The water heater quickly runs out of hot water: causes and solutions
How wonderful to come home and take a warm shower after a hard day’s work. But, here is a mishap, having turned on the crane with hot water, it is found out that the water temperature doesn’t correspond to the indicators on the water heater indicator device. How to find out the reason why the water heater quickly runs out of hot water, or is it already cold? In this will help to analyze this problem and consider several possible causes of its occurrence.
A general consideration of the problem
To understand why the boiler quickly runs out of hot water, you need to have information about the causes of this problem. For example, the unit was purchased recently, and practically not used, but after start-up was noticed a lack of hot water. In this case, you should roughly understand that the tank volume of 80 liters is enough to take a shower for three adults. In this case, the temperature will gradually decrease already on the third person.
The fact that the storage water heater is arranged in such a way that when you use hot water, it is automatically replaced by cold water, gradually filling all the free space. Since hot water is lighter than cold water, the heated water rushes upwards, where the suction pipe. That is why during the operation of the storage water heater does not mix hot and cold sources.
Approximate distribution of cold and hot water in the water heater and the internal structure of the appliance https://houseinform.ru
Attention! It is worth understanding that the storage tank has limitations in volume, and the water in the process of use tends to run out. Even an installed two-hundred-liter water heater can not meet the needs of a person who is accustomed to waste water, as in a centralized water supply.
In the boiler tank, liquids of different temperatures are separated in layers: hot water rises and cold water flows to the bottom of the tank. Water flows into the mixer after opening the faucet, the upper volume leaves the tank, and the cold streams fill the tank from the bottom, are heated and fed for disassembly.
Check valve closes when the pressure in the tank is equalized. Cold and hot streams do not mix inside, t. к. Inside there is a dissipator at the end of the supply pipe. A heating sensor is provided, which sends a signal to the control box to turn on the power.
The water heater consists of the following elements:
- The housing in which the accumulation tank is placed. between these constructions there is a thermal insulating layer over the whole surface;
- Electric dry or wet heating element on the nut or flange;
- Control box, safety device, safety valve;
- Thermostat, magnesium anode, temperature sensor, indicator light.
Electric current is fed to the heating element, the part heats up and increases the temperature of the surrounding liquid. The thermostat shuts off its operation if the water is heated to the set limit. If there is no discharging, the liquid is kept hot in the tank for 2 days thanks to the internal thermal insulation.
The accumulation tank comes in capacity from 10 to 100 liters and more, so the heating time is different. Period of reaching the set temperature also depends on the power of the heating element. The inside of the tank is covered with a protective layer, which must be environmentally friendly.
Automatic safety device prevents the unit from overheating or freezing. The valve system, forms a safety group. Reducing and safety valves can only let the liquid flow in one direction, and there are models with a discharge of excessive volume.
The control system is electronic or hydraulic type. In the first case, the built-in microprocessor works, which does not depend on the pressure in the water supply. The hydraulics are affected by the fluid outlet pressure which rises as it heats up.
The electric boilers on the market are divided into:
In storage units, water enters the tank through a spigot. The installed heating element (electric tube heater) heats the water. The thermostat regulates the heating temperature threshold and disables the heater when the specified level is reached. In the tank water stays in a heated state for a certain period of time, which saves energy.
Loss of hot water pressure thru-out house [RARE], sudden very low hot water pressure
Flow-through water heaters differ by their peculiarity. the absence of the tank. In such devices, the liquid is heated by a heating element as water passes through them.
Water heater models are similar in appearance. it is a tank mounted on the wall. Inside the device there is a layer of thermal insulation, which allows you to keep the desired temperature of water for a long time. The heating elements of all models are at the bottom of the device. To ensure that the liquid does not flow in vain, in the tank is installed safety valve.
The water heater disassembled https://odessa-remont.com.ua/ua/proverka-boylera-multimetrom.jpg
The supply of the resource into the tank is controlled by the pressure regulator. reducer. Thanks to this device, the water heater is protected against sudden pressure drop in the structure. It is necessary to maintain it within the technical recommendations of the manufacturer, because in the absence of pressure will not be fed either cold or hot water.
Water does not flow through the heater and boiler: what is the cause, how to fix it
Now it’s hard to imagine a pleasant shower after a hard day’s work, or comfortable dishwashing without it. It is indispensable, where it is simply “impossible to live” without hot water. We are talking about the boiler, or water heater. a device that is installed in areas without centralized hot water supply or where there are frequent disconnections.
Let’s not resort to history and tell about the ancient Greeks, because we are all here to solve a very important problem. why the boiler is bad hot water flows. Do not panic immediately, because every electric appliance sooner or later needs maintenance and repair. We will talk about all the causes of water heater failure and their elimination in this article.
