Do-it-yourself water heater repair. We repair the gas column ourselves

Not all buildings are connected to the central one, the houses of the old layout are equipped with gas, which supply the residents of the apartments all year round. hot water. Many private traders during individual construction opt for such ones due to inexpensive fuel. All work on the installation and repair of gas water heaters at home should be carried out only by certified specialists. However, it doesn’t hurt to understand and understand which node has failed, and even the simplest breakdowns can still be debugged on your own ..

The main components and their purposes are the same for all gas water heaters.

Additionally, manufacturers equip their models with convenient security functionality that regulates and, if necessary, stops the operation of the system: a chimney draft sensor, gas valve, flame sensor. All columns work on the same principle: cold water from the pipeline passes through the heat exchanger, it heats up there thanks to the burners located below. Oxygen, which is needed to ensure the combustion mode, comes through natural way, and the waste products go out through the chimney. The heated liquid goes to the mixer.

How to turn on the gas column and adjust the temperature and pressure

Before I ignite geyser, carry out initial settings in order to optimize water heating, gas consumption and plant performance for the user. And also adjustment may be needed after repair, or if for some reason the settings are lost.

Water consumption

The nominal parameters of the water flow are indicated by the manufacturer in the passport for the column. For example, to set a value of 10 l / min, you must turn on the hot water tap, set the adjusting knob to this indicator, then close the mixer.

Gas consumption

To begin with, set the fuel supply handle to the minimum setting, after connecting the equipment to the network or placing batteries in it, open the gas valve on the main pipe. Then open with hot water, the column will turn on automatically and start heating the water. Next, set the fuel regulator to a level that will heat the water 25°C above the inlet flow mark. It should be remembered that the equipment will take some time to heat up.

How to check the draft in the gas column

First of all, if there are problems with the water heater, check the draft. To do this, a lighted match or a piece of paper is brought to the exhaust hole:

• if the flame is still, then there is a problem in the chimney or exhaust system. To do this, you can simply remove the accumulated dirt;
• if the flame draws inward, then the system is working perfectly;
• if the flame deviates in the opposite direction, this means the appearance of a reverse thrust, which is extremely dangerous, for this you should check it in the ventilation shaft, after disconnecting the chimney from it. If the ventilation duct works normally, the flame on the match deviates inward, which means that there are problems in the heat exchanger.

It is important! Checking the draft with a match should be discarded if there is a risk of gas leakage.

What tools are needed to repair and replace the geyser with your own hands

To fix each problem, you will need your own materials, but the main one for repair should consist of the following set:

• Phillips and regular screwdrivers;
• a set of open-end wrenches;
• paronite gaskets;
• soldering iron, rosin;
• sandpaper.

What to do with common geyser malfunctions

To understand the reasons why the gas column does not work, and any person who knows how to hold in his hands can perform simple actions. Let's look at the main problems and how to fix them.

Repair of a geyser heat exchanger in case of scale formation

A clogged heat exchanger is the most common cause why the gas water heater does not heat water well, which is not of the best quality in our systems.

This should be known! To prevent the formation of scale, you can only use hot water not higher than 45 ° C, without diluting it. cold water. To do this, you need to change the mode settings.

It is possible to determine that the heat exchanger needs to be cleaned only when the column is turned on: due to the low water pressure, the unit will immediately turn off or not turn on at all. Next, the procedure is as follows:

1. Disassemble the water heater.
2. Shut off the liquid supply and open the hot water faucet.
3. Remove the supply tube from the assembly and drain about 1 liter of liquid from it, then reinstall the tube.
4. Pour the cleaning liquid with decalcifier inside using a funnel and leave for 2 hours.
5. After 1-2 hours, resume the water supply and see what composition comes out of the hose. If necessary, you need to repeat everything.

It is important! To speed up the process, you can heat the composition inside the heat exchanger with a fuse.

