline a plan for further work.
Depending on the nature of the breakdown, a decision is made whether to remove the device from the wall or to carry out its maintenance in a stationary state.
Cleaning and maintenance
If the boiler has not been maintained for a long time, a thick layer of hard sediment forms at the bottom of the tank, and the heater is covered with a lime coat. It must be removed carefully so as not to bend or break the rubber seals. To do this, raise the part and remove sediment through the opening. After that, you can get the item.
When the internal parts are removed from the tank, you can freely inspect it and clean it of dirt. First you need to rinse the walls with a strong stream of water from the shower head. If deposits remain, they should be moistened with a special agent or a solution of citric acid, and then all this should be washed off.
The next step is to service the rubber tank gasket. It must be cleaned of plaque to ensure a tight connection with the heater. If the seal is cracked, it should be removed and discarded. Before installing a new gasket, the socket should be cleaned of rust, sanded and painted with waterproof paint. Inlet pipes should not be ignored. They also need to be cleaned of dirt and rust, to even out slices.
Repair common breakdowns
If the water tank is intact, all other problems can be eliminated with your own hands. The most difficult of them is the repair of the power module of the Ariston boiler. The new board has a pretty impressive cost, so it’s better to fix the defect yourself. To do this, disconnect the module and ring in turn all the parts on the board. Faulty products are evaporated, and new parts purchased in the store are fixed in their place.
Covered with thick plaque, the heating element does not need to be rushed to throw it away. You can make a solution of citric acid (1:10), pour it into a 3-liter jar, immerse the element in it and plug it into the network. 8-10 minutes are enough for all deposits to move away from the metal. If something remains, remove with fine-grained sandpaper. After this, it is recommended that the anode socket be cleaned of patina to achieve good contact.
Seals are recommended to be changed every year to prevent critical situations.
