Column repair is a delicate matter

Many houses and apartments today have a gas water heater, with which we get warm water in the bathroom, in the kitchen, in the washing machine. But, like all appliances, it can also break down, and repairing the speakers can cause some fears. It is understandable, because you have to deal with gas, which is in itself unsafe. But not everything is as scary as it would seem, if you can rational and logical thinking, a little understanding of technology and not rush in any of their actions. We will discuss this topic in this article.

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How is the gas column arranged?

The ordinary geyser is equipped with an iron box, which in appearance resembles a kitchen cabinet for household needs. From it comes a gas and water pipe. An internal device usually consists of a heat exchanger, as well as a primary and secondary burner.

When the water tap opens, the flap of the gas valve opens, thanks to this, the gas enters the ignition burner, and after that the main one is turned on. By burning gas, a certain amount of heat is generated, which is necessary for instant heating of water. It passes through a heat exchanger located directly above the burners inside the pipe in the form of a spiral. Further, already hot water goes through a water pipe to an open tap.

But where do the products of gas combustion disappear? They are removed using a chimney that goes outside from the upper section of the water heating device.

There are several types of ignition ignition - they distinguish electronic, hand-made products, as well as with piezo ignition:

• The manual model is considered obsolete, because without matches it will not work here. And the main burner will not be able to catch fire without turning the knob.
• New devices include a practical, comfortable and safe ignition system that works on an electronic basis. When the tap opens, it activates the water pressure, as well as a program that is characterized by the appearance of a spark for a finger battery. Simultaneously with all this, the position of the gas valve also changes. Thus, just one spark is enough for the first burner to catch fire, and after it the second is connected.

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The main causes of malfunctions in geysers

Having figured out a little with the device of such a technique, it is time to familiarize yourself with which particular parts can fail most often in order to understand what the repair of gas columns comes down to in this or that case.

Clogged heat exchanger

Among the most common causes of breakdowns of water heating units, scale can be noted inside the radiator itself. Most often, a high level of water hardness acts as a catalyst in such processes.

Important! Scale appears at a liquid temperature of up to 80 degrees. If the temperature exceeds this limit, its compaction processes are activated.

The correct operation of a gas burner will help to eliminate such consequences:

• Do not set high temperatures on the unit - for washing things in a washing machine, bathing, and also washing dishes, it is enough to heat water to 60 degrees.
• Very often, the owners of apartments, who leave the product to work with the igniter on an ongoing basis, try to cope with the problem of scale formation in the heat exchanger.In the end, after an hour the temperature will reach 90 degrees, and the formation of scale will already be impossible to avoid. In such a case, it is advisable to turn on the installation as necessary, and also not to remodel the device in your own way. Or do not ask the question why the device does not want to work and the gas column repair is needed.

But what to do when a breakdown occurs, how to fix and fix the unit? First you need to make sure the problem itself. Namely: if hot water from a faucet flows in a thin stream, while there are no problems with cold water, at the same time, the column does not want to turn on, this means that the problem is scale.

Here's what to do to repair the gas column:

• Arm yourself with a screwdriver with a variety of nozzles, a set of plumbing open-end wrenches, an elastic rubber hose and a range of cushioning materials.
• Also, you can not do without an anti-scale product, which can be purchased at absolutely any hardware store. If it could not be found, it can be replaced with vinegar essence.
• Rid the device of the casing and accessories, turn off the water supply, and then open some tap that is close to the column.
• Unscrew the nut from the battery and wait until the water has completely drained into a previously prepared container.
• Pour in the product using the hose that must be put on the inlet to the heat exchanger.

Important! Do this very carefully so that “Anti-scale” does not have the opportunity to spill out.

• Leave the column for a few hours, then open the water. The presence of a large amount of contamination in the liquid, the best pressure of its supply means that you managed to cope with the task.

Important! If you feel that any part of the scale has remained inside, do the same manipulations one more time.

Leak detected

The gas column may also not work due to leakage - ideally, it is necessary to replace the old radiator device with a new one. However, prices for heat exchangers reach one third of the total cost of the whole product, so it will be more advisable to repair the gas column with your own hands.

Soldering that can withstand up to 100 degrees of heat will help you with this:

• Turn on hot water, remove the nut from the cold pipe, wait until the water has completely drained.

Important! If part of the water remains inside the pipes, blow the product with a vacuum cleaner in reverse mode.

• Begin soldering by cleaning the area with a tissue piece that has been treated with solvent.
• Walk along the surface of the fistula with fine-grained emery paper.
• As a flux, you can use rosin, in its absence, crushed aspirin tablets will do.
• Ultimately, the thickness of the solder should be about 1–2 mm. You can assume that the fistula has already been eliminated.
• Feel the heat exchanger pipe. If you notice a green spot, this means that there is a micro-hole in this place, take care of it.

The gas device does not light

The reason that the device does not want to ignite is simple: there is simply no draft in the ventilation. It is likely that the chimney clogged or some object got inside. In this regard, modern water heaters have a protection and control system in accordance with which gas ceases to flow.

In order to repair the gas column, check it for traction and other causes of the malfunction:

1. Light a match, place it close to the chimney: if the flame wavers, draft is present.
2. It is not possible to light the column when the batteries are exhausted.
3. Insufficient water pressure for the device is also a signal to stop heating.

As one of the options for repairing a gas column in such cases, it may be necessary to clean the filters, which is presented in the form of a fine mesh:

1. Remove the nut to the side, remove the net and thoroughly clean.
2. Inspect the membrane component and determine its condition - unscrew the 2 nut elements, 3 screws that secure the water assembly. It must be separated and the membrane cleaned of dirt.

Important! The membrane, which is made of silicone, lasts much longer than its analogues. Therefore, choose the part correctly if it is necessary to replace it.

The geyser does not heat up correctly

This can only happen when the unit is equipped with low power. This shortcoming can be corrected exclusively by purchasing a new model. If the color tone of the flame has changed, the product is probably clogged. Adjust the gas supply to the burner using a tap that determines the amount of water that moves through the column for one minute. To fix this problem helps reduce the bandwidth manually.

Important! Extremely hot water at the outlet is not a defect, which is why there is no need to make any repair of the gas column. Limit the gas flow using a gas tap shut-off device installed directly at the inlet to the water heater on the pipe.

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Stock footage

Most problems with geysers are the result of their misuse. Therefore, regardless of whether you solved the current problems with the operation of the water heater yourself or called the master, in the future, try to more strictly comply with the recommendations of the equipment manufacturer. Otherwise, it is likely that the next time you will be helped not by repairing the gas column, but only by buying a new, by no means cheap, unit.