The geyser does not light up or ignites and immediately goes out

If the question arises, what to do if the geyser does not ignite or immediately goes out, you need to determine the root cause of the malfunction:

• no traction,or blockage in ;
• in automatic water heater systems, the charge has ended;
• in the inlet pipe. For comparison, you can open a tap with cold water, if the pressure is low there too, the problem is in the water supply system;
• if the water pressure from the cold mixer is good, and the hot one flows in a small stream, the water unit needs to be repaired. It may be clogged, for cleaning it must be dismantled and rinsed under running water;
• if the water node membrane is faulty, you will have to buy a new one;
• if the burner immediately goes out - this happens due to poor contact between the thermocouple and the solenoid valve. Cleaning the contacts and block can help.

Why does the gas column spontaneously go out, and how to fix the problem

If instantaneous water heater goes out shortly after switching on, there may be 2 reasons for this:

• the presence of a draft or reverse thrust;
• temperature sensor defective.

To eliminate the first reason, close the windows and check the draft, in the second case, clean the contacts or replace the sensor.

The gas water heater does not heat water

The main reason for such a malfunction is the blockage of the heat exchanger; to eliminate it, it is necessary to flush the unit with antiscale. There are several more possible causes this problem:

• if the geyser does not heat the water well, but the pressure is good, it means that insufficient power of the unit has been selected;
• low level ;
• manufacturing defect.

Weak pressure of hot water from the geyser

Weak water pressure in the system can occur for three reasons:

• clogged in the inlet pipe. It is enough to disassemble it and rinse it under running water, additional exposure to antiscale or citric acid may be needed;
• scale in the heat exchanger;
• the initial settings of the water heater are incorrectly set.

What to do if the gas column radiator is leaking

If the water heater is many years old, the radiator may leak due to cracking. Buying a new item costs up to 1/3 of the cost of the equipment, so you can try to repair it yourself. There is another reason for the appearance of a leak - the gaskets are leaky, but they are easy to replace in a few minutes. After determining the location of the leak, if the hole is small, you can close it with a soldering iron. Step by step process next:

1. Drain water from the system. To do this, open the mixer hot water, unscrew the inlet pipe cold water and wait for the drain maximum number liquids.
2. Dismantle the radiator completely.
3. Inspect it, if there is a characteristic green on the tubes, you need to clean this place and check for cracking.
4. After detecting a leak, clean the holes with sandpaper and degrease them with a solvent.
5. Next, you need to use a soldering iron to tin the hole, while applying rosin with solder. Instead of rosin, you can use aspirin.
6. The hole needs to be rubbed with solder, allowed to cool and add a little more tin. The layer should be about 2 mm.

This should be known! If the hole is large, about 5 cm, the master can try to fix the copper or aluminum patch with wire or metal tape. But this is a temporary effect, the problem will not be solved. In this case, it is better to immediately buy a new radiator and forget about this trouble.

Gas column gasket replacement

If there is a leak in the joints, you should change the gaskets yourself, which may lose elasticity over time. Such work is carried out very quickly, but if the leak is not eliminated, you can put an additional set of gaskets. If this does not help, you just need to replace the hoses.

Popping sounds are heard when the gas burner is turned on

Sometimes during the operation of the equipment you can hear characteristic pops. This may occur for several reasons:

• no thrust in ;
• poor battery charge;
• nozzle blockage;
• large fuel supply.

To determine the cause more precisely, one should observe the flame: it should have a stable blue color. If the color turns yellow-red, you need to clean the nozzles.

Smell of gas during operation

If you feel a characteristic smell of gas, you should immediately turn off its supply to the central pipe, open the window and call emergency service. It is categorically impossible to find out the cause of its occurrence on your own.

Repair of geysers of popular brands at home

Repair of the main breakdowns of all gas is similar to each other, since the principle of operation for all devices is similar. However, different manufacturers There is weak sides in the equipment that are most common.

It is important! If the geyser is under warranty, it is not recommended to repair it yourself. In the future, the service department may withdraw it from the warranty.

