Video: fixing a leak in the boiler with your own handsprovided with central hot water has an individual boiler. This is a water heater, as everything in our world can fail. We will try to help you, tell you what to do if the boiler is leaking. Determine our capabilities
If you have never worked on repairing equipment and have not held a screwdriver in your hands, then it is better to naturally turn to a qualified master plumbers.
But if you can repair a crane in your apartment or even your own car, then sometimes this problem can be solved by yourself. We warn you at once, although the water heater is quite simple in its design, special knowledge is required for its repair, both in electrical engineering and in the field of thermal appliances. Sometimes there were cases when the master, having correctly repaired the electric water heater, was mistaken in its connection to the heating circuit and caused a disruption in the operation of the entire system.
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Determine the possibility of self-repair in case of leakage
If the boiler has flowed, the most important thing is to determine the cause of the leak. Although another option is possible, the device is under warranty and these are not your questions. Just call the wizard. If free repair is not possible, you can try to repair the boiler yourself. But we will make a reservation, this is consistent only when you are with the equipment and you are not afraid of problems, and also have a minimum set of tools. Also, if you are not familiar with electrical equipment, do not take up troubleshooting. In the event of a breakdown of a boiler in an enterprise( even a private company), such work can be performed only by specialists who have the appropriate electrical safety tolerance group.
Find the causes of leaks
The most simple option( and almost the only) - a visual inspection.
Non-hydraulic testing, no other methods are almost not applied to domestic and especially electric water heaters. Therefore, the causes of leaks in the boiler, we determine visually. Here you can give one small piece of advice - ordinary water is poorly visible, add bright food coloring to it, then the places where it leaves the container will be clearly visible.
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However there is another small nuance that if the boiler is drained from above, this leakage may be due to a malfunction of either the shut-off valves or valves ensuring the safety of the boiler or creating excessive pressure in its capacity. In any case, such a malfunction of the water heater should be treated with special attention. If the boiler has flowed from below, then most likely this is caused by a defect in its capacity( especially for storage boilers).
If the leak location cannot be determined visually, it is advisable to use the same method as for boilers or pressure vessels( if the design of the water heater allows it).In this case, an increased pressure is applied( by air) and the places of flow of the boiler are detected after washing( with soap or other surface-active substances( surfactants) dissolved in water).
Elimination of water leakage in the boiler
Finding a place where the water passes, you can begin to eliminate the leakage. The most common problem are seals. First of all, you need to pay attention to the place where the heating elements are included in the boiler capacity, often replacing this gasket can eliminate the entire problem.
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Also, an electric boiler often flows through the installation or entry points of the sensor lines. Moreover, it is desirable to use for repair not the first seals that came to hand, namely those recommended by the company, the manufacturer, and preferably with its trademark. If this is not possible then use heat-resistant rubber or paronite.
If the container is damaged, it must be repaired. What a way to choose is difficult to tell. For steel, of course, welding is necessary whenever possible, but if pressures are not beyond the limits( an ordinary household boiler), then we can limit ourselves to soldering. For aluminum( or more correctly duralumin), welding in a neutral environment( using neutral gas, like argon) is required; therefore, it is often easier to seal the crack with epoxy resin. But if there is an opportunity you should always give preference to welding.
It is also worth noting that small leaks eventually turn into huge ones.
Therefore, even if a few drops a day seep from your boiler, be sure to find and fix the cause. Then repair can cost much more.
Video: repairing leaks in the boiler with your own hands
Video: repairing the boiler with your own hands