Contents of the article:
This publication will not consider options for improper installation( this can be read in another article) and operation( described in the instructions) of the water heater. We will tell only about those cases when repair of the boiler is really required. We also make a reservation that the internal structure of water heaters differs slightly from different manufacturers. Accordingly, the images may not coincide with your model, but nevertheless will give an idea how to repair the boiler.
Internal device of the heater on the example of one of the models Termeks.
Faults and their causes
Electric water heater is a relatively simple device, so there are only 3 types of faults, but they may have different causes.
1) The boiler does not heat the water or makes it noticeably slower than the former:
- Blown or scorched with heating elements;
- failed thermostat;
- does not work control card.
2) Water heater beats with current:
- burst heater;
- faulty electronic panel or control board.
2) The device is leaking:
- defective heater;
- outdated sealing gasket;
- Corrosion Internal Tank.
Preparation for repairing an
boiler To identify the cause of most breakdowns, it is necessary to disconnect the water heater from the network, drain water from it( a separate article is devoted to this) and remove it from the wall. Then unscrew and remove the cover hiding access to the heating elements and other working units. Boilers, located vertically, is the bottom cover, the horizontal - the left, in compact models - the front. When repairing Termeks boilers, you need to pay attention to the screw in the middle of the cover, often covered with stickers.
First, the fastons are removed from one or two heating elements and the protective thermostat, the fastening nuts and screws are unscrewed.
Fasttons are marked with red arrows, green - screw, blue - nuts. The yellow oval has a protective thermostat.
The protective thermostat is removed, the temperature sensors are removed from the heating element.
Under no circumstances should you cut off the tube of a thermal sensor! Inside them is a special liquid that will leak out and the device will have to be completely changed. Wrapping a damaged tube with tape will not lead to anything.
Thermal sensors are highlighted with a blue oval.
Now you can diagnose parts that may be faulty.
How to repair a boiler with a faulty thermostat?
The easiest way to check the performance of a protective thermostat with a cigarette lighter. Making sure that the button is pressed, heat the copper tip of the thermal sensor. A working part will soon have a protective mechanism that opens the circuit and pushes the button. Defective thermostat will have to change - it is not subject to repair.
Green circles marked with buttons in various models of thermostats.
How to change or clean the heater in the water heater?
Most often in these devices the heating element fails. In order to check its health, you will need a tester. On it you need to select the scale of resistance( Ohm) and take measurements on the contacts of the heater. If the device shows nothing, then the heating element does not work. Repair of the boiler in this case is to replace the defective parts, it can not be repaired.
Turn off the nuts that hold the heater, remove it and replace it with a similar new one.
Heating element mounting nuts are marked with red arrows.
If the boiler began to slowly heat the water, make a noise during operation, and the tester shows that everything is in order with the heating element, you need to clean the heating elements from scale. To do this, remove it from the heater and clean from the accretion layer. You can use special chemicals or use a regular knife. After that, be sure to rinse the tank, as part of the scale falls off into it.
Repairing a boiler for leaking
To determine the cause of a leak, you need to find out where the water comes from. If it runs from the side seam, from under the top cover or control board, then the tank has corroded. When water appears from under the bottom cover, you must remove it. If the leak is located near the flange, then the problem is in the gasket or heating element. If not, it is the corrosion of the tank.
Black arrows indicate places from which water may flow out of outdated gaskets or cracked heating elements. Reds indicate internal tank leakage.
There will be no problems with how to repair the boiler, which has a sealing gasket, by itself. It is only necessary to remove the heater and put a new one.
The boiler with a leak of an internal tank cannot be repaired. You need to find documents for it and check the warranty period of the device. And either contact the service center, or have to buy a new water heater. Examples of successful welding of tanks are very rare, and the device then serves not for long.
Failure of the panel or control board
Electronic or touch control panels can also fail. If, after checking and replacing other parts, the boiler did not work, the problem may be in them. It’s almost impossible to fix them yourself, as deep knowledge of electronics is necessary. There are no schemes for these boards on the Internet. New ones are available only in specialized service centers, where they will have to turn.
Useful tips
When purchasing spare parts for repairing a boiler with your own hands, it is better to take the defective ones with you. There are many types of heaters, gaskets and thermostats, so it is easy to make a mistake and buy the wrong part.
When removing the bottom cover when repairing the Termex boiler, you should not damage the silver sticker with the serial number. If it interferes, you can carefully remove and save in the passport of the product. This label may be needed when calling the wizard from the service center.
Regular cleaning of the tank and the heating element, the use and timely replacement of magnesium anodes and the mandatory discharge of water during a long period of downtime of the boiler can significantly extend its service life.