Features repair of geysers "Bosch"

The weak point of the models of the Japanese manufacturer is a thermocouple, after a couple of years of operation, problems with ignition and combustion may arise, the gas column may not turn on when the water is turned on or go out spontaneously. You can clean the thermocouple yourself, but this only temporarily eliminates the cause. The part will need to be replaced soon. Another problem is that the igniter tube is not rigidly fixed, and therefore, it may be displaced. To fix this problem, you just need to return it to its place.

The nuances of do-it-yourself repair of the gas column "Junkers"

The weak point in the Junkers models is the ignition system. Over time, the burner or wick may go out, in connection with this there is a problem of heating water. To fix it, you need to check the operability of the node.

Brief instructions for repairing the gas column "Oasis"

The equipment of the German manufacturer differs in assembly very High Quality. No problems specific to this brand have been identified, and to eliminate ordinary breakdowns of the Oasis gas column, you should familiarize yourself with the installation diagram and our repair instructions using the above methods.

Features of the repair of the geyser "Vector"

According to experts, all the malfunctions of the speakers of this manufacturer are in the use of poor quality spare parts and improper assembly. The main problem, why the Vector gas column does not light up, is that the contacts in the power supply are oxidized. In this case, even replacing the batteries will not bring the desired result, you must carefully clean the contacts. Another possible nuisance: the stem hangs on the water valve.

Article

A geyser can be attributed to structurally complex water heaters, which, with strict adherence to operational rules, can last for decades without breakdown. But as you know, nothing is eternal, and even such reliable device, may break. First of all, this is due to a mismatch in the quality of water and gas, which are supplied by utilities to the house.

If you follow the safety rules, then any malfunction gas equipment must be eliminated by the appropriate services or certified specialists. But I would like to note that there are some typical breakdowns of the geyser, which the homeowner can fix with his own hands, without waiting for the arrival of the master.

Design features of the geyser

Before you learn how to correctly diagnose various malfunctions of the geyser for further elimination with your own hands, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the device of such a water heater. Naturally, it is impossible to get acquainted with the design of all models of gas units for heating water, but you need to know the generalized principles of the column device.

Centralized hot water supply to residential premises appeared not so long ago. At the same time, the problem of heating water in private houses and multi-apartment buildings was solved by various methods, the most common of which was accumulative heater operating on solid fuel.

Heating of water in such boilers had to take place in advance, since in order to to take a bath or shower, it took from 60 to 90 minutes. Naturally, this made the use of such devices very inconvenient and impractical. Therefore, to solve the problem of rapid heating of water, a gas water heater was developed.

The principle of operation of gas water heaters is to heat the water coming from the water supply system due to the combustion of gas. Wherein to speed up as much as possible this process the water heater is equipped with a heat exchanger, distributing the water flow through thin tubes located directly above the burner. Thanks to this, it was possible to achieve rapid heating of water directly during its use.

This design of the gas column is the basis of most of these water heating devices. All other design additions serve to ignite the gas and set the temperature parameters, as well as ensure the protection and safety of the device. Moreover, if we consider the ignition of the column, then it differs in the principle of operation.

• Ignition with an igniter involves the constant maintenance of a small source of open fire. In turn, the igniter itself is lit either with a match or with a piezoelectric element built into the column.
• Piezo ignition system without using an igniter.
• Electronic ignition unit geyser, powered by alternating current.

If we talk about the security system, then in most cases it is mechanical. Even the most modern geyser, stuffed with various electronic components, has the simplest protection, mechanically connected to the membrane and the water intake device, as well as the gas valve. The opening of the gas valve occurs only when there is sufficient water pressure on the membrane. Simply put, there is no water, the gas does not burn - the water is turned on, the burner is lit.

Gas water heater does not ignite

One of the most common problems that the geyser does not light up is the lack of traction due to clogged ventilation wells. It is possible that there is a foreign object in the chimney or it is clogged with soot during long-term operation. In this case, the protection system is triggered and, as a result, the gas supply is shut off.

