Do-it-yourself real boiler repair

In detail: do-it-yourself real boiler repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

The storage water heater Real VM-395 for 50 liters is in operation, we use it for six months. He worked continuously all this time. Now is the time to change the magnesium anode (following the manufacturer's recommendations). Should I change it? And how to do it right?

Change boldly. On the panel of the device, where the regulator is located, there are bolts under the artificial small plugs. The fastening of the heating element is similar to Ariston's, the magnesium anode is located in the same place.

Electric water heater Real VM-390 is in operation. The hot water pressure is normal, but the liquid is drained, and no reaction. I unscrewed the cold and hot water drain valve, the valve on the cold water supply pipe is located below the valve, it turns out, I drain it almost immediately from the tank, there is, of course, no pressure in the pipe. In general, everything should flow out through the cold, with a characteristic whistling. There is only one suggestion that there are two pipes in the tank and they are both long. How to properly disassemble to drain the water? Before winter, it still needs to be done.

I suppose that you still need to disconnect both of these pipes (cold and hot) and it is from the tank and drain the liquid. Long pipes should not be installed on cold water. And if that were the case, you would have seen it before (the mixing of the water would be stronger). And with a whistle, as you mentioned earlier, it will not go down, because the pipes of hot and cold water are 15mm from the outside of the tank, and inside they are narrowed to seven mm. You will see this when you remove the protective cap from the bottom of the tank. It is very good if you have it in two parts, and you can dismantle it without disconnecting the pipes.

Video (click to play).

Acquired EVN Real VM-395 for shower use. Installed in accordance with the instructions. A flexible shower tube was brought to the outlet of the water heater. We connected it to the electrical network and set the temperature to 35 degrees. After reaching the set temperature, the green diode lit up, and the hot water supply tap on the shower was unscrewed. The water is so hot that it is impossible to hold a hand. Checked
repeatedly. All the same. We can't use the shower - it's too hot. The temperature sensor seems to be normal, it shows correctly. Still, the temperature of the incoming cold water is displayed correctly - 14 degrees. I noticed that when the heating elements are turned on, heating occurs, the temperature does not budge for a while, then it rises one degree at a time. When the temperature reaches 25 degrees. there is good water. More than 25 are already hot. At 35 degrees - it is not possible to hold a hand. This shouldn't be the case. I'm right?

The most heated liquid inside the EVN rises upward (from there, hot water is taken), and the temperature sensor is located in the heating element (which is located below). This is why such a difference occurs. In addition, the just disconnected heating element continues to give off heat for some time (in other words, it cools down), thereby continuing to heat the liquid. You may need to lower the temperature.

We installed and connected an electric water heater Real BP 440 per 100 liters, in operation a little more than two months. At the initial start-up, I boiled water (I was not aware that it heats up to 75 degrees by default), after that I rearranged the temperature by 50 degrees, everything was fine. A few weeks ago, no matter what the setting temperature is, it only heats up to 30, but as soon as the indicator
displayed 29 deg. switches to keep warm.The water is not hot - I hold my hand. At the same time, the relay of the heating elements is functioning normally, the rest seems to be in order too. Where to look for the reason?

All you need is to change the thermostat.

There is no central hot water supply in the house, there are two water heaters Real VM-390. In one of these tanks, from under the safety valve, which is constantly flowing at the inlet. And moreover, it runs not weakly, in an hour it runs about a bucket. The valve in the second tank is dry. I understand that the second tank is adjusted to a lower pressure and works faster. Can this valve be configured differently? How to increase the pressure at which it will open? I would not like to drain so much water into the drain.

The valve is not readjustable, it is made under critical pressure on the walls of the device. The maximum pressure is the sum of the system pressure and the pressure that is created when the liquid expands when heated. For me, for example, a valve leaking in one place stopped leaking when I moved it to another place, because the installation conditions changed. The situation can be solved: by lowering the water temperature in the device or by installing a small expansion tank (the best option). You can also install a reducer to adjust the system pressure. Try replacing the valve with a new one, it often helps.

