How to clean a gas water heater from soot and scale at home
In order for the house or apartment to have hot water, many decide to install a special gas water heater. It is a compact and easy to use device. With prolonged use of the gas device, it begins to get dirty. Therefore, it is necessary to figure out how to clean the gas water heater and what needs to be done for this.
Content
- 1 Device
- 2 When to clean
- 2.1 Difficulty with arson
- 2.2 Heating starts briefly, main burner goes out quickly
- 2.3 Soot falls from the bottom of the case
- 2.4 The water heats up weakly at maximum power
- 2.5 Cotton in the combustion chamber
- 2.6 yellow flame
- 2.7 Triggering of overheat and draft sensors
- 2.8 Construction dust after renovation
- 3 Causes and consequences of tartar formation
- 4 How to remove soot from a heat exchanger at home
- 5 How to protect yourself from limestone
- 6 Cleaning the water inlet unit
- 7 Removal of carbon deposits from the igniter and burner
- 8 How to clean a heat exchanger without installation
- 9 Conclusion
Device
Before you start cleaning, you need to find out what elements the water heater consists of.
Heat exchanger
The main part of any gas column is a heat exchanger, which many call a radiator.Externally, it looks like an ordinary iron box. During the operation of the device, hot air, generated in the combustion chamber, enters the box.
Several tubes are installed around the heat exchanger through which the water passes. It is during the circulation of the liquid around the box that it heats up.
Igniter
The igniter is responsible for the operation of the gas system and therefore must burn continuously. The main function of this column component is to ignite the main burner. If the igniter does not burn, the burner will not light and the water will not begin to heat.
There are several reasons why the igniter may not burn:
- rupture of the sensors responsible for traction;
- clogged gas filter;
- bad draft in the chimney.
Main burner
The main burner is responsible for heating cold water in the system, which is ignited thanks to a hot igniter. If the burner fails and stops working, the column will not heat the water.
When to clean
Several signs indicate the need to clean the gas column.
Difficulty with arson
The main sign that the device needs cleaning is a difficult ignition of the igniter. It stops igniting due to a severe blockage impairing gas flow. Therefore, before lighting the device, you should carefully inspect the igniter and check whether it is clogged with soot or other debris.
Heating starts briefly, main burner goes out quickly
Some owners of gas heaters are faced with premature shutdown of the main burner. This problem leads to poor water heating. Most often, it stops burning and heating the liquid due to the accumulation of debris inside the burner.
Soot falls from the bottom of the case
If you do not clean the column for a long time, soot will begin to flow from under its casing. Therefore, if there are traces of soot near the device, you will have to remove the protective cover yourself and clean all contaminated parts.
The water heats up weakly at maximum power
Some people are faced with the fact that the geyser does not heat the water well. In order for it to heat the liquid better, you need to set the maximum power, but sometimes even this does not help to solve the problem. Weak water heating is associated with strong fouling of the burner, and therefore, in order to normalize the operation of the device, it will need to be cleaned.
Cotton in the combustion chamber
Sometimes, when operating the column in the combustion chamber, you can hear a loud bang. When such extraneous noise appears, many people think that the device is faulty, but it is not. Cotton can appear due to a clogged igniter that takes a long time to ignite.
yellow flame
Each modern model of gas water heaters is equipped with a special jet. This is a small hole responsible for adjusting the gas supply before lighting the igniter with the burner. After prolonged use, the hole clogs with soot and other debris, resulting in a yellow flame from the wick.
Triggering of overheat and draft sensors
Several sensors are installed in gas water heaters that control the draft and the heating temperature. When the device overheats and the draw deteriorates, they work and turn it off. Most often, overheating appears due to the accumulation of soot inside the heat exchanger.The accumulation of debris leads to a narrowing of the gas-air section and an increase in temperature.
Construction dust after renovation
During repair work in an apartment or house, a lot of construction dust is generated. It can be installed not only on furniture, but also on devices installed in the room. If the repair is carried out in a room with a gas water heater, a lot of dust can get into it, which will negatively affect the operation of the device. Therefore, after the repair work is completed, it is necessary to clean the column from accumulated debris.
Causes and consequences of tartar formation
With prolonged use of "Neva" columns and devices of other manufacturers, scale appears. The main reason for the formation of traces of limescale is the use of untreated and unfiltered water. If you do not get rid of limescale in time, the following consequences may appear:
- reduced heat transfer;
- overheating of the heat exchanger;
- increased fluid pressure in the pipes;
- deterioration of the flow of water heated by the tap.
How to remove soot from a heat exchanger at home
Before removing the accumulated soot inside the heat exchanger, you should familiarize yourself with how to do it correctly.
How to disassemble and assemble with your own hands
Disassembly and cleaning of the device is carried out in several sequential steps.
