Why the electric water heater does not warm or does not warm and what to do

Often, electric water heaters fail. Poor water quality, an error in the installation of the device or its improper use are the most common causes of breakdowns. Most faults can be fixed on their own, without the help of specialists.

There are two types of electric water heaters: storage and flow. They work on a different principle and fail in different ways.

Ariston brand boiler

Why an electric water heater does not warm water well

Do not immediately call the master if the boiler has not become enough to heat the water. Everyone can fix this problem. The following recommendations come in handy. First of all, you need to check for serviceability all the main parts of the boiler. After that, it will become clear whether it is possible to fix the problem yourself:

• Most likely, the heater heater stopped working. Experts recommend replacing the heater every four years.
• This breakdown is indicated by the operation of automatic protection when the heater is turned on. That is, it automatically turns off immediately after switching on.

There are several more ways to health checks of the heater. With their help, you can finally make sure that this element requires replacement.

The first method is more difficult to perform and requires minimal knowledge of electricians. You need to take a test lamp and connect it to the heating element. After this, the electrical circuit is connected to a power source. The heater works normally if the light is on.

Boiler circuit

The same test can be done using a multimeter. To do this, it must be configured to measure resistance and connected to the heater. The indicator will be at zero when closed, and in the event of an open circuit, infinity will be displayed on it.

Replacing the heater

If the water heater does not heat water due to a defective heater, and the indicator is on, it can be repaired without assistance. Before installing a new heating element, it is worth preparing the necessary tools and parts.

You will need:

• Serviceable TEN.
• Pliers.
• Indicator screwdriver.
• Crosshead screwdriver.
• Straight screwdriver.
• Rag.
• Spanners.

If you decide to try to clean the old heater, then for this you will need 1 liter of water and 50 grams of citric acid. The device is completely immersed in the solution and must be in it for at least 48 hours. After that, you can clean the dirt.

The replacement of the heating element is the same in all models of boilers.

Dismantling a burned heater

How does the replacement take place:

1. Need to shut off the water. If the boiler does not have a tap, it is necessary to shut off the feed in the riser. The hot tap also needs to be closed.
2. Drain the water from the heater.
3. For safety, disconnect the boiler from the mains.
4. Remove the protective cover.
5. Use a screwdriver to check for voltage.
6. Take a picture or remember the connection diagram. After that, disconnect the wires and fastenings on which the boiler rests.
7. One by one, unscrew the nuts that secure the heater. A rag is useful here, because the remnants of the water may spill.
8. Wait until the installation site is completely dry. It is very important that there is no moisture on the contacts.
9. Inspect the anode. It may also be faulty. This part protects the boiler from corrosion.
10. Check rubber gasket. If it is worn out, you need to put a new one. This is necessary for the tightness of the device.
11. After replacing the heater, put in place all the dismantled parts.

After this, you need to check the water supply and make sure there are no leaks. It is necessary to bleed air from the boiler and then plug in the plug of the water heater.

The plug is heated during operation of the water heater. We fix the problem

Slight heating of the heater plug is not dangerous. With prolonged use, the temperature of any electrical appliance necessarily rises. When heating the water, the boiler consumes from 1.2 to 2.6 kilowatts, so you need to be careful about its wiring.

Water heater connection diagram

What to do if the plug and wire become excessively hot:

• Pay attention to extension cords and adapters in which the water heater is connected. If the portable sockets are not of high quality, you cannot connect several electrical appliances at the same time. This may cause a fire. It is safest to use tees with a large cross-section of electrical wires.
• Check the outlet into which the boiler is connected. The plug will not adhere firmly to it if it becomes loose from prolonged use. With such incomplete contact, the temperature of the plug will rise. It is worth replacing a worn outlet, it is best to put in its place a 16 amp connector. Periodically check the connection density. As soon as the plug is easily inserted or begins to fall out, it is necessary to change the outlet.
• It happens that only the plug is heated. This happens when it breaks the contact of the electrical wires. A collapsible plug can fix the problem. A non-folding changes to a new one. Also, because of this, the part of the wire adjacent to the plug may heat up.

If the wire is heated, this has two explanations:

1. The wire is too small. To fix this problem, you just need to replace the wire with a more powerful one.
2. There was a breakdown of the heating element on the boiler body. It is also possible due to burning of the joints in the heater.

For each of these malfunctions, the amount of current consumed increases significantly, which can lead to fire if repairs are not carried out. To prevent this, you need to replace the heating element or isolate the connection points of the wiring.

Why does the instantaneous water heater not heat water?

Instantaneous water heaters are less storage, so they need more electricity. They heat more water and consume up to 15 kilowatts. According to statistics, this type of heaters is more dangerous, which means that their repair requires more attention.

Instantaneous water heater

There are several reasons why the instantaneous water heater does not heat water:

• Faulty heating coil. This problem cannot be solved by simply winding a nichrome wire. This is dangerous to do. It is better to replace the heating element. It is worth considering the features of instantaneous water heaters. At the factory, the spiral is specially coated with ceramics to prevent scale formation. Not all heater models are equipped with a removable heating element. The non-removable heating element can be removed only after opening the copper shell. After repair, the shell is welded or sealed.
• With a weak water pressure, the instantaneous water heater does not heat the water. This is because the water flow sensor does not signal a heating coil. All water heaters of this type have this feature.
• A clogged heater radiator can cause poor water heating. To check its condition you need to disconnect the device and disassemble it into parts. It is best to rinse the radiator with a descaler. If the radiator has not been cleaned for a long time, it will need to be soaked for several hours.

To prevent clogging, it is better to filter the water before it is fed to the water heater. And if the device does not have to work for a long time, it is better to completely drain the water from it.