The boiler shocks through the water when turned on: what to do, causes, how to fix, ways

Boiler for hot water has recently become an indispensable type of household appliances. It is installed not only in summer cottages and in private homes. The unit can often be seen in city apartments.

This device is good for everyone, but intensive use of the device often leads to its rapid breakdown. Some defects are easily fixed. Others, related to the electrical part, require an understanding of the operation of the device. And when the boiler is energized, you must first understand the reasons, and then move on to repair.

Possible reasons

Usually you can feel that some electrical device is shocking if you touch it with your hand. In the case of a boiler, the electric shock will be not only through the body, but also through the water that is poured out through the mixer or faucet.

There are two reasons here:

1. The insulation of the wiring that is connected to the heating element is broken.
2. Destruction of the protective metal tube of the heating element.

Heating element malfunction

Inside the tubular heater is a nichrome coil, which heats up when an electric current is applied to it. If any, even the smallest defect is formed in the tube, water will penetrate through it. There will be contact with the helix. The electric potential will again close both on the water and on the boiler body, because both elements are in close contact.

Defects in the tubular heating element are formed for various reasons:

• manufacturing defects;
• long intensive operation, which leads to thinning of the walls of the heating element due to metal corrosion;
• formation of scale on the surface of the tube.

In the latter case, it depends on the quality of the water, its hardness. The harder - the faster plaque forms. Temperature may also be the cause. If the boiler overheats frequently, the scale will form quickly and thickly.

Bad grounding

Grounding system in the house is simply necessary. It's all about electrical appliances, which include a boiler. This machine has a stainless steel body. She is an electrical conductor.

Therefore, if the boiler is not grounded, then the so-called stray currents, if they are not removed, will leave micropores on the stainless steel. This will lead to depressurization, reducing the service life.

But the grounding system has another function. It diverts electric current if the heating element fails or the wiring is exposed. In contact with the body, the latter will not be shocked when the boiler is on.

Wiring problems

Bare wires touch the metal body of the boiler. Upon contact with a person, an electrical circuit closes - the phase is on the device case, zero closes to the ground.

Electric shocks through water

Modern electrical household appliances are manufactured with high operational safety. Even if the potential of an electric current falls on the body or the water inside, the boiler will not hit hard. As such, the impact will not be felt. Finger tingling, discomfort - this is what is meant in this case by the concept of electric shock.

These sensations are a signal to de-energize the boiler, not to use it, to invite the master to troubleshoot.

Destruction of the shell of the heating element

The technical condition of the tubular electric heater must be constantly monitored. Because this element is the main source of electric current, the potential of which enters the water.

It is easier to open the top cover of the boiler and inspect the heater with your own eyes. Scale and other flaws are a reason to carry out prevention.

You can use a multimeter. To do this, the device is configured to measure resistance. Its wires with terminals are connected to the power terminals of the tubular heating element. The multimeter turns on. If the display shows numbers from 0 to 1, then the heating element needs to be changed. There was very little left for it to depressurize, and the nichrome thread came into contact with water. The latter will be shocked.

The heating element itself is a device of a simple design. In addition, it is easy to replace it with a new one. You can do the whole process yourself:

1. The boiler is de-energized - the plug is pulled out of the socket or the machine is turned off.
2. Water is draining from the boiler. Any nearby consumer opens: mixer, faucet, etc.
3. The cover on the side of the body is removed, under which the contacts of the heating element are hidden.
4. The contacts are disconnected.
5. The cap nut is loosened.
6. The heating element is pulled out of the boiler. A new one is inserted in the same way. Outside, it is attached to the body with a union nut.
7. Power connection.
8. The device is filled with water and connected to the electric current network.

Wrong network connection

Connecting the boiler so that it is shocked only because it was connected to the power supply incorrectly is nonsense. Household appliances operate from a single-phase network with a voltage of 220 volts. You won't be able to connect it incorrectly.

It may be that the power supply wiring was laid in the wall (hidden wiring was organized). If wires of a smaller cross section or poor quality were purchased, then the insulating braid of the cable will burn out under the current power. This can lead to a short circuit, causing the boiler to fail. But the device will not be shocked.

Another thing is the wires that are inside the device. If their insulating layer burned out, a bare core opened, which is in contact with the body, then the current will beat.

Troubleshooting

Generalization on malfunctions that become the reasons why the boiler is energized:

1. Destruction of the heating element. This is the most frequently occurring cause. Just a replacement for a new one.
2. Bare wires that touch the housing of household appliances. If this concerns the wiring located inside the boiler structure, then it must be examined for damaged insulation. There are 2 ways out here. The first is to replace old burned-out wires with new ones. The second is to isolate the bare areas with electrical tape yourself.
3. The boiler is not connected to the grounding system or the contact of the ground wire connection with the device body is loose. The photo below shows the yellow-green wiring. This is the ground wire. It is connected to the boiler body with a nut. She, too, can weaken. She needs to be pulled up.

Strikes through the body

When the boiler shocks through the water, it is not as noticeable as if it beats through the body. Here it is important to immediately de-energize the heating device.

In this case, each cause may be present. But if the case is shocked, then the first thing that can be said for sure is that the grounding system does not work. It must be checked or carried out if there is no network.

RCD Installation Instructions

RCD (residual current device) is a necessary element that must be installed in the supply circuit of any household appliances with a power of more than 1 kW. Its task is to turn off the power supply if there is a problem inside the boiler. There is no current supply, which means that the device will not beat.

RCD installed in the switchboard. Therefore, it is better to connect the boiler to a separate circuit, conducted from the apparatus to the shield. Here you will have to take into account the power of the water heater, calculate the cable cross-section.

RCD is inexpensive, installation is simple and short. But it's better to let a specialist do it.

Everything that is connected with electric current should not be held under the motto of economy. Especially when it comes to installing a boiler, where, in addition to metal, there is also water. Through these two elements, current can always beat.

Boiler repair video:

I would like to hear in the comments - who and how dealt with the problem when the boiler began to shock. Maybe someone will share some useful tips or tricks. Bookmark this article so you can return to it at any time.