Why the water heater does not flow or the hot water pressure is weak
At present, the federal legislation does not establish uniform standards of water pressure in apartments and private homes. Each region, and sometimes even a locality, has its own indicators. When calculating the standard of water supply to the apartment must necessarily take into account such parameters as:
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- Number of floors in the building;
- the height of the house
- number of apartments;
- the total number of registered occupants;
- floor of residence;
- the time of day, etc.д.
The pressure in the pipes is calculated individually for each apartment. Residents themselves are used to evaluating this indicator as “bad” or “good”, depending on whether the water pressure meets their needs or not. On average the pressure in the pipes should be about two atmospheres. However, often apartment owners can not defend their rights even with a frankly weak water pressure, because the pressure measurements are carried out with a special measuring device.
Water does not pass through the boiler: causes
If one of the nodes, through which the water flows, breaks down, it most often leads to blocking the flow of liquid through it. Vulnerable spots in the system are enough. If everything is fine, but there is no free inflow into the inner barrel, too, it will not be possible to withdraw the coolant. the intake of hot water occurs at the top.
Water retention in the filter
Inlet filters are installed upstream of each responsible system in order to purify water from coarse impurities. Their working body is made of stainless steel mesh. Depending on the purity of the source, the filters are more or less subject to contamination. In some cases, when the liquid has increased metal in its composition, there is a possibility of complete clogging of the mesh cylinder cells and malfunction.
Inspection of the filter is easy. access to the compartment with a grid is under the special nut on the side.
Faulty check valve
Any check valve has a movable element on a piston rod. This spindle is moved back and forth by the pressure of the heating medium and the spring.
The weak point of the construction is the guide hole where the plunger moves. If the water heater has not been used for a long time, and there are salt deposits in the water, they can settle on the rod, block its movement, which makes it impossible to open the valve. As a result. no water coming out of the boiler.
Pressure reducer malfunctions
When the pressure of the central water supply flow exceeds the allowable norms of operating pressure, which the household equipment is designed for, reduction reducers are installed. These elements are equipped with a bypass valve. The clearances between the valve piston and the channel are very small, which contributes to its rapid clogging and increases the risk of clogging.
Pre-filters and final filters must be installed upstream of the water reducers.
Limescale inside the tank
Poor quality electric heaters and aggressive composition of the heat transfer fluid can cause scale and rust inside the tank. Gradually settling to the bottom, the latter can completely block the inlet opening. The lack of inflow automatically makes it impossible to draw water from the outlet pipe.
If the water is known to be hard, to avoid the formation of scale will help to choose the operation of the boiler, which does not allow to bring the coolant to very high temperatures.
Clogged pipe ducts
Pipes that bring water to the electric water heater, especially flexible hoses, have a small channel cross-section. This can also cause blockages. The most to be expected is the malfunctioning of the hot mowing line, as the temperature causes scale to build up intensively on the inner walls. The intake pipe inside the bulb goes to this risk area.
Faulty inlet and outlet cocks
For the convenience of repair work or maintenance of the water heater at its inlet and outlet can be installed shutoff valves. This is usually a ball, butterfly valves or flaps. All of these devices have moving mechanical parts that can fail. For example, the control rod of a ball valve in a closed state can burst. Visually, the valve is open, but in fact it is the opposite, so the boiler will not take on water.
In engineering networks is better not to save on components and apply high-quality shut-off valves.
Faucet clogging
The cause of the slow flow of hot water or its complete absence may be the grid on the faucet, if it is made of low-quality metal and oxidized or clogged with rust and scale particles. The strainer can be easily removed by unscrewing the nut at the top of the faucet.
Needed tools
If you do not have something from the list, then be sure to buy this tool, the more so that in the future it may come in handy.
Some people think that having minimal knowledge about. they can easily install or repair it. In fact, minimal knowledge is not enough, full-fledged repair should be handled by specialists. But if we are talking about a leaky boiler, here it is quite possible to cope with their own forces.
You may be interested in information about where it comes from.
Causes of poor water pressure from the column
Faced with the problem of insufficient head? Let’s analyze what can be associated with this situation and how to solve it correctly.
Problem #1. insufficient pressure in the network
Sometimes problems with a weak head of hot water are due to unstable pressure in the pipeline. Particularly often encountered with this difficulty residents of high-rise buildings.
When the pressure drops, the sensors on the water heater are triggered. Not only that the water flows badly, so also its temperature is not rises above 50 ° C. The difference in pressure at the inlet and outlet of the speaker, of course, should be, but not a big one.
