Do-it-yourself cleaning of water heaters and shade from odor and scale

Over time, the electric water heater starts to work worse. It heats water slower and weaker, consumes more electricity, and can even fail. In such cases, do not rush to call the masters or buy a new device. First you need to try to clean the water heater, and most likely it will work as before.

What makes the water heater dirty? Many of its parts are in constant contact with tap water, so many chemicals are deposited on them. Most of all, such deposits accumulate on the walls of the boiler, as well as on the magnesium element and the heating element. Scale prevents the passage of heat from heating parts to water. Therefore, electricity consumption increases, and there is a risk of burnout of the heater. The conclusion is simple: if the boiler has become slower to heat the water, it must be urgently cleaned.

Accumulative water heater Electrolux

How to clean a water heater

For convenience, it is better to adhere to the following cleaning order.

Before working with a boiler, it must be disconnected from the power source. It is more convenient to do so:

• Switch off the heater and make sure that it is not connected to electricity.
• At the bottom of the appliance (usually there), remove the plastic protective cover. It is bolted, so you need a suitable screwdriver to unscrew them.
• Carefully disconnect the wires from the terminals of the thermostat and from the tank itself.
• Disconnect the power cable from the input. After this, it is necessary to insulate the bare wires.

Now you can safely carry out other work. But before proceeding with the cleaning, it is necessary to disconnect the electric heater from the water supply system and release the remaining water from it.

Scale on the boiler

It’s easier to do this:

1. Wait until the water in the tank has completely cooled.
2. Shut off the cold water supply.
3. It is important to open the hot water supply. This can be done on each of the mixers installed in the apartment.
4. Now you can drain the water. To do this, find a suitable hose and put it on the discharge check valve. Place the other end of the hose in an empty container or toilet bowl. Then press the valve shutter and pour out water.

Some heaters do not have a relief valve. This feature is more common among models of Ariston brands. In this case, to drain the water, you need to unscrew the valve itself. Before doing this, you need to install a container under it, otherwise you will have to collect water from the floor.

Before starting cleaning, it is necessary to dismantle the heater. Without this, it is impossible to get to the inside of the boiler. On all models of heaters, the heater is fixed in a similar way. To remove it, unscrew the nut located at the output of this part. After this, the heater, the metal plate and the seal are removed without difficulty.

Cleaning electric water heaters

The cleaning process is very simple. Scale is removed from the walls of the tank and other parts with a normal rag. For greater efficiency, remove the removable water heater and flush it with water.

Boiler flushing

Especially carefully you need to remove plaque from the surface of the heater. With strong pressure, you can deform its design. To clean it, sandpaper or a metal brush are suitable.

It happens that the heating element cannot be cleaned.Heavy contamination usually occurs if the appliance has not been cleaned for more than two years. In this case, only replacing the heater with a new one will help. It is worth carefully choosing a new part, it should definitely fit in size, power and method of connection with the main device.

When cleaning, check the magnesium anode. It should be replaced if it has worn out and has become less than 20 centimeters.

The water heater can be installed back as shown. All these actions must be performed in reverse order. It is advisable to check for leaks in all joints after installation.

To clean the water heater does not turn into a breakdown, it is worth remembering:

• Do not descale the inside of the boiler using sharp and hard objects. They can scratch the enamel coating and the tank will begin to rust.
• It is better not to touch the magnesium anode with your bare hands.
• All wires must be connected correctly. Supply voltage can only begin after completion of assembly and filling the tank with water.

After installing the boiler, you need to observe its work. And also pass through it from 50 to 100 liters of heated water for washing the inside.

Do-it-yourself odor cleaning of water heaters inside

Many owners of water heaters over time notice that the heated water began to stink badly. This unbearable smell can have several reasons:

1. Dirty water is supplied to the boiler. If there are a lot of impurities in the water, especially hydrogen sulfide, it gives off an unpleasant odor.
2. Specific bacteria and fungi are wound up in the tank. Such living creatures are born in limescale on the walls of the tank. While there are not many microorganisms, the smell of water does not change. But over time, their number increases, and the water begins to stink.
3. Cheap or damaged plumbing. Poor tubular plastic transfers its chemical smell to water. And the old metal water pipe is ideal for the life of bacteria and fungi.

It is impossible to sniff water with hydrogen sulfide

There is a way to determine which of these cases is:

1. Spill cold water from the tap for 5 minutes. Then place a clean bottle under the stream and close it after filling. After half an hour, you need to open the bottle and check the smell of water. If it smells bad - trouble with pipes or water.
2. If the cold water from the bottle smells normal, the cause must be sought in the boiler itself. To do this, you again need to fill the plastic container, but only from a hot tap closest to the water heater. We wait 30 minutes and sniff. If it is impossible to inhale from the bottle, it means that harmful microorganisms are wound up in the tank.

In order to eliminate an unpleasant odor due to bad water or rusty pipes, you can do the following:

1. Install a filter that purifies water of odorless gases.
2. Complain to the SES about the low quality of tap water.

In the first case, you do not have to wait until someone comes and fixes the problem. Therefore, if there is no strength to endure stinking water, it is easier and faster to install a filter.

Problems with microorganisms in a boiler are solved differently:

1. Sterilization of the tank. The water in the boiler is brought to a boil and remains in this state for a long time.
2. Descaling from the water heater (see above). This will destroy the favorable environment for the reproduction of microbes and bacteria.

So that smelly water does not come out of the boiler again, simple preventative measures must be observed:

1. Do not leave water in a disconnected water heater when it is not used for a long time.
2. Scale the tank periodically.
3. It is advisable to install a filter.
4. Pay attention to water quality. If necessary, contact the sanitary and epidemiological station.

What is the difference between cleaning a storage and instantaneous water heater

Instantaneous water heater

Described earlier related to storage water heaters. Instantaneous water heater differs from it by the device and the principle of operation.

In the flow type, water does not stagnate in the tank, because there is simply no such capacity.Water heats up as it passes through a narrow tube. It is not stored anywhere, and immediately after heating it is supplied from the tap.

How often to clean the water heater

Manufacturers recommend cleaning the water heater once a year. But the masters of boiler maintenance they do not completely agree with them and say: it depends on the hardness of the water. It is better to adhere to the rule - clean the water heater as necessary.

After 1–1.5 years after the installation of the device, preventive cleaning should be carried out. If the plaque will be more than one kilogram, the next such procedure should be carried out no later than a year later.