The boiler must be cleaned every few years. If you use the water heater intensively, and the quality of the water leaves much to be desired, you need to wash the product more often. Of course, it’s easier to turn to plumbers for help, but if you want to save money, you can clean yourself.
Why clean the boiler?
Regular maintenance of the boiler is the key to its long and high-quality work. In hard water, cleaning products do not dissolve well, and it also tends to form scale, which does not conduct heat well. The heater, located in the storage tank, is eventually covered with a thin layer of lime. It starts to work worse, power consumption increases. If this does not clean the element, the scale will settle on its surface and penetrate into all available places. Such plaque is not only difficult to remove - it seals the heater and leads to significant interruptions in work. Heat transfer may not be at all.
The protection relay trips, the device trips. Launched cases may result in the need to repair boilers. To prevent this from happening, timely cleaning is necessary.
When do you need to clean?
The boiler must be cleaned approximately every two years. Start the process if you notice the following interruptions:
- the appliance began to heat the water for too long or turned off often;
- the boiler emits a loud hiss during operation;
- yellow liquid with the smell of hydrogen sulfide pours from it.
If you use the water heater at maximum temperatures, you will have to clean it more often (scale and growths on the tank form faster). To extend the life of the appliance, heat the water to 60-70 degrees Celsius.
Another good advice - to reduce the number of breakdowns, do not buy water heaters with heating elements made of ferrous and galvanized metals. Such parts resist rust worse and do not cope well with heating water.
Prefer magnetic thermostats.
Drain the water
Before cleaning the boiler, it is necessary to get rid of all the liquid inside it. If the water heater is located directly above the bathtub, you can put a large tank under it and drain the water during the removal of the heater. Examine the boiler structure: if the electric heater is screwed into the tank, carry out two procedures at the same time. If in order to remove the heater, you need to unscrew a few nuts - it is better to drain the water in advance. With a correct connection to the water supply, there should be no problems with cleaning.
- Be sure to unplug the appliance, close the general water tap.
- Turn off the cold water, at the closest mixer open the hot water and wait until it drains.
- Connect the pipe to the drain fitting, direct it to the sewer, open the tap and drain the water.
There is another option - if there are no taps and drain pipes, empty the tank using the safety valve. Do-it- yourself cleaning of the boiler in this way is a long process, so it is better to wait until the water cools down. If there is no fitting, disconnect the hot water pipe and replace the bucket. Unscrew the safety valve gradually until fluid flows out of it.
Preparation for cleaning
Cleaning the water heater is not a very difficult process, and you can do it yourself. After all the water has been drained, disassemble and remove the heater. To do this, remove the decorative cover (most often it is mounted on screws). In some boiler models, the parts we need are covered with a plastic panel. It rests on the latches - just pry the bar with a screwdriver.
Take a picture of the connection diagram to return everything after the procedure. Disconnect the wires to allow access to the thermostat. Pull it out.
Scale is the number one enemy of boilers. If you do not periodically clean the heater, it can permanently fail. Timely cleaning of the heating element will save you from wasting money and significantly extend the life of the device. Carefully remove the heating element. Next to it you will see the annon, which protects the inside of the tank from corrosion. See if he is whole. If not, replace the part with a new one.
Cleaning the heater
Clean the boiler should be carried out immediately - to remove the wet scum is much easier than hardened. The bulk will be located at the heater. There are several ways to clean an item.
- Remove dirt by hand. From the surface of the heater with a knife or a stiff brush, remove the upper thick layer of scale. Be careful not to damage the surface of the element with sudden and careless movements. After you can process the heater with sandpaper - the cleaner it is, the better it will work.
- In the store you can buy a huge amount of descaler. It is better to purchase a tool for cleaning electric kettles - the principle of its operation is the same as that of a boiler. Take any enameled container, add liquid (read the proportions on the package beforehand). Leave for a while.
- Instead of ready-made tools, you can use the following. Fill a small container with a solution of citric or acetic acid. Put the item in the bottle and leave for a day. To increase the cleaning efficiency, place the container with the heater in a low heat (30 minutes).
Cleaning the heating tank
Flushing the boilers from the inside is as important as cleaning the heater. Substitute the bucket, open the cold water tap and wait until it rinses off the remaining scale from the water heater. For convenience, you can remove the device from the wall.
For particularly severe contamination, descale by hand. Do not use abrasive products or hard objects - this is unacceptable for enameled surfaces. Do not touch the magnesium rod; if anything happens to it, you will have to buy a new part. If descaling does not work, it is necessary to dismantle the device and clean it with chemical agents.
After cleaning, reassemble and connect the water heater. Remember: all parts must be dry.
Aids
It is not so easy to remove the copper heat exchanger from the indirect heating device, and ordinary large-capacity models can be disassembled and assembled all day. In this case, cleaning the boiler with chemicals will help, without dismantling and removing the apparatus.
Visit the store and buy a product designed specifically for this purpose. Alternatively, you can prepare a concentrated solution of citric acid (half a kilogram of acid in 2 liters of water). What exactly you pick up does not matter.
To fill the product inside, empty the container a third through the hot water tap. Connect the hose to the drain fitting and pour the solution through it, while lifting the end of the pipe above the boiler. Leave for a few hours. After draining the solution and rinse the tank, draining the water several times and filling it again. Connect the appliance, heat the water and drain it again. The water heater is ready for use.
Important Tips
Cleaning the boiler is a simple process, but it is better not to carry out the procedure alone - water heaters are very difficult.
- If you use chemicals, make sure that they do not come into contact with rubber seals - they can lose elasticity, as a result of which the boiler will leak.
- Double check every operation you perform. The water heater will not work after assembly if you do something wrong.
- Connect and disconnect power only with a tank full of water.
- When you finish flushing, fill the boiler with water and wait a while. If the flange does not leak - excellent, you can use the device.
- If you are using chemicals, be sure to wear a glove and a face shield.
Now you know how to clean the boiler without calling the master. This is a fairly simple and relatively quick process that any owner can handle. The main thing is to carry out this operation in a timely manner so that the device serves you for a long time. Remember: professional boiler repair is a costly process.