If the water heater is fully operational, but the cause of poor pressure lies in the lack of pressure in the central water supply, then influence the situation by installing a hydroaccumulator of a suitable volume. This solution is ideal for homes and apartments with frequent water outages.
Problem #2. clogged filter
If the pressure in the water supply is normal, but the water comes badly from the gas water heater, then you need to look for the cause in the water heater itself. Probably clogged filter or scale is formed.
And sometimes the water heater can not cope because of its insufficient power. Therefore, experts recommend buying gas water heaters with a capacity of 8 kW or more.
The most common problem of low pressure hot water is clogged coarse filter. All due to old piping systems that haven’t seen a pipe replacement or repair for years. Microparticles of various debris get to us together with the water through the pipeline. The filter “brakes” them and does not let them flow into the gas water heater.
Over time a lot of debris collects and water pressure becomes worse. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically clean the grid.
The filter can be found on the water reducer nozzle. Looks like a normal grid. If the water pressure was strong, the filter element could bend and get inside the branch pipe. The filter should be removed and rinsed under running water. To get the best effect, you can soak it in a solution of acetic acid for a short period of time.
Problem #3. scale buildup
Over time, in the process of heating water on the surface of the internal elements of the water heater scale is formed. The speed of scale formation depends on many factors: water hardness, frequency of turning on the heating equipment.
Scaling in the tubes of the heat exchanger not only reduces the pressure in the system, but also increases the amount of gas used to heat water.
Lime scale can provoke even a breakdown of the water heater. Therefore, at the first signs of scale formation it is necessary to clean the water heater.
- At the outlet of the heater bad hot water pressure;
- after a short heating period the protection (thermal sensor) is triggered
- The heater frequently turns on and off;
- the water heats up for a long time.
Remove limescale in the heat exchanger by means of purchased products or solutions specially prepared for this purpose. There are also non-chemical methods of combating lime scale.
Method #1. citric acid cleaning instructions
When limescale formed and clogged gas heater not many people know how to clean it, if there is no normal water pressure. The best way, of course, is to ask for professional help. But sometimes there is no time or extra money to call a master.
Therefore, many owners themselves flush their water heaters from lime scale. A solution of citric acid is used for this purpose. But you should perform this procedure carefully so as not to damage the parts of the gas device. If you smell gas call the emergency services.
Algorithm of independent cleaning of the heater:
- Carry out preparatory work: turn off water and gas, disconnect the water heater from the network, drain the liquid from the equipment.
- Clean the suction strainer located at the suction unit inlet. The strainer can be rinsed under the pressure of normal water. If there are calcium deposits, soak the filter in citric acid solution.
- Check the membrane during the cleaning process. If you find deformations on the part, replace it with a new one. It is not difficult to remove the membrane and reassemble it yourself, as the unit is assembled by means of threaded joints.
- Remove the heat exchanger. Do not pull it strongly, you can damage the mount. If the nuts are stuck, hard to unscrew, then take “VD-40” or a similar agent and apply to the places of threaded joints. After 20 minutes you can already try to remove the heat exchanger.
- Soak the heat exchanger in a solution: per 1 liter of water 200 grams of citric acid. Pour the resulting remedy into the radiator and leave it for 10-12 hours.
- Rinse the heat exchanger with water and reassemble it. When installing the parts, be sure to check the condition of the gaskets, if necessary, install new ones.
- Open the water supply, make sure there are no leaks.
- Lubricate the connection point of the gas pipe with a soap solution, check for leaks.
- We connect the gas water heater to the mains and heat the water.
Such cleaning should be done every 2 years. If the water has a high hardness value then the descaling is done more often.
Citric acid is quite popular for cleaning various appliances and household appliances. So, it is often used as an effective tool for cleaning the washing machine.
Method #2. Using orthophosphoric acid
Descaling by this method requires removing the radiator from the gas heater. To circulate the agent through the radiator you will need a special device and a concentrate of 7-10% orthophosphoric acid.
The heat exchanger removed from the column is placed on the even surface, after that the cleaning equipment with the already poured reagent is connected to it. Places of connections of the installation with the inlet and outlet of the radiator must be tight, they can be insulated with tape.
The descaling procedure takes about one hour. However, it depends on the clogging of the radiator, if the layer of deposits is too thick, the flushing time can be extended. After the heat exchanger should be thoroughly washed from the residual phosphoric acid and carefully reinstalled in its place.
Method #3. descaling with hydrochloric acid
For quick descaling of the column heat exchanger it is possible to use hydrochloric acid. To do this, take two pieces of hose or pipe with fittings: one part is connected to the input of the radiator, the second to the output. A funnel is attached to the first hose and raised above the level of the water heater. A 3-5% hydrochloric acid solution is slowly poured into the funnel.