Storage water heater Real VM-395 for 80 liters. worked two summer seasons without any problems. I turned it on a couple of days ago. Worked for a day - the RCD worked, removed the bottom cover and found condensate on the tank body at the terminals of the heating element. Tell me, what are the reasons? And I haven't found the anode yet.

RCD tripping is not necessarily associated with condensation, especially if there is little condensation (this is normal). There have been a lot of complaints lately about the RCD, and basically the problem was in it. The anode is located inside the tank and is mounted on the inside of the flange.

What can happen if you change the water inlet with the outlet on the Real VM-390 water heater by 30 liters?

With the device - absolutely nothing. It will simply not work correctly - it will not produce hot water.

We have a storage water heater Real VR 440 (50 liters). I very thoughtlessly plugged it in (since there are no other control levers), there was a click or something like a pop, but I forgot to draw water. Now the light is on and the water does not heat up. I can not find information on it. What's this? Has the heating element burned out, or does it have some kind of safety devices?

There is a fuse button on the thermostat body - it may have worked. You can also inspect and check if there are any melts or an extraneous smell of burning on the thermostat. There can be 2 faults - this is either a thermostat or a heating element.

Possible causes of problems

When the Real Thermo water heater suddenly stopped heating the liquid, then first of all it is necessary to identify whether electricity is going into the device. You need to check for a contact in the wire that connects the device and the outlet. Testing of the wire is carried out with an indicator screwdriver or a tester, ringing its ends. The indicator should light up on the phase, and there will be no signal on 0 and ground in the working state of the wire. The reason for the lack of power may be a malfunction of the outlet, you can check this by connecting any other working electrical device (for example, a hair dryer) to it. If the outlet is broken, it is highly likely that the characteristics of the outlet do not match the capacity of the device.

You should check if the fuse has blown out, this can happen when two or more electrical appliances with high power are turned on at the same time. Then you need to check the contact of the wire with the terminals on the EVN, after some time it could weaken. If there is no power supply to the heater, there will be no indication.Is everything normal with the power supply of the device, but it does not heat up and the indicator lamp does not light up? The cause could be a malfunction of the internal parts. In order to identify and eliminate them, first de-energize the device and drain the liquid from it. Next, it is necessary to remove the shell from the boiler, remove all elements for inspection. When it is not heating the liquid, also
you need to check the thermostat for breakage. In order to do this, you need a multimeter, its contacts are connected to the contacts of the thermostat. If the device displays voltage, to reconnect, press the thermostat start button.

The start-up has taken place, this indicates that the device has turned off as a result of the thermal protection actuation. For what reasons the thermal protection is triggered - when overheating (over 90 degrees), the protection turns off the device. This can also occur as a result of the accumulation of a large amount of scale on the heating element; in order to solve this problem, it is necessary to clean the heating element. If, after pressing the thermal protection key, the start does not occur, with a high degree of probability, the thermostat has broken down and needs to be replaced.

Another reason for the lack of heating of the Real Thermo boiler may be a breakdown of the heating element. On average, the service life of a heating element is 4 years. In case of untimely replacement of the magnesium anode, this period is significantly reduced. The performance of the heating element can be checked using a tester by measuring the resistance at the contacts, if there is no resistance, the heating element is not suitable. In cases where the boiler seems to be working, the indicator lamp is on, but for a long time and does not completely heat the liquid, the heating element and the tank should be cleaned from accumulated plaque and scale.

In addition, a breakdown to the shell can occur, which is also detected by the tester. In the event of a breakdown, an RCD is triggered. In both one and the second version, the heating element is not repairable, it needs to be replaced. At the time of purchase, it is recommended to take the broken part with you, as an example, and take an item with the same characteristics.

Leakage options

The main reasons for leaks in the lower part, which you can fix yourself:

Looseness of the gasket near the flange on which the heating element is located. In such a situation, water begins to flow from the bottom. To solve this problem, you need to dismantle the flange, for this you need to unscrew the bolts holding it. In some models, it unscrews completely counterclockwise. The heating element is taken out and the gasket is removed. Next, you need to purchase the same model of heating element and put it in place. For reliability, you can lubricate the joints with silicone.

