Sometimes inside any household appliance there is a breakdown that is simply impossible to notice and see. It happens that the water heater works, as before, but the diagnosis still does not hurt. Therefore, in this situation, verification by various methods and devices will be required. It is necessary to check the water heater, since the boiler is a complex system consisting not only of electrical functions, but also it is aimed at working with water. Water and electric current are a complicated combination, so any malfunctions can lead to disastrous results.
Water heater inside
Checking the heater's heater using a tester
There are many ways. TEN checks. Most often, a method is used in which verification is carried out using a special tester. Before checking, you need to calculate the resistance for the installed boiler.
The formula for calculating: R = U * U / P, where:
- U - This is a constant value, equal to 220 volts.
- P - This is the power of the device, you can find it in the manual for the boiler or on the factory label, which is located at the bottom of the boiler or on the back.
Using a multimeter
On the multimeter there is a flag that you can rotate 360 degrees and choose to check any function. It needs to be turned to measure resistance in the amount of 200 ohms. The contacts of the multimeter should be connected to the connection of the heater. If the water heater rings, that is, it is in perfect working order, then the screen will show the same value as it was calculated earlier by the formula.
If the display shows zero, one or an infinity sign, then this indicates some kind of breakdown, for example, a short circuit, a break. In this case, you have to change the part, the repair will not work.
Failure of the heater
Next, you need to check the boiler itself for a breakdown of the body, to make it even easier. The checkbox must be turned to ring the buzzer. The first contact of the multimeter must be connected to the tubular electric heater, and the second to the shell of the water heater or ground terminal.
If the multimeter began to squeak, then this indicates a breakdown of the case, therefore in this case it is absolutely impossible to touch the boiler itself, since an electric shock can occur, not fatal, but rather strong.
Megohmmeter application
Its flag needs to be turned in the direction of 50 volts, one contact is connected to the TEN contact, and the second to the case. If the megaohmmeter display shows a value of more than 0.5 megohms, then the water heater is fully operational.
RCD for a water heater
RCD is a special device that helps protect the water heater from current leaks. RCD looks like a small box on which there are two light bulbs and one button.
The principle of operation is as follows:
- The UZO is installed directly in front of the water heater itself, all the electric current passes through the UZO, which feeds the boiler mechanism.
- As soon as a current leak occurs inside the boiler, which can become life-threatening, the RCD will catch the leak and turn off the entire system. RCD operation occurs due to special sensors and switches.
What does an RCD look like?
Reasons for disconnecting an RCD:
- Incorrect location of the RCD. If the RCD is connected in the wrong place, the system will conduct the wrong electric current through itself, which is why, in the event of a breakdown, the system will not be able to protect a person from current leakage.
- The insulation of the heater is damaged. This function protects the entire system from the passage of current through water. In old or unknown cheap models, this element can be damaged, therefore, even with ordinary washing of a person's hands, it can be an electric shock.
- Leakage current. A common reason for disconnecting an RCD is a broken cable or any other wire inside the boiler. In frequent cases, the cable is damaged from the inside, so the current is transmitted to the boiler body, and since it is metal, the shock can be very strong when touched. In this case, you have to disassemble the water heater and check it out from the inside.
It is important to install the RCD correctly, because it is it that saves from fires, explosions and other various situations that can harm others.
Checking the thermostat of the water heater
You can check the thermostat using a multimeter.
Verification is carried out as follows:
- The multimeter flag must be turned to the resistance measurement mode.
- Next, connect the contacts of the multimeter with the contacts of the thermostat.
Correct connection of the multimeter
- If an infinite value appears on the display of the multimeter, then the thermostat will have to be completely replaced, it cannot be repaired.
- If resistance appears on the display, then check the box for a lower value, and then warm up the thermostat pipe with a lighter; if it works properly, the resistance will increase sharply and a protective reaction will work.
Checking the safety valve of the water heater
The safety valve is an important part in the operation of a water heater.
Safety valve
The safety valve can be checked as follows:
- First need turn on the water heater and make sure that the hot water tap is not open until the water is heated to the maximum. If the valve is working properly, then excess water should begin to drip through it.
- If water does not drip from the valve, then most likely it is faulty and will have to be replaced.
Do not start the replacement without checking the hot water tap. It should not leak, since excess water can leak through it, so the valve will not work.
The valve may not work if the thermostat is not installed correctly, namely for incomplete heating of the water, and also if water is drawn from the water heater, which reduces the pressure in it.
Checking the heater's heater without a tester
To test the heater without a tester, you need another device, namely, an electrician's control lamp, which you can do yourself by finding instructions or video tutorials on the Internet.
DIY lamp
It is necessary to apply zero from the mains to one of the TEN contacts, and phase through the same lamp to the second contact. If the light comes on, then the heater is OK and there is nothing to worry about.
Checking the thermal relay (thermostat) of the water heater
A water thermostat is a device that controls the heating of the boiler and controls the temperature of the water. To put it more simply, a thermostat is needed in order to heat running water to a certain temperature, and then it automatically turns off and also turns on automatically when the water has cooled to a certain temperature and needs to be heated again.
You can check the temperature controller as follows:
- First you need to remove the thermostat and find out if it is working. It needs to be put into resistance measurement mode.
Water heater thermostat
- Then you need to set the maximum temperature and measure the resistance at the terminals of the output and input of the thermostat.The thermostat is broken and faulty if the system does not respond in any way.
- If the thermostat is working and the system responds, then the regulator’s flag must be switched to the lowest indicator and the tester contacts connected to the boiler contacts.
- In the end, you need to heat the tubular element of the thermostat with a lighter. If the system turns out to be working, then the resistance index will increase very much.
To check the thermostat, you will need a multimeter, which was used in the first case, it is very functional.
Multimeter
Conclusion
Scheduled inspections of a water heater are simply necessary to avoid disastrous results, for example, electric shock, water heater breakthrough, flooding of neighbors and much more. In everyday life, every person needs to have a multimeter, since all the checks pass with his help. If during the inspection any malfunctions were noticed, then the repair should not be done by yourself, you should call the wizard to help solve the problem.
