DIY boiler repair

Today you can find water heaters in many apartments and private houses. Unfortunately, the failure of the device is not such a rare occurrence, so many do-it-yourself craftsmen are interested in repairing a boiler with their own hands. In fact, repair work is not particularly difficult, but the internal structure of tanks from different manufacturers can differ significantly. Therefore, we consider in the article only general issues of eliminating the most typical breakdowns.

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Fault Classification

Before talking about the elimination of a particular breakdown, about repairing water heaters with our own hands, we will try to figure out what exactly in a water heater can fail and how serious these breakdowns are. All possible breakdowns can be divided into 2 categories.

Not critical

These are parts that break down infrequently or their breakdown does not affect the functioning of the device for heating water:

• Thermostat - a device that displays the temperature of the water in the tank. Of course, a working thermostat is a big help for the user, but when it fails, the device continues to function.
• Thermal insulation. Reduces heat loss. In addition, thermal insulation materials do not allow the water heater to spend energy on heating the air in the room.

Important! The failure of thermal insulation is, in principle, impossible, so there is no need to worry about it.

• Water pipes for hot and cold water. If necessary, they can be replaced without much difficulty.
• Outer shell. If it is not intentionally damaged, it will last long enough. Most often, the outer shell is damaged during repair or installation if the instrument is accidentally dropped.
• Internal capacity. Its working life directly depends on how regularly you change the magnesium anode, which protects metal parts from corrosion.

Critical

These failures threaten the performance of the water heater. If signs of a malfunction are found, repair should be started immediately:

• TEN - it is this detail that is responsible for heating the water, therefore, with a faulty heating element, the operation of the device is impossible in principle. A worn-out heater is the most common cause of poor water heating.
• Magnesium Anode If you replace it regularly, the working life of the boiler will increase significantly.
• Thermostat. This part is responsible for heating the water to a predetermined temperature value and for ensuring that the boiler switches off in a timely manner.

Important! There are rod, electronic and capillary thermostats. They are arranged in different ways, but they perform the same function - they measure the temperature of the water, and, if necessary, turn on (or turn off) the thermal relay. It is impossible to work without a thermostat, therefore, in case of breakage, the part must be urgently replaced.

• Gaskets for insulation. At every maintenance, the gaskets must be replaced.

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Causes of malfunctions

The boiler is a fairly simple device. There are 3 typical faults, but their causes are different.

The device does not heat water (as an option - water heats up more slowly):

• Scaly or burned out heating element.
• The thermostat has broken.
• The control board is out of order.

The device is shocking:

• The control board or electronic panel is out of order.
• The integrity of the heating element is broken.

The device leaks:

• Worn gasket.
• The heating element is out of order.
• The inner tank is corroded.

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Repair Preparation

Before you repair a Polaris water heater of 80 liters with your own hands, you need some preparation:

1. Regardless of the cause of the malfunction, disconnect the appliance from the power supply, drain the water from it and remove it from the wall.
2. Remove the scallops from one or two heating elements, unscrew the nuts and fixing screws.
3. Remove the safety thermostat, remove the temperature sensors from the heating element.

Important! It is impossible to cut the tubes at the temperature sensor, since a special fluid will leak out of them, and the boiler will have to be replaced. Tape wrapping with electrical tape is also ineffective.

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The thermostat is defective - what should I do?

Check if the thermostat is working with a lighter. Press the button and heat up the tip of the temperature sensor made of copper with a lighter:

• If the part is serviceable, then soon the protection mechanism will work, which opens the circuit and pushes the button.
• If the thermostat is faulty, it must be replaced.

Important! The thermostat must not be repaired.

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Do-it-yourself water heater repair: replacing (cleaning) the heater

The failure of the heater is the most common problem. Check the health of the heater with a tester. On it, choose a scale for measuring resistance (in ohms) and measure the resistance. If the device does not show anything, the heater does not work.

The essence of the repair is to replace the heating element - it is impossible to repair it. Unscrew the nuts, remove the heater and replace it with a similar new one.

Important! If the device began to heat water more slowly or work noisily, and the tester shows that the heating elements are working, you need to clear them of scale. You can use special chemicals to clean or use a regular knife. After cleaning the heating elements, flush the tank so that the scale does not remain in it.

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Leaks

To determine the cause of leaks, find out where the water comes from:

• If water flows out from under the top cover, side seam or from the control board, then the cause is corrosion of the water heater.
• If the leak is near the flange, then the reason is a violation of the integrity of the heating element or gasket.
• If there is a leak in the internal tank, the boiler must not be repaired.

Important! Find the documents for the boiler and check the warranty period. You will either have to contact a service center or purchase a new device. It is not possible to weld a tank successfully, and the device will not last long after that.

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Control panel or board

The touch panel or electronic panel may also fail. If the diagnostics showed that other components are functioning normally, the problem lies precisely in the control panel or board.

Important! It is impossible to fix these parts on your own, because you need special knowledge of electronics. And new boards are available only in specialized service centers.

To properly buy spare parts for a boiler, take the failed parts with you. There are a large number of varieties of components, so you can make a mistake and purchase the wrong part.

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Stock footage

Finally - about prevention. Regular cleaning of the heater and the tank, draining the water during a long simple and timely replacement of the magnesium anode will significantly extend the life of the boiler. The same applies to repairing a do-it-yourself instantaneous water heater.