How to properly connect the boiler to the mains?

Typically, boilers are installed in order to heat the water to the required temperature, in rooms where it is not available, for everyday needs of everyday life, or for technical use. These devices are mainly made of electrical type. Such devices for heating water are mounted in different rooms:

• baths;
• kitchen;
• toilets;
• and other rooms where hot water is needed.

They have small dimensions, but there are also large units on sale, it all depends on how much water the boiler accommodates. In this article we will tell you how to mount andhow to connect the boiler to electricity.So let's describe what is RCD, and for what it is applied on a water heater.

Application of water heaters

In addition to the usual function, some people install electric heaters in order to perform the heating function. However, such cases are rare, there should be no complicated heating system in the house, and the power of the unit itself should at least be at the 1 kW mark. Also, the system needs to connect third-party equipment - the circulation pump, so that it will disperse the water in a closed circle of the heating system.

Basic installation work

1. Mounting the water heater to the wall-first of all it is necessary to make markings on the wall in order to know where to drill and install the fasteners for the boiler. It is recommended that the level be applied during the markup, because all fasteners should be on the same level, as the skew The unit can affect both its operability and the holder itself, in both cases the elements can quickly come to worthlessness.

Do not particularly focus on wall decoration, as with accurate mounting everything can be done smoothly, in extreme cases the boiler will hide behind all your inaccuracies when installing.

1. Electric installation work -after securely securing the boiler to the wall, it must be connected to the mains and ensure its protection against short circuits and voltage surges. There are two connection options:

• connection to the outlet - boilers connected to the outlet should not be more powerful than 3.5 kW. In these cases it will be necessary to make an outlet to the device, or lay the cable to the nearest outlet. For this case, the cross-section of the cable must be at least 3 mm. sq. m .;
• direct connection to the electrical panel - is used for high-power devices more than 3.5 kW. Since the socket, in such cases, there is no possibility to use it, it simply can not stand such a boiler capacity. Therefore, a cable with a larger cross-section is taken, and it is conducted directly to the electrical board in order to provide sufficient power without fear of overload.It is important to know that boilers with power from 3.5 to 4 kW must be connected to a single-phase network. However, if the above value is exceeded, then the device is connected to a three-phase network, at a voltage of 380V.

The choice of connection, as already mentioned above, depends on the capacity of the device. After you have already decidedhow to connect a boiler to electricity, protective measures should be taken to ensure the reliability of the device.

1. Installation of the protection system -since the water heater directly works with water, it should be connected to the network through protection in order to protect itself, and the nearest devices. The first thing you need to do is install an RCD on the boiler, and also connect the circuit breakers to this power line leading to the device.

In case of power supply from the outlet, protective equipment must be installed on the distribution board. The connected units through the 220V network must pass through two-pole circuit breakers. When the connection is made directly, all of the above items should be as close as possible to the unit in order to facilitate the maintenance of all equipment. However, in this case, it is also necessary to protect the RCD itself with an automatic switch, since they will work in a humid environment, and for general safety, isolating them from the environment with special hermetic boxes.

1. After you have finished with everything, it is worthwhile once again to check the integrity of the wires and the soundness of the protective equipment. Only after a thorough check can you start the first start of the boiler. The first step is to open the valves on the pipes (both cold water and hot), and then start to turn on the device. After that, water starts to flow into it, and when the required volume of liquid is there, the boiler starts to heat it, after which you can use hot water through the taps.

Faulty RCDs of the water heater

In some cases, manufacturers establishRCD for water heaterwhen assembling. This device is a small block that goes into the section of the cable. We begin with the decoding of the RCD - a protective shutdown device, it is intended to disconnect the device from an external When the value of the differential current goes over a certain value, the device is completely offline. This device is not like an overcurrent protection device. The RCD trips when the current flows to the body component and the wiring of the unit, and a trip occurs.

Principle of operation of the RCD

Everything is simple enough in understanding -when the water heater is turned ondevicestransmits a current through itself and compares its power with the outgoing one, and if a leakage difference is detected in 30-35 milliamp (the value depends on the type of device, but the standard is -30 mA), the breaker opens chain. RCD is designed to protect a person from possible electric shock.

The reasons why RCD can work:

• touching a person with parts of the hull or elements that can conduct an electric current;
• at the time of human contact with the "earth
• the insulation of the wiring is damaged and when these parts come into contact with the body;
• when replacing the zero cable and the ground conductor;
• when the zero conductor breaks off and the person touches the body and the "grounding" at the same time.

When you use a boiler together with an RCD, you may have noticed that this device works too often, it can be explained by two things:

• the device is faulty. Such things are pretty much part and quickly deteriorate, but it all depends on the quality of production, for example, the manufacturer of Thermex boilers uses low-quality RCDs;
• Another reason for knocking out the RCD may be to replace the ground with a neutral conductor. This is due to the use of "zeroing" - this is the combination of a ground and ground cable. The device does not sense this grounding and often turns off the water heater.

It is recommended to carry out preventive work at least once every two months to ensure that the device is operational.

Repair of the RCD is almost impossible, since it has a complex structure. Often, you only have to replace it with a new one, the part should change to the original one, because on the other, the system may have conflicts.

Basic rules for connecting the boiler to the mains

In order not to expose yourself to danger and install the protective equipment yourself, you should adhere to the following safety rules:

• Before starting work, turn off the power supply of the electrical board in order to safely carry out all the installation activities;
• all wires must necessarily be connected together by soldering;
• it is necessary to take care of protection of RCDs, circuit breakers and earthing;
• due to the fact that the equipment works in a humid environment, care must be taken to protect the wiring and sockets in order to protect them from contact with moisture;
• fasteners must be installed correctly, the minimum diameter of one anchor hook is not less than 8 millimeters, since the volume of one such boiler can be more than 100 liters. It is strictly forbidden to install these water heating units on plasterboard walls. In case you need it, the best way is to install a floor type device.

Conclusion

We told youhow to connect a boiler to electricityand protect it from various voltage drops, and short circuits. In case you are not confident in your abilities, it is recommended to call a master who will help you make all the installation work.