To repair a malfunction with your own hands, you need to check the draft in the exhaust pipe. For this a lit match is brought to the exhaust well and if the chimney is in good condition, the flame is deflected to the side. If the flame does not stir, you need to check the well and remove dirt or foreign objects and everything will work without recourse to specialists.

Another problem in which there is no ignition of the column is the banal lack of power, of course, if we are talking about units, with automatic system battery powered ignitions such as Electrolux products. At the same time, despite all the manufacturers' assurances that the batteries should last for a year, they should be replaced much more often. To repair, do the following:

• check the correct operation of the button, turn on the gas appliance;
• banal replacement of the power source (batteries).

Also, problems with ignition in the gas column may be due to the lack of sufficient water pressure. Checking the water pressure with your own hands is also no problem. You just need to open the tap and visually assess the water pressure. And if a problem is found, then the pipeline needs to be repaired.

If it is found that cold water is supplied under high pressure, then the problem must be sought in the water node gas water heater. Common causes of reduced hot water pressure are clogged filters or a deformed membrane. To fix the breakdown, you need to do the following:

• first you need to ask about the lack of pressure of cold water from utilities;
• check and, if necessary, flush or replace filters with your own hands;
• descale the gas appliance, but such preventive measures it is better to entrust specialists;
• replace the deformed membrane.

Often you can encounter a problem when a gas water heater lights up and immediately goes out. This is often due to improper adjustment of the water supply. To repair the breakdown, the water supply is reduced, which can be done by hand.

When the device is turned on, a characteristic pop is heard

A microexplosion or pop that appears when the gas column is turned on may appear due to a lack of draft in the ventilation system. If this device is equipped with an electric ignition, a dead battery may be the cause. Also, the problem may be accompanied by clogging of jets or other structural elements appliance or due to excessive gas supply. In this case, to fix the problem, you need to perform the following manipulations:

• self-cleaning the chimney or calling a stove-maker;
• replacement of batteries;
• all other breakdowns must be corrected by a specialist called from the gas service.

It is important to remember that when turning on the gas water heater, there should not be any foreign odors, especially gas. If an odor is detected, immediately turn off the gas supply valve, open the doors and windows in the apartment and call the gas service. But under no circumstances should you try to fix the problem yourself.

No gas supply

When the column is turned on, a characteristic sound of gas ignition is always heard, which indicates the operation of the water heater. If nothing is heard when the device is turned on, then gas may not enter the column. To solve the problem, you need to check if there is gas at all. To do this, you can light the burner gas stove or call the utilities for the possibility of carrying out scheduled repairs. If there is gas in the house, but the column does not burn, you need to seek help from specialists.

Gas water heater leak

If an old gas water heater is used in the house, then its flow can often be observed. In this case, to repair the water heater, it is desirable to replace the entire radiator. However the cost of such a spare part can reach 30% of the price of the column. Therefore, it is advisable to solder the damaged area with your own hands.

Most often, holes are found on a tube located, with outer side heat exchanger. If a damage site is identified, then the first step is to take certain measures.

1. Draining water from the radiator by opening a faucet in the sink or bathroom and unscrewing union nut on the cold water inlet pipe.
2. Due to the fact that the column in most cases is installed above the taps in the house, then water from the radiator of the water heater drains by gravity.
3. To eliminate the remaining liquid use a compressor or household vacuum cleaner.

Usually the soldering procedure itself should not cause problems. First of all, you need to clean the place where the damage is found with sandpaper and treat with solvent. Tinning is carried out with any available solder using a powerful soldering iron. Rosin is used as a flux.

After covering the damaged area with a thin layer of solder, it is increased to 2 mm in thickness. Then a visual inspection of the pipe along its entire length is performed. If green formations are found, you can be sure that a new hole will soon appear in this place, so this section of the tube is also soldered.

The geyser burns, but the water does not heat up

The exit of slightly warm water from the column may be preceded by several reasons. First of all, the device may have insufficient power. To verify this, you must carefully study the documentation for the device.