Leakage in the area of the pipe connection. Droplets or rusted drips from the joint along the entire length of the pipes. In this case, it is necessary to untwist this bundle, replace the gasket and wind up another tow or fumlent. Only heat-resistant gaskets may be used. Upon completion, when supplying cold water, the leak should be eliminated.

The housing of the dry heating element is corroded. Most often, the shell for this type of heating element is made of steel and covered with enamel. After a certain amount of time, it wears out and leaks through small openings. This is a fairly easy-to-remove breakdown, because there is no pressure in the crack area.

Cracks can be covered with cold welding that can withstand high temperatures. In addition, for some heater models, a stainless steel flange can be purchased.

If all this did not help to get rid of the leak, then this indicates that the reservoir has been damaged. This problem is much more serious. Let's see how to eliminate breakage when the crack is in the upper region.First of all, you should drain all the liquid from the RealTermo water heater and remove it from the wall. If there is a plastic cover at the top, then it must be removed; for this, unscrew the screws and pry the rivets. If the upper part is metal, then you need to flare the edges, for this you need a screwdriver. Partially remove thermal insulation with a knife. Clean the surface of the tank. To accurately locate the crack area, reconnect the instrument and prime it. Water will flow from small openings. The areas you have marked are drilled out, threads are cut, and screws are screwed in there. Top for insurance can be covered with cold welding.

Next, you should figure out what can be done if a leak has formed from the side. First of all, it is necessary to remove the casing from the heater. To do this, flare and remove the top and bottom end caps. The thermal insulation is removed with a knife and the tank is taken out. Perhaps it will be additionally fixed in the attachment points. Then it needs to be cleaned, covered with a primer and, for safety, a layer of enamel paint should be applied. The fistula areas are welded, sealed or screwed in with cold-welded screws. Then, connect the tank without casing to check if there are any leaks in some place. After that, the tank can be put back, polyurethane foam can be poured as a thermal insulation layer. Lids are installed above and below, the boiler is hung on the wall. It is very important to carry out all actions only after disconnecting the device from the electrical network.

Repair of REAL water heaters in St. Petersburg 945-26-18.

The REAL VM390 water heater leaks and knocks out the RCD.

Water heaters REAL have a stainless steel tank that does not corrode. But at the same time, a heating element (TEN) made of copper is installed in it. Due to the reaction between two different metals, copper ghost breaks down and begins to leak. A thermostat is inserted into the ten, which also fails due to the ingress of water on it.

To replace the TEN, it is necessary to drain the water from the tank. To do this, you need to disconnect the cold and hot water connections and unscrew the non-return valve, the water will drain through the cold water pipe, and air will enter the tank through the hot water pipe. After that, you need to remove the plastic cover and pull out the thermostat.

After that, use a 55 mm wrench to unscrew the TEN from the tank, while placing a bucket under the boiler, since not all of the water is drained. Then screw in a new shade: preferably the original copper shade (cheap brass shades fail for about two weeks). The thermostat also needs to be installed with an original one with protection against boiling (cheap thermostats have no protection, and the boiler can boil).

Original TEN

Original thermostat

Cheap kit

Repair of a water heater is a pressing issue today. We want more and more to be independent from the outside world, but for freedom, as they say, we have to pay, and sometimes not very small sums. Hot water, or rather its absence, leads to some discomfort in our home. And this is most often associated, if not with utilities, then with faulty water heater... If you want to do water heater repair yourself, then this article was written especially for you.

There are many different water heaters, but here we look at repair of the water heater "Real"... This water heater has a fairly simple design and therefore its repair will not be difficult. But still, for its self-repair, you will need specific tools, such as a 55 head and a gas wrench.

The main malfunction is a burnout of a heating element or just a heating element and its inseparable friend, a thermostat or thermostat. Very often the failure of the heating element is accompanied by water leakage from the lower power box.Many people mistakenly think that if the water runs, then certainly a crack has appeared in the storage tank, and without calling the master, they buy a new water heater. But this is a mistake! Undoubtedly, the tank also cracks, but this happens much less often than the breakdown of the heating element.

