In many city apartments, summer cottages and private houses, an electric water heater serves as a source of hot water for domestic purposes. If the boiler does not heat the water, this can cause a lot of trouble for property owners. There may be several reasons for the breakdown, and in almost all cases, you can eliminate them yourself. First you need to find out why the water in the boiler does not heat up. Only after this should a decision be made: to undertake repairs on their own or to invite specialists.
Common causes of a water heater breakdown
The performance of the device is impaired when one of the following parts fails:
- TEN - provides heating of the liquid in the tank;
- thermostat - measures the temperature of the liquid, turns on and off the relay when the set high and low values are reached;
- package switch - supplies voltage to the device, cuts off the current supply when the system overheats and a short circuit on the line;
- anode - is responsible for extracting salts from water, prevents the formation of sediment and plaque;
- electrical wiring with indicator - provides energy to the parts of the device.
When the boiler does not heat the water, the cause of this phenomenon may be:
- Failure of the heating element. This happens due to the depletion of a resource or adhesion of limescale to the walls of the tubes. This leads to the fact that the heating element heats up constantly, but the relay does not work. As a result, the product simply burns out. In such cases, the boiler does not heat the water, the light does not light up.
- Incorrect settings. During assembly, the thermostat was set to the “0” or “off” position and then the protective cap was connected. Given the flexibility of the plastic, this can be done without breaking the casing.
- Damaged wires. The products are powerful, over time the contacts oxidize, start to get very hot until they burn out. The failure of the electrical wiring is indicated by the absence of a glow of the indicator and cold water.
- Poor water quality. The result is the formation of a thick layer of porous coat around the heating element. In such a situation, limescale becomes a heat insulator, so the boiler does not heat up the water to the end.
- Clogged pipeline. Most often this occurs at the joints of the fittings, where there are protruding fragments. In the absence of water in the tank, the relay does not allow the heater to turn on, since it immediately heats up to 100 degrees, which is the threshold for the operation of the safety device.
- Wrong choice of cable, plug and socket. If the power of the equipment does not match, they get very hot, which is why the automation is triggered, interrupting the current supply.
The cause of the malfunction may be a breakdown of the electronic control unit. At first, the device will often turn off until it stops working at all.
Self-diagnosis and repair
Having found out the possible reasons why the water in the water heater does not heat up, it is necessary to diagnose the device in order to identify and eliminate the malfunction. First you need to prepare tools and supplies.
For work you will need:
- indicator or tester;
- screwdriver;
- pliers;
- set of wrenches;
- plumbing pliers;
- rubber gaskets;
- FUM tape;
- flexible hoses;
- container for collecting water;
- rags and rags.
In order not to stop work at the dismantling stage, it is advisable to purchase an emergency valve and a ball valve in advance. These devices need periodic replacement, it is better to do this in advance, without waiting for their breakdown.
Diagnostics is carried out in the following sequence:
- External inspection of the boiler and the devices connected to it. Darkened areas indicate poor contact or burnt wires.
- Checking the socket and plug. Over time, the rosette petals weaken and oxidize. The same thing happens inside the plug. Products need to be adjusted or replaced with more powerful ones. Ideally, the plug should forcefully fit into the sockets and be difficult to remove from them. For prevention, it is better to replace the power cable.
- TENA performance check. For this, the thermostat knob is turned clockwise to the extreme position. It will light up when the appliance is working. If the relay fails, a new thermostat should be purchased and installed. It is not difficult even for a housewife to do this.
- Disconnecting the boiler from communications. The water supply taps are closed, the bag is turned off. You need to immediately make sure that there is no voltage on the contacts. It is necessary to photograph the connection diagram in order to carry out the reassembly correctly. After that, the cable cores are disconnected, the indicator wire terminals and the cover is removed.
- Draining. Pipes are unscrewed from the nozzles, plugs are put on them. After that, you can open the water supply to the apartment. It is better to screw long flexible hoses to the nozzles to direct the flow of water in the desired direction or in the container.
- Laying the protective material in the bath. In the course of further actions, hard and heavy objects will fall into it, which can damage the enamel. Old rugs, blankets, coats and jackets are best suited for this purpose.
- Removing the heating element. In different boiler designs, this happens according to its own technology. On some models, it is enough to unscrew one nut holding the clamping bracket. For other products, a few bolts need to be loosened. When removing, proceed slowly and carefully. There may be a thick layer of scale on the element, and above it there may be loose sediment clogging the hole in the tank. First you need to raise the heating element and remove the deposits. Then it is pulled out after tilting to the right or left side.
- The removed heater is cleaned of impurities under running water. It is better to flush over the toilet, so as not to clog the drain of the sink or bath.
If the boiler tank is not damaged, it must be cleaned from the inside. To do this, it is better to use a shower head and a soft brush with a long handle. The advantages of this method are that you do not need to remove the heavy boiler from the wall. For such manipulation, plugs are installed on the underwater pipes. At the end of rinsing, remove all debris from the bath. The material used to protect it can be washed or disposed of immediately.
Solving the problem of malfunction of the heating element
The procedure with the heating element removed from the boiler depends on the following factors:
- Efficiency. If a heating element burns out inside the product, there is no point in fiddling with it. Sawing, changing the spiral and subsequent sealing is long, difficult, requires skills and special tools. It's easier to buy a new product.
- Life time. The manufacturer gives a guarantee for such products within 3-5 years. If this period has expired or is running out, you should not risk it, it is better to install a new heating element.
- The degree of contamination and damage. It is impossible to remove plaque collected over the years. In addition, you need to check the absence of deformation that could arise from the pressure of the anode covered with deposits.
If the heater is in good working order and has no mechanical damage, it makes sense to start cleaning it.It will take less time than a trip to the market and will save you a lot of money.
Limescale dissolves well in citric acid. The solution is prepared in a proportion of 50 g of powder per 1 liter of water. The best option is to use a 3 liter glass jar or metal can. The heating element is completely immersed in these vessels. In order not to wait 2-3 days for the scale to become limp, a powerful cable from an old iron or an electric kettle is screwed to the contacts. Then the structure is connected to the network. As a rule, 10-15 minutes of boiling is enough for the plaque to move away from the metal. It remains to remove the remaining fragments with a knife or a stiff brush. Then you need to clean the hole for the anode well in order to achieve high-quality contact. After connection, the elements are installed in place, the boiler is assembled and connected.