In addition, insufficient water heating can occur due to the banal clogging of the unit, as evidenced by the color of gas burning and the appearance of soot under the water heater. Also, the water temperature may not warm up to set parameters due to low gas pressure. To repair a malfunction, do the following:

• adjust the hot water tap;
• clean the unit with your own hands;
• contact a specialist.

Above were considered typical breakdowns of the geyser, which are most common and can be fixed by hand. But if the homeowner does not have self-confidence, then it is better to entrust everything to specialists.

When making adjustments or repair work with a gas water heater with your own hands, you need to pay due attention to this process, otherwise it can lead to irreversible consequences. Therefore, before disassembling a gas water heater yourself, you need to be sure that the gas pipeline or other important components that can lead to a gas explosion will not be damaged.

The gas column should last long enough. It is only important to properly care for her, to do everything necessary actions which are indicated in the instructions.

But, when a breakdown occurs, you need to know who should repair the geyser.

Characteristic

The inner part of the gas water heater is considered to be of the same type. If we consider the device from other companies, there are no special differences. The difference lies in certain options, for example, the presence of a second temperature sensor, or a display.

Inside the device there is a special heat exchanger. It is a ribbed texture tube made of copper. It is through it that the flow of water moves.

During a breakdown, many are interested in what to choose: self repair or call a specialist. Both options need to be dealt with.

To eliminate bad smell(this may indicate a gas leak), it is necessary to repair the device. Most often call the masters.

You can contact the employees of Gorgaz. But, there is a high risk that they will not come due to workload. Sometimes the reason for the failure is that the repair work should be carried out by the company that installed the corresponding equipment.

Note! In the event that you seek help from a company, make sure that it has all the certificates that allow it to carry out repairs.

Today, there are many companies that do not have supporting documents. Therefore, if you see the ineptness of the master, refuse his services. back side is that often these companies charge twice the real value of you.

The second option is to repair the gas column with your own hands. Not all problems can be fixed on your own. But, if you know how to work with a tool, then repair work will not seem difficult to you.

Adjustment

It is worth noting that frequent problems geysers are in the wrong adjustment. Do not leave the factory setting if it is possible to configure it yourself.

In this case, use the instructions for repairing the geyser:

• you should set the handle for supplying gas, water to the minimum value;
• then open the taps to supply gas, water;
• then you should open the tap with hot water, adjusting the pressure. To do this, use the handle on the equipment;
• you should wait 1-2 minutes, then measure the value temperature regime. Then increase the flame to the optimum value;
• after reaching optimal conditions repair work needs to be completed. Now the device can be safely used.

Pressure

If you're asking what can be repaired on your own, then it's pressure. After all, problems can often occur. The device may also not start at all. To a large extent it depends on the pressure.

You can fix the problem in one of the following ways:

• at high blood pressure systems, you can either change the inlet valve, or put a pressure regulator;
• in the event that the pressure of the system is lowered, then it is necessary to change the membrane. After all, there is a high probability that it is clogged.

Important! When the membrane fails, the equipment most often fails, ceases to function normally. The unit stops responding to water pressure.

scale

The most costly in terms of time is the cleaning of the main pipe. After all, with barely warm water when the throttle knob is squeezed out to the end, it is possible to draw conclusions about a possible clogging. During this period, heat is poorly transferred.

Because of Bad quality water users often face a problem such as scale. This negatively affects the operation of the equipment, their thermal conductivity decreases significantly, gas consumption increases significantly.

Before starting work, it is necessary to check the inlet valve, valve. Perhaps this is the reason for the deterioration of functional work.

Lack of ignition

Another reason for breakdowns can occur due to several reasons. The column does not ignite when any of the following reasons are present.

In the absence of normal draft in the chimney, this situation. This is one of the most common and simple reasons. With a clogged chimney, there is no draft, the column cannot ignite normally.

To check for a malfunction, you need to bring a napkin to the chimney, or just a piece of paper. When trembling, traction is in perfect order. In the absence of trepidation, you should clean the chimney.