1. INNER TANK is made of special high quality stainless steel, resistant to corrosion.

2. THE OUTER SHELL OF THE WATER HEATER is made of steel and covered with a special powder enamel, which retains its shining appearance for many years.

3. ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY THERMAL INSULATION (CFC FREE) The heat-insulating layer of basalt fiber prevents heat loss, minimizing energy costs, and surpasses thermal insulation made of polyurethane foam in its properties.

4. PIPES OF COLD AND HOT WATER are made of stainless steel.

5. THERMOSTAT WITH DOUBLE PROTECTION is designed to adjust the temperature of hot water and automatically shutdown in case of overheating.

6. THERMOMETER for visual control of water heating.

If the water starts to leak, first of all, it is necessary to disconnect the water heater and wait until the temperature drops. You can lower the temperature by opening hot water. Next, remove the white cap at the bottom point (there are only four screws) and in front of you, the power part of the water heater. A heating element is screwed into the neck of the tank, a thermostat is inserted into it, and connecting wires. That's the whole construction. With a key for seven, we give the ground wire, it is usually yellow-green. Then, insert a flat screwdriver into the gap between the heating element and the thermostat and take out the thermostat along with the wires. We examine carefully thermostat, and if streaks or water droplets are found on it, then this is the first sign of replacing the heating element and thermostat.

Next, you need to drain the water. If the water heater is located directly above the bathroom, then this is the simplest option, here it will not be difficult to drain the water. If the water heater is in a different location, you will need a long hose, such as the drain hose at the washing machine. It should be long enough to the nearest sink, bath, etc. We shut off cold and hot water. We unscrew the cold water pipe together with the safety valve and put on the prepared hose. For safety, the hose can be tightened with a hose clamp. We unscrew the hot water pipe and the water should start to drain. Attention, if you do not give the hot water pipe, cold water will not flow. After all the water has merged, take the head at 55 and unscrew the heating element. This completes the disassembly of the water heater. Also, removing the titanium from the wall, you can rinse it from the accumulated dirt and rust.

First of all, you need to buy spare parts for water heater Real, I do not advise you to use Chinese counterparts, it promises big trouble.

The main differences between the Chinese teng and the original.
1. Usually, the original heating element has a curved shape, and the Chinese analogue is straight.
2.On the original heating element, the power and voltage are printed directly on the element, but this cannot be done in Chinese, since the metal is thin.
3.Well, in terms of weight, the original Teng weighs two times more than a fake.

Before screwing in the heating element, make sure that there is a rubber ring on it; without it, the tightness of the connection cannot be ensured. For a better fit, lubricate the ring with any oil. We screw in the heating element until it stops and insert a thermostat with wires into it. I advise you to set the temperature to no more than 60 degrees. We twist the box. We install in place the cold and hot water pipes. Having opened cold water, we fill the water heater. To release all the air, you must open the hot water tap. After the water runs from the hot tap, we turn on the water heater into the outlet. After an hour and a half, you can enjoy your own hot water.

Well, these were all the basic rules for replacing the heating element of a water heater.Now you just have to do them in practice! If you have any questions, you can ask them in the question section - the answer will be happy to help. Also our masters can do this work for you. Our phone number is 8 (423) 292-21-03.

I wish you good luck and success!

If you want not to miss this article, add it to your bookmarks:

There are two main types of contaminants: - water-soluble (salt, urea, sweat, readily soluble oils, etc.); - insoluble in water (grease, sand, dust, pigments, graphite, etc.). Soluble dirt can be removed in water or detergent solution. Stains from paints, varnishes, adhesives, pigments and other similar stains can only be removed by dry cleaning. Dark spots, tomato, carrot, wine, tea, coffee and unwashed old stains can be treated with bleach. Blood stains, cocoa, food starch, yolks and a number of other stains can only be removed with the help of enzymes - biocatalysts that effectively dissolve protein stains at temperatures below 50 ° C. These components of laundry detergents have the ability to separate long chains of protein chemical structures into individual constituents, which are then removed with water.