Foam may form during flushing. The product fairly quickly corrodes the scale, if the output appeared strong pressure, it means that the deposits have already dissolved. Always use rubber gloves for flushing, as the acid can traumatize your skin.
Using hydrochloric and other acids to get rid of scale in the water heater is quite easy. But you should know that such agents can also destroy metal parts, as well as their welded joints.
Therefore it is better to perform flushing by means of special closed circuit equipment and use preparations designed for cleaning. Techniques for cleaning gas columns are sold in many stores. It conveys a pressurized working fluid at the right temperature.
During the treatment, the use of hydrochloric acid is alternated with several solutions. In this way the negative influence of reagents on metal elements of the water heater is avoided. It is good for removing different deposits and prevents corrosion processes.
Scale can form not only in the radiator, so you must clean the entire path of the fluid from deposits. In the cleaning process should take into account the peculiarities of the materials of parts and assemblies of the heater.
Low hot water pressure SOLVED
Method #4. application of electromagnetic technology
Limescale is cleaned by ultrasound. an electromagnetic scale converter.
There are several versions of the ultrasonic filter, which differ in power, as well as the method of formation of the magnetic field. Installations are able to protect a pipeline up to 2 km long against scale formation.
Mount the electromagnetic converter should be in a section of the incoming water pipe without scale. That is, before the first start of the magnetic filter should wash the heat exchanger and clean the water intake unit.
The device will produce magnetic pulses that soften the water, remove deposits and prevent the formation of new scale.
Problem #4. clogged faucet
Not always poor hot water pressure indicates that it is the gas water heater is clogged, sometimes the cause lies in the faucet itself. Sometimes debris from the water heater pipes penetrates into the faucet. Clog can form in a thin rubber hose, filter or other elements.
To normalize the water pressure and fix the problem you need to disassemble the faucet and wash away accumulated dirt from the parts.
If in the kitchen, the hot water pressure is normal, but in the bathroom, the jet is weak, it means that the filter is clogged with debris. After rinsing it, normal pressure will be restored. If the water quality is poor, the filter screen of the gooseneck must be cleaned every month.
Because of the constant heating of water by the gas heater to 70 °C or more, the rubber gasket in the faucet can be deformed. The clogged part will partially block the flow of water, resulting in reduced head. So here without replacing the gaskets you can not do.
Bad water pressure through the gas water heater. cleaning clogging folk remedies
If your speaker does not work the way it used to, most likely a huge clog has formed. Many people do not know how to fix it, so they just tolerate a weak stream of hot water from a gas water heater. Of course, it will always not be superfluous to contact a master. But where to get an extra couple of thousand? That’s why we will fix the problem ourselves.
How to Fix No Water Pressure From a Hot Water Heater
You can wash the gas burner with a solution to remove lime scale. If you can’t find it in stores, then there is a folk alternative. a solution of citric acid. The whole procedure must be carried out very carefully, so as not to damage the connections of the gas boiler.
How to independently flush a column from clogs:
- The preparatory stage: shut off the gas and water supply, disconnect all wires and drain the remaining liquid through a valve or faucet under the hot water.
- Clean the strainer. It is located right at the beginning of the receiving unit for cold water, in front of the gas heater. You can rinse it simply under water or use a lemon solution if there is a lot of limestone.
- During cleaning, we check the membrane. If there are cracks on it, it may be another factor in the poor head of hot water from the gas water heater. Replace the membrane with a new one through the threaded joints. There is no need to explain: what you see near the membrane, you twist it.
- We remove the copper coil. If the threads do not yield to the pressure of a wrench, lubricate the problem area with a universal cleaner, oil or other rust remover. After 10-20 minutes unscrew the heating element.
- Next, the copper pipe is soaked in a pre-prepared solution: a packet of acid per liter of water. The solution is poured inside the tube and held for about 10-12 hours.
- After pulling the heat exchanger, wash it with clean water and put it back. Check the integrity of rubber gaskets. you may install new ones, if the old ones are worn out. And in general. it is better to insert new ones.
- We check water supply by unscrewing taps.
- The tightness of all connections can be checked with soap and water: air bubbles will begin to bubble up at the hole. Such a place should be further tightened with a wrench or lubricated with silicone sealant.
- That’s all, the work is finished! Connect gas heater and use!
If the weak water pressure through the gas water heater bothers you constantly. the procedure is carried out regularly. And according to the standard at least once a year. Citric acid. an inexpensive and effective repair option when the pressure of hot water in the gas heater is lost due to clogs or scale on the pipes.