It is possible that the reason for not igniting is the discharge of certain power components. The reason for this may also be a malfunction of the wires, or the igniter unit. To correct this situation, it is necessary to insert the battery, and also check the electric ignition system.

The equipment can also spontaneously turn off, often the water heater leaks. The last problem occurs due to the long operating time of the device.

conclusions

There are a number of cases where independent repair work is permissible. In this case, you must be especially careful. After all, with poor-quality performance, the presence of errors, people can suffer.

In the event that you are unsure of your qualifications, then you need to contact specialists.

Photo of the repair process of geysers

Professional experts argue that gas equipment is potentially dangerous equipment, so experts should repair and service it. You can independently figure out which parts are broken, and this will help to quickly restore the working capacity of gas equipment, some problems are easy to fix with your own hands.

Malfunctions that do not affect the principle of operation of the geyser, home craftsmen fix themselves. It is important to know the list and description of the most common breakdowns and follow the recommendations from the manufacturer.

The gas stove does not ignite

When technical device refuses to ignite, there may be several reasons.

Broken igniter. When the igniter is not working, it cannot burn, in which case you need to contact the gas service. A qualified specialist will replace the defective element, it is not recommended to replace it yourself - this is a real danger.

The mechanics in Soviet geysers during long-term operation may malfunction. This article shows the process of repairing a blocking gas valve using the example of a flowing gas water heater VPG-18 manufactured by the Lviv plant of heat and gas equipment.

Soviet geysers have been serving many for more than a dozen years, and, perhaps, will last the same amount. Their important advantage is energy independence. Automation in such devices is completely mechanical and, with timely maintenance, is quite reliable. The Soviet column is completely disassembled, which allows it to be effectively repaired, which cannot be said about modern analogues, the repair of which most often involves the replacement of entire components.

Using a flat screwdriver, unscrew the two screws securing the flange with the limiter.

We take out the flange together with the bushing and two springs.

Note: the second spring is inside the bronze bushing.

With the key number 10 we turn the tap plug.

We take out the cork together with the washer.

Wipe the surface of the cork with a rag. If the grease has dried up, it can be removed with gasoline or alcohol. Using a rag, we clean the inner surface of the valve body, the flange cavities and the bushing from old grease.

Apply a thin layer of gas lubricant to the entire surface of the cork.

We install the plug in the faucet body with the large hole up. The correct operation of the blocking crane depends on its initial position.

Apply a thick layer of grease to the bushing.

We install the sleeve in the flange so that the tubercle on the sleeve enters the groove on the flange.

Install the spring into the bushing.

We put the washer on the cork rod with the rolled side towards ourselves.

We install a large spring and press it with a flange, while aligning the groove of the bushing with the slots on the plug stem. To do this, we adjust the position of the sleeve in the flange, scrolling it a little until it hits.

The flange is installed with a slot to the left. We evenly crimp it with two screws.

We put on the crane handle and check the smoothness of the move.

Checking the correct assembly

Put the faucet handle in the closed position. We open the gas supply. Press the automatic button. We bring the match to the igniter. The igniter must not light up!

Turn the faucet handle to the igniter position. Press the automatic button. We bring a match. The igniter should light up (this may take up to a minute, since air could get into the system during disassembly and assembly). Release the automatic button. The igniter should burn, when the hot water tap is opened, the main burner should not ignite!

Turn the faucet to full open mode. Open the hot water faucet. The main burner should ignite.

Put the faucet handle in the closed position. The igniter must be completely extinguished.

After making sure that the gas valve is working correctly, we kindle the column and check the tightness of all gas connections with a soapy solution. If the column is not ignited, the tightness can only be checked up to the automation button.

Results of the work done

The shut-off gas cock performs its function correctly and is completely sealed. The faucet operates smoothly, which makes it easy, and most importantly, to accurately regulate the flow of gas to the burner to ensure the desired temperature of hot water.

If you do not use a geyser for a long time, it is advisable to perform a test run once a month anyway. This will eliminate many of the problems associated with downtime and will allow the equipment to start up without problems if necessary.