The connection of the electric stove must be carried out in accordance with the Rules for the Installation of Electrical Installations (PUE), the Interindustry rules for labor protection during the operation of electrical installations, the rules and regulations for the technical operation of the housing stock and, of course, according to the attached instructions. If these rules are violated, the manufacturer has the right to void your warranty on the electric stove. As well as an incorrect connection can lead to a fire in the wiring and, accordingly, to a fire.

How do you determine how much domestic hot water you need for your home? First, count the number of taps. It should be borne in mind that each of them consumes its own certain amount of water (with a temperature at the entrance to the DHW system of the order of 60-65 ° C). For example, a sink in a bathroom consumes on average 3-4 l / min, a shower room - 6-7 l / min, a faucet in a kitchen - from 2 to 5 l / min.

The topic of our conversation today is the combination of installing a water heater and repairing an apartment or building a house. Why are we talking about repair and construction matters today, because the most suitable time for them is summer?

There are not so many main factors causing vibration in washing machines, and if you approach the solution to this problem correctly, washing at your home will become much more pleasant and you will not have to sit astride the washing machine during the spin program, like on a horse and hold it in order to she did not gallop off somewhere.

Poor water quality is considered to be the main cause of boiler breakdown. Because of this, scale forms on the surface of the heating element, the inner walls of the tank are susceptible to corrosion, which in the future entails more serious consequences and expensive repairs in the service center. In addition, the water heater may stop working due to improper connection to the power supply and the hot / cold water circuits.

As for the latter, when connecting the boiler, it is imperative to install a safety valve between the branch pipe coming out of the tank and the cold water supply pipe, which will protect the tank from rupture during a water hammer. You should also make the connection according to the instructions and, no less important, do not confuse where-what is connected. Sometimes situations arise that, if installed incorrectly, the water heater does not collect water. Please note that you should not panic in this case. It is better to take another look at how to properly connect the equipment to the pipes and, most likely, you will understand why your water is not collected.

So that you understand how to repair a storage water heater in different conditions, then we will separately consider how to repair all possible breakdowns with our own hands.

If the boiler does not heat the water to the required temperature, but still makes a noise when turned on, it means that scale has formed on the heating element, which you need to clean yourself. This is not difficult to do, you just need to disconnect the equipment from the network, drain the water from the tank and disassemble the case to remove the heating element. You will not have any difficulties with disconnecting the plug from the outlet, but draining the water can make the repair a little more difficult. Immediately we recommend watching a video lesson, which shows a simple method for solving this problem:

After you empty the tank, you will need to disassemble the boiler yourself. To do this, carefully disconnect all fastons connected to the thermostat and unscrew the bolts, which are usually 6 pieces.

During the removal of the heating element, a little more water will pour out, which remains in the tank. It is recommended to clean the heating element itself immediately, before it is wet and the scale deposits have not hardened. We recommend using special cleaning agents that can be sprayed onto the heater. After a while, the deposits are effortlessly scraped off with a wooden spatula or even a blunt knife. Also, for repairs, you can boil the heating element in a bucket with the addition of special acid to the water, which will effectively solve the problem. To get rid of limescale for sure, we advise you to use fine-grained emery paper ("sandpaper") to clean the tubes to a metallic color.

Simultaneously with the repair of the boiler, which heats the water for a long time or weakly, it is recommended to replace the magnesium anode, which protects the tank from corrosion. To do this, dismantle the worn out rod and purchase exactly the same one in order to replace it yourself!

After that, you need to assemble the boiler in the reverse order and check whether it was possible to repair the weak heating of the water. Do not forget that first of all you must fill the tank completely with water, then connect the plug to the mains and start.

We draw your attention to the fact that there is a situation when the boiler does not heat the water, because the heater is broken. In this case, self-repair is that you need to ring it with a multimeter, setting the resistance measurement mode. We will tell you about this below!

