How to clean a boiler with my own hands?

Accumulation water heater is an incredibly useful household appliance, which allows us to not depend on the seasonal disconnection of hot water. In the first few years of using the boiler, there are usually no problems with it. But after two or three years, the owners of the device begin to notice interruptions with the heating and water pressure. Usually, such problems are associated with ignoring the rules of operation of the device, among which one of the most important is regular cleaning.

In this article, we will talk about ways to clean the storage water heater at home.

It is no secret that the quality of tap water in our apartments leaves much to be desired. Therefore, household appliances, which are constantly in contact with hard water, suffer from deposits of lime and scale. It concerns washing machines, dishwashers, kettles and, of course, boilers. The most destructive impact of limescale deposits are the tubular heating element and the inner walls of the water heater tank.

If you let the process of contamination of the boiler on its own, the consequences will be very unpleasant. Firstly, the water heating will be very slow or will stop at all. Secondly, the heating element will overheat and stop working.

Professional technicians and folk craftsmen have developed a whole system of rules and recommendations that allow you to keep the boiler in perfect condition. Let's get acquainted with these useful tips in detail.

The easiest way to clean the water heater from dirt, limescale and rust with the help of special store remedies. Means for removing lime deposits and other sediments in a large range are sold in hardware stores, in the departments of household chemicals large hypermarkets, as well as in as an accompanying product in stores that sell household appliances. Specialists recommend buying products for cleaning electric kettles - their composition and principle of action are the same, and they cost less.

In the following video you can see how to clean the boiler from contamination with your own hands, step by step.

If you are against the use of aggressive chemicals in the home, you can clean the water heater by hand. It will take more time, but the effect will be more noticeable. To remove the accumulated scale mechanically, the device will first have to be disassembled. It is more convenient and safer to do this by first removing the heater from the wall.

You should disassemble the device by turning it upside down. Next we act in the following order:

• Remove the front panel by pressing off the latches that fix it, and picking it up with a screwdriver;
• pulling the handle of the temperature regulator, carefully remove it;
• Loosen and remove the screws that fasten the panel;
• Disconnect the cable that powers the device (it is fixed with three screws);
• Remove the temperature regulator and the flange that provides water heating.

The heating element is located on the flange, which we removed from the water heater last, when we disassembled the device.

After examining the heating element, we are likely to find a thick layer of scale and other dirt deposits on it. The most effective way is simply to remove this deposit mechanically. For this purpose, you must use a not very sharp knife or cutter and carefully scrape off the dirt, taking care not to damage the metal surface of the heater. After this we replace the heating element and assemble the boiler in the reverse order.

Remove such dirt from the inner surface of the tank is recommended only chemically, as otherwise there is a high probability of damaging the tank. To proceed as follows:

• manually remove from the tank all the dirt that comes off easily;
• inside the tank pour the cleaning agent diluted in water;
• wait for the necessary time;
• Empty the tank of water;
• Remove the remaining dirt with a soft sponge;
• Rinse out the remains of dirt and detergent from the tank.

The design of most models of boilers is the same and differs only in minor nuances. However, it will not be superfluous to know about the peculiarities of cleaning storage water heaters of different brands.

• Boilers from Ariston differ in an unusual way of fixation and configuration of the flange. To remove the flange, you must first push it toward you, turn it upside down, and only then remove it. Since this manufacturer places the heating element at the bottom of the appliance, there is no need to remove the boiler from the wall before cleaning.

• Users of boilers Gorenje often complain that the device is difficult to open for maintenance. In fact, the front panel is easy enough to remove: you only need to push up its lower edge and pull it towards you. It should also be noted that the water heaters of this company are very heavy, so you will need help to remove the device from the wall.

• Water heaters THERMEX do not have any design features, but the magnesium rods, which this manufacturer uses, very quickly run out of life, so you have to replace them every year.

In order for your storage water heater to last as long as possible, it is recommended to use special filters that clean and soften the tap water. A good filter not only improves water quality, but also keeps the water heater system in good technical condition.

Flow filters are installed at the inlet to the boiler, so the water enters the tank already purified. In addition to small debris particles, the filter collects salts and some metal compounds.