Cut off water and gas
Before removing the heat exchanger, it is necessary to turn off the gas and water supply. To do this, it is enough to close the taps responsible for the gas and water supply to the column. Only after turning off the taps can you begin to disassemble and clean the device.
Draining content
Sometimes a little water remains in the disconnected column, which must be removed in advance. Fluid is drained as follows:
- overlapping of all taps;
- open a tap for hot water;
- remove the plug from a special hole for draining the liquid;
- system water drainage;
- installation of the socket.
Dismantling features
It is easy to remove the heat exchanger on your own, and therefore everyone can cope with this job. First, the tubes are removed for water intake and discharge. To do this, you will need to loosen the nuts responsible for fixing the pipes. They should be treated with VD-40 detergent to remove scale. When the pipes are unscrewed, the heat exchanger is removed.
Washing
To clean the part, a liquid consisting of hot water and citric acid is poured inside. This will help get rid of soot and other contaminants. You can also treat the surface with an acetic solution with hydrochloric acid.
Drying
The washed device must be dried before reinstalling it. Before drying, it is carefully wiped with a dry towel to collect moisture from the surface. Then the heat exchanger is taken out to the balcony if cleaning is carried out in the summer. In winter, it can be dried near a battery or other heating devices.
Reassembly
It is very easy to replace the washed heat exchanger. To do this, it is carefully installed in the gas column, after which the tubes are screwed with nuts.
Replacement of O-rings
To prevent water from entering the pipes, you will need to replace the sealing rings. Before installing the heat exchanger, you will need to remove the rubber gasket installed at the pipe joint and replace it with a new one.
Leak test
The assembled structure should be checked for leaks. For this, a little water must be injected into the pipes. If it does not leak, the o-rings are installed correctly and the connection is completely sealed.
Verification in progress
After making sure that the connection is tight, the device is checked during operation. The gas column is turned on to heat the water. If there are no problems during the heating process, the device has been assembled and cleaned properly.
How to descale
With prolonged use of the columns, not only soot is formed, but also scale, which must be removed.
Ready-to-use composition from the store
People who prefer the chemical method of descaling often use products from specialty stores. They are distinguished by high efficiency, which allows you to get rid of even old dirt.
Effective store formulations include:
- Boiler;
- Cleaning ;
- Detex.
With acid
Some don't want to use chemicals and use acid instead.
Salt
To clean the contaminated surface and protect it from deterioration, you can rinse it with hydrochloric acid. To remove scale, hydrochloric acid is poured into the heat exchanger and left in it for 15-20 minutes. Then an alkaline solution is poured into it, after which the mixture from the heat exchanger is poured into the sewer.
Orthophosphate
Washing the column with acid orthophosphate is considered effective against scale. At the same time, experts recommend using a weakly concentrated solution. To prepare it, you will need to mix acid with water in a ratio of one to five.
Aminosulfonic
Aminosulfonic acid can be used to remove scale from metal surfaces. It must be used very carefully, as it reacts with the metal and begins to corrode it. To prevent this from happening, the acid is mixed with inhibitors and water.
lemon or vinegar
Citric acid and acetic acid can also be used for descaling. However, such compositions are less effective, and therefore to clean the metal, it will have to be soaked in liquid for at least four hours.
How to remove soot from a radiator
To clean the radiator from accumulated soot, two main agents are used.
Soap solution
Many people use conventional soap formulations to remove soot. Before using them, you should vacuum the radiator to clean it of debris and carbon particles. Then it is washed in soapy water and dried.
Special hook
A small hook will help clean the radiator from a large amount of soot. After using it, you need to rinse the part to remove the remaining soot.
How to protect yourself from limestone
There are three types of filters to help prevent scale buildup.
Main screen filter
Such filter nets are installed in gas columns to prevent debris from entering the system. The peculiarities of these filters include the fact that they have a self-cleaning function.
Water softener filter
It's a small plastic tube with a small tube with salt crystals inside. When liquid passes through such a tube, its composition changes. Thanks to this, the amount of scale on the surfaces is reduced by 2-3 times.
Magnetic filter
Magnetic models have two small magnets that form a field. The water passing through these filtration structures is purified and softened.
Cleaning the water inlet unit
To clean the water inlet, you will need to disconnect it from the column and dismantle it. Inside is a small filter which is washed with water and dried. Additionally, there is a membrane in the water intake unit, which also needs to be flushed.
Removal of carbon deposits from the igniter and burner
The burner is disconnected and removed from the column before cleaning. Then it is cleaned with a metal brush and washed off from the remaining dirt. A solution of acetic acid and soap can be used to remove stubborn deposits.
How to clean a heat exchanger without installation
If the heat exchanger is not very dirty, it can be cleaned without dismantling. To do this, it is enough to rinse its surface with anti-carbon agents or clean it with a brush.
Conclusion
People who use gas water heaters should clean them of soot and scale. Before that, you need to familiarize yourself with the main methods and means of cleaning.