If the light on the boiler is on and the water does not heat up, then it is likely that the heater, which we talked about above, is not working. It is quite simple to check it at home, you need to install the tester probes on the contacts of the heating element and see the resistance on the display. With a working heater, the resistance can vary between 0.4-0.7, as shown in the photo below. If you see "1" on the display, then there is a breakage and you need to replace the part with a new one, because it is almost impossible to repair it.

By the way, if the boiler beats with current or when it is turned on, the RCD is turned off by itself, then the cause of the breakdown, again, is in the heater from which the leak occurs. You can check the malfunction by connecting one probe to the contact of the heating element, and the second to the tube itself. You will see “1” on the display, the part is in good order and there is no need for repairs, a minus value or too large - replacement is required. In more detail about how to check the heating element with a multimeter, we talked in a separate article.

Another reason why the boiler does not heat the water or, on the contrary, heats up very much, is the failure of the thermostat. You can check it in two ways - with a tester or a lighter. Everything is clear with the tester, you need to act according to a similar method, but as for the lighter, everything is more interesting here. First, dismantle the thermostat and press the button on it (it is circled in the photo below). After that, the copper contact of the thermostat must be heated. If after some time the button returns to its original position (knocks it out), the thermostat is operational.If the thermostat does not work, you can repair the boiler that does not turn off or does not turn on by replacing this part with a new one. I would also like to note that there is no need to drain the water to replace the thermostat on the water heater. It is enough just to disconnect the equipment from the network and disconnect all the supplied wires.

Also, sometimes there is a breakdown - the temperature is not shown on the display of the water heater or the display does not work at all. In this case, check all the elements of the circuit and if you do not find an open circuit, most likely the control unit has broken. You will not be able to repair electronics with your own hands in the absence of experience and knowledge, so you will have to take the electric water heater to a service center for repair.

If you notice that water is dripping from the boiler, it is not always possible to repair it yourself. It is good if the cause of the leak is the wear of the seal on the flange. In this case, the gasket must be replaced with the same size, which will allow the breakage to be repaired. The situation is much worse if the water heater leaks due to the wear of the tank itself. Some advise to glue or solder the holes, but, as practice shows, after a short period of time you will still have to say goodbye to the boiler, because such leak repair methods are extremely short-lived.

That's all I wanted to tell you about DIY boiler repair. We hope that now you know what to do if an electric water heater is leaking, does not heat the water well or does not work at all. These devices do not have many problems and you can get rid of them by timely maintenance of the system. At least once a year, check the non-return valve and clean the heating element so that malfunctions bypass you!

It will be interesting to read:

An electric boiler is an effective solution to the problem of hot water supply for a private house. Such equipment, however, like any other, breaks down periodically.

If serious breakdowns have to be eliminated in a service center, then any more or less experienced master can perform a small repair of the water heater with his own hands.

To minimize problems with the device, you should study its design and principles of operation. Usually, in private households, not flow-through, but storage models are used, which make it possible to use electricity more efficiently. Such a device consists of a heat exchanger tank, inside which a heating element is installed - a heating element, connected to the power supply.

An important part of the device is the thermostat. This element allows you to maintain a constant water temperature inside the storage tank. The water is piped to the heat exchanger. If its temperature is too low (and this is usually the case), then the thermostat gives a signal and turns on the heating element.

The water is heated until it reaches the required temperature. After that, the thermostat works again and turns off the heating element. Hot water is taken from the tank and replaced with cold water, the heating process is repeated over and over. This is a general diagram of the device and operation of a conventional storage water heater.

Flow models are arranged somewhat differently. They do not heat a static volume of water, but a stream. They use more powerful heating elements that start working when the water is turned on and stop when it is turned off. To study in more detail the operation and structure of a particular model, you need to carefully familiarize yourself with the accompanying technical documentation.

The heater tank is a sturdy stainless steel container, one or two millimeters thick. No matter how resistant this material is to corrosion, nevertheless, these processes periodically arise and develop, which leads to the flow of water from the device. One of the most common causes of such breakdowns is electrical corrosion.

