Fan for boiler

The abbreviation TEN is constantly found in the description of household appliances, so most of us are well aware of it. It stands for "electric tube heater". This device was invented back in the middle of the century before last, and for more than a century and a half of its existence has managed to become a constant element in the design of various devices, which in one way or another are associated with heating.

If we are talking about household appliances, heaters are equipped with heating elements in washing machines, ovens, kettles, heating equipment, and, of course, water heaters. Today we will tell you about what types of heaters are used in modern boilers, what function they perform, as well as the peculiarities of selection and operation of these devices.

The main purpose of the heating element in the boiler - is to carry out the heating of water. Such heaters are powered by electricity, so they are equipped only with devices that can be connected to the mains (for example, in a gas water heater, the function of the TEN is performed by a gas burner).

The heating element is a spiral-shaped tube made of copper-coated nichrome alloy. Depending on the boiler model, the heating element is usually located at the bottom of the device or on the side. The first option of location is considered more successful, because in this case the water is heated faster and more evenly.

Heating elements, which are used to equip domestic water heaters, come in two types - "dry" and "wet".

"Dry" heating element is so called because it is not in contact with water. It is isolated from the liquid by a sealed bulb. Such heaters are mainly used in modern models of boilers. It is believed that they are more durable because they are not exposed to tap water. The absence of lime deposits and scale prolongs the service life of the heating element. A big plus of "dry" heating elements is that they do not burn out if heating is started when the tank is empty.

"Wet" heaters are the most common type of heaters today (also called "immersion" heaters). Many people believe that such heaters are already outdated, but, nevertheless, they continue to be actively used. Among the disadvantages of "wet" heating elements are their tendency to break down, and, as a consequence, the need for repair or replacement. But, unlike "dry" heaters, such heaters can be easily found on sale and are also easy to replace.

Companies that are engaged in the production of domestic water heaters, install on their devices different models of heating elements, so these devices are rarely interchangeable. We suggest you get acquainted with the features of heating elements for boilers from the most popular manufacturers.

This Italian concern equips its water heaters with heating elements made of chromium-nickel stainless steel in a copper shell. The heaters have a large heat output thanks to the brass flange. Most Ariston heaters are rated at 1.5 kW. Such devices are used both for compact kitchen boilers and for large devices, designed for a hundred liters. Buying a heating element for the boiler from this manufacturer will cost you about 1500-2000 rubles.

Boilers from this manufacturer, whose homeland is also Italy, equipped with two heating elements at once, which makes the process of heating water more effective. One of the devices has a capacity of 1 kW, the second - 1.5 kW. They can work together or separately, which allows you to adjust the power consumption and heating speed.

The manufacturer equips its water heaters with heating elements made of a special patented alloy. A big plus for owners of water heaters from Thermex will be the fact that the heating elements in them can be replaced by heaters manufactured by other manufacturers (such as Garanterm or Atlantic).

The company from Slovenia uses in their devices tubular heaters, covered with an additional protective layer of vitreous glaze or glass porcelain (these materials are also used to cover the inner surface of the water heater tank). This coating prevents the appearance of lime scale, which often leads to malfunctions of the device.

Since the water in boilers from Gorenje is heated to a fairly high temperature - 90 degrees, when installing a heating element from a third manufacturer, the maximum heating temperature should be set no higher than 60 degrees, otherwise the device will quickly fail.

Like any other household appliance, water heaters can break down under the influence of external or internal factors. Quite often the heating element is guilty of these failures.

Let's list the most common types of faults, in one way or another related to the operation of the heating element:

• If instead of hot water comes out of the faucet cold, most likely, the connection of the heating element and the thermostat is broken;
• if the appliance switches on and off constantly, it is possible that a thick layer of limescale has formed on the heating element;
• If mistakes are made during installation of the water heater, an air pocket may form in the tank blocking water access to the heating element.

We have compiled for you a brief instruction that you can follow when replacing a faulty heating element.

• Turn off the power to the appliance, then drain the remaining water from the tank.
• For the convenience of work it is recommended to remove the water heater from the wall.
• Remove the bottom panel, take pictures of the location of all wires and connections.
• Disconnect all wires from the heater and carefully remove it.
• Evaluate the suitability of the heating element for further operation. If the scale is not large and can be easily removed, after cleaning you can put the device back in place. If the scale has managed to damage the metal, the heater will have to be replaced.
• Install the new heater, connect the wires to it according to the picture. Put the back panel back in place.

The process of replacing the heater is clearly shown in the following video.

To replace the failed electric heater, it is preferable to install a new device of the same model. You can find it on the Internet by the markings shown on the body of the heating element. You can also show the salesman in the store the old heater, and he will help you find the right model.

If you decide to replace the "native" water heater heating element with a device from another manufacturer, do not forget to consider two important factors. The first is the thermal capacity of the heating element. You can install in the boiler only a heating element with the same capacity as the old one. The second factor is the location of the protective anode. There are models of boilers, in which this element is mounted directly in the heating element. In this case, the new heating element must have a special hole to install the anode.