There is a wide variety of water heating equipment, so the diagnosis of malfunctions of different models differs significantly from each other. So, storage boilers are a technique that requires special care in installation and maintenance, failure to follow the recommendations often leads to various breakdowns. In this article, we will look at what are the malfunctions of storage boilers, and whether you can try to fix them yourself.

Based on statistical data, water heater service specialists have compiled a rough register of common malfunctions and possible causes of their occurrence.

Breaks plugs when turned on

When turned on, an electric water heater knocks out (makes it work) an automatic protection device (RCD). The reason may be incorrectly connected heating element, resulting in a short circuit. In this case, it is necessary to check the heating element and, if necessary, replace it. Check the connection of the boiler to the household power supply. In low-quality water heaters, for example, the Vector geyser 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 machine installed on the switchboard is triggered.

Water heater connection diagram

Wrong water temperature

The boiler is connected to the network, but the water is inside the tank does not heat up. There are several reasons here:

• the thermostat has burned out or its fastening has become loose;
• the heating element does not heat well due to a large layer of scale;
• The product is not properly connected to the mains supply.

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

Reverse situation: water almost boils steam comes out of the hot water faucet. Why is this happening? The reason is simple and banal - incorrect connection of the boiler. Check the connection diagram, 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 set incorrectly, errors when connecting the product, or the heating element burned out (broken).

Diagnosis of the heating element of the boiler

Scale and corrosion

The water flowing out of the appliance 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.

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

The appearance of a leak

The presence of a large amount of scale and salt deposits in the tank of the product also leads to the formation of corrosion - point fistulas in the tank, which cannot be repaired. Many users turn to craftsmen who risk welding leaks in the tank on their own, thereby exposing residents of an apartment or private building to the danger of an unforeseen explosion. For those who doubt, we advise you to look on the Internet, where there are quite a lot of such videos:

There are cases when leakage occurs in the area plumbing joints especially when using plastic pipes and rubber connecting hoses.

These types of connections are expressly prohibited by water heater service technicians and must be replaced immediately.

It is necessary to tighten the nuts in the place where the inlet pipe is connected and in the place where the hot water exits - often this is enough to prevent leakage from happening again.

Bad smell

Unpleasant smell of hot water informs users about contamination of the inside of the product bacteria: In warm water, they multiply instantly. Such cases occur with irregular use of water heaters for their intended purpose. You can eliminate the unpleasant smell only by draining all the water. It is necessary to dismantle the product, clean the inner surface of the container, disinfect using special means and rinse the tank thoroughly several times with running water when it is completely filled.

Hull deformation

This trouble with storage water heaters occurs due to the fact that there are observed in the water supply system. pressure surges. According to GOST standards, normal pressure is 4 atmospheres (atm.), Drops occur from 2.5 to 7.0 atm., And during seasonal maintenance work, jumps are up to 10 atm. In order to avoid such troubles, it is necessary to install pressure reducer. The main advantage of these devices is reliability: with a simple setting, the gearbox is able to maintain the required parameters, while energy sources and constant maintenance are not needed.

pressure reducer

Users should remember that if the internal pressure rises sharply, the water heater can not only break, but also explode from the inside, like a time bomb.

Leaking safety valve

When the water begins to heat up, liquid begins to drip from this small device made of non-ferrous metal - this is not scary. In this way, excess is removed when expansion from heating occurs. If during the day it “drops” 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 is that water drips a little bit, which means that everything is in order in the system.

Heating of external parts

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

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, then it may be necessary to replace the water inlet and outlet 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. Malfunctions of storage water heaters cannot occur on their own - there is a separate reason for each.

1. Unstable voltage in the city electrical network. To protect all household appliances in an apartment or house, it is necessary to install a special relay that limits the voltage.
2. The long absence of preventive maintenance and after-sales service is the negligence of users.
3. Incorrect installation of water heating equipment quite often leads to premature failures - because of this, any reliable product can break.
4. Scale and salt deposits form inside the storage tank and on the heating elements, which in some models have a very complex design. Often this is caused by too high a heating temperature, it is considered optimal no higher than 60 ° C. 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 damaged parts in a timely manner, which led to more serious equipment failures.

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