To prevent it, you need to regularly, i.e.Replace the internally mounted magnesium anode annually. This element is specifically designed to prevent electrical corrosion. Over time, it wears out, and the owners of storage tanks lose sight of replacing this important part.

As a result, the tank, which has served well for some time, suddenly starts to leak. The incorrect state of the magnesium anode can also affect the state of the heating element. The outside of the storage tank is usually enclosed in a metal or plastic housing, and it also has a heat-insulating shell that prevents heat loss.

Damage to the outer shell and insulation is rare, usually due to careless handling of the device. Cracks and chips on the body of the water heater may not disrupt its operation, but this will lead to a deterioration in the properties of the heat insulator, and will negatively affect the functioning of the device as a whole.

Cold water inlet and outlet pipes - for hot water usually do not cause any problems if the installation of the heater is done correctly. Usually, a water heater is equipped with two thermostats, one of which is designed to control the water temperature, and the second monitors the state of the first device.

Sometimes a third thermostat is also used, which determines the good condition of the heating element. In any case, the broken thermostat will have to be completely replaced. There are capillary, rod and electronic types of thermostats. Their design is different, but the principle of their work is the same.

The insulating gasket not only serves to seal the connection between the elements of the water heater, it is also necessary as an electrical insulator. It is recommended to replace this element regularly at every maintenance of the water heater.

The thermostat shows exactly what temperature the water inside the device is heated to. If this element breaks down, the water heater will still perform its functions, although data on the degree of heating will not be received.

Breakdown of heating elements is a typical problem for both flowing and storage water heaters. This element works under high stress and therefore wears out quickly. If the power supply is connected, but the water in the tank does not heat up, most likely the problem has arisen with the heating element.

First, you should check if electricity is supplied to the heating element and the thermostat. In the places where the cable is connected, the presence of voltage is checked with a tester. If there is no voltage, you may need to replace the cable itself or check for a power outage throughout the house.

If there is electricity and the cable is working properly, then problems have arisen with the heating element, which will have to be replaced, or with the thermostat. To figure out what exactly broke, you need to remove the thermostat and check it with a tester. Testing the health of the heating element is carried out as follows. First, the measuring scale of the device is set to the interval of 220-250 V. Then the resistance is measured at the terminals connecting the heating element to the mains.

If there is voltage, disconnect the heating element from the network and check the potential at the terminals of the heating element. Lack of response from the tester will indicate that the device is defective. If there is a reaction, you need to continue the diagnosis. First, disconnect the water heater from the power supply. Then the heating element is disconnected from the thermostat so that the contacts of the heating element remain not isolated.

Tester contacts are applied to them and the reaction is monitored. If it is, the heating element is working, if not, it needs to be replaced. In this case, it does not matter what kind of numbers the tester produces, only the presence or absence of a reaction is important. These troubleshooting methods are suitable for both storage electric water heaters and flow-through models.

To check the serviceability of the thermostat removed from the water heater, you need to set the adjustment knob to maximum and measure at the inlet and outlet of the device. If the needle of the tester remains calm, i.e. its position does not change, which means that the thermostat is faulty and needs to be replaced.

If the arrow deviates, then you need to continue testing. Now you should set the minimum position on the thermostat and attach the test leads of the tester to the contacts. It will not be easy to continue the diagnosis alone, the probes will have to be fixed or asked someone to hold them in the correct position for a while.

After that, you need to take a lighter and heat the tip of the temperature sensor. If the thermal relay is triggered, the circuit will open, and the resistance on the tester's scale will sharply go down, then the thermal relay can also be considered serviceable. If the system does not respond to heating, then this element is damaged and needs to be completely replaced.

Occasionally, the water heater can stop working due to a blown thermal fuse as a result of dangerous overheating of the device. It is enough to correctly adjust the operation of the device for it to start working as usual.

If the check showed that both the heating element and the thermostat are in good order, most likely problems have arisen with the control board. It is almost impossible to repair such an element at home. It will have to be replaced with a new one, and you will have to use the help of a specialist who will help you set up the electronic equipment. Most often, you just need to contact the service center, where the required element will be selected and installed correctly.

A tank leak is a serious problem that cannot always be corrected on your own. In some models, either the tank or the entire heater will need to be replaced. Sometimes the leak can be sealed, but care must be taken to restore the integrity of the outer casing and the thermal insulation layer. Usually such measures are insufficient and short-lived, and soon the leak will reoccur.

The water heater tank most often leaks if:

damage to the internal tank has occurred;
the heating element has deteriorated;
leaky gasket.

If water flows at the place where the heating element is attached, it may not be necessary to repair the tank itself. A special gasket is installed in this place, the leak can be caused by its damage. The gasket is replaced and thus the problem is solved.

A water heater tank leak usually occurs due to neglect or untimely maintenance, which also includes the replacement of the magnesium anode. Another common problem is lack of grounding. This can also lead to the development of corrosive processes and the occurrence of leaks.

If you need to replace the gasket or heating element, it is best to first dismantle the faulty element in order to take it with you and find an exact analogue. Obtaining parts by eye can result in unnecessary costs. This replacement is relatively straightforward. But if problems arise with the tank, you will at least have to contact the service center. Immediately it is necessary to find documents for the water heater and clarify the warranty periods and service conditions.

Regardless of the nature of the breakdown, before starting repair work, you first need to turn off the power supply, remove the protective cover, disconnect the wires, pipes and drain the water. Wall-mounted models are usually removed from the brackets. The protective cover that hides the place for connecting the electrical wires and the fastening of the heating elements may have a different position depending on the model.

On horizontal type devices, such an element is usually located on the left, on vertical heaters - at the bottom, and on small models - in front. On some devices, you first need to unscrew the main mounting bolt located in the center. Sometimes this element is hidden under a decorative sticker.

After that, you need to carefully remove the thermostat, and then remove the tubes of the temperature sensor. They must be handled with great care. If the integrity of the thermosensor tube is broken, liquid filler will leak out. As a result, the water heater will simply have to be thrown away and a new device bought.

If there are stickers on the body with the serial number indicated, they must be kept, even if it interferes with the maintenance and repair of the product. This can affect the manufacturer's fulfillment of the warranty obligations, as well as facilitate the work of the service center employees.

The fact that there are problems in the operation of the device may indicate some changes in the mode of its operation. For instance:

increasing the time for heating water to a predetermined temperature;
the appearance of unusual sounds accompanying the operation of the device;
the appearance of impurities in tap water, a change in its color, smell or taste.

If at least one of these signs is observed, the water heater should be cleaned immediately. To do this, you will have to perform the following operations:

Disconnect the device from the power supply.
Remove the protective cover.
Disconnect the contacts of the electric wires.
Shut off cold water supply.
Remove residual water from the tank using a hose.
Unscrew the screws that hold the heating element.
Remove the heating element and descale it.
Clean the inside of the drive from dirt and scale particles.
Rinse the device thoroughly.
Check the health of the magnesium anode.
If necessary, replace this element immediately.
Wait until the cleaned tank is completely dry.
Install the heating element in place.
Reassemble the device.
Check the tightness of all fasteners.
Connect the water heater to the power supply.
Check for grounding.

The heating element should be removed from the tank carefully, the bolts may be too stubborn, sometimes the heating element is difficult to remove due to too much scale layer. The heating element is cleaned by mechanical or chemical means, as is the removal of contaminants from the tank. If a large amount of scale is found inside the device, you should consider revising the operating mode of the water heater.

This phenomenon is often observed when the device has been operating at maximum power for a long time. It is recommended to set the maximum heating temperature not higher than 60 degrees in order to increase the life of the device and reduce the number of breakdowns. If the body of the heating device shocks, it is possible that the heating element is deformed and ruptured, or there are breakdowns in the control system.

A detailed video on diagnostics of the condition, maintenance and self-repair of domestic water heaters can be viewed here:

Video (click to play).

It is not so difficult to repair a water heater when it comes to replacing some of its elements. In the event of a serious breakdown, it would be wiser to contact a specialized service center. Correct use of the device and its timely maintenance will save